Chapter 1 of 6For You
The café was filled with the soft fragrance of flowers and freshly brewed coffee. Sunlight filtered through the windows, falling gently across the tables. Aditya liked places like this. Open spaces, flowers, and a little peace away from the noise of the city. He had arrived to meet a young woman named Ekaa. “Hi! You must be Ekaa?” “Yes. And you must be Aditya.” They smiled politely and settled into their seats. “Nice place,” Aditya remarked. “It's my sister's favourite café,” Ekaa replied. Aditya's heart skipped a beat.*His sister.*There was only one person who came to his mind. “Naina?” he asked, almost . Ekaa nodded. “She's my elder sister.” For a moment, the world around him seemed to go quiet. Naina. He hadn't heard that name in so long. He had tried to erase it from his mind, it somewhere deep inside himself, somewhere even his loneliness couldn't reach. And now, a stranger had brought it back. Before he could say anything, Ekaa spoke again. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you about her over the phone. I was afraid you wouldn't come.” “You were right,” Aditya replied coldly. “I found your number in her old phone. It was switched off, but your number was saved there.” Aditya looked away. “If I'd known you were connected to her, I would never have agreed to meet you.” His voice was sharp, but beneath the sharpness lay something far more fragile. Pain. He had once loved Naina with everything he had. Or at least, that was what he had believed. And he had spent the last year convincing himself that she had never cared for him. Ekaa picked up the menu. “Will you at least buy me a coffee before you leave?” Aditya hesitated, then settled back into his chair. “I'll have a black coffee without sugar,” she told the waiter. Aditya looked at her. Black coffee. No sugar. Just like Naina. He remembered how she could drink four or five cups a day without a second thought.*Don't you ever get tired of coffee?* he used to tease her. She would simply smile and continue drinking. At least, he had always thought she didn't care what he said. Ekaa noticed his expression. “You don't drink coffee, do you? What would you like?” “Nothing.” “Not even to keep me company?” He didn't answer. The waiter arrived with her coffee and placed a cup of tea in front of Aditya. “I didn't order tea,” he said. “I did,” Ekaa replied, pushing it gently toward him. “You mostly drink tea, don't you?” Aditya stared at her. “How do you know that?” “I know quite a lot about you,” she said quietly. “Though Didi never talked about you much, I knew your name. I knew you were a good friend of hers.” “Thank you for the information,” he replied, his wounded pride slipping into his voice. Ekaa ignored his . “Will you ask me where my sister is?” Aditya's jaw tightened. “I suppose I should.” “You have every right to ask.” He looked at her, irritated. “Why are we even talking about all this? What difference does it make now?” Ekaa leaned forward and met his eyes. “Do you remember the last conversation you had with my sister?” Aditya went still. How could he ever forget? It had happened on Valentine's Day. And it was the day he had lost her.