"The Stranger I Knew"

The world had paused. Loneliness crept in, heavy and unshaken.

I had always hidden my insecurities behind a confident face. So, on Tinder, I chose only pictures of my face-never my body. I wasn't seeking love, just a distraction.

Then I matched with him.

Casual chats turned into nightly Ludo games. I won. He complained. I laughed. Ten days passed, and something changed.

I had never seen him, yet his words felt like home. I never believed in love.

But for the first time, I wondered-what if?

And that's how it all began.