| NAINA |

It took around 26 years to discover that it is an identical trait of every human to leave their favourite person when the latter needs them the most.

I looked outside through the flight's window, distressed about what happened in the past twenty-four hours. It felt distressing that my boyfriend Richard broke up with me. It felt distressing that my colleague Charlotte, who promised to join me in Delhi, broke that promise for her one-week-old girlfriend, Olivia. Above all, it felt distressful to the core that my best friend Meeta, for whose wedding I'm going to India, didn't pick up the call for the past two hours.

I turned away from the window, only to witness a miracle yet to happen in my life. A guy entered the flight with a trolley bag and a rucksack. He looked tanned enough to be identified as a South Asian. He was tall, or maybe his brown overcoat and olive sweatshirt made him look tall. He looked like someone of my age. Or a year or two older than me. His hair was gelled and ruffled. After a second, his dark blue eyes locked with my black eyes.

My heart thumped hard, and I exhaled through my mouth while calming myself down. His eyes were on me as he came close while I prayed that he should be my co-passenger. Believe it or not, travelling with a cute guy is my long-time wish. I used to pray for that every time I travel.

He reached the second row.

Third row.

Fourth row.

And my row, which made me stiffen.

"Come on, my boy. This is your seat," I mumbled to myself on repeat. He stood still there and was looking at me.

The next moment, he threw his trolley bag into the overhead locker and gently sat near me. Letting out a breath through my mouth, I looked at the runway through my window to make sure he didn't see me chuckling.

"Thank God," I whispered and placed my hand on my chest.

As I felt like the runway had become far from me, I realised the flight had taken off. New York, the largest city in the USA by population, seemed more like Vatican City from the air. The bombarding vehicles on the road, magnificent skyscrapers, people who go here and there to run errands, and tall street lamps looked like tiny insects to me. But soon, black clouds blocked my view, and the world outside the flight looked dark as a pitch.

I sat straight, looked up at the reading light and grinned. Don't ask why. I have no reason.

While figuring out whether to say hi, hello, or hey to my co-passenger, I heard him say, "Are you going to Delhi?"

I looked at him and replied, "Yes." I suppressed my grin by pressing my lips tight. I don't want to look like some crackhead. "You?"

"Same." He shot a smile that effortlessly reached his eyes. "By the way, hi. I'm Angad Sharma." He extended his hand for a handshake, which urged me to smile at him.

"Naina Mathur." I accepted his handshake.

"Well... By any chance, are you that Naina Mathur from Vogue?" Angad raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah." I scratched my neck, trying to be humble. "I can't believe that someone recognised me."

Angad chuckled and said, "New York knows everything about you except how beautiful you are."

I knocked on my chest twice as if I was impressed. "Ah, I thought you were reserved and shy."

"I am, except with some people." He pointed his chin at me.

I guess this travel won't end soon.

"Did I become one of them so soon?" Out of all the ways I could have chosen, I chose to play along with him.

"Time doesn't matter, Naina. The connection does," he said softly.

"Awww! You swept off my feet so soon. Are you a dentist?" I smiled wide enough to show off the dimple on my left cheek.

"No. Why?" He squinted his right eye.

"Because you had just filled the cavity in my soul." I came closer to him and whispered while he froze a little.

I noticed his features as we were close. A broad nose, tiny eyes, and thin lips were what I saw in Angad. His eyes sparkled like a glass of champagne under bright sunlight as we were looking into each other. Soon, Angad whispered, "If we keep seeing each other like this, the air hostess may separate us."

I chuckled and moved away from him while he added, "Actually, I am not a dentist. I'm a surgeon."

"Oh! I don't have a pickup line for a surgeon, Angad. Sorry." I shrugged while he laughed at my bad joke.

"Anyways, Naina, what is your reason to visit India?" Angad looked straight into my eyes this time.

"I'm going for a friend's wedding," I said while the entire blood was drained out of his blood. "What happened, Angad?"

"Uh... Nothing. What happened?" He looked like he was trying to be usual. But he didn't look like it.

Still, I ignored it and said, "What's your reason?" pointing my chin at him.

"Ummm... Why I am going to Delhi is because... Well, I needed a break," he explained while I shot a non-expressive grin, my mind scorning him for choosing Delhi, out of all the places in the world, to relax.

"What would you like to have, ma'am?"

I looked to the right and saw the air hostess with a food tray.

"Do you have Virgin Mojito?" I inquired.

"Yes, ma'am." She bowed and looked through the tray to find it for me. "Here you go, ma'am."

"So Naina, tell me about yourself," Angad said, passing the glass of my favourite Virgin Mojito.

"Well..." I got the mocktail from him and added, "I was born and grew up in Delhi. Then, I did my undergraduate in journalism at Madras Christian College. Then, I joined NYU for my post-graduation. Post-college, I worked in a small magazine before Vogue and the rest is history." I sipped some mocktail and said, "What about you, Angad?"

"I was born in Amritsar but brought up in New York. That was my everything ever since I was three. And I graduated from NYU Grossman. I am yet to complete my residency in surgery at NYU Langone. In a year or two, I'll be a trained surgeon," Angad narrated his life story while my mouth formed an O, wondering how on Earth he managed with the nerd factory of NYC.

"Whoa! Any girlfriends, flings, or crushes?" I raised my right eyebrow, betting with my brain that he wouldn't have any experience with it.

