The first drops of monsoon kissed the city quietly—like a soft warning before the flood. The grey clouds above Pune carried the scent of change. A gentle drizzle tapped on the glass panels of the café, echoing a rhythm that seemed to sync with the heaviness in Arjun's heart.
He stepped inside, wiping droplets off his arms, adjusting his damp shirt. The air inside was warm and filled with the aroma of roasted beans and cinnamon. At the corner table by the window—there she was.
Sonal.
Graceful. Unbothered. Smiling.
She looked up and waved, her eyes lighting up in the way they always did. But this time, Arjun wasn't sure if the warmth was still meant for him.
"Hey," she greeted, rising slightly from her seat.
"Hi," he replied, managing a soft smile.
She gestured toward the seat in front. "Ordered your cold coffee—no sugar. Still your favorite?"
"Yeah," he nodded, pulling out the chair.
There was a pause—not awkward, but distant. A silence that only people with unspoken emotions could sense.
"I'm really sorry for not picking your calls or replying to your texts," Sonal began, casually. "I was out of town. Actually… I went to Goa."
Arjun kept his smile intact. "Oh… nice."
"It was amazing! Brian arranged the entire thing," she said, excitement bubbling in her voice. "Beachside villa, live music, bonfire parties… You wouldn't believe the kind of energy there!"
She chuckled, recalling details with the enthusiasm of a teenager after a school trip.
Arjun sipped his coffee silently. The bitterness felt familiar today.
She went on. "It wasn't just a casual trip. The whole team was there—Brian really knows how to make things grand. I mean, he's always been different, but this time… I don't know, he just pulled off something next level. It felt like a festival."
Arjun listened. He didn't interrupt.
She talked about beach games, midnight guitar sessions, the food, the rain dance. Brian's name kept surfacing—effortlessly, naturally, and repeatedly.
And yet, never once did she mention anything about where Brian worked, or who funded the event. Not a single reference to Roxx or any corporate entity.
But Arjun knew.
He had done his own reading. Brian Pharma, the very firm where Sonal now worked closely with Brian, had been quietly taken under the wings of Roxx Corporation UK, a global investment powerhouse.
The same Roxx Corporation whose investment arm had recently approached Ravi's firm in India.
Sonal didn't know that.
And she didn't know what this meant to Arjun.
Arjun remained quiet, his face calm, but his mind was unraveling.
Minutes turned to hours. She didn't ask about him. Not once. Not even a casual "How've you been?" or "What's new with you?"
It was almost as if his presence was just a placeholder—someone to listen, someone familiar but forgotten.
Then her phone rang.
"Shit, it's from the office. I gotta take this," she said, hurriedly gathering her purse. "We'll catch up properly later?"
She stood up, smiled politely, and walked out into the drizzle, talking on the phone as she disappeared beyond the glass doors.
Arjun sat there.
Still.
Cold coffee on the table. Untouched.
He stared out the window. The rain had grown heavier now. Sunlight had faded behind thick clouds, leaving a pale, silver hue in the sky.
The scene outside looked blurred—much like the ache in his heart.
His silence had gone unnoticed.
And that hurt more than words ever could.
---
Later that evening, while walking aimlessly through the quiet lanes near his apartment, his phone buzzed.
It was a meme.
From Ravi.
A goofy one—ridiculous, actually. But it made Arjun smile.
He called instantly.
"Tu pagal hai," Arjun said the moment the call connected.
"Director sahab!" Ravi replied in his usual dramatic tone. "I hope this meme made your enlightened soul laugh."
"Do you always speak like this to your Directors?"
"Oh ho… So you're finally accepting my offer?"
Arjun paused, his voice softer now. "Let's meet tomorrow. 8 PM. Old bar."
"Perfect," Ravi said, grinning on the other end. "Good decision, Sharma ji."
Arjun cut the call.
But his heart still carried a question.
Was this change a new beginning? Or just another form of escape?
Because deep inside, he knew—running from pain never works. It follows in silence.
And irony, as always, had a twisted sense of humor.
Arjun knew that Ravi's investment firm had sealed a deal with Roxx Corporation, unknowingly bringing Arjun right back into the orbit of everything he was trying to leave behind.
But Ravi didn't know about Brian.
Ravi didn't know about Sonal.
And Arjun wasn't ready to tell him either.
---
Next day – 8 PM sharp.
The bar had the same faded charm. Wooden furniture, soft rock music, dim yellow lights, and the comforting smell of old wood and spilled whiskey.
Ravi was already there, waving from the corner booth.
Two chilled mugs of beer waited on the table.
"Cheers, Mr. Sharma," Ravi raised his glass.
Arjun smiled faintly and clinked his mug. "To new stories."
They drank quietly for a few moments.
"So… tell me. What changed your mind?" Ravi asked.
"Life," Arjun replied.
"Life?" Ravi squinted. "That's it? No philosophical quote today?"
Arjun chuckled. "I'm tired, Ravi. Tired of chasing someone else's dreams, tired of feeling replaceable, tired of giving everything to people who don't even ask how I am."
Ravi leaned back. "Well, you're not replaceable here. And you're not chasing anyone's dream now. You're building your own."
There was a warmth in his words—genuine, brotherly.
"And guess what?" Ravi added with a grin. "My dad gave me three pictures yesterday. Wants me to pick one and get married."
Arjun laughed. "You serious?"
"Yeah. All arranged. All perfect bio-data. It's hilarious."
"Planning to choose?"
"Maybe," Ravi shrugged. "Maybe I'll surprise everyone."
He took another sip. "What about you? What's your plan now—career aside?"
Arjun's smile dimmed. "Nothing. Just peace."
Ravi noticed the shift. "You alright?"
There was a long pause.
"I liked someone," Arjun said quietly. "Really liked her. But she never saw it. Or maybe she saw and chose to ignore. I thought it was something real. Turns out it was just me."
Ravi stayed silent, letting him speak.
"She met me yesterday. Talked for hours. But she didn't ask about me. Not even once. Just spoke about someone else the entire time. It was like… I didn't exist."
"That's brutal."
Arjun nodded. "It is. But maybe it's what I needed. Reality check."
Ravi raised his mug. "Then here's to better beginnings."
Arjun lifted his own slowly. "And fewer expectations."
They drank again.
Outside, the rain returned—soft, steady, and quiet.
Much like the pain Arjun had buried.
---
(To be continued...)