Abhinav: "We talk every day but haven't even met properly. What if one of us is secretly 40 years old?"
Elina: "Then you're definitely the 40-year-old."
Abhinav: "Excuse me?? I'm the youngest here in spirit."
Meet: "That's… not a compliment."
A few laughing emojis later, the chat went quiet—until Bhagyavir typed.
Bhagyavir: "Let's meet."
Just that.
No explanation. No hesitation.
Elina's heart skipped.
Meet in real life?
Suddenly, everything felt different. Behind screens, it was easy. You could hide your expressions, think before replying, avoid awkward silences. But in real life… there was nowhere to hide.
Elina: "You're serious?"
Bhagyavir: "Yes."
Meet: "I'm in."
Abhinav: "FINALLY. I've been waiting for this moment 😌"
Elina stared at the screen, her pulse quickening.
There was no backing out now.
They chose a small café. Simple. Neutral. Safe.
But nothing about Elina felt calm as she stood outside, staring at the entrance.
What if it's awkward?
What if they're completely different?
What if… everything changes?
She took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Her eyes scanned the room—
And then she saw them.
Abhinav was exactly how she imagined—already talking, already laughing, his energy filling the space.
Meet sat beside him, calm and composed, observing everything quietly.
And then… Bhagyavir.
Leaning back in his chair, silent, watching.
His eyes met hers.
For a second—just one second—the noise of the café faded.
It felt strange. Familiar… yet new.
"Elina?" Abhinav waved dramatically. "Over here!"
She walked toward them, trying to act normal, but her heartbeat refused to cooperate.
"Hi," she said softly.
"Wow," Abhinav grinned. "You're real."
Elina laughed nervously. "Last time I checked, yes."
Meet gave her a small smile. "It's good to finally meet you."
Then Bhagyavir spoke, his voice calm, just like in the chat—
"You're exactly how I thought you'd be."
Elina blinked. "And how's that?"
He didn't answer immediately. Just held her gaze for a moment before saying—
"Real."
Her breath caught slightly.
Something shifted.
The conversation flowed easier than she expected. They joked, teased, shared stories. It felt… natural.
But Elina noticed things she couldn't see online.
The way Abhinav leaned closer when she laughed.
The way Meet noticed when she went quiet.
And the way Bhagyavir didn't speak much… but noticed everything.
At one point, their hands brushed while reaching for the same cup.
It was small. Accidental.
But neither of them pulled away immediately.
And in that quiet moment—
Elina realized something had changed.
This wasn't just a group chat anymore.
This was real.
And real… was always more complicated