Shuttles And Stars

Neeraj

As I drove back from dropping Sia off, the lingering warmth of our banter seemed to fill the car. I turned the radio on, needing something to break the silence, and almost as if on cue, "Sun Saathiya" started playing. It caught me off guard, the soft rhythm tugging at me in a way I couldn’t ignore.

I took a breath, letting the song settle around me. My mind kept drifting back to her—a smirking, stubborn Sia, sitting there, downplaying her injuries and insisting she didn’t need help. Iron Woman indeed.

Somehow, even in her refusal to let anyone in, she'd managed to slip under my skin. I could still hear her laugh, still see that faint smile she tried to hide when I called her impossible. I’d never met anyone like her. Someone so fierce, yet with a vulnerability she tried so hard to mask. And as the song played on, I realized just how much I liked her—more than I’d ever let myself admit.

When I finally reached my apartment, I turned off the engine, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was different tonight. As I got out, a glint on the passenger seat caught my eye. There it was—her bracelet. She must have left it in the car when she’d leaned back and laughed, all attitude and confidence. I picked it up, the delicate silver charm resting in my palm, and found myself smiling.

I took it upstairs with me, my mind still wrapped around her. As I entered my apartment, I headed straight for the small box I kept on the top shelf of my closet—a box where I’d stored everything that meant something to me. Small things, reminders of the people and moments that had shaped me.

I opened it, placing the bracelet carefully inside, as if it belonged there among the other mementos. And maybe it did. Sia was already a part of my life in ways I hadn’t anticipated. The bracelet felt like a small part of her presence—a reminder that she, too, was starting to find a place among the things that mattered.

Closing the box, I leaned against the wall, lost in thought. She was more than just an Iron Woman to me, more than just banter and playful arguments. I didn't know where this road with her might lead, but for now, I was content knowing she was part of my world, piece by piece.