Meanwhile, in the almost-deserted café, the manager sat hunched over bills and paperwork like an accountant on a caffeine detox. He muttered to himself after overhearing the conversation of Shan and Stuti from yesterday.. , "People in their 20s these days... they're like walking, talking batteries. Back in my day, we'd get tired just looking at Each other's lips"
Suddenly, Stuti exploded into the scene like a self-appointed superhero. "It's an emergency meeting!" she shouted, slamming her hands on the table with all the grace of a motivational speaker with the likes of David Goggins.. . "The Earth is in danger! Humanity is about to be wiped out! The prophecy of the author... it's real!"
Her voice was shouting-to-the-heavens epic, like she was ready to deliver the most intense TED Talk ever. "I didn't believe in the legend of the author before, but now is not the time for doubt! We shall... we shall save humanity!"
Shan, sitting across from her, suddenly looked like he'd just been hit by a truck of enthusiasm. He shot up, his face lighting up like someone who'd just been told there's free pizza. "We WILL! We are the chosen ones!" he shouted, clearly overplaying the moment. But hey, this was the moment. They were about to save the world. Probably.
Stuti paused, feeling the adrenaline shoot through her like a superhero on the edge of a cliff, ready to dive into action. Then, Shan, the plot twist king, dropped the unexpected bomb.
"But before we do anything... there's something more important."
Stuti blinked. Was this the moment he was going to reveal his secret powers? Was he about to announce they had to do some sort of mystical training? Maybe he has already cheated on me?Is my 6 foot giant already out of the love? What could it be?
"What's it?" she asked, her voice trembling like she was asking the universe itself.
Shan leaned in, his face deadly serious. This was deep. This was important. And then he asked, in the most dramatic voice imaginable:
"What's the name of our task force?"
The room went silent. Stuti's eyes widened in horror. Wait, what?! "I… I never thought about that," she whispered, as if her entire life had led up to this moment of monumental importance. "How could I forget such a crucial detail?!"
She slapped herself across the cheeks like she was waking up from a dream. "You're right. No story is complete without a name! We have to nail this down! This is the most important decision of our lives!"
The clock was ticking. The world was literally on the brink of destruction. But names? Names were EVERYTHING...They are the beginning of the stories of everything!! Humans as well!! . So, the brainstorming began.
"Solo Levelers?" Shan suggested, like he was pulling the idea from his soul after watching one too many anime shows.
"Too generic," Stuti dismissed it with the force of a thousand judgments. "But... the artwork was good, I guess."
"ZombieLand Saga?" Stuti threw out, dramatically slamming her elbow on the table like she was expecting a standing ovation.
"Hmm," Shan hummed, considering it. "What about Attack on Zombies?"
Suddenly, a voice boomed through the café speaker. "Madam, Sir, please pack your bags! I've been calling your names for an hour!"
Both of them froze, the sound of impending doom—aka bills—kicking in.
"What's the bill?" they asked sheepishly, like they had just been caught in a high-speed chase without their seatbelts on.
The manager, who looked tired and said, "How about Mumbai Ghoul?"
Stuti and Shan blinked in perfect synchronization, as if someone had just told them the secret to life in one sentence. "I overheard you two.. You are one of the noisy customers afterall," the manager continued, as casual as someone who had just discovered time travel. "I want to protect my family too, you know. I met the author once in my young age.. I believe you guys.. I'll tell the details about it later though" He paused for dramatic flair. "So, yeah. Mumbai Ghoul sounds good. I'll join once I finish up this work."
Stuti's eyes practically sparkled. "Wait, you're in?"
Shan, already vibrating with excitement, shouted, "We got a side character too! We're the main characters now! This is happening! We even have the Anteiku Eiju from Tokyo Ghoul!! A cafe hideout spot like the anime!! ''
The manager didn't even blink. "No. You'll disturb the customers."
"Please," Shan begged, using his best puppy-eyed technique. "We're literally saving the world!"
Mr. Shantunu, unaffected by Shan's charm offensive, simply stated, "No."
But Stuti, already caught up in the adventure of it all, declared, "We're doing this. No turning back."
After a few more moments of polite bickering and contact-swapping, they made plans to meet regularly at Shan's place. The task force was officially born...
The day went by, Shan was waiting for stuti at the bus stand
Shan, standing by the door, held a photo in his hand, looking at it like it was the most precious thing in the universe. His face softened with a smile that seemed to hold a thousand untold stories....
He stared at the photo for a long moment, his expression growing distant. A memory seemed to flicker through his mind, one of a narrow alleyway in a forgotten slum. He saw himself, younger, weaker, being shoved around by a group of kids. He saw his mother, her voice full of warmth, pulling him close as he clung to her, his only source of love and strength.
Stuti, jumped out of nowhere . "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing," Shan muttered, hastily tucking the photo into his pocket like it was a dirty secret.
Stuti decided to ignore it and give him a little bit of space... as she felt that she was barging too fast into his life for a romcom...
-----------
Extra scenes
Stuti posted on instagram with the caption
Sharing the date with my boyfriend... The first time I met him.. It felt like the melancholic whispers of the angels were soothing the heartbeats of ours... Throwing arrows by the luminous cupids.. Felt the Bolyromance... His eyes were so mesmerising, His demneour of the essence of fragmant like smell would make any woman feel the love... The enchanting music of the love for his surroundings #Delulu #Feminism #women_empowerment #mybodymychoice
-The editor popped after the collaseum has been emptied... Hey, Cancel that, Cancel that... '' That's literally the valentine status of my girlfriend barged the editor in between.... You freakin incel*.. I won't let it be approved in the main story