I sunk into the plush lounge chair, exhaling dramatically. Tonight was supposed to be fun—get buzzed, maybe dance, and enjoy watching Aarohi and Yatharth flirt like a rom-com couple. Instead, I somehow ended up in a corner with Amartya, the guy who I should be avoiding at all costs but couldn't seem to shake. Lucky me.
He was on his phone, probably wishing he was literally anywhere else. Meanwhile, Aarohi and Yatharth were out on the dance floor, acting like they were already married when we all knew that engagement was still "pending," thanks to Yatharth dragging his feet. The thought of them getting married was cute, though. They had that whole "we're so in love it's annoying" energy that made me want to gag and smile at the same time.
I stared at the drink in my hand, feeling the ice clink as I swirled it around. "You okay?" I asked, breaking the silence that had been sitting between us for way too long. My voice came out soft, not because I cared that much but because clubs weren't exactly the best place for deep conversations. But also... maybe I cared just a little.
Amartya barely glanced up from his phone. "Yeah," he said, but he might as well have said, "Nope, not at all, but I'm pretending."
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, dude. Not even a little bit of party spirit? This isn't your vibe tonight?"
He finally looked at me, and the exhaustion in his eyes hit harder than I expected. "Nah, not really feeling it," he admitted, voice low like he was sharing a secret. "Aarohi and Yatharth dragged me here."
I snorted. "Yeah, they're good at that—dragging people places. I mean, here I am. And honestly? I'd rather be anywhere else too. But we're here, so..." I raised my glass, "cheers to that."
He smirked slightly and tapped his glass against mine. "Cheers," he muttered before taking a sip.
Aarohi had mentioned something about his breakup, and I wasn't about to pry, but I could see it was still hanging over him like a raincloud. "I heard about... Sakshi," I said cautiously, waiting for him to shut me down.
He stiffened for a split second but then relaxed, letting out a slow breath. "Yeah... It's been a rough few months."
Okay, cool, that's all I needed to know. Time to switch topics before we both fell into some kind of emotional abyss. "So, clubs, huh? Just loud for the sake of being loud?"
He let out a soft chuckle, the first real reaction I'd seen all night. "Pretty much. Just a bunch of noise and people pretending they're having the time of their lives."
I laughed. "Exactly. It's like... are we having fun, or are we just pretending because it's expected?"
Amartya raised an eyebrow at me. "You've always had that way of looking at things."
I shrugged, not really sure what he was getting at. "I mean, maybe. But honestly, I'm just here for the drinks and the people-watching."
"Still into photography?"
My eyes lit up a little at that. "Yeah, totally. Been doing a lot more of it lately. Old spots, you know? Like those crowded, chaotic places with history... or just old markets that look like they've seen some shit. Something about those places feels... real. Time leaves its mark, and I get to capture that."
He leaned in slightly, a flicker of interest sparking in his eyes. "That's cool. You've always had a thing for seeing the world differently."
I smirked. "Yeah, well, somebody's gotta do it, right? Besides, I'd rather be out there taking pictures of old buildings than stuck in this club with terrible music and overpriced drinks."
He chuckled again, and it was... nice. Like we were finally settling into something normal, something that didn't feel so damn heavy.
"So what about you?" I asked, genuinely curious. "You're not exactly the 'club every weekend' kind of guy either, are you?"
He grinned, and I saw a glimpse of the Amartya I used to crush on. "Not really. I'm more into late-night drives. Blasting music, just me and the open road. Helps me clear my head."
"Loud music, huh?" I tilted my head. "So, are we talking head-banging rock, or do you secretly jam out to cheesy 2000s pop?"
"Depends," he said, smirking. "But usually, it's loud enough to drown everything out. Keeps me sane."
I could picture it—Amartya behind the wheel, city lights blurring by, music blaring so loud you could feel it in your bones. It made sense. A part of me wondered what he was running from, but I wasn't about to ask. Not yet, anyway.
I took another sip of my drink, letting the silence settle between us. It was comfortable, in a way. No pressure, no need to say something profound. Just... two people who were a little lost, sitting together in a crowded club that neither of us wanted to be at.
"Life's weird, huh?" I said suddenly, surprising myself.
Amartya laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, it is."
I stared into my drink, watching the ice melt. Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe tonight was just one of those random nights where nothing made sense, and that was okay.
But as much as I tried to convince myself of that, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was shifting between us. Something that I wasn't quite ready to deal with but couldn't avoid either.
The music thumped around us, and Aarohi and Yatharth finally made their way back, sweaty and grinning like idiots.
"There you are!" Aarohi practically shouted, collapsing onto the couch next to me. "We've been looking for you two. This party's getting wild!"
"Wild?" I shot her a look. "We're not exactly in Vegas, babe."
She shrugged. "Whatever. I'm having a blast, and you should too!"
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, rolling my eyes, but I couldn't help smiling. Maybe tonight didn't have to suck after all.
I glanced at Amartya one more time. He caught my eye, and for a brief moment, something unspoken passed between us—something neither of us was ready to acknowledge. Not yet, at least.
The beat of the music pulsed through the room as people danced around us, but I was only half paying attention. Aarohi and Yatharth were wrapped up in their own world, giggling and whispering like they were in some teenage rom-com. It was almost too cute to watch, so I stopped watching. Not that I was bitter. It's just... yeah, I was a little over the cutesy couple thing for tonight.
