One rain-soaked Tuesday, a boy named Aman wandered into the bookstore chasing shelter and a paperback copy of Neruda. He wore an umbrella still beaded with rain and a laugh that looked too big for his face. Riya watched him from behind the counter as he traced the spines with careful fingers. He asked for recommendations, then stayed to talk about music—about late-night playlists, about the way a song can stitch together two strangers' silences.