Well, ain't this just peachy? I'm out here in the dark abyss, relying solely on this lady from Google Maps to guide me out of this mess.

  Finally, the airport emerges like a beacon of hope in the distance. I pull in, a tad earlier than the promised 5 am rendezvous.

  Now, here comes the kicker. As I check the flight schedule for Rudra's departure, I'm hit with a dose of reality that I definitely didn't order. The flight's been delayed by a solid hour! Are you kidding me? This can't be happening. No, no, no, no, no, *sobs.

  What the heck did I even come here for? If I knew it'd be delayed by an hour, I could've just stayed in bed. What's the plan now? Call Arjun?Nah, I don't want them panicking. There's only one thing left for me to do, and I can't mess this up. I've got this, I think.

  Thank the heavens I've got my laptop and pendrives in tow. Can't just sit here twiddling my thumbs, right? Time for some work and maybe a cup of joe to soothe my soul. There's a La Pinoz not too far off. Two coffees and two pizza slices later, I'm ready to conquer the world. Let's do this!

  *One hour later*

  The phone alarm starts blaring; it's showtime. Sipping on the second coffee, I emerge from the car. There's a mess of wrappers, tissues, and God knows what else strewn across the passenger seat. "I don't think he'll mind sitting in the back," I mumble to myself as I make my way out, coffee in hand. Off to find Rudra, the man of the hour.

  And there he is, like a vision in office attire, tie askew, collar half-open. But hey, who am I to judge?

  He spots me in record time, and I realize I'm not exactly dressed to impress. Dang it, I mutter under my breath, as he looms over me like a skyscraper. I nearly choke on my coffee but manage to keep my cool.

  "Vedhika Deshmukh?" he booms, loosening his tie.

  "Yes," I say, finishing the last dregs of my coffee. "Rudra Khurrana?"

  "Yes, pleasure to see you here," he replies, no handshake, no smile. Who does he think he is, James Bond? Gad, *rolls eyes dramatically.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Alright, the car is this way," I say, leading the way like the pro that I am. Oh, this is the worst way to seek revenge, but I don't even care to explain myself anymore.

  He heads for the passenger's seat. "Rudra, not there. Mind sitting in the back seat; it's not exactly the coziest spot," I chirp, hoping my smile distracts him from my inner turmoil.

  Thankfully, he doesn't push it, "The trunk is open; shove your stuff there, and we'll be ready to go," I announce, hopping into the driver's seat.

  After a bit of a cleanup, we're finally on the road. Laptop safely stowed away, I glance over to see Rudra, backpack still by his side, phone in hand.

  "Alright, ready to go?" I inquire, just to be sure.

  "Yep," he replies, eyes glued to the road ahead. "Oh, can we make a quick stop? I need to buy chocolates," he finally tears his eyes away from his phone.

  "Sure thing," I say, revving up the engine.

  We pull up at a shop, one that even I've never visited. The wonders of Google Maps, am I right?

  "This place is supposedly the bomb," I quip as we enter. "Need company?" I offer, trying to break the ice.

  "Only if you're up for it," Rudra quips, slinging his bag over his shoulder like he's in some action movie, and strutting into the shop. Despite his chicken dance on the phone ride over, I'm not about to catch the same lame vibe. With a roll of my eyes, I hop out of the car, give it a quick lock, and trot after him.

  When I finally catch up, Rudra's already playing VIP at the counter, shooting the breeze like he owns the place. The shop, despite the early hour, oozes a quirky charm that's hard to resist. I sidle up beside Rudra, playing it cool as we wait for the shop guy to return."You wanna snag anything?" Rudra tosses over his shoulder, eyeing me with a mix of amusement and genuine curiosity.

  "Nah, sweets aren't exactly my jam," I shrug, flashing him a grin. Might sound like I'm auditioning for some cheesy rom-com, but hey, why not? As the shop guy returns with two bars of rum and raisin, I shot Rudra a questionable look.

  "Samira," he says, grinning like he's got some secret stash of jokes, before effortlessly settling the bill.

  AN ACTUAL SMILE.