"Not yet. Only if you could be one." He winked his eye at me.

"Nice try, Angad." I sipped some more of my mocktail.

"What about you?" He pointed his chin at me.

"Well, there were two. One was my schooltime crush. Then, my first boyfriend just broke up with me since I was not his type. Currently... I am waiting for someone to break my heart." I tried plastering a smile, trying not to cry in front of him as I mentioned Richard.

"Long history, Naina. What about your friends?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Ummm... Yeah, I have this best friend from Delhi. Her name is Meeta. I am going there for her wedding." He shifted in his position and sat unusually erect while I ignored them and continued, "And, a friend at Vogue named Charlotte. That's it." I shrugged my shoulders.

"That's it? Only two?" Angad raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes.

"Introverts find it hard to make friends." I shrugged my shoulders while gulping some mocktail. "What about your friends, Angad?"

"Well, there is this one friend named Violet: My friend since high school. And there are two more at my workplace: Neil and Ruhi. And... That's it." Angad shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"That's it? Only three?" I asked.

"Ambiverts try their best to stay within their limit," Angad said. "Anyways, who will you choose if you are asked to choose one between Meeta and Charlotte?"

"If you were asked to choose one between your right hand and your left hand, what would you choose?" Angad had no answer with him, which allowed me to explain. "You have your right hand and your left hand for some reason. But life is fucked-up if you lose one of them. Likewise, I love some things in Meeta that I don't find in Charlotte. And I love some things in Charlotte that I don't find in Meeta. But my life will be fucked-up if I don't have both."

"Nice. Now don't ask me to choose one between Violet and my workmates. I'm bad at choices." Angad raised his hands as if he had surrendered.

"Well, okay." I raised my left hand as well.

"Okay. Bookworm or movie buff?" He pointed his chin at me.

"49% bookworm; 51% movie buff. You?" I pointed my chin at him.

"100% movie buff." He smiled wide enough to reach the corners of his eyes.

"You don't look like it." I scrunched my nose and raised my eyebrows.

"Why don't people believe it?" Angad raised his voice a little.

"Well, maybe because you graduated from one of the best colleges in New York. Maybe because you will become a trained surgeon at one of the best hospitals: That made you look like some nerd," I explained.

"Come on, Naina! I was in the eighth rank at college."

So what? What is he trying to say? Must I convince myself that he wasn't a nerd but just some underdog?

"But you were under the top ten, right?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Who could win your arguments?" He rolled his eyes and raised his eyebrows.

"My mom. She will effortlessly do that." I snapped my fingers at him.

"Every mom can win their kids during an argument." He shook his head. After looking away from me for a while, his gaze was on me, and he asked, "Are you on Instagram, Naina?"

"Of course, yes!" I raised my voice a little.

"Then... Why not take a selfie? Only if I'm allowed to post it on Instagram." He tilted his head to his right and raised his index finger.

"You can. I have no issues." I smiled wide.

"One second." He excused himself and took his rucksack in his arms to take his mobile out, allowing me to do introspection on my choices.

Angad is just cute and attractive. And also successful. He's taller than me and seems friendly and flirtatious (and quite dumb?). Above all, he is single. He seems to be much more of my type. I might fall for him if I stay with him for a few more days.

But that's not what I want. I want to know more about him. About his comforts, discomforts, strengths, weaknesses, family, etc. Though I find him to be my type, he is a stranger. Who knows what about him?

"Here. Let's take a selfie." Angad took his mobile and was ready with the camera.

"Okay." I smiled and went closer for our elbows to brush each other.

"Smile, please!" We smiled at the camera, and he clicked some pics.

He gave me his mobile while I chose three pics where I looked better than the other pics. "Here you go!" I returned my mobile to him.

"Thank you so much, Naina. You made my day." Angad's cheeks swelled up a little as he smiled while my chest swelled up in pride of being a "celebrity".

"That's fine, Angad. I wanted to say these to you." I smiled at him while my crimson blush threatened to show up.

"Well, Naina, I want to ask something else too." Angad looked into my eyes with his doe eyes.

"Come on, shoot." I snapped my fingers at him.

"Ummm... Do you know any good café in Delhi?" He squinted his eyes as if to beseech.

"Why?" I squinted my right eye.

Is that a date? (forgive my Delulu mind)

"Uh... How do I start?" All of a sudden, he looked flushed, and he started to exhale through his mouth. "Naina, you know I am going to Delhi to destress myself. But I don't know anything about Delhi. It's my first visit to Delhi. And then there you are. Someone who is people-friendly and knows A to Z about Delhi. So... I need your help to show me around Delhi. I want to start it with good food. Hence, I asked you. I believe that I will enjoy this with you. You seem like a safe woman to me. Above all, I trust you."

Though a part of me found this cute, I feel it to be quite absurd. How could he say that he trusts me? Okay, he is friendly and attractive. But how could he be so naïve? Or is it just me who has trust issues? I have no idea.

But meanwhile, I wanted to go with him. He seems to be a gentleman who asks a woman for permission to take her pic instead of clicking it without permission.

***

Hi, peeps! How was the first chapter? What do you think Naina will choose? I hope you peeps had a great time reading. See you soon!

Song Courtesy: Tum Ho from Rockstar (you can also listen to it and read by pressing PLAY)