Page 43 of Always? Forever.
He looked exactly the same, down to the overconfident smile and the hand-in-pocket pose he probably practiced in the mirror. A girl clinging to his arm. Laughing at something he said.
Only this time, he wasn’t behind a counter frothing oat milk lattes.
No apron. No coffee-stained name tag. Just a pale gold kurta, smug smile fully intact, and of course, a stunning woman on his arm.
I stared for a moment longer than I should have.
The last time I saw him, Kartik and I had just sat down at that café, scribbling notes and fighting about fonts, when I looked up andbam— there he was. My past in a making cappuccinos like he hadn’t once broken my heart like it was a disposable cup.
That day, Kartik had noticed the shift in me. He hadn’t pushed. Just handed me a napkin and let me pretend I was fine. Also pretended to be my boyfriend making him fume. Hriday accidentally dropped his mask that day. I knew better than anyone, it would never drop again.
But this?
This was not the safety of a coffee shop. This was a wedding.
I snapped out of my trance as I felt Kartik’s touch. I looked back at him as he tried searching my eyes for answers. I was on the verge of crying. Not because I was happy to see Hriday, but I had to see him at all. It wasn’t a joyous occasion for me anytime I saw him. It came with its own set of drama and troubles.
I opened my mouth to reply to Kartik, but I couldn’t, so I gestured to him where Hriday was standing. I felt like I had seen the girl he was with. She was most definitely out of his league.
Kartik dragged me away from the dance floor, near the bar and turned to look at where I was pointing. And he stilled. “Is that…?” He asked, unsure.
I didn’t respond. Because just then, Hriday’s eyes met mine.
He blinked. Registered me.
Then, he smiled. Waved.
Oh.
Oh no.
“He’s coming over,” I muttered.
“Want me to pretend we’re making out?” Kartik asked, deadpan.
“Please don’t joke right now.”
“Not joking. Give me the signal.”
Before I could choose between fleeing or flipping a table, Hriday and his date arrived.
“Samaira,” he said, grinning like we’d just run into each other at a grocery store and not in the middle of a wedding I was emotionally unprepared for. “Didn’t think I’d see you here again so soon.”
“Yeah, well. Life’s full of delightful coincidences,” I said, voice dry.
His date beamed.
“You two know each other?”
“We dated,” I said flatly. “A long time ago.”
There it was. No more soft landings.
She blinked. “Oh.”
Hriday chuckled. “It wasn’t that long ago.”
“Feels like a different lifetime,” I replied.
