The café had all the charm of a secondhand bookstore - cluttered, stubborn, and somehow perfect.

[Chime chime]
The glass door swung open with a soft jingle as Aanya stepped inside, Pradeep walking calmly beside her.

[Low hum of conversation, clink of spoons on ceramic]

Plants dangled from mismatched pots along the walls, the warm buzz of chatter filling the cozy air. Overhead, fairy lights blinked lazily, like they had all the time in the world. The scent of vanilla, old books, and a hint of burnt coffee drifted toward them - familiar, comforting, imperfect.

[Soft jazz playing distantly, almost out of tune]

Aanya tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly hyperaware of the tiny earrings she had put on - a quiet rebellion against herself. A tiny hope she refused to name. She told herself it didn't matter - it was just pretend. A small lie she repeated for the sake of peace.

[Chair scrape across the floor]

Satiya was already there, slouched in a corner booth by the window.
He spotted her instantly, straightening up a little too fast, almost knocking over the glass of water in front of him.

[Quick shuffle of shoes against the floor]

His hair was messier than she remembered. His smile, a little too eager, the same way kids smile when they're caught doing something wrong but hope you'll still like them anyway.

His eyes flicked to Pradeep, standing solidly beside her, then back to Aanya.

"Hey," he said, shoving his hands deep into his jacket pockets like he didn't quite know what to do with them. "Didn't think you'd actually bring someone."

[Awkward chuckle under his breath]

"Didn't think you'd say yes," Aanya replied, tilting her head slightly, matching his energy - without quite matching it at all.

Pradeep offered a small nod in greeting - polite, detached - like he was checking into a very boring hotel lobby.

[Soft thud of them sitting down into the booth]

They slid into the booth.
Pradeep on Aanya's left, Satiya across from them.

For a second, the three of them just sat there.
Breathing the heavy air.

[Silverware clinks in another booth, someone laughs too loudly nearby]

Satiya drummed his fingers against the table.
[Tap tap tap]
Glanced at the menu he clearly wasn't reading. Glanced back at her.

"You're still doing coaching, right? For the entrance exams?" he asked.

Aanya nodded, wrapping her hands around the warm cup of water placed in front of her. "Yeah. Same old."

Pradeep said nothing, letting the silence stretch, comfortable in it.
Like silence was a jacket he wore often.

Satiya launched into rapid-fire questions - half jokes, half desperate grabs at old familiarity.
About teachers. About classmates. About the tiny-town gossip that bloomed like weeds between cracks.

He was trying.
Aanya could see it now - the way you can see a patched-up wall if you know where the cracks used to be.

She smiled politely, laughed once or twice, but the laughs didn't ring quite true.
Not even to herself.

Between the banter, when Satiya paused to sip his untouched iced coffee -
[Clink of straw against glass]

- Pradeep leaned closer and murmured something under his breath.

Something dry.
Something sharp.
Something only she could hear.

Aanya's lips twitched before she could stop herself.

And just like that -

[Heartbeat sound - rising for a moment]

The blush bloomed across her cheeks.
Hot. Fast. Unforgiving.

She dropped her gaze to her lap, fiddling with the fraying hem of her sleeve.
As if she could hide inside it.

Satiya faltered mid-sentence, noticing her shift but not understanding it.

Under the table -

[Soft rustle of fabric, barely audible]

Pradeep's hand brushed hers.
Lightly. Briefly. Steady.

She didn't pull away.
Instead, she let the simple pressure of it settle into her bones - an anchor against the weird, swirling storm this evening had become.

She ordered a hot chocolate, craving the comfort of it.
Satiya stuck with iced coffee, even though the ice was already melting.
Pradeep, in typical Pradeep fashion, ordered nothing.

[Drip drip of condensation from Satiya's glass]

"Not a coffee person?" Satiya asked, trying for casual but hitting something closer to defensive.

Pradeep shrugged. His voice easy, cool.
"Not a third-wheeling enthusiast either."

[Sharp clatter of spoon hitting a saucer somewhere nearby]

Aanya almost choked on her hot chocolate.
Coughed once, then stifled a laugh into the sleeve of her sweater.

Satiya blinked, caught between annoyance and confusion.
Then he let out a short, awkward laugh - the kind that sounded more like clearing his throat.

He dropped his gaze to his phone, scrolling with too much focus.
[Soft swiping sounds]

The conversation limped along after that.
Punctuated by long silences and jokes that fell flat.
Aanya filled them when she had to. Smiled when it felt necessary.

But in her heart, she knew:
Whatever had once been effortless between her and Satiya was now brittle.
Like a bridge half-burnt.

Across the table, Satiya kept glancing up at her.
Searching for something he couldn't find anymore.

Beside her, steady as a heartbeat, Pradeep sat quietly.
Not searching for anything.
Just being there.

When they finally stood to leave, there was an almost visible sense of relief.
Like the end of a bad play, where everyone knew the lines were wrong but clapped politely anyway.

[Chairs scrape back, shuffle of jackets]

"Take care," Satiya said, voice softer now, almost hesitant.
His hands stuffed deep in his pockets again - armor he couldn't quite wear right.

"You too," Aanya said with a small smile.

Pradeep just nodded, brushing his hand lightly against Aanya's back as they moved toward the exit.
A protective, wordless gesture.

[Door chime rings again as they step into the cool evening air]

Outside, the world felt wider.
Cleaner.
The tension of the café slipped from her shoulders like a too-heavy coat.

They walked in silence for a few steps.
Boots crunching lightly on the pavement.
[Breeze ruffling leaves somewhere overhead]

Aanya let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Well," she said, glancing sideways at him with a crooked smile. "That was... something."

Pradeep chuckled lowly, the sound a soft rumble in the quiet night.
"You owe me two muffins."

Aanya laughed, a real laugh this time, bumping her shoulder gently against his.

[Soft laugh between them, fading into the night air]

Behind them, the café's fairy lights flickered against the growing dark.

But Aanya didn't look back.
Not this time.

---

To be continued...