With a cup of coffee in her hand, she stood at the corner looking around her office cafeteria booming with celebrations. Congratulatory messages and hugs were on the roll and why not, it's been fifteen minutes since the work awards concluded, the winners were ecstatic and beaming with joy.

"Hello madam..!! Why are you sulking standing here?", her buddy Adira poked her.

"Nothing was just finishing the coffee," she replied and followed that up with a question, "Why are you empty handed, didn't find anything to eat?"

"Actually it's the opposite, there is so much stuff I got confused as to where to start from !!",

"No worries, my coffee is done, let me see what I can do", she got up reassuring Adira and giving her the certificate she was holding.

"Oh Man !! Such a big responsibility I am being entrusted with..Don't worry Ms. Mishti Sharma, star performer, your certificate is safe with me but then being a good friend let me just warn you leaving it here will not save you from congratulatory messages you'll receive once you enter the crowd hunting for food," Adira remarked as sat down on the small empty table next to her just good enough to accommodate two people, that is her and her buddy Mishti. Mishti lightly slapped her shoulder murmuring "Dramaqueen" and moved in the crowd while Adira looked at her disappearing figure and sighed for her plan worked.

Adira knew that there was something troubling her friend since morning for she wasn't her usual self. Even when the award was announced though the entire cafeteria reverberated with loud claps, Mishti's smile just fell short. After the ceremony was concluded, she chose the most secluded corner ensuring minimal or no conversations which is why Adira deliberately came back empty handed for she knew her buddy would go and get something to eat and in the process maybe strike multiple conversations and gather wishes. It wasn't like Adira hadn't inquired her regarding her estranged behavior but when Mishti brushed it of twice, it was evident to Adira that she wasn't willing to share and Adira was okay with that for that's how these two girls have been ever since they found a friend in one another. They are not the so called best friends for neither of them believed in it but then whenever one needed a support or a silence, the other just ensured that, no questions asked. They knew when to uplift each other's mood or when to leave the other on their own, in short valued the fact that they have a life beyond one another and that their respective space commands and demands respect.

Soon, Mishti was back with food and they settled down to treat the taste buds. "I was thinking of leaving for Palampur today", Mishti spoke as she took a bite of Biryani.

"Sounds good but weren't you visiting your parents this weekend??", asked Adira

"I was but then Maa Papa are themselves travelling to my aunt's place for some alliance and since I am yet not involved in the discussion, I was thinking of going somewhere else so that the pressure of being there would wash off plus the past two months have been way too exhausting, Palampur would be a good idea to just relax and have a break from the hustle and bustle of the city."

"Did you inform your parents yet ??"

"Yes I did share the idea in the morning when I spoke with them and they gave a thumbs up as well..!! I wasn't sure then but now that I look at the work in hand, I think I can leave, Boss shouldn't mind it !!"

"Even if he minds, it doesn't matter, you've been working overtime for last two months and anyways it is a long weekend so you are allowed to have your plans"

"Hmm..!! I'll just speak with him post finishing off the meal, it is a ten hour drive which means I should leave right away since its already 1, driving in the hills late night wouldn't be safe"

"True!! What about the hotel reservations??"

"I was thinking of Norwood Green, will finalize that before leaving, in case hotels are not available would go to some other place"

"Of course, Mishti Sharma's personalized house rules, no late night travel and no experimentation with stay or if I may say only 5 star or certified safe stays"

"Exactly, you need to take care of certain things if you are travelling alone.. Don't you ??"

"You just got lucky sweetheart, looks like Norwood has a room but that's in the luxury cottage, slightly expensive, should I book that??"

"No worries, I cut down on other cost, please book it for the weekend while I speak with Boss about leaving on the weekend. I'll pay you in cash."

"Cool..let's Go !!"

Mishti went ahead to seek her Boss's permission while Adira concluded the booking. About half an hour later, Mishti left office, took a break at her PG to quickly pack stuff to last for next three days and just when the clock struck 2, Mishti had crossed the Mahipalpur flyover on NH8.

