A quiet place you like

In a city as noisy as Dhaka, quiet places are rare, but there's a small rooftop garden at the public library near my university that I absolutely love.

Hardly anyone knows about it, because you reach it through a narrow staircase behind the periodicals section. It's not fancy, just a dozen potted plants, a few benches and a view across the old buildings towards the river. I go there about twice a week, usually in the late afternoon when the sun isn't too strong.

Mostly I use it to read or revise. I find that if I study at home, I get distracted by my phone or by my family, but up there I can concentrate for an hour without even noticing the time. Sometimes I don't do anything productive at all; I just sit, listen to the birds and watch the light change on the river. During exam season it's become a kind of reset button for me.

I like it mainly because it gives me mental space. Life here is fast and crowded, and you're always surrounded by traffic and horns. That rooftop is one of the few places where I can actually hear my own thoughts. I also like that it's free and open to everyone. To me, it proves that a peaceful place doesn't have to be a luxury resort; it can be fifteen square metres on top of a library.