The pain of a years-long heartbreak still lingered deeply within Devika. The harder she tried to forget her ex-boyfriend, Arjun, the more her social media searches and old photographs pulled her back into the past. During those dark days, a quiet change began in the most unexpected way.
One Sunday evening, while browsing digital artwork on Instagram, a particular portrait caught her attention. The smile and the casual posture of the young man in the artist's illustration bore an uncanny resemblance to Arjun. Driven by a sudden rush of emotion, Devika sent a direct message to the profile.
"Hi... hope you don't mind me asking, but who is the person in this drawing? His smile and expression look exact like my ex-boyfriend. I was just so surprised that I had to message you."
She didn't have to wait hours for a reply. A notification popped up shortly after:
"Hi! That's actually a self-portrait. I'm not sure if the resemblance is really that strong, though. If you're free tomorrow at 4:00 PM, would you like to meet near the old coffee shop downtown? Once you meet me in person, you can figure out who I am beyond those old memories." — Rohan.
The next afternoon, an anxious Devika arrived outside the coffee shop. Soon enough, Rohan walked up to her, holding a cup of coffee for her, and smiled.
"I intentionally didn't say much about myself yesterday," he said softly. "Rather than having you view me through the shadow of someone else's memory, I wanted you to see and know me for who I am."
That single meeting turned out to be a turning point for both of them. Days blended into weeks, and weeks into months. Every Thursday, right after Rohan's college classes ended, they made it a habit to meet at that same quiet coffee shop. Online, Devika's written words found life in Rohan's artwork. Late-night conversations gradually became their daily routine, and the lingering painful memories of her past slowly faded away.
Even when friends playfully tease Rohan about being her "boyfriend," their bond went deeper—they became best friends who truly understood each other.
Today is Thursday. Both of their phones display a "last seen" status of 4:00 PM. That's because Rohan is already sitting at their usual corner table, waiting for Devika... ready to write their next chapter togethe