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"Sir I am a great fan, one selfie please",

"Sure why not", he bent down to the kid's level and took hold of the smartphone in the kid's hands, "but before that tell me how old are you"

"Sir I am 8 years old"

"Wohah, so young...but listen you calling me sir is making me feel old, how about you call me Advik"

"Haww !! I will not call you by name...you are so much bigger than me, Mom says it's bad manner to call elder people by name"

"Oopps..!! That is a big problem.. Hmm.. I don't want you to call me sir and you can't call me by my name, then what should we do ?" Advik played along with the little kid while the others on the Chandigarh airport looked in awe of the adorable duo.

"Idea !!", the kid exclaimed

"What What !!", Advik asked with the child-like glee

"How about I call you Bhaiya, you will not feel old and I will also not get scolded"

"Great idea Champ..!! You are so smart..so what's the name of this smart kid ?"

"My name is Ayaan"

"Ok Ayaan, you sing as well?"

"Yes I have started my training session in these summer vacations"

"Oh that's great so do you enjoy singing"

"Yes but not as much as I enjoy playing the keyboard"

"Nice !! So how about I click a selfie with you while you sing for me while I record"

Ayaan agreed much to Advik's delight. After a few selfie sessions, Advik recorded Ayaan's song and posted that on his Instagram page. Soon he bade bye to the adorable kid and other fans as his ride had arrived. Settling down in his car, he called his best friend Rishabh

"Hey man..!! what's up"

"Nothing much just took a break from the shoot, so are you on the road or still at the airport ?", Rishabh asked

"Just settled in comfortably in the car, the driver says it will take at least six hours to reach"

"Damn, that's long you should have taken the car from Kangra"

"And get sick for a day on the trip"

"Your logics are beyond my comprehension"

"Dude its basics of human body adaptability. We live in Mumbai which is 14m from the sea level vis a vis Kangra which is more than 2400 mtrs above sea level, human body doesn't adapt immediately to the change in altitude, it is gradual process so I always prefer travelling by road because that gives the body the time that it needs"

"Okay sir...as you say, me and Meera would join you on your birthday eve"

"Sounds good to me"

"Cya...I am being called for the shoot...Enjoy my friend"

"You too my friend"

Saying this Advik disconnected the call and lied down on the back seat of the car to relax.

————————

"That was quick", her father replied from the other side of the call

"That's true Papa...the roads were almost empty so I could cover the journey to Anandpur Sahib in less than 5 hrs, right now it's 6:30 on the clock, have taken a break for tea and then will continue ahead"

"Should take about 4 hrs now"

"Yup...ok so how's things there??"

"Good, the guy and his family seems nice..Wait talk to your Mom !!"

Her mother came on the phone and they discussed in detail about the alliance. Though Mishti was mature enough to mask her real emotions but who was kidding, it was her parents, they knew her better than that. The moment she told that she has shifted her plan to visit home to next weekend, they knew she was avoiding the topic. However, what they couldn't understand was the reason for her inhibitions. Their daughter had always been ever accepting towards the changes life had thrown at her but only when it came to marriage she was skeptical beyond comprehension. Mishti bade goodbye to her Mom on call, tuned in her favorite playlist and resumed driving.

"Chalte Chalte yunhi koi mil Gaya tha,

Yunhi koi mil Gaya tha,

Sar-e-raah chalte Chalte"

Mishti hummed the song that played in her car radio as she drove up on the hills towards the town of Palampur in Himachal Pradesh. Being a lone traveller, music was the only companion she had. Mishti was a girl next door with a twist, an explorer, an adventurer. She had trust issues and she was aware of it probably that is why she never had many friends and then the very few she had, had a personal life of their own and she knew she wasn't a part of it like they weren't of hers. She stayed away from family for almost 11 years owing to her college and work. Looking at her one would have pitied her for her loner lifestyle but what set her apart was the fact that she never pitied herself. She enjoyed the life to the fullest, be it watching movies alone or dining alone in a restaurant, she never shied away from doing what her heart desired. She learnt driving and soon found driving herself to far off locations. Traveling made her a good observer of people and places and she documented it all in the stories she wrote on Wattpad. Amidst all this, the other thing that set her apart was the support her parents gave her. She was their only child and they made sure that they encourage her into doing everything that she ever wanted and made the trust they had on her evidently visible, for instance when they used to meet families for alliance prospects, they would straightaway tell others, "our girl has always lived her life on her terms and we expect her partner to value that". Mishti on the other hand never took the trust her family had on her for granted. However, marriage was one thing she wasn't sure of, it scared her simply because she knew that over these eleven years of living alone, she had developed a certain way of living which everyone wouldn't approve of. She had never been in a relationship to actually ascertain whether she would be able to handle an intrusion in her space by someone who is not related to her by blood because she never had allowed any of friends either to cross that line. She didn't know whether in case of argument she would take a back seat or go all guns blazing which is why every time there came a proposal she got scared if she will be able to adjust.

