Someone liked your Instant — Chapter 1

Someone liked my Instant

Ann clicked a picture of her kitty and posted it on her WhatsApp status. When she picked up her phone to share the same picture on Instagram, she noticed a new feature called “Instants.”

Before she could find her cat again for a proper snap, the little furball had already run away. As she wandered around searching for it, her thumb unknowingly rested on the shutter button. Without realizing it, she ended up sharing more than fifty Instants with her followers.

Eventually, she found her kitty stretched out lazily on the couch. She picked it up, placed it on her shoulders, stuck her tongue out playfully, and clicked another Instant.

She didn’t even get a chance to preview the photo.

Before she knew it, it had been sent to all 414 of her Instagram followers.

The replies started pouring in:

• Do you even know what you’re doing? • Haha, funny girl! • Looks like your camera only takes black pictures. • Are you having a seizure pressing that button continuously?

Ann sighed as she scrolled through the messages.

Despite having more than four hundred followers, almost every one of them was someone she knew from school, college, or work. She had never been comfortable opening her digital doors to strangers.

Then, amidst all the chaos, a notification appeared.

Someone liked your Instant.

She recognized the name. Not closely, just enough to know who he was. They had never exchanged a text or even spoken in person.

A small smile appeared on her face.

She quietly swiped the notification away.

Days passed.

One afternoon, she shared an Instant of her workspace. A few moments later, the notification appeared again.

Someone liked your Instant.

This time, her smile lingered a little longer.

She swiped away the notification and returned to work.

The next day was the end of the month.

Ann had a habit of posting monthly dumps, a collection of her favorite moments wrapped in a random song and a handful of memories. She carefully selected her best pictures and uploaded them.

Many of her friends liked the story.

But deep down, she was waiting for just one notification.

And it never came.

Someone didn’t like the story.

A tiny ache settled in her chest.

She brushed it off, convincing herself that it was probably nothing. Maybe he was busy. Maybe he hadn’t seen it.

A few days later, while casually tapping through stories, she came across one of his.

Without thinking twice, she liked it.

And that was when it started.

A strange little language.

A silent conversation.

If Ann posted a story of food, he would post an empty plate.

If she shared a picture of a sunset, he would post a sky from wherever he was.

Neither of them sent a message.

Neither of them made the first move.

But through Instants, they were learning how to speak without words.

Life, however, had other plans.

Both were buried in work, living in different places, chasing careers that demanded more time than they could spare.

So they carried their feelings quietly.

And every now and then, their hearts fluttered when a familiar notification appeared.

One evening, Ann was in Chennai.

Heavy rain had been pouring for hours. Water had flooded the ground floor of her apartment building, and her Vespa was trapped in the parking area below.

It was getting late.

She sat alone on a staircase, watching the rain and wondering how she would get home.

Out of habit, she took out her phone and shared an Instant.

Just another ordinary post.

Just another moment.

And, secretly, she waited for a familiar notification.

What she didn’t know was that he was in the very same building.

When he saw the Instant, something about it looked familiar. He stared at the image, replaying the details in his head until he finally recognized the location.

Without a second thought, he grabbed his bag and sprinted out.

Floor after floor.

Stair after stair.

Until he finally found her.

Sitting exactly where the Instant had shown.

Ann was still staring at the rain.

He quietly walked up behind her, just like the little kitty in her very first Instant.

Then he lifted his phone and clicked an Instant from behind.

For the first time, he watched the notification arrive on her screen in real life.

Her phone buzzed.

She opened the Instant.

The moment she saw it, her body froze.

A smile began to form.

Slowly, she tilted her head back.

And there he was.

Standing behind her with the widest smile she had ever seen.

Some stories begin with a conversation.

Theirs began with a notification.

Someone liked your story.

And the story continues…

Thanks for reading.