Chapter 1

The rain fell, cold and relentless, the winds whipping it in every direction. It was early November 2021. The weather was cold, almost freezing. Lhawang got out of her bed and checked her phone, many messages which she didn't respond to. She listened some music and whispered "this was his favorite."

He got out of his bed and made an attempt to text her again. Kuenga made himself a cup of coffee and reached for his guitar. He went to the balcony and started to sing "Wise man say...…." After a while he sighed and said "this was her favorite." He went inside and helped himself with another coffee.

Lhawang graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), she worked at the JDWNRH hospital in Thimphu. She still had his photos, his memories, his gifts. Even though she ignored all his calls and messages, she was still forlorn by the memories. She always wished that she never met him or that thing never happened.

Kuenga didn't go to a college, after completing 12th, he took a graphic designing course and worked in universal solution, owned by his dad. He settled with his friends after getting a job in Thimphu. They were together since high school. And all of them knew how he missed Lhawang. They sometimes finds him holding her picture for dear life.

His friends Maal and Puku graduated from Royal Thimphu College (RTC) and Maal was an editor and Puku was an accountant in Singye Group of Companies. Ninjala didn't graduate either, he has a tattoo business and he was always passionate about tattoos. Kuenga was back to Thimphu after 3 years. No one knew where he went, but he was back now.

Lhawang couldn't forget the betrayal she felt and couldn't forget how heartbroken she was when he disappeared all of a sudden. "Why is he texting me now?" she turned off her phone. "I guess he is in Thimphu, I saw someone exactly like him", Pema told Lhawang.

"Well, I don't care." Lhawang changed her dress and washed her hands, acting like she didn't care, when she wanted to ask more about him. She wanted to see him again but she acted like she didn't care at all.

"Any idea where she stays?" Kuenga asked. Ninjala shrugged. "I heard she was a nurse." Maal replied as he took puff from his cigarette. Puku laughed and said, "You seriously still love her?" Kuenga sat quietly for a moment and then said "she doesn't return my calls or texts." And then Ninjala added, "come one dude it's been like 3 years now." Kuenga smirked and said nothing.

"Seriously is he here?" Lhawang shouted.

"Yeah, I saw him." Pema calmed her down. Lhawang sighed and said "Why? Anyway I will leave a little early today Pema." Her phone beeped again and after having a look, she deleted the messages. Lhawang left the hospital and she was planning on going home but she was too disturbed

So, she went to the changangkha viewpoint. Quiet and peaceful at this time of the day. It was almost 8:30 p.m. and the weather was very cold. She stared at the sky, full of stars and recalled the time when she used to watch the stars with Kuenga. She recalled the nicknames he used to call her and when it was 9:05 p.m. she got a call from her mom and she went home.

Kuenga finished his work and went for a coffee and called his Ninjala and told him that he will bring dinner for them and that they don't have to cook. After getting some food, he went towards his car and when he almost got in, he watched the sky and the stars were out in full, he remembered the day when he used to watch the stars with her, hugging her. He smirked as he stared in the sky.

They had too many memories together. "I guess you would never forgive me", he sighed. He took out his cigarettes and started to smoke. As he took puffs from his cigarettes, he texted her again. "Hey? It's me again. I just want to meet you once, I know I have made a mistake and you can never forgive me but won't you even meet me?". He waited for a reply but there was no response.

After spending an hour in his car, he finally drove home. "Dude, we're starving." Puku shouted. "Where were you man?", she added. "I didn't finish some work, sorry", he smiled. "Come on, let's eat." Ninjala unpacked the foods and stared to serve everyone. "Any plans these days?" Maal asked, staring at everyone. "No, I have three assignments due of a client, I will be busy." Kuenga replied as he took a bite.

"Yeah, me too", Puku added.

Minutes passed into hours, hours into days, days into months and it was December. Kuenga had an appointment in the hospital. After the appointment, he got his medicines and left. When he tugged his muffler, suddenly his heart was beating abnormally and felt his anticipation coursing through his veins. A girl caught his attention.

When he looked carefully in her direction, it was Lhawang, incredibly beautiful in the nurse dress. He felt the butterflies in his stomach when she passed right beside him, he wanted to talk. Without his realization, it was snowing. "Lha…..", before he could call her, she was gone, nowhere to be seen.

Lhawang ran in the snow, away from him. She never wanted to see his face. She was mad and unhappy. Even though she wanted to hug him and tell him how much she missed him, she was still mad and angry. Her face hot. After a while she remembered their first snowfall in the winter of 2017. Kuenga searched for her, she was nowhere. He stood breathlessly, staring at the sky, the snow hitting his face.

"Where are you?", he thought to himself. Lhawang ran towards the central park. Her eyes filled with tears. "After all these years, why did you come back? why?" she wiped the tears off her eyes and sighed. He didn't give up, he searched for her everywhere. And when he went to the central park, she was sitting on a bench, he summoned his courage and went there but it wasn't her, it was someone else.

"Sorry", he said disappointedly.

He went back home disappointed and desperately unhappy because he couldn't meet her. He hoped that he would see her some other day. And as for Lhawang she never wanted to see him again.