Abhira awoke abruptly to the sound of a knock at her door, rubbing her eyes groggily. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was already 10 p.m. A wave of hunger swept over her, though she couldn't remember when she had drifted off while thinking about Armaan and their recent encounters.
She opened the door to find Krish standing there, holding a box in his hands.
"Bhaiya and bhabhi rat ko ghar nhi aayenge, so make sure you eat and get some rest. I've got practice early tomorrow," he said quickly, thrusting the box into her hands before darting off like he was trying to avoid further conversation.
Puzzled, Abhira furrowed her brows. "Isko kya ho gaya? Why did he run off like that?" she wondered aloud.
Opening the box, she was pleasantly surprised to find her favorite dish-momos. Her curiosity deepened. "Momos? How did Krish know these are my favorite? Jiju ne bheja kya?"
As she lifted the lid fully, her eyes caught a small note tucked inside the box. She picked it up, reading the message scribbled on the paper.
"Favorite food for my favorite person."
A smile crept across her lips. It wasn't Rohit who sent her the food-that much she was certain. Maybe it was her dad or her uncle; they were the only ones who would write something like that. Then again, could it be someone she hadn't considered? The thought was intriguing, but it quickly faded as her stomach growled in protest. The cozy weather outside, combined with the warm food in front of her, made waiting feel like a crime.
Abhira took her first bite, and it felt like bliss. The familiar taste brought a comfort that few knew about-only someone close would know this detail about her. Her eyes drifted over to her phone resting beside her. On impulse, she unlocked it and noticed her last search: "Armaan1905." His Instagram profile still sat at the top of her feed, the red ring around his display picture indicating a new story.
Her curiosity got the better of her. She cleared her hands and tapped on his profile. After a brief moment of buffering, the story loaded: a picture of a plate of momos.
Abhira's heart skipped a beat. Armaan is eating momos too? she thought. What kind of coincidence is this? A soft flutter stirred inside her. Though miles apart, they were sharing the same meal at this exact moment.
Before she could dwell on the thought, another red ring appeared around his profile picture-Armaan had uploaded yet another story. Abhira tapped on it impatiently, barely registering that she might seem overly eager to be the first viewer, especially since she wasn't even following him.
The new story appeared on her screen, and this time it was a picture of a Parijaat plant in full bloom, the white flowers glowing softly against the backdrop of the night.
A wave of warmth spread through her. She hadn't expected the plant to look this beautiful, yet here it was, mesmerizing in its simplicity. Without thinking, her fingers moved on their own, typing out a message.
"This is beautiful," she wrote, and before she could second-guess herself, she hit send.
Abhira stared at the screen for a moment, processing what had just happened. "Did she really reply to his story?" The realization hit her hard. She wasn't even following him, yet here she was, checking his stories. What would Armaan think? Was she stalking him? Well, technically, she was, but she hadn't meant to get caught like this. It would be so awkward.
Panic setting in, she rushed to unsend the message-but it was too late. Instagram's algorithm wouldn't let her. With no other option, she tried to push the thought away, turning her attention back to her plate of momos. But the uneasiness lingered. The message had been so simple, yet it made her feel both exposed and strangely comforted at the same time.
