Almost Yours - Part 2

The message kept staring at him.

“It was Rhea.”

He read it again and again. His mind had already started playing games.

There was no way Karan was talking about the same Rhea. Mumbai was huge, and Rhea was not exactly an uncommon name. But the timing, the coincidence, the way his stomach suddenly felt lighter than air, it all made him restless.

He typed and deleted his reply twice before finally sending it.

“You mean your ex, Rhea?”

Karan replied instantly.

“Yes, bro. After so long. Randomly bumped into her today at the mall.”

Aaditya let out a small breath of relief. So it wasn’t his Rhea. Or at least, that’s what he convinced himself to believe.

A minute later, another message popped up.

“But honestly, seeing her after all these years stirred up something.”

Aaditya stared at that line. He wasn’t sure what stirred up meant in this context. Was Karan still into her? Was he thinking of getting back? Would it complicate things if Aaditya continued with Rhea?

He shook his head. This is stupid, he thought. I just met her. Nothing has even started yet.

The phone buzzed again. This time, it was her.

Rhea had texted.

“Had fun talking to you today. You made the engagement party slightly less painful.”

He smiled.

“Same here. Though you still owe me that coffee.”

“I do. This weekend?”

“Perfect.”

He kept the phone aside and lay back, staring at the ceiling. Somewhere inside, there was still a tiny voice whispering doubts. But he pushed it away. Coincidences happen. Not everything has to be complicated.

The weekend arrived quicker than expected. Aaditya reached the café fifteen minutes early. He wanted to look casual, but also didn’t want to keep her waiting. That fine balance of first impressions.

Minutes later, he saw her enter.

Same ease. Same comfort. No signs of any hidden drama. Just her.

They ordered coffee, and the conversation picked up exactly where it had left off.

But somewhere during their second cup, as Aaditya was talking about his favorite movies, Rhea paused for a moment and smiled.

“You know, you remind me so much of a friend I used to know.”

“Oh really?” Aaditya asked, half curious.

“Yeah. His name was Karan.”

The smile on Aaditya’s face froze for a second.

The coffee suddenly didn’t taste the same anymore.

To be Continued...

#romance #comedy #flashfiction #shortstories