Bibek, with an umbrella in his hand, was waiting for a bus to Talchowk. Despite half an hour passing, no bus had arrived. While waiting, he suddenly felt a pat on his back which made him look behind. There stood a girl waiting for the bus to the same destination.

Bibek froze for a while. His pupils dilated, and his nervousness intensified as the girl was Luna whom he secretly admired but never dared to approach in college.

After a moment, he suggested they start walking towards their destination while also keeping an eye on the bus that might arrive. Luna nodded with assent, and Bibek blushing started to walk. Sunset was approaching and the clouds were turning black heralding rainfall at any moment. As the setting sun was playing hide and seek in the drifting black clouds Bibek felt utter perplexity thinking if it was Luna’s face or the golden hues of the setting sun that was radiating brighter.

With no exchange of words, they were cocooned by the silence. Bibek was musing on breaking the awkwardness and ruminating on topics to have a conversation on when Luna complimented him by saying she had read his blog about his solo trips and admired his free spirit. It could be a sheer coincidence that Luna had also noticed Bibek in college and found him charming but never had a chance to speak.

Their conversation flowed effortlessly as they talked about their innate love for traveling and the places they had been to. Soon, it started to downpour and the earthy smell filled the night breeze. Under the umbrella with every step they took, they found themselves walking closer to each other. There was something in the air that they felt which was making them blush. They were clearly lost in la-la land.

That unanticipated encounter led to daily conversations and a deepening friendship with a hint of chemistry. Despite both of them gradually falling in love with each other, they concealed their romantic feelings fearing rejection.

In the course of time, Luna faced the decision of pursuing further studies in Kathmandu or staying in Pokhara close to Bibek. On one hand, the magnitude of love was pulling her to be in Pokhara, and on the other hand, the potential of a brighter academic journey was alluring her to fly to Kathmandu. Trepidation loomed over her and she struggled to decide. She then moved to Kathmandu as Bibek encouraged her to prioritize her academic journey.

After months of being in the capital far away from near and dear ones, on 15th January 2023, Luna was finally going to her hometown Pokhara for a winter vacation. Bibek received a text. The name Luna on his notification brought warmth to his body and her message of coming to Pokhara made those butterflies flutter on his belly. He had waited for this moment till time almost became a river. 

With a bouquet of roses and the earnest desire to finally express his feelings for her, he reached Pokhara airport an hour before the time. While waiting, he knew that today was the day to reveal the feelings that he had been hiding in the secret case of his heart. Today was the day to let Luna know that, she was the reason behind his felicity and the subject of all his poetries, that a mere thought of her makes him grin like an idiot and a glimpse of her makes his entire day. Today was the most anticipated day to tell her that the time he gets to be with her feels too good to be true and he has been desirously yearning to spend the rest of his life with her. 

Suddenly, Bibek heard loud cries of people crescendoing, bringing him back to reality from his daydreams. He felt a sense of apprehension seeing people wail and lament. The chaos and clamor intensified. Unanticipatedly, his ears were pierced by the words “Yeti Airlines flight 691 has crashed”.

It was then he had an epiphany that the love he had been longing to embrace from dawn to dusk was never meant to survive the light. The love story he desperately yearned to live ended before it could start.