I leaned back in my chair, scanning the lounge. The night wasn't bad, honestly. And if it hadn't been for Aarohi dragging me out, I'd probably be knee-deep in work emails, still trying to hash out details for my latest fashion collection. Running a brand wasn't as glamorous as it seemed. Yeah, it had its perks, but when you own a company, there's no such thing as 'clocking out.'
Amartya stretched out in his seat next to me, finally looking a little more at ease now that the ice between us had thawed. Aarohi glanced our way, smirking at the sight of us just chilling instead of awkwardly tiptoeing around conversation.
"You two look pretty cozy over there," she teased, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
I shot her a look that said, 'cut the crap,' but Aarohi was immune to all my death glares. "We're literally sitting here, Aarohi. Not that deep."
"Uh-huh," she responded, clearly not buying it. "But it's nice to see you both relaxing for once."
Amartya rolled his eyes, leaning back against the seat. "You know, this isn't exactly how I imagined relaxing tonight. But it works, I guess."
I snorted, turning my head towards him. "And what exactly were you imagining? A quiet night at home? Because if so, you were in the wrong place from the start."
He laughed, shaking his head. "No, I wasn't planning on being a hermit. I just wasn't expecting the full reunion vibe."
"Neither was I," I admitted. "Aarohi loves to force nostalgia on people, apparently."
Aarohi threw her hands up in mock surrender. "What can I say? I'm a people person."
"Sure, we'll go with that," I said sarcastically, a smirk tugging at my lips.
Amartya seemed to relax more, sinking into the banter between us. "Speaking of which, Maya, how's the whole fashion empire treating you these days?"
I smiled a little at the word "empire." I wasn't quite there yet, but I was getting closer. "Busy, as always. Launching a new collection soon, so there's been a lot of late nights. But it's going well. Couldn't ask for more, really."
"Must be nice, owning a brand and doing what you love," Yatharth chimed in, clearly impressed. "That's huge, man."
"It has its moments," I said with a shrug. "But it's not always what people think. There's a lot of behind-the-scenes chaos. Supply chain issues, marketing, distribution... then there's the designs themselves, which have to keep up with trends, or I'll be yesterday's news in a heartbeat."
"Damn, that sounds intense," Amartya said, raising an eyebrow. "Definitely not my speed."
"Trust me, it's not for everyone," I laughed. "But I live for it. I love seeing something I sketched out turn into a finished piece that people actually wear. It's surreal."
Aarohi grinned, nudging Yatharth. "She's killing it out there. Seriously, every time I scroll through Instagram, someone's wearing one of her pieces. Maya's brand is everywhere."
I shrugged, feeling a little heat rise to my cheeks. "It's not *that* big yet. But we're growing."
Amartya looked genuinely impressed, which was a change from his earlier aloofness. "That's pretty badass. Most people talk about starting their own thing, but you actually did it."
"Yeah, well, talking about it doesn't pay the bills," I said with a smirk. "Had to make it happen. And now I'm juggling way too much, but it's worth it."
"You sound like a total boss," Amartya chuckled. "I can barely manage my Spotify playlists."
Aarohi laughed, shaking her head. "Amartya's being modest. He's got some ideas, too. Just hasn't gotten around to actually doing them yet."
Amartya shot her a look. "Thanks, Aarohi. Really appreciate that."
I chuckled, leaning back in my seat. "Well, when you're ready, I'll give you the rundown on how to turn your idea into reality. Consulting fees apply, of course."
"Of course," he said, grinning. "I'll keep that in mind."
The conversation flowed easily after that, with Aarohi and Yatharth chiming in every so often between their whispered conversations. It felt... light. Like we could just exist here, without any expectations or forced moments. Just chilling. And I wasn't mad about it.
After a while, the crowd started to thin out, and the music shifted to a more mellow vibe. We were all still lingering in the lounge, the night winding down but not quite over yet. I glanced over at Amartya, who was leaning back with a relaxed expression, a rare sight on him.
"Want to get out of here?" I asked, feeling like the night had reached its peak.
He nodded, looking grateful. "Please. Let's bail before Aarohi ropes us into some late-night adventure."
We gathered our things and headed outside, the cool night air hitting us as we stepped into the street. The city was still buzzing, food carts lining the road, the smell of grilled food and spices filling the air. Aarohi was, predictably, still in high spirits.
"Road trip?" she suggested with a gleam in her eye.
I laughed. "It's a ten-minute drive, Aarohi."
"Details," she waved me off, grabbing Yatharth's hand. "Let's go."
Amartya slid into the passenger seat of my car with a tired grin. "I swear, Aarohi never runs out of energy."
"Tell me about it," I said, rolling my eyes as I started the engine. "But hey, she keeps things interesting."
He chuckled as I pulled away from the curb, the music humming softly through the speakers. "So," he said after a moment, "you ever think about what's next?"
"For the brand?" I asked, glancing over at him.
"Yeah. Or for you, in general."
I thought about it for a second, then shrugged. "I don't know. Right now, I'm just focused on the present. Growing the brand, getting it to the next level. Maybe one day I'll branch out, expand into other areas—who knows? But for now, I'm happy where I am."
He nodded, his gaze turning thoughtful. "That's cool. You've got your shit together, Maya. That's more than most people can say."
I smiled at that, feeling a little more relaxed as we drove through the city. "Thanks. I'm just trying to make it work, one step at a time."
The night felt like it was winding down, but in a good way—no pressure, no rush. Just... coasting.