🌆 Chapter 1: Loneliness in the Crowd
From a distance, Dhaka seemed like a city of lights. But up close, one could see the shadows hidden inside the bright glow. As night fell, the streets grew even busier. The horns of buses, rickshaw bells, and the warm lights of the shops created a chaotic symphony.
Ariyan walked the same path after work every day. Heavy with fatigue and unspoken emotions, he felt utterly alone even in the crowded city. He once believed that when he grew up, the city would give him everything—dreams, identity, love. But it had given him only busyness and silence.
One rainy evening, he noticed a girl standing alone at a bus stop. Her saree clung to her in the drizzle, yet her eyes held an unusual calm.
Her name was Maria.
Amid the city's rush, Ariyan felt as if he had known her for a lifetime.