Bridging Hearts

8. Just a memory....

6 months later.....

Her

As I waited at Heathrow airport, the anticipation of my first visit to London buzzed through me. The terminal was a whirlwind of movement, and the gray sky outside seemed to reflect my mixed feelings of excitement and nerves. After a few moments of scanning the crowd, I finally spotted Bhaiya's familiar face.

"Tara!" he called out, his smile lighting up his face as he made his way towards me. "There you are!"

"Bhaiya!" I exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "It's so good to see you! It feels like it's been forever."

"I know," he said, grinning as he pulled away. "It's been what, six months? Or is it seven? But who's counting?"

I rolled my eyes. "Says the guy who couldn't even text me back last week because, what was it? Oh right, 'big important meetings.'"

"Hey," he said, raising his hands defensively, "those meetings were real. QuantumTech doesn't run itself, you know."

"Sure, sure," I teased, nudging him lightly. "I'm just glad you found time to pick me up. Busy CEO and all."

"Well, I was tempted to send a driver," Bhaiya replied, with a mock serious face, "but I figured I'd be a good brother for once."

I shook my head, laughing. "Yeah, right. You just wanted to make sure I didn't immediately start getting lost in London."

He shrugged, his grin widening. "I mean, let's be honest-you would get lost."

"You underestimate me, Bhaiya. I'd probably end up in the wrong city entirely, just to prove a point."

We both burst out laughing, as we made our way to the car.

The drive to Richmond was filled with a mix of excitement and quiet reflection. I watched the London streets roll by, taking in the sights of red double-decker buses and charming rows of houses. Everything felt so different from Kolkata, and I couldn't help but feel a thrill at the new experiences ahead.

"So," Bhaiya began, glancing over at me with a mischievous smile, "what's the plan for the office? Don't tell me you're going to wallpaper it with floral prints."

I narrowed my eyes, feigning offense. "First of all, I have taste, okay? And second, no florals-maybe just a lot of pink."

He grimaced dramatically. "I knew it. I can see it now-an office decked out like a giant dollhouse. The team's going to love it."

"Relax," I said, laughing. "I'm planning to visit on Monday to get a proper feel of the space. I want to analyze how everything flows and figure out what changes might be needed before diving into the redesign."

Bhaiya nodded approvingly. "Sounds like a solid plan. The office has been buzzing with talk about the upcoming redesign. Everyone's excited to see what you come up with."

"I hope so," I said with a grin. "I've got some ideas that'll knock their socks off. You just make sure to keep Mr. Grump out of my way, okay?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're still on about Dante? I thought you'd outgrow your 'nemesis' phase by now."

I shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "Let's just say we've had our... differences."

"Uh-huh. Differences like who gets the last piece of cake, or the more professional kind?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't start, Bhaiya."

He chuckled. "Alright, alright. But I'll say this-Dante's not the worst. A workaholic, sure, but you'll figure it out. Or at least I hope you will, for my sake."