15-06-2025, 03:05 AM
Abhi's Arrival
Meghana moved too quickly, as if hesitation would be a giveaway.
She opened the door and saw him standing there — Abhi — holding a small box from the bakery down the street.
He smiled when he saw her, but it faltered the slightest bit when he noticed the change in her expression.
“Hey,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. “Am I… early?”
“No,” she said. “Right on time.” Then she hesitated, stepping aside. “There’s just… something I didn’t expect.”
He entered slowly, his eyes scanning the apartment, pausing when he saw Varnika at the dining table, scrolling her phone.
Varnika looked up. She blinked, then stood.
Before Meghana could say a word, she stepped forward. “Hi. I’m Varnika. You must be…”
Abhi offered his hand. “Abhi.”
Meghana closed her eyes just briefly. Of course. Varnika always had quick intuition.
“Abhi lives downstairs,” Meghana said quickly. “He’s helped me with a few things before. I’d invited him for dinner earlier, before I knew you were coming.”
Varnika gave a little grin. “Well, I hope there’s enough food for three.”
Meghana smiled tightly. “There is.”
They settled at the table. Plates were served. Rice. Stew. Roasted eggplant. The chutney she had prepared with a little extra ginger — he liked it that way.
But the meal felt… restrained.
Varnika asked questions like she always did. “So, Abhi, are you from Hyderabad?”
“What do you do?”
“Are you single?”
That last one came out just a beat too quickly. Meghana froze mid-sip of water.
Abhi, to his credit, handled it well — smiling and giving just the right amount of vagueness.
Varnika caught the look from her sister and added, “Just trying to figure out if Meghana’s neighbor is a serial killer or someone who knows how to boil an egg.”
They all laughed — but it was uneven, like a tablecloth that wouldn’t settle.
Meghana barely tasted her food.
She watched the way Abhi carefully avoided her eyes for too long, then met them again when he thought Varnika wasn’t looking.
She caught herself tracing the rim of her glass — restless, distracted.
This was not the evening she had imagined.
And yet, it wasn’t a complete loss. Because beneath the surface awkwardness, a different tension now simmered — quieter, more complicated. A stolen moment here, a longer glance there. A hundred words unspoken.
When the plates were cleared, and Varnika excused herself to take a long shower after her journey, Meghana and Abhi were briefly alone again in the kitchen.
Meghana moved too quickly, as if hesitation would be a giveaway.
She opened the door and saw him standing there — Abhi — holding a small box from the bakery down the street.
He smiled when he saw her, but it faltered the slightest bit when he noticed the change in her expression.
“Hey,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. “Am I… early?”
“No,” she said. “Right on time.” Then she hesitated, stepping aside. “There’s just… something I didn’t expect.”
He entered slowly, his eyes scanning the apartment, pausing when he saw Varnika at the dining table, scrolling her phone.
Varnika looked up. She blinked, then stood.
Before Meghana could say a word, she stepped forward. “Hi. I’m Varnika. You must be…”
Abhi offered his hand. “Abhi.”
Meghana closed her eyes just briefly. Of course. Varnika always had quick intuition.
“Abhi lives downstairs,” Meghana said quickly. “He’s helped me with a few things before. I’d invited him for dinner earlier, before I knew you were coming.”
Varnika gave a little grin. “Well, I hope there’s enough food for three.”
Meghana smiled tightly. “There is.”
They settled at the table. Plates were served. Rice. Stew. Roasted eggplant. The chutney she had prepared with a little extra ginger — he liked it that way.
But the meal felt… restrained.
Varnika asked questions like she always did. “So, Abhi, are you from Hyderabad?”
“What do you do?”
“Are you single?”
That last one came out just a beat too quickly. Meghana froze mid-sip of water.
Abhi, to his credit, handled it well — smiling and giving just the right amount of vagueness.
Varnika caught the look from her sister and added, “Just trying to figure out if Meghana’s neighbor is a serial killer or someone who knows how to boil an egg.”
They all laughed — but it was uneven, like a tablecloth that wouldn’t settle.
Meghana barely tasted her food.
She watched the way Abhi carefully avoided her eyes for too long, then met them again when he thought Varnika wasn’t looking.
She caught herself tracing the rim of her glass — restless, distracted.
This was not the evening she had imagined.
And yet, it wasn’t a complete loss. Because beneath the surface awkwardness, a different tension now simmered — quieter, more complicated. A stolen moment here, a longer glance there. A hundred words unspoken.
When the plates were cleared, and Varnika excused herself to take a long shower after her journey, Meghana and Abhi were briefly alone again in the kitchen.
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