Det var en snødekket kveld i januar.

It was a snow-covered evening in January.

Snøen dalte sakte ned over Oslo, og dekket byen i et tykt teppe av ro og stillhet.

The snow was slowly falling over Oslo, covering the city in a thick blanket of peace and silence.

Mens vinden ulte utenfor, var det en varm glød i fellesrommet på Oslo universitetshøyskole.

While the wind howled outside, there was a warm glow in the common room at Oslo universitetshøyskole.

Den store steinpeisen kastet et lys som ga rommet en koselig atmosfære.

The large stone fireplace cast a light that gave the room a cozy atmosphere.

Sigrid satt alene i en myk lenestol, godt inntullet i et pledd.

Sigrid sat alone in a soft armchair, wrapped snugly in a blanket.

Hun kikket rundt på de andre studentene som småpratet lavt rundt henne.

She looked around at the other students who were chatting quietly around her.

Hun hadde alltid vært sjenert, men vinterens ensomhet hadde fått henne til å lengte etter nye venner.

She had always been shy, but the solitude of winter had made her long for new friends.

Derfor, da det plutselig ble snakk om et uformelt nyttårstreff, bestemte hun seg for å bli med.

Therefore, when there was suddenly talk of an informal New Year's gathering, she decided to join in.

I den andre enden av rommet stod Lars og snakket ivrig med noen medstudenter.

At the other end of the room, Lars stood talking eagerly with some fellow students.

Som arkitektstudent var han alltid opptatt av bærekraftige løsninger, og han fortalte engasjert om et prosjekt han arbeidet med.

As an architecture student, he was always focused on sustainable solutions, and he was passionately discussing a project he was working on.

Men langt inne følte han at noe manglet.

But deep inside, he felt something was missing.

Han ønsket seg mer enn bare overfladiske bekjentskaper.

He wanted more than just superficial acquaintances.

Etter hvert som kvelden gikk, begynte studentene å samles nærmere peisen.

As the evening went on, the students began to gather closer to the fireplace.

Snart var det Lars sin tur til å ta pause fra samtalene.

Soon it was Lars's turn to take a break from the conversations.

Han satte seg like ved Sigrid, uvedkommende hvem hun var.

He sat down near Sigrid, not knowing who she was.

Sigrid, på sin side, så Lars komme nærmere og hjertet begynte å slå litt raskere.

Sigrid, on her part, saw Lars coming closer and felt her heart begin to beat a little faster.

Kanskje dette var et sjanse hun hadde ventet på?

Could this be the chance she had been waiting for?

"Hei," sa Lars vennlig, mens han strakte seg etter en kopp med gløgg.

"Hi," Lars said kindly, as he reached for a cup of gløgg.

"Er du også her for stormen?

"Are you here for the storm too?"

"Sigrid nikket nervøst, men smilte.

Sigrid nodded nervously but smiled.

"Ja, det er koselig her inne mens snøen faller utenfor.

"Yes, it's nice in here while the snow falls outside.

Jeg er Sigrid, forresten.

I'm Sigrid, by the way."

"De begynte å snakke, først om den typiske studenthverdagen.

They started talking, first about the typical student life.

Men snart ført samtalen dem til felles interesser.

But soon the conversation led them to shared interests.

Da Lars nevnte sitt engasjement for bærekraft, lyste Sigrid opp.

When Lars mentioned his commitment to sustainability, Sigrid lit up.

Hun fortalte om sitt studie på miljøvitenskap og hennes drøm om å bidra til en grønnere fremtid.

She talked about her studies in environmental science and her dream of contributing to a greener future.

Peisens varme og den uformelle samtalen gjorde noe med dem begge.

The warmth of the fireplace and the informal conversation did something to them both.

Sigrid følte en trygghet hun sjelden hadde kjent, og Lars følte han endelig kunne snakke med noen som virkelig forstod ham.

Sigrid felt a sense of security she rarely knew, and Lars felt he could finally talk to someone who truly understood him.

Tiden forsvant mens de fortsatte å dele sine ideer og drømmer.

Time disappeared as they continued to share their ideas and dreams.

De oppdaget at de begge hadde en idé til et prosjekt for universitets bærekraftsinitiativet.

They discovered they both had an idea for a project for the university's sustainability initiative.

Sigrid foreslo at de kunne samarbeide, og Lars var mer enn ivrig.

Sigrid suggested they could collaborate, and Lars was more than eager.

Bakgrunnen av latter og småprat fra de andre studentene ble en bakgrunnsmelodi for vinterkvelden deres.

The background of laughter and chatter from the other students became a soundtrack to their winter evening.

Før de visste ordet av det, var det nesten midnatt.

Before they knew it, it was almost midnight.

Med et smil og en avtale om å møtes igjen for å planlegge, tok Sigrid farvel med Lars.

With a smile and a plan to meet again to organize, Sigrid said goodbye to Lars.

Uken som fulgte, møttes de stadig oftere, og fra samarbeid vokste det en vennskap.

In the week that followed, they met more frequently, and from collaboration grew a friendship.

Sigrid merket at hun ble tryggere i sosiale settinger, og Lars så hvilken verdi ekte menneskelige forbindelser hadde.

Sigrid noticed she became more confident in social settings, and Lars saw the value of genuine human connections.

Sammen tok de de første stegene mot å realisere sine ideer, men også mot noe mer enn bare vennskap.

Together, they took the first steps toward realizing their ideas, but also toward something more than just friendship.

Med nyttår og nye drømmer snurret rundt dem, hadde de begge funnet noe spesielt denne vinterkvelden.

With New Year and new dreams swirling around them, they had both found something special that winter evening.

Sigrid tør nå å være den hun er, mens Lars fant den ekte forbindelsen han lengtet etter.

Sigrid now dared to be who she was, while Lars found the genuine connection he longed for.

Sammen stirret de fremover, like trygge på hverandre som den solide steinpeisen som fortsatt lyste opp fellesrommet.

Together, they looked ahead, as secure in each other as the solid stone fireplace still lighting up the common room.