Riya sat in the back seat of her luxury car, the city lights passing quickly outside the window. But her mind was not in the boardroom meetings or her next business deal. It was stuck on that small café, on the stranger with the guitar.
Why am I even thinking about him? she asked herself. She was Riya Malhotra, the woman who had no time for emotions. Yet the warmth in his voice, the honesty in his eyes, the way that tune filled the silence… it refused to leave her heart.
That night, she stood in front of the mirror of her huge bedroom, still dressed in her perfect suit, but for the first time she felt imperfect. Lonely. A millionaire surrounded by emptiness.
Aarav's Side
Meanwhile, Aarav was back at his friend's flat, sitting by the window with his guitar. His friends were laughing, but his mind was far away. He could still see that powerful woman sipping coffee, her eyes softening as he played.
"She smiled," he whispered to himself, strumming a gentle chord. "For a second, the whole world felt lighter."
He knew she was from a world completely different from his own. Yet something in her eyes told him she was also searching for something more.
The Second Encounter
Two days later, fate played its hand.
Riya had a late-night meeting near the same café. Exhausted, she decided to stop by again.
As soon as she entered, her eyes searched for him—almost without her realizing it. And there he was, wiping a table, humming a soft tune under his breath.
Aarav looked up, and their eyes met. This time, he smiled wider.
"You came back… I thought maybe I imagined you the other night."
Riya raised an eyebrow. "Why would you think that?"
"Because women like you don't usually come to places like this twice."
There was no arrogance in his voice, just honesty. Riya, for the first time, didn't know what to reply. She simply sat at the same corner table.
Aarav brought her coffee, but instead of walking away, he sat across from her, guitar resting by his side.
"Do you mind?" he asked gently.
Normally, Riya hated when people crossed her personal space. But with him, it felt… different. "No," she said softly.
Sparks in the Silence
For a moment, there was silence between them. The café was almost empty, dim lights glowing, soft rain starting outside. Aarav tapped his guitar and played a slow tune, looking at her but not saying a word.
Riya's heartbeat quickened. She didn't understand why, but sitting across from this simple man, listening to his music, she felt alive in a way that her entire empire had never made her feel.
She leaned forward, her voice low.
"You know, you're very strange. Most people try to impress me with big talks. But you… you just play your guitar."
Aarav smiled. "Because music speaks better than words. And maybe… I wanted you to hear what I can't say."
Riya froze. Those words hit her deeper than she expected. For the first time in years, she felt her walls shaking.
And that night, when Riya left the café, the rain was falling hard. Aarav quickly ran outside, covering her with his old jacket. Their hands touched for a brief moment—and in that single touch, both of them felt a current neither could explain.
Something had begun, and neither of them could stop it anymore.