SAMIRA. / SIDDHARTH.

Amid the chaos and colourful sight of Jaipur station, if you saw a girl wrestling with a suitcase that seemed determined to do anything but cooperate, then you should just ignore her and continue with your journey. Because interacting with her would mean costing you your life. And your ears, as well.

But well, do people ever listen to those who are experienced and know about the troubles of things one shouldn't do? No, never.

There stood a guy, around the age of nineteen. He watched the struggles of the poor girl and just as he was about to offer assistance, the girl gave the suitcase one final, exasperated tug. It finally relented, sending her stumbling backward-straight into the guy.

"Oh, for the love of samosas!" she exclaimed, regaining her balance and turning to face him. "Sorry about that. This suitcase has a mind of its own."

The guy chuckled, his initial surprise fading. "No worries. Need some help?"

"Please," she said, rolling her eyes. "I think it's possessed. By the way, I'm Samira."

"Siddharth," he replied, taking the suitcase from her and untangling it from her backpack strap. "Nice to meet you. So, is the suitcase headed to an exorcist or somewhere more conventional?"

Samira laughed, a sound that seemed to momentarily drown out the chaos around them. "Jaipur, actually. I'm on a trip with my sister. Hopefully, this suitcase will behave once we start the trip, tomorrow."

"Trip, huh? Sounds exciting," Siddharth said, handing the now-docile suitcase back to her. "I'm just here to visit my grandparents. No demonic luggage involved."

"Well, let's hope your relatives are easier to handle than this thing," Samira replied with a grin. "Thanks for the rescue."

"Anytime. Nice to meet you, Samira. Enjoy your time in Jaipur."

With that, Siddharth turned his attention back to the crowd, as if searching for something only he could see. Samira continued on their way, when she saw her sister coming out of the restroom.

"Well, that was interesting," Aisha said, nudging Samira. "He's definitely got the whole mysterious stranger vibe down."

"You saw us talking?" Samira mused, glancing back over her shoulder. Siddharth had vanished into the crowd, leaving her with an unexplainable sense of curiosity.

"Obviously, why would I take too much time to just wash off my oily hands? He's handsome though,"

"Whatever,"

As they walked through the station and into the vibrant streets of Jaipur, both the sisters got excited about the trip.

...