Mohit pulled a shirt from his wardrobe and hurriedly slipped it on, glancing at the clock with a muttered curse. He was running late.

"Hello!" he said, juggling his phone between his shoulder and ear while buttoning up.

"Hi, how are you?" Shikha's calm voice came through the line.

"I'm fine. How are you?" Mohit asked, now struggling with his trousers.

"I'm also fine, Mohit. Actually, I wanted to tell you something," she said, her tone betraying a hint of hesitation.

"You got a call? Is it?" he guessed, adjusting his tie in the mirror.

"Hmmm, they called me five minutes ago. I thought I should inform you," she replied. Mohit could hear her nervousness, even over the phone.

"So?" he asked, focusing on his tie.

"They've called me for an interview," she revealed.

"When?" he inquired, balancing his phone while spreading butter on his bread.

"Next week," she answered softly.

"Hmmm, and when are you coming here?" he asked, taking a quick bite of his toast.

"Mom wants me to come ASAP," she said.

"And you?" he probed.

"Mohit, you know everything. I want to come, but I have work here. I'm doing all this to be with you. Our parents are eager for us to be together since we've hardly spent any time together. You left for Mumbai the day after our marriage. I also want to get to know you. We barely talk because we're both so busy. Don't think I don't want to be with you. This marriage is as new to me as it is to you," she explained earnestly.

"I know... I'm sorry. It's just that... I'm confused. I agreed to marry you under family pressure, frankly. Even you know that," he admitted, his voice softening.

"Yeah, I know," she replied immediately.

"We didn't meet much before the marriage. Again, I blame my busy schedule. Honestly, I want to start my new life with you. It's been a month since we got married, and we are... you know," he said, feeling a mix of frustration and hope.

"Hmmm, aren't you getting late for the office?" she asked, trying to change the topic.

"I'm ready, just having breakfast. And you?" he asked, finishing his toast.

"I'm already at my desk," she replied with a hint of pride.

"It's only nine o'clock. So early?" he asked in amusement.

"Yeah, I want to finish all my work so I can leave easily," she explained.

"How are Mom and Dad? Are you taking good care of my parents?" he chuckled.

"Of course! And honestly, Mohit, your parents are amazing. They treat me like my own parents do. I'm lucky to have them," she said warmly.

"I'm happy to hear that. I wish we had talked more before this. It feels like we're having a real conversation for the first time. When I'm free, you're busy, and when you're free, I'm busy. It would be nice if you came here so we could spend more time together," he suggested, wiping his lips with a tissue.

"Yes, we can," she agreed softly.

"Hmmm... good. Okay, I should go now. We'll catch up later. Bye!" he said, hanging up and heading out the door.

A week later, Mohit's phone rang as he navigated through Mumbai's notorious traffic. He glanced at the screen and saw Shikha's name flashing. He put the phone on loudspeaker and focused on the road.

"Hello! I'll be there in five minutes," he said.

"I'm standing outside the airport, waiting for you! Come soon," her tone was slightly irritated.

"Yeah, I'm coming. I'm stuck in traffic," he explained, trying to sound calm.

"Hmmm, okay bye!" she replied, hanging up.

Shikha stood outside the airport, scanning the crowd. She looked at her left hand, where her wedding ring sparkled in the sunlight. A smile crept across her lips as she thought about meeting Mohit again. It felt like meeting him for the first time.

Mohit had left for Mumbai the day after their marriage. She had never imagined she would agree to an arranged marriage, let alone one with a complete stranger. But when her father insisted, she eventually gave in. Coming from a typical Baniya family, where girls were expected to marry around 23 or 24, she was already considered late at 24.

Her father had sent her Mohit's photo and bio-data by email. At first, she resisted looking at it, making excuses about a lack of internet connection or the email not opening. But when her father became insistent, she had no choice but to look.

She remembered the moment she first saw his photo. Mohit was charming and good-looking. The innocence in his eyes made her smile. His bio-data revealed he was Mohit Singh Shekhawat, 27 years old—just a year older than her. He worked as a mechanical engineer at Rubex Technologies Limited, one of the leading MNCs. She was impressed. Despite being independent, she appreciated his good job. When they first met before the marriage, he had impressed her with everything he said. The rest was history.

As she waited, Shikha's nervousness grew. How would Mohit react to seeing her? How should she greet him? Her mind swirled with questions. On the other hand, Mohit was equally anxious. He wanted to make a good impression but felt trapped by the traffic. He checked his phone for missed calls from Shikha but found none. Suddenly, the phone rang again.

"Shikha, just 5 minutes, I'm almost there," he said.

"Ten minutes ago, you said five minutes," she replied, frustrated.

"Arey Baba! I'm stuck in traffic just outside the airport. I can't leave the car and come there. Let the jam clear, and I'll be there," he said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Come soon..." she said loudly, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah, just coming," he promised.

'"If it's this bad already, what will it be like in the future?" Shikha thought to herself.

Ten minutes later, she spotted him running towards her. He was wearing a peach shirt and mustard trousers. Despite her irritation, she couldn't help but smile at how good he looked.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, I got late. Got stuck in traffic. You know Mumbai traffic, can't help!" he panted, holding his chest with one hand, trying to catch his breath.

Shikha watched him, noting everything about him—the way he stood, looked at her, and was dressed. She found him impressive. She hoped for a hug or a handshake, but all he said was, "It's okay!"

He scowled slightly and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He bent down, still looking at her, and found her cute.

"Come, let's go to the car. It's parked a kilometer away," he said.

"What! You ran a kilometer?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, now come fast. I have to go back to the office too," he informed her, starting to walk.

A slight disappointment washed over her. She had hoped he would stay with her, but she didn't say anything.

They reached the car, and Mohit opened the back door to put her bag inside. He then opened the passenger door for her. She quickly sat down, touched by the gesture.

Mohit got into the driver's seat, fastened his seatbelt, and noticed she was staring at him. He smiled and said, "Shikha, you can stare at me later. First, fasten your seatbelt."

She flushed, embarrassed, and quickly turned away to fasten her seatbelt.

During the drive, Mohit stole glances at her, noticing she was still embarrassed. Wanting to make her comfortable, he struck up a conversation.

"So, how are you? How was the journey? Was it smooth?" he asked.

She finally looked at him. "Yeah, everything went fine, and I am also fine. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good. So, how do you like Mumbai?" he asked with a grin.

"Mohit, I have just entered Mumbai," she replied, making a face. He flushed.

"Oh yeah! Stupid question, I suppose!" he said, laughing at himself.

"When is your interview scheduled? I heard from some 'internal sources' that it's around 9 in the morning," he said, emphasizing the last part.

"Internal sources?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on! You've applied to the company where I work. Our departments are different—you are an MBA, and I am an engineer—but still, I have my sources, you see. I know people there," he said proudly.

"Yeah, right! Tomorrow at 9:00 AM," she confirmed.

"See, I knew it."

"Congratulations!" she said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll be ready by 8:30. We'll go together," he offered.

"Hmmm..." she turned to look out the window, taking in the sights of the new city.

After a long pause, Mohit called out, "Shikha..."

"Yes?" she turned her gaze back to him.

"I'll be very happy if you get this job. Then we can go to the office together. Please try your best to crack the interview tomorrow," he said with a smile.

"I feel the same. I hope I get it," she replied.

"You will. We are home," he said, parking the car in front of their house.