First Sight

The warm smell of the sunny late afternoon breezed like an invisible snake that touched and caressed everything, moving with a gentle gesture that made people feel at peace. The breeze tickled the soft hairs in her hair as it caressed, tickled and whispered to her about the boy who was looking at her. She  wasn’t sure if he wanted to look at her again or maybe not… But his gaze didn’t leave her, his eyes watching her carefully, taking everything in with a curious yet cautious expression that she felt as strange and new as him. She could have looked away, but she couldn’t; she had been waiting for the moment when his attention would move from her. She could see his gaze moving from her lips to her forehead, then down to her neck, then back up again. He looked so much at ease, so relaxed and free, and something about him made the warmth of the sun disappear completely, leaving cold sweat on her body. It was almost as if she was floating in space, staring into the depths of the stars, the way his eyes seemed to penetrate her soul and reach into every part of her. The golden light from the afternoon sun made him look like some otherworldly being, a God, a celestial being that could take her apart and put her together again. His eyes told her everything, everything she needed to know about her feelings, their secrets, their meanings, their desires. The sound of vehicles and children 's laughter brought her out of her own world, and she finally snapped out of her thoughts and met his eyes again. Maybe that was too obvious? Too much for just strangers? But his stare told her otherwise. He knew. He understood. He saw right through her, and even though she didn't want to admit it out loud, maybe she loved the feeling of someone else seeing into her heart, the place where all her feelings lay. “Lets go, our rickshaw is here” , a voice called from behind, drawing her away from their moment of shared understanding. She grabbed the red schoolbag slung over her shoulder and followed the voice of her best friend wondering what exactly happened at that moment. The two girls got into the rickshaw  parked across from them and the driver started the engine as soon as they settled into the seats. Before leaving she wanted to make sure that the boy was still watching after she left, before turning around to glance at him one last time. His black eyes were fixed on hers once more, and even though she wasn’t sure why, she smiled.