Lathika parked her car in front of the apartment complex, a frown deepening on her face as she glanced around. She had imagined this meeting would take place in a restaurant or café—somewhere she could grab a nice lunch for herself, maybe even unwind a little. But here she was, at Prashanth's apartment. She couldn't exactly ask him to change the meeting spot—he had agreed to help her out with this whole situation, after all. So, she let out a deep sigh, resigned to the fact that today, she was headed to his place, and she couldn't avoid it.

The elevator ride to the 11th floor felt like the longest few seconds of her life. As the doors slid open, she stepped into the hallway, her mind running wild with thoughts. Had anything changed in her since the last time they spoke? Sure, she had tried to reprogram herself into accepting the idea that their decision would eventually turn into a marriage. That was a reality she couldn't ignore. She might have to leave her apartment, shift into this one, and—worst of all—live with a man. The idea felt foreign, uncomfortable, yet strangely... practical.

"Positive. Think positive, Lathika," she whispered to herself, shaking her head. "Prashanth is a nice man, and your life won't be terrible. If anything, you just need to adjust and so do he. Plus, he's good looking, and he has a good impression on you. Well, he had... Maybe he's changed after how I handled myself yesterday..." She tapped her cheeks lightly, waking herself up from the deep inner monologue she had slipped into.

She stopped in front of the apartment door. It was slightly ajar. She rang the doorbell.

"Lathika?" His voice came from somewhere within.

"That's me."

"Come in."

Lathika stepped inside, and her eyes widened as she saw him. Prashanth was lounged on the couch, one leg elevated on a pillow, his ankle wrapped in bandages.

"Prashanth? I just saw you two days ago. Your legs were perfect. What happened?" she asked, her steps quickening as she rushed towards him.

"Well, now they're wrapped up like a... a mummy," he said, trying to make light of it with a grin.

Lathika shot him a pointed glare. "You're not funny, Prashanth. What happened?"

He let out a half-laugh, leaning back into the couch. "Slipped on the wet tarmac the night we met."

"Is it bad?" she asked, sitting down next to him, her eyes inspecting the bandages carefully.

"A little, but I'm fine," he said, offering her a smile. He gave the pillow under his leg a soft squeeze, though the forced smile didn't fool Lathika.

She wasn't buying it, but she let it slide for the moment. "Did your family know?"

"I didn't want them to know." His voice dropped slightly.

"What about your mother? She's in town, right? You should have someone here with you, especially with your leg like that." Lathika glanced around the apartment, almost expecting to see someone else. But the place seemed quiet and empty, as if no one was home.

"Nah, she's too busy with her life. She wouldn't come even if she knew." There was a hint of sadness in his voice, barely noticeable, but Lathika caught it.

Her expression softened, and for a brief moment, she looked at him tenderly. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, I am. Thank you, Lathika," he said, his smile genuine, though there was something deeper in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. "I'm sorry I couldn't serve you anything, but feel free to grab whatever you want from the fridge."

Lathika nodded, her mind still on the injury. "Thanks. Maybe later," she said, leaning back and folding her legs under her as she made herself comfortable on the couch. "So, why did you call?"

Prashanth sat up a bit straighter, though he winced slightly. "The plan is still on. We should be heading to Madurai this weekend which is in four days. We need to come up with a believable story when we break this to them."

Lathika raised an eyebrow. "A believable story? Like what?"

Prashanth paused, thinking carefully. "Like... after leaving Madurai, we somehow got in touch again, and we've been meeting ever since. We can say we've fallen in love, and we're doing this to make our grandmothers happy, fulfilling the promise they made."

Lathika took a moment to digest the plan. "Why should we do that? I mean, we could just say we're ready to make commitments now. Why lie about it?"

Prashanth leaned forward slightly, trying to make his point clearer. "Do you think they'll buy that? That we're both ready at the same time? It wouldn't make sense, Lathika." He shifted his position, clearly struggling a little with his leg. "We need to give them something they'll believe."

"You need help?" Lathika asked, sensing his discomfort.

"Thanks, I'm fine," Prashanth replied, waving her off.

Lathika nodded slowly, considering his reasoning. "You're right," she said, after a thoughtful pause. "Your version makes more sense." She glanced at him, then looked away again. "So, we're supposed to be in love now, right?"

Prashanth nodded, his expression a little more serious now. "Apparently. If we want this to be believable, we have to be comfortable with each other."

