Soul is where most things begin and end with love. This is the story of a girl who may have loved me or just felt attracted to me. When I realized that someone was in love with me, how it took me to next level here is the story about it . Back in 8th grade, I was a mischievous, fun-loving, and often scolded boy at school. Everyone knew me as the most notorious kid in class. If anyone asked about me, they would say, “Him? He’s just disgusting.” And honestly, I didn’t mind. I was always lost in my own world, completely unaware of anything romantic. One day, our teacher decided to change the seating arrangement to minimize noise: two boys on one bench and two girls on the bench behind. I was paired with my quiet and hardworking friend, while behind us sat two girls—one of them was her. In the beginning, I didn’t pay much attention to them. My focus was on cracking jokes with my friend. But soon enough, we started talking to them too. I made jokes, they laughed, and slowly, we all became comfortable. She later told me that it was my carefree attitude and sense of humor that attracted her. Before I even noticed, the whole class had started whispering about us, hinting at something between her and me. I didn’t understand why until one day, her best friend came to me and said, “You know she likes you, right?” I was stunned, not because I had never been liked before, but because I couldn’t understand why she would fall for a guy like me. Feeling overwhelmed, I asked the teacher to change my seat, giving the excuse that I couldn’t see the blackboard. Even after moving, I could still feel her gaze on me. Sometimes, I’d turn around, only to find her looking at me with a soft, dreamy expression. The moment she realized I caught her, she would blush, smile shyly, and look down. It made me feel something I hadn’t felt before—a mix of excitement and confusion. Then came our mid-term camp—a three-day trip to a beautiful lakeside location with lotuses and a Ganesha temple. The place was serene, but being with her made it feel even more special. She took care of packing snacks and little things I might need during the camp. Even though the bag was mine, it was filled with her stuff—makeup kits, hats, and other essentials. I also had a small Android phone with a decent camera, and during the camp, I clicked random photos of friends. Somehow, my gallery ended up filled with her pictures. One evening after dinner, she came to me and whispered, “I need to tell you something. Can we talk in private?” My heart started racing. I managed to nod and followed her to a quiet spot. She hesitated for a moment, gathering her courage. Finally, she looked down and said softly, “I like you.” Then, without waiting for my response, she hugged me briefly and ran away.(How stupid I am , look I am blushing after while writing this story after 8 years). I stood there, speechless and completely taken aback. At that time, I wasn’t sure what I felt. I had a small crush on her, but it wasn’t love. I was still that immature boy living in my own world. After the 8th grade, I moved to my hometown for further studies, and we lost touch. Years later, when my classmates formed a WhatsApp group, she was there. By then, we had grown up, and those childhood feelings seemed distant and almost surreal. By sharing this story, I felt like I relived that innocent and beautiful phase of my life. Sometimes, we hold onto such memories because they remind us of who we were and how pure our feelings used to be. Platforms like ‘SoulSpeakStories’ give us the courage to express these emotions, to finally remove that little ‘not’ from our hesitation and let our stories flow. I truly enjoyed sharing this story with you all.