Lost in her thoughts, she entered Palampur about 10'o clock in the night and the moment she found her eyelids dropping, she decided to halt her journey for a brief moment to grab a cup of tea from her favorite Kaka's stall.

————————

"I am so sorry sir, the car just broke down. I have asked the resort to send another one, sorry for the inconvenience", the cab driver apologized

"Relax Man...I know it wasn't deliberate, it can happen with anybody, I am fine here,", Advik replied

"Thank you so much sir"

Advik nodded while the cab driver and the owner of the tea stall admired his humility. Honestly, it wasn't the way he had imagined his birthday holiday to turn out to be but then he wasn't an arrogant fellow rather he knew and understood that not always things were in one's control and it was important to accept them the way they were. He was turning 30 and this time around he decided to spend his birthday with himself unlike previous years where he used to throw a grand party but when his closest friends Rishabh and Meera told him that they can't allow him to be alone on his birthday, he came up with a Win-Win proposition, he asked them to join in on his birthday eve while the three days prior to that he would enjoy on his own.

"Chalte Chalte yunhi koi mil Gaya tha,

Yunhi koi mil Gaya tha,

Sar-e-raah chalte Chalte"

The radio on the tea stall was playing the song from the yesteryear classic "Pakeezah". Advik who was sipping his fourth cup of tea asked the owner of the tea stall, "Kaka yahan se kitni door hoga hotel, chalke nahi jaa sakte kya? The owner replied, "Sahabji chal toh sakte ho par aap bade insaan ho kisi ne pehchaan Liya toh phas jaoge..!!" Advik nodded his head in agreement, for this wasn't something new for him. Ever since he became a rockstar, he was a known face everywhere he went and to say he hated the attention coming his way would be a blatant lie, he loved it all. He was not just a singer-composer but also an actor, a hotelier and a team owner in Sport leagues. He always had a plethora of friends surrounding him, everyone loved him for the person he was, the kind, lovable, absolutely adorable homo-sapien. But then, one can't just walk over him anytime for he was a great judge of people, for instance amidst his hundred friends, he knew who were with him for his fame and who were his genuine friends. At age of 29, such maturity was a very rare trait. No matter how high he climbed on the ladder of success he always stayed grounded and that was solely because of his parents who were his biggest strength and best critics. Being their only child, his parents gave him the freedom to choose whatever he wished to do and he never took that freedom for granted.

————————

Mishti stepped out of the car to greet the tea stall owner "Namaste Kaka, Kaise hain ? Ek chai bana dijiye Kadak..!!"

"Aray Mishti bitiya iss baar toh 6 mahine baad aayi aap"

"Bas Kaka Kaam mein thoda phas gayi thi, Acha Jaipur Jaane ka Mauka Mila tha, aapki family ke liye razai lai hoon iss baar"

"Aray bitiya har baar aap shehar se kuch na kuch leke aa jaati hoon..iski kya zarurat hain..!!"

"Zarurat hai Kaka aap nahi samjhoge"

Just then her attention got diverted towards Mr.Advik Singh who was keenly listening to the conversation

"Advik Singh..!!", she asked unsure if she was dreaming

"Yes that would be me"

"But here..Kaka yeh..aap jaante hain yeh kaun hain"

The old man replied "Haan bitiya woh Sahabji ki gaadi kharab ho gayi, doosri aane mein waqt lagega..isiliye yeh yahan rukh Gaye.."

"Oh Okay!!", Mishti turned her attention to Advik and asked, "Where are you staying ?"

