Window Between Us - Part 1

The city had fallen silent. Mumbai, the city that never paused, was now frozen under the weight of the lockdown. The streets were empty, the air oddly clear, and time seemed to move more slowly with each passing day.

For Dishant, his world had shrunk to the four walls of his apartment. The only thing that connected him to the outside world was his window. And that window is where he first noticed her.

Across the narrow lane, a few floors above, stood Deepa. Every morning, she would open her balcony door, step out with her cup of tea, and water the small plants lined up neatly on her railing. Her calm, almost therapeutic routine became part of Dishant's daily view.

At first, it was nothing more than a casual observation. Then came the eye contact. Subtle, unintentional at first. A glance held a second longer than usual. Then came the soft smile. A small wave followed a few days later.

Their windows became their meeting spot. In a city where people lived on top of one another yet remained strangers, a quiet connection started to grow between two isolated souls.

It was only after four or five days that life offered them a different kind of encounter.

One morning, during the permitted grocery hours, Dishant stepped out for essentials. As he waited in the queue, he noticed someone standing a few feet ahead of him, scanning her shopping list. The mask covered most of her face, but the familiarity of her eyes was unmistakable.

She must have recognized him too, because her eyes crinkled ever so slightly, hinting at a smile behind her mask. Their eyes met, and for the first time, they stood closer than their balconies ever allowed.

"Strange to see you here," she said softly, her voice slightly muffled.

Dishant chuckled, his voice equally muted behind his mask. "Stranger, to finally meet you without a window between us."

Their little world had just expanded, from the distance of windows to the warmth of standing just a few feet apart. Yet, what Dishant didn’t know was that behind Deepa’s smile was a story she carried silently. One that might change everything between them.

***End of Part 1***

#lockdown #shortstories #romance #flashfiction #life