All the damage that needed to happen has already happened. This party has taught me so many lessons—good things take time, and bad things come at the right time.
As everyone said their goodbyes, Arjun also left for the bus station. He checked the time—it was midnight, and it was raining. He walked toward the taxi stand and tried to book a cab.
Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. The cars kept coming near and canceling.
"Why is everyone canceling my booking? Is it that bad tonight?" Arjun muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the rain.
As he refreshed the app for the fifth time, he suddenly became aware of soft footsteps approaching. He lifted his head, squinting through the downpour. A figure emerged from the darkness, her silhouette backlit by the faint glow of a nearby streetlight.
The woman walked toward him, her umbrella tilted slightly, obscuring her face. Arjun couldn't see her clearly, but something about her presence felt familiar.
She stopped a few feet away and lowered the umbrella slightly. "Need a lift?"
Arjun froze for a moment, his mind scrambling to place the voice. Then it clicked. "Ananya? You didn't leave yet?"
She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Did your eyesight get that bad, Arjun? You're asking me this?"
Caught off guard, he stammered, "Then... what else should I ask? Did you sleep well, Ananya?"
Her lips curved into a wry smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Get in the car, Arjun. I don't have all night."
Without another word, he got up, clutching his bag tightly, and followed her to the car.
As Arjun slid into the front seat beside the driver, he gave the address in a low voice. The car pulled into the wet streets, the rhythmic patter of rain against the windshield filling the silence. City lights blurred outside, smearing like watercolor against the glass.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The hum of the engine was their only companion, weaving through the storm.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Did you ever love anyone, Arjun?"
Ananya's voice cut through the quiet. Soft, yet piercing.
Arjun kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead. "No," he answered, too quickly. Too definitively.
But as the word left his lips, something twisted inside him. Regret settled in, heavy.
Ananya let out a soft chuckle laced with sarcasm. "Didn't expect that from you, Arjun."
He exhaled, shifting in his seat. "I did love someone… once. After that, never again."
Ananya's head snapped toward him, her brows knitting together. Before she could respond, Arjun ran a hand through his hair, muttering, "Forget it. I'm drunk. Don't take my words seriously."
A smirk played on Ananya's lips. "Drunk?" she teased. "Funny, I've only ever seen you drink soft drinks."
Even the driver let out a quiet chuckle.
Arjun closed his eyes for a second, muttering under his breath, *What the hell are you even saying, Arjun? Control your mouth before you blabber more nonsense.*
Then, suddenly—
"You're engaged, right?" he asked, turning to look at her.
Ananya's fingers froze mid-air as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. A slow smile tugged at her lips. "Oh? You want to know who I'm engaged to?" She arched an eyebrow.
Moonlight streamed through the car window, tracing half her face in silver. Arjun's breath hitched. The light caught in her eyes, making them shimmer like something ethereal.
For a moment, he just… stared.
*Snap!*
Ananya flicked her fingers in front of his face, pulling him back to reality.
"Sorry," he muttered, looking away. "No need. You're going to tell the media anyway."
Ananya bit her lip, her laughter barely contained. She turned toward the window, hiding her expression.
"Aren't you even curious?" she asked, her voice light, teasing.
Arjun kept his eyes on the road. "Curiosity kills the cat."
Ananya scoffed. "And what does that have to do with you?"
Neither of them looked at each other. He spoke while staring straight ahead; she gazed outside, speaking into the night. A strange tension hung between them—thick, unspoken, yet oddly comfortable.
Then, after a long beat—
"Why did you leave your job?" Ananya asked.
Arjun's jaw tightened. "Got tired of office politics. So, I resigned."
She tilted her head slightly, her voice softer this time. "The Arjun I know doesn't run from things like that."
His fingers curled into a fist against his knee. For a moment, he was stunned—by her words, by how effortlessly she saw through him. He turned his head slightly, but she was still looking out the window.
"The Arjun you knew..." He exhaled. "That guy is lost somewhere. But if it was about revenge, it's already been taken."
A knowing silence filled the space between them.
"Got a new job?" Ananya finally asked.
"No," he admitted, voice quieter. "Still searching."
The silence stretched, filling the car like an unspoken confession. They both hesitated to break it, caught between the past and the present, between words left unsaid and those that never needed to be spoken.