CHAPTER 7--THE PHOTOGRAPH

The college trip had been planned for weeks, and by the time the bus pulled out of the campus gates, the air was already buzzing with excitement. For many, it was just another outing, a chance to take pictures, tease friends, and skip classes. But for Ayla, it was special. Being new to the college, this was her first chance to feel like she truly belonged among them.

She leaned against the window as the bus rolled down the highway, her eyes bright as she pointed out things to her seatmate. Aariz, from a few rows back, watched quietly. He wasn’t the loudest in the group, nor the one cracking jokes, but he always noticed her—how easily she blended her laughter into the crowd, even though she’d joined them late.

The day was filled with wandering around monuments, snapping endless selfies, and buying snacks from roadside stalls. Laughter seemed to spill at every corner, and Ayla’s laughter, Aariz thought, somehow outshone them all.

By evening, when the light turned golden, the professor gathered everyone for a group photo. Dozens of students crowded together—some standing, some crouching, all trying to squeeze into the frame. Aariz ended up somewhere in the back, while Ayla stood slightly to the side, strands of hair escaping her clip as the breeze brushed against her.

Professor: “Alright, everyone smile! One… two… three!”

The shutter clicked.

Later that night, when the pictures were passed around in the group chat, Ayla made a face at her phone.

Ayla: “Ugh, no! Look at me in this one. My hair’s a mess. I look so bad. Someone delete it!”

Her friends laughed, teasing her as they scrolled past. But Aariz didn’t scroll.

To him, that photograph was different. She wasn’t posing or trying too hard. She looked real—hair untamed, eyes lit with a quiet joy. Perfect, in a way she couldn’t see.

Without saying a word, he saved the photo. Later, alone in his room, he printed a small copy on plain paper and tucked it inside his diary.

Aariz (in his heart): She’ll never know that the picture she hates is the one I’ll keep forever.

And just like that, a fleeting moment turned into a memory he would guard silently, a photograph only he would ever treasure.