A Mail

Author's pov:

It's a gloomy afternoon and Riddhi is returning from her school clutching her umbrella against the suddent drizzle. The sound of the dizzle against her umbrella makes a soothing rythym but her mind is preoccupied by the to-do list awaitng for her at her home - test, exam preparations, homeworks and maybe few moments to jot down some of her poetry on her notebook.

She reaches close to the mailbox and pauses for a few seconds in front of it.
She opens the mailbox, amid of the usual bills and advertisements there was something usual this time. She found a gold-embossed lettering on the front which reads-

"Invitation: The Urban Lens Photography Exhibition- By Invitation Only."

Riddhi frowns. Photography? That was not her thing. She even never owned a camera, let alone attended an exhibition.
She flips the envelope over, her curiosity piqued by the luxurious feel of the paper. The handwriting on the paper looks hurried but it was fine.

"I think this must be a mistake." She muttered under her breath but she tucks the envelop into her bag anyway.

Parallel scene:

Across town, Aarav slouches on the worn-out sofa in his living room, lazily flipping through the day’s mail. Most of it is uninteresting—utility bills, a pizza flyer, and a few credit card offers. But then, a plain white envelope catches his eye.

“Huh. What’s this?” he murmurs, tearing it open.

Inside is a neatly folded letter printed on creamy paper:
“Congratulations! You’ve been selected to participate in the Young Voices Poetry Competition.”

Aarav blinks, the words not quite registering. Poetry? Him? That has to be a joke. He glances at the name on the envelope again. It’s his name and address, but something feels off. Shrugging, he tosses the envelope onto the coffee table.

“Well, that’s random,” he says, smirking. But later, as he heads out, he stuffs the letter into his backpack.

Riddhi’s Decision

That evening, Riddhi sits at her small desk, the invitation lying in front of her. The golden letters glimmer under the soft glow of her table lamp. Should she go? Something about the envelope feels like an invitation to step out of her carefully constructed comfort zone.

Her eyes flicker to her notebook, where half-finished poems are scribbled in the margins. She hesitates, then makes a decision.

“I’ll just check it out,” she tells herself. “What’s the harm?”

Aarav’s Decision
Meanwhile, Aarav is scrolling through his phone when his eyes land on a social media post about the poetry competition. Curious, he opens the post and realizes it’s not just any competition; it’s a prestigious event for creative young writers. He leans back, tapping the edge of his phone against his chin.

“Maybe I’ll go,” he says to no one in particular. “Worst case, I’ll get some good photos for my Instagram.”

That night, the rain stops, leaving the streets damp and glistening under the city lights. The invitations sit side by side in their respective rooms—one on Riddhi’s desk and one on Aarav’s coffee table—waiting to set their fateful mix-up in motion.

............................

This is my first story and I hope you guys would like it. I am keeping the chapters free as of now. This book is also available on wattpad so if you want to read it for free you can do that there. Thank you!