"Norwood Green", replied Advik

"Well so am I..!!", She saw the familiar cab driver as she sipped her tea

"Hey..you were supposed to take him ??"

The cab driver saluted her in respect taking Advik by surprise, "Are you a local here ?? Because people seem to be really familiar with you ??"

"No though I am not a local, yet I keep travelling to Palampur frequently and last year I made three trips to the city in a row which is why these guys remember, also Norwood is a place I always stay in which is why the hotel staff, I mean the driver, also knows"

Advik nodded in approval. The tea owner asked Mishti

"Bitiya is baar bhi Norwood mein hi reh rahi ho na" Mishti nodded in affirmation.

"Waise sahabji aap bitiya ke saath jaa sakte ho" Advik looked at him unsure, "Sahab ji Chinta mat karo, bitiya aapko sahi salamat aapki manzil par pahuncha degi aur waise bhi aap dono ki manzil toh ek hi hain"

Even the cab driver chipped in, "sir I have traveled with Ma'am, I can guarantee you of safety"

"Wait guys, don't you think we should ask her as well, What if she doesn't want me to tag along?"

All eyes turned expectedly towards her

"I don't have any issues, just transfer his stuff in my car"

"Thanks Mishti I suppose"

"Yup you guessed it right Mr.Advik"

With that both embarked upon their first journey together

————————

After driving in silence for about fifteen minutes, Mishti spoke,

"You can talk you know"

"Umm Sorry..!! It is just a bit awkward," replied Advik

"Are you trying to tell me that Mr. Advik Singh is not good at small talks, well the interviews I have read or seen seem to paint a different image?"

"Oh so you've read about me, you too are fan?"

"Well if following you on twitter and Instagram, along with watching your shows or listening to your music makes me your fan then turns out I am"

"You are different"

"Don't you think spending a little less half an hour is too quick a time to pass on a judgement like that"

"Hey I wasn't judging you, sorry if it came across like that!!"

"Hey and I was just joking, trying to eliminate the awkwardness but clearly I failed..Sorry!!"

"Alright, this is heading nowhere, so this time how long are you here for?"

"Three days and you ?"

"Five, three by myself and then my friends shall join in last two days, what about you ?"

"What friends ?", Advik nodded, "No I generally travel alone, so no friends for me !!"

"So are you the kinds who make friends on the trip?"

"Not really, when I meet someone on the trip, it is generally for a brief period, so I often make acquaintances on the trip..Friends not so much !!"

"So let me get this straight...You travel alone, you don't generally indulge with groups and crazy friendships, Damn you are different!! How do you have fun all by yourself !!"

"Aren't you going to do the same thing for the next three days"

"It is going to be the first time for me so I am kinda unprepared on how to go about it, I would take it one day at a time"

"First time or the fifth time, it is always one day at a time...Hey the resort's here !!"

Mishti and Advik got down while Mishti handed over the car keys for valet parking and moved in for the check-in unaware of the surprise destiny had in store for them, a surprise they would for now term as "coincidence"

Post check in, it turned out that Mishti and Advik had the room in the same luxury cottage, their rooms were right next to each other to be more precise. Advik proposed if they could have their dinner together in the dining to which Mishti readily agreed. Fifteen minutes later, they sat opposite to one another in a rather luxurious dining arrangement.

"Wine", Advik offered

"Thanks but I don't drink", Mishti replied

Advik stared at her in surprise and continued to stay in trance until Mishti brought him out of it by snapping her fingers

"What", Mishti enquired

"Please don't take offense to what I would just say, you know I had a certain image of lone travelers in my head, but then you are breaking them one by one at a staggering speed"

"First of all, no offence taken !! Secondly let me guess, you pictured me as a hippie or a temporary civilized nomad with tattoos all over my body and a lifestyle that probably including drinking, dancing and raving around or probably getting laid as well!!"

"No..no that's not what I meant !!"

"Hey relax..!! I get these weird looks and viewpoint from lot of people and honestly speaking, I understood what you meant I was just pulling your leg for fun and before you ask me this is my idea of fun, you see when I travel, I do not travel with the motive of breaking all norms and rules, no offence to the ones who do but for me travelling has got more to spending time with my own self and for myself. You know we often get busy with our work and daily life routine, travelling helps me in unwinding myself, doing things I love to do, exploring the cities I visit and giving my own self the importance it should be given."

