The train rattled gently as it moved through the golden haze of the evening. I sat on the lower berth beside the window, the wind from the half-open window rustling a few loose strands of my hair. Dhara was beside me, half-sitting, half-leaning, and Kajal faced us from the opposite seat, legs folded, munching on some namkeen.
The air buzzed with nervous energy.
"What do you think? Chances of winning this time?" I asked, twirling a strand of hair.
Dhara raised an eyebrow, dramatic. "If we don't win this time, I swear I'm joining Kathak classes."
Kajal laughed. "With those two left feet? Please. The audience would sue."
We giggled, the laughter echoing with the sound of the train wheels below.
"But seriously," Dhara leaned closer, "We've improved a lot. The doubles pair is killing it, and if you play the way you did last time, Aliza, we might take the whole damn thing."
I smiled, a mix of hope and nerves tightening in my chest.
Just then, two juniors, bright-eyed and clearly excited, popped their heads into the seat.
"Aliza boss! You're so cute! Where were you all these days? No senior talks like you," one grinned.
"Yeah, all the others just order us around. You're like... normal!"
"Don't normal me," I said with a laugh. "Wait till I start giving you morning warm-up drills."
They all burst into laughter again. But the moment was interrupted by a boy with a sharp voice.
"Boss, you're a senior, right? How can you be late? You're supposed to be handling us, not joining last," Tashi said, stepping into our compartment. His tone was slightly mean, laced with a smug expression.
I didn't respond, only gave a small smile.
Before the awkwardness could deepen, another boy appeared.
Tall. Thin. A sharp jawline accentuated his clean-shaven face. His hair was brown with streaks of white, like silver lines of early wisdom. His skin was fair, glowing with the warm hue of the sun that hit his cheek through the window. He had a presence that didn't scream for attention, but pulled it anyway. Calm. Still.
He sat beside me, glancing once at me, then at Tashi. "Don't bother with him," he said softly. "Tashi talks like that with everyone. He doesn't mean it."
I shook my head lightly. "It's not a big issue."
The boys in the compartment had now broken into laughter, teasing each other, one pulling out a packet of chips, another trying to fit three heads under the tiny fan.
Kajal turned to me. "Give me your earphones. I'm tuning out these monkeys."
I handed them over. Kajal, with her head resting against the window, slipped into her little world and soon dozed off.
"Want to take a walk to the door?" I asked Dhara.
We made our way to the open end of the coach, the wind blasting against our faces, making our hair fly.
"Why mechanical frame?" I asked, leaning against the metal pole.
"Because I like making things work," Dhara shrugged. "Not just machines... people too. It feels like magic when a jammed gear moves or when a stuck mind opens."
I looked at her and smiled. "You're more poetic than me today."
We laughed, then returned to our seats.
The tall boy was still there beside me. I hadn't caught his name yet.
Another junior, cheerful and nosey, squeezed in between me and the boy.
"Boss! You watch Marvel?"
"Of course!" I grinned.
I opened my laptop, showing him folders of downloaded Marvel movies. As we browsed through them, the boy next to me leaned over slightly.
"Let's play a game," he said to the junior, pulling out his phone.
It was a sound-driven game. The boy made ridiculously funny voices to make the character move — growls, high-pitched beeps, a barking sound.
We all burst out laughing.
Eventually, he got up, walking away to sit with his teammates. I watched him go.
There was something about him. The way he listened more than he spoke. The slight smirk. The calm air that surrounded him.
I tilted my head, trying to catch a glimpse again. That quiet, smart vibe — it stirred something in me. Not butterflies. Something deeper. Curiosity, maybe.
I turned to him and tapped my phone.
"Look. My friend just got this puppy. A Siberian Husky. Cute, right?"
He leaned in, eyes lighting up.
"I have a dog too."
"Really? What kind?"
"Black Lab. His name's Ben."
He pulled out a photo. I chuckled.
"He looks like he owns the place."
"He does. More than I do."
We shared a soft laugh. Then silence. Not awkward. Just... gentle.
I tried again. "Hey, wanna share songs? There's this feature on Spotify, we can jam together."
He frowned slightly. "Uh... I don't really get what you mean."
"Oh. Never mind," I said quickly, brushing it off.
After that, we didn't speak. The moment slipped away like warm wind through fingers. He got up after a while and went back to sit with his group.
I turned to Kajal, who had just woken up.
"Hey... what's that boy's name? The tall one? Brown hair?"
Kajal blinked sleepily. "Hmm? Oh... Aryan, I think."
Aryan.
The name settled into my chest like a secret.
It danced through my thoughts like sunlight on glass, and I tucked it away somewhere safe. No expectations. Just a strange spark of warmth that I hadn't felt in a long time.
Outside, the city began to form around us — billboards, buildings, the pink hue of Jaipur announcing its arrival.
We all stood, gathered our bags, shoes, water bottles.
The station neared, and the train hissed to a slow stop.
And just like that — with laughter, glances, and a name whispered into my memory — we had arrived.