Chapter 5: The Paper Plane
The next evening, Eliza waited by her window a little earlier than usual.
And so did Zayaan.
No signs this time. No words yet. Just quiet eyes and a shared air between them.
Then suddenly — something flew through the air.
A paper plane.
Eliza watched as it landed just outside her window, on the small balcony ledge. She stepped out carefully, picked it up with surprise in her heart, and unfolded the note inside.
It read:
"Sometimes, I write when I feel like disappearing.
But when I saw you at that window…
I didn't want to."
Eliza's hands paused. Her breath caught.
No one had ever said anything like that to her before.
She stood still for a moment, then turned the paper around and wrote:
"Sometimes, I think too much.
But when I look at you…
It all quiets down."
She folded it into a new paper plane — her very first back to him — and sent it across.
It wasn't perfect. It wobbled a little.
But it made it.
Zayaan caught it with both hands, gently, like it was something precious.
He didn't say anything.
But he didn't have to.
The smile he gave her was enough.