‘I didn’t say that,’ he says. ‘By the way, Megha says the same thing. That we are trying too hard to be perfect and then one day AI or something will replace us.’
‘Will it?’ I say, and before he can respond, I tell him, ‘By the way, I told Aman about Megha and you. They are getting shifted to a hotel now.’
And that’s when my phone rings. It’s Aman on a video call. He usually never video-calls.
‘Hello?’ I say.
‘Hey. Is he...’ And then Aman turns to the side. I hear a girl’s voice, assertive and smooth, like a radio host’s, say, ‘Raghav.’ And then Aman says, ‘Is Raghav around?’
‘Yes,’ I say, confused.
Raghav hears his name and gives me the same confused look that I give him.
And then, Aman turns the camera towards a girl who waves at me. She’s not really a girl, a proper woman. Her face structure isperfect?I don’t see why Raghav’s parents... but then I see what it is. Suddenly, I feel intensely sad about Raghav. A man smitten by who Megha is, beyond what I can see—her beauty, but I can’t imagine that how she looks didn’t play a huge part in his love for her, and yet it’s the reason why they have had to run away. She’s sitting down, and I can only see her face, weaving in and out of frame, but she feels like she’s tall. Like, really tall. And beautiful, like proper beautiful.
‘Hi guys,’ the girl says, her voice as smooth as I imagined.
Raghav now steps closer and looks into the camera. ‘Hi?’ Was he blushing?
‘They were calling out names for the bus,’ explains Aman. ‘And she was right in front of me.’
‘Today’s a day of coincidences!’ I squeal, but none of them share my excitement.
‘By the way, both of you are crazy that you’re staying at the airport,’ says Megha. ‘Raghav, go home, and Aditi, please, youtoo.’
‘Can we not discuss this?’ says Raghav, his voice firm. ‘I’mhere.’
‘See?’ I say. ‘Don’t worry about us.’
‘Listen, guys,’ says Raghav. ‘We’ll be okay here. It’s just a few hours.’
‘How’s it okay?’ says Megha. If someone with the quiet ferocity of Megha had told me to go, I would have gone.
But Raghav doesn’t move an inch and says, ‘Of course not, Megha.’
‘You’re not going to do it,’ says Megha, her voice full of certainty.
‘Of course not,’ I say, crossing my arms.
‘Fine,’ says Megha, letting out a small, defeated sigh.
‘Okay, guys,’ says Aman. ‘We are here, I’m cutting the call. Nice meeting you, Raghav. See you in Delhi? Aditi, I will call you in a bit.’
‘Bye,’ says Megha.
The call ends abruptly.
I look at Raghav. ‘Megha’s hot.’
‘Amongst other things, yes,’ he says, unable to hide a proudsmile.
‘How did you like Aman?’ I ask.
‘He has nice teeth,’ Raghav says, looking right at me.
It makes me crack up and think maybe the night’s not that long too.
5
