Aarav
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The chime of the coffee shop door pulls me from my thoughts, a gentle reminder of the world moving around me. It's an early morning—earlier than most would choose for coffee—but then again, my schedule rarely aligns with the 'most'.
Sitting here, waiting, I can't help but replay yesterday's drill. The alarm, the controlled chaos, and then, Isha. It was the first time we'd really spoken, despite being neighbors for over a year. I've always noticed her, of course. It's hard not to. She has a way of being present that's starkly different from the people I usually deal with. Genuine, if a bit aloof.
I remember her stumbling, the brief panic in her eyes, and how natural it felt to reach out to steady her. And then, that conversation—something so mundane yet oddly thrilling. It's been a long time since I've had such an unguarded interaction. Something about her makes the usual walls I have in place seem... less necessary.
I take a sip of my coffee, black, no sugar. The bitterness suits the morning still shadowed by last night's dreams—or perhaps, more accurately, concerns about my company's latest venture. But even that can't hold my focus, not today.
She agreed to coffee. Just coffee. Not a business meeting, not a strategic partnership. Just... coffee.
The chime rings again, and there she is. Isha, in a light blue kurta that complements the earnestness in her eyes. She spots me and smiles, that same unassuming smile that caught me off guard yesterday.
"Morning," I say as she approaches, my voice steadier than my nerves feel. "Thanks for coming."
"Wouldn't miss it," she replies, her voice carrying that clear, melodious tone that I now realize I've been looking forward to hearing again.
She orders—something with far too much sugar and cream for my taste—and joins me at the table. "So, Mr. Building Owner," she begins, a playful note in her voice, "planning to make all your tenants evacuate regularly just to keep things interesting?"
I laugh, a genuine sound that feels foreign in my usual silence. "Only for the most interesting tenants."
Our conversation drifts easily from there. We talk about the building, her work with the nonprofit, and my travels, which she seems particularly keen on. Each detail she shares paints a picture of a life passionately lived, so different from the calculated existence I lead.
As she laughs at some anecdote about her students, I find myself watching her, really watching. There's an openness to her, a warmth that I've rarely encountered and never allowed myself to really appreciate. It's disarming, and for a moment, I let myself imagine what it would be like not to turn this into a transaction, not to wait for the other shoe to drop.
Just coffee, just conversation. Maybe, just maybe, that could be enough.
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YOU ARE READING
Windows to the Heart
RomanceIn Mumbai's busy city life, Isha, a kind woman who works at a charity, and Aarav, a secretive rich man, find out they have more in common than they thought. Living as neighbors in a fancy apartment building, they come closer through unexpected event...
