Love on the Pages of Letters

The name of the village is *Shayabari*. A small river flows by the side of Shayabari village. Riyad loves to sit by the riverbank. Riyad is now 22 years old. He is a college student. His dreams are big. He wants to become a writer when he grows up. But the biggest dream of his life is his love, that girl by the riverbank—Sumaiya.

Sumaiya is a girl from the same village. Her father is a schoolteacher. Sumaiya is very quiet and sweet-natured. There is always a dream floating in her eyes. She doesn’t go to college like Riyad, but she loves reading books. She adores Riyad’s poems and stories. Whenever Riyad writes something, Sumaiya is the first reader.

One evening, Riyad was sitting by the riverbank, writing a poem. Sumaiya came and sat beside him. Riyad said, "I wrote this poem for you."

Sumaiya smiled, "For me? What did you write? Tell me."

Riyad read the poem aloud. The words of the poem were about Sumaiya’s eyes, her smile, and her dreams. Sumaiya listened quietly. Tears welled up in her eyes. She said, "Riyad, you write so beautifully! Do you know how many times I’ve cried reading your writings?"

Riyad smiled, "If you cry, my writing becomes meaningful."

From that day on, an unspoken bond formed between them. They would sit by the riverbank, talk, and share their dreams. Sumaiya was always present in Riyad’s writings. Sumaiya could understand Riyad’s feelings through his words.

But the villagers couldn’t accept their bond. They started saying, "It’s not right for them to sit together like this." Sumaiya’s father also found out. He called Sumaiya and said, "You will no longer meet Riyad. This is not acceptable in our society."

Sumaiya cried and said, "Father, Riyad is a very good person. He is my friend."

But her father didn’t listen. He confined Sumaiya to their home. Riyad and Sumaiya could no longer meet. Riyad was heartbroken. He started writing letters to Sumaiya. He would leave the letters in the crevice of a tree near Sumaiya’s house. Sumaiya would secretly read them. In the letters, Riyad wrote, "Sumaiya, you are my dream. Without you, my writing has no meaning."

One day, Riyad wrote in a letter, "Sumaiya, I love you. Do you love me?"

Sumaiya read the letter and cried. She wrote back, "Riyad, I love you too. But will our love ever come true?"

Riyad replied, "It will, Sumaiya. I will wait for you."

Days passed, months passed. Riyad and Sumaiya didn’t meet, but their exchange of letters continued. Their love blossomed on the pages of those letters. Sumaiya lived in Riyad’s writings, and Riyad lived in Sumaiya’s letters.

One day, Sumaiya’s father arranged her marriage. Sumaiya wrote to Riyad, "Riyad, my marriage has been fixed. What should I do?"

Riyad broke down after reading the letter. He wrote back, "Sumaiya, if you love me, we must run away."

Sumaiya thought long and hard. Finally, she agreed. One night, they ran away together. The villagers searched for them, but no one could find out where Riyad and Sumaiya had gone.

Riyad and Sumaiya settled in a new place. Riyad continued his writing, and Sumaiya stood by his side, supporting him. Their love grew deeper with each passing day.

One day, Riyad said to Sumaiya, "Sumaiya, you are my life. Without you, I am nothing."

Sumaiya smiled, "Riyad, you are my dream. Your love is my greatest treasure."

Their love had begun on the pages of letters, but now it had become a reality. They laughed, cried, and dreamed together. Their love knew no boundaries. It no longer lived just on the pages of letters—it lived in their hearts.