Lathika stared down at the wooden vinyl floor, her thoughts turning over in her mind. Yes, this was the exact thing she had been trying to convince herself to accept. But the idea of acting on it... starting now? She hadn't expected that. Of course, she wasn't being asked to literally start acting in love, but the idea of being more comfortable with him, of pretending to be in love—it felt like stepping into unfamiliar territory.

She sighed softly, shaking off her doubts. Alright, I can do this, she murmured to herself. It's not going to be difficult. You can do it, Lathika.

❁ ❁ ❁

Prashanth had been working on tuning his mind to be a more romantic person since he returned home the day before from the hospital. After spending the entire night in the hospital, he'd come up with this idea. He binge-watched a series of romantic movies he found on his OTT platform and even read some articles on romance. It was fun, he thought, trying to learn to think for another person, to feel for them, to learn what they liked and disliked, and to yearn for their attention. The list was endless, and he found himself amused by the effort he was putting into it.

As he watched Lathika from across the room, his gaze sharpened. She was lost in thought, her face making cute little expressions as she pondered something. His heart tugged unexpectedly. Did all those romantic movies changed me? he thought, shaking his head. Yet, he couldn't help but continue watching her, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Suddenly, Lathika stretched out her legs and stood up, causing Prashanth to think she was about to leave. But to his surprise, she turned toward the kitchen instead.

"Have you had lunch?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Uhh... not yet," Prashanth replied, trying to sit up a little more. "I haven't moved much since my friend helped me here this morning." He laughed, but it was a nervous chuckle—he hated feeling helpless.

"What do you have here? Shall I make something for us? Or is your fridge empty?" Lathika asked, already heading toward the fridge.

Prashanth sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. She was right. His fridge was practically barren. "There's instant noodles in the cupboard next to the fridge and eggs in the fridge."

"Will that do?" she asked, turning to look at him, eyebrow raised.

"Instant noodles? Yup. And thanks," he said with a grateful but embarrassed smile.

"Don't mention it. I'm just trying to get comfortable from now on, so you do the same." She smiled, her voice warm as she turned to open the cupboard.

Prashanth smiled back and watched her move effortlessly around the kitchen. He'd never had anyone in his kitchen preparing a meal for him, and somehow, seeing Lathika there felt... nice. The only thing that made him feel bad was not being able to help her, especially when she seemed so at ease.

A few minutes later, Lathika brought him a tray with a steaming bowl of noodles. She set it on the table in front of him.

"Thank you," he said, his stomach growling as the scent of the noodles filled the room. "I'm famished."

"Me too," Lathika said, rolling her eyes playfully. "I thought you'd want to meet at a restaurant and get a nice lunch, but I was disappointed," she teased and set her bowl across him.

"Sorry about that," he chuckled,

"I couldn't be mad after seeing you like this," she said with a laugh.

Lathika had really made an effort to feel at ease, and she was slipping into this new role effortlessly. Prashanth, too, found himself falling into the role of the easy-going 'fiancé' more naturally than he had expected. He couldn't help but smile at how smooth everything was starting to feel.

"So, now that you've agreed to marry me," Prashanth said between bites, a mischievous glint in his eye, "what do you expect from a husband?"

Lathika thought for a moment, her gaze drifting to the window. "Well, to start off, I never really dreamt of getting married, so I don't have a list of specific expectations. But, I think I'd want a husband who's respectful, thoughtful, and loving. Someone who gives his wife the liberty to be herself instead of trying to control her. Something along those lines," she said thoughtfully, then added, "What about you?"

Prashanth laughed, raising his hands as though surrendering to the simplicity of his answer. "I really don't know. I'm just going to take some of your points," he laughed harder. "A supporting and respectable wife. Someone passionate and loving," he said with a bit of exaggerated thought. "Yes, it's very basic. I tried my best."

"Not bad for a try," Lathika teased, smiling.

The day had passed quickly, and by the time the sun began to set, Lathika decided it was time for her to leave. But before she did, she insisted on ordering dinner for him, waiting until it arrived.

Prashanth was touched by her concern. He'd expected it to be awkward between them, but Lathika was making it so easy. She wasn't treating him like a helpless patient, and he appreciated that more than he could express. The way she moved around, making sure he was okay, felt like she was genuinely invested in making the situation work—something he hadn't expected.

When dinner arrived, she stayed for a bit longer, talking about random things and light-heartedly chat. By the time she was ready to leave, Prashanth felt something shift inside him. He wasn't sure if it was because of the circumstances or something deeper, but he realized he was looking forward to this new chapter with her.

❁ ❁ ❁

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