"Wow that's a pretty inquisitive alternate viewpoint, not exactly alternate because when I decided to come on this solo trip my idea too was something similar but I was in doubt whether I would be able to pull that off but looking at you I think solo travelling doesn't really mean a shift in personality, it can also be construed as means to enhance the existing self"

"Absolutely, in fact I can totally relate the place you are coming from, I have been in the same spot years ago but then when my parents saw me happy and content after every trip I took, they encouraged me to take more and here I am"

"On that note, would you mind telling me how it all started?"

"Well honestly the first time was a chance, there is fort called Neemrana fort near Delhi. I had recently gained confidence in driving, and I was getting bored on a Saturday so decided to drive off to Neemrana for lunch. It was about 2 hrs of drive, I went in, had lunch, explored the property a little a came back with a thought of staying back in the fort sometime later. Obviously when I share the idea with my parents they were not really okay with the idea so I took them with me during the stay, they stayed in the double room and I booked a single room for myself. Similarly I took them with me on few more tours but ensured we always stayed separately, that's how they gained confidence but yes there are certain non-negotiables"

"Non-negotiables as in"

"As in no driving late night, 11'o clock is the curfew time; so if the travel time is more, it should be a break journey, no solo travel to areas without network and of course, no staying at random places"

"Wohah...it is amazing..!! Honestly I am not kidding at all, travelling on your terms is probably the best form of travel"

"True that and we are done with the dinner", Mishti remarked looking at the empty plates

"So soon..seems like time is just passing way too quickly with our conversations..Acha you told me you follow me on twitter and Instagram...What's your id, I would like to follow you back"

"Umm...How about you search that you know my name I think that should be enough?"

"You kidding right"

"Not really, what is it difficult for search in from a list of a million followers, oops sorry over two million followers"

"Yup it is..!!"

"Okay so if you really want to follow me, you can search for me in your follower list, I have also sent you few messages as a reply to your insta stories, so I don't think it should be that tough", before Advik could interrupt, Mishti continued, "And in case you are not able to find me before the trip gets over, then I would help you on the last day not before that..Deal"

"Deal...one more favor only if isn't too much to ask"

"Go ahead"

"Can I be your plus one on the trip, only if you don't mind"

"But then what about your first solo trip"

"Umm.. We can be together yet solo," Mishti gave a confused look to Advik, "What I mean is we can visit places together and spend our solo time whenever needed, I really wish to explore the city with your viewpoint.. Am I making any sense whatsoever ??"

"I generally go on an early morning walk along the stream but since it is going to be a late night tonight , how about 7 in the morning !!"

"I would see you at 7 then"

"Cool Goodnight and thanks for the dinner"

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Mishti and Advik returned back to their rooms quite surprised with their respective behaviors. Never in their life have they been so comfortable around some so quickly but that night was different. Mishti shrugged off the thoughts and slept off tired with all the driving but Advik on the other hand had a task in hand. He opened his Instagram page and started searching for Mishti in her his followers but with two million it was a tough task, he then moved to his message tab and opened the messages awaiting approval, two hours into the search, he finally found her and tapped "follow" before going off to sleep.

Next morning, Mishti woke up to about a hundred insta notifications but before she could check them, her mom called and post regular morning talk with her parents they informed her that they had rejected the alliance as the horoscopes didn't quite match. Post hanging up, Mishti opened her instagram page. Her first instinct told her that her account was hacked but then scrolling down she realized a certain gentleman called Mr.Advik Singh followed her and the rest follows were from his fanclubs. She clicked on the insta story by Advik posted at around 2 in the night wherein he was strumming his guitar and singing

"Chalte Chalte yunhi koi mil Gaya tha,

Yunhi koi mil Gaya tha,

Sar-e-raah chalte Chalte

Wahin Tham ke reh gayi hain,

Wahin tham ke reh gayi hain,

Meri raat dhalte dhalte

Chalte Chalte.."

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That's it for today, Cheers !!