Chapter 11- The Wait at the Airport: Has He Come?

Does love always happen at first sight?

The biggest confusion in love is trust. There is no love without trust. But what about those who have already lost their trust in love?

Nikita— a girl who had lost all faith in love. Yet, in just eight hours, she forgot the pain she had carried for years. Maybe that's the magic of love.

Love has the power to wound you. And the same love knows how to heal you.

But… trusting a few words from a man she had met for only eight hours and traveling all the way to the airport just to see him? That's what troubled her the most.

Sitting on the bus to Kempegowda Airport, Nikita was lost in thought. Her mind was swarming with questions.

… What if he doesn't come? … Who would travel so far for a girl they spent only eight hours with? … And if he does come, what then? … If he shows up, I'll talk to him. If he doesn't, I'll move on. … But if he doesn't, will it hurt me?

A storm raged inside her. For the past month, his memory had haunted her. Had he felt the same?

Impossible.

But she had to go. She had to feel this way again.

The bus pulled up at Kempegowda Airport. Her hands turned cold, her heart racing.

It felt like the moment before receiving exam results—anxious, nervous, uncertain. Stay calm. Keep a straight face.

But… how could she go empty-handed?

If he came, she wanted to give him something. So, she bought a Dairy Milk chocolate. And with it, a single rose.

Nikita stood near the passenger arrival area, her hands trembling. Her eyes scanned every face emerging from the airplane, searching for him.

She couldn't think straight.

One by one, people walked out, but his face was nowhere to be seen.

Even four minutes felt unbearable. Every passing second without seeing him felt like torture.

What if he doesn't come? Will it hurt?

Her heart screamed the question over and over again. But no matter how much she searched, he was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, an ache settled deep inside her. A pain she couldn't put into words.

This was a mistake. A huge mistake.

Who in their right mind would travel so far for a guy who had just written a few words on a piece of paper? Stuff like this only happens in movies. Not in real life.

Disappointed, she pulled out her phone without even looking back. She booked an Ola cab and turned to leave.

"So… is that rose for me?"

That voice.

The same voice that had been playing in her mind for the past month. The voice she couldn't forget.

Her heart skipped a beat.

A sudden wave of relief washed over her, loosening the tight knot in her throat. Her chest felt lighter.

Slowly, she turned around, her lips curving into a shy smile.

There he was.

The same messy bangle-length hair. The same oval face. The same deep eyes that once held an unspoken longing for her. And now, as she looked into them, she realized—he felt it too.

He stood there in a green and white striped hoodie, paired with blue jeans, holding a Pepsi bottle in one hand.

He looked at her. Then at the rose in her hand.

"You see, I have Pepsi. And you… have a rose."

For a moment, they just stood there, looking at each other.

"Sorry, I got a little late. I had to grab my luggage. Also… I wasn't feeling great, so I got a Pepsi on the way."

"It's okay," Nikita replied softly.

"By the way," Advik said, giving her a quick once-over, "Beautiful dress."

He had no idea what else to say.

"Alright, there's a chair here. Let's sit and plan what to do today."

"Yes, yes! Let's sit," she nodded eagerly.

As they settled into their seats, he exhaled and said, "I swear, I didn't expect you to come. Not even a little. If you hadn't shown up, I was just going to head back to Delhi."

He looked at her, eyes softening.

"But you're here… waiting for me."

Nikita smirked. "I didn't come for you. Valentine's Day is always boring, so I figured meeting you might make it a little more fun."

Advik chuckled. "Alright, fair enough. But we're both here now. You, me, Bangalore."

He leaned back. "So, what's your favorite place in Bangalore?"

Nikita widened her eyes. "Oh no… not another eight-hour date!"

He laughed. "No, no, don't worry! I'm actually staying here for six days. Work stuff. So, I'm in no rush."

"Good. Now tell me, where are we going today?

"Shall we go to a park?" Nikita suddenly asked.

"Yeah! A park would be a beautiful place. It'll be perfect for us to talk."

"There's a place called Cubbon Park. It's really nice."

"Sounds good! Let's not waste time carrying bags around. Let's just book a cab and head straight there."

Saying that, the two of them stepped outside.

As they stepped out of the airport, the warm Bangalore air wrapped around them, carrying the scent of rain-soaked earth from an early morning drizzle. Nikita glanced at Advik as he pulled out his phone to book a cab, his fingers moving swiftly over the screen.

She still couldn't believe she was here.

One month ago, he had been nothing but a fleeting encounter, a name scribbled in the corners of her mind. And now, she was standing next to him, heading towards Cubbon Park like it was the most natural thing in the world.

But was it?

She had spent countless sleepless nights debating whether to come. Told herself a hundred times that it was reckless. That it didn't make sense. That no one meets a guy for eight hours and then flies to another city just to see him again.

Yet, here she was.

And what scared her the most?

She wasn't regretting it.

The cab arrived, and they slid into the backseat. The driver asked for the destination, and Advik responded, his voice steady, casual—like he hadn't just rewritten the rules of her reality.

As the cab started moving, a comfortable silence settled between them.

It wasn't awkward.

It was… something else.

Something heavy yet light. Something familiar yet thrilling.

Nikita fidgeted with the hem of her dress, stealing glances at him. His gaze was fixed outside, watching the city pass by. He didn't look nervous. If anything, he seemed… at peace.

Was it that easy for him?

To meet her again like they hadn't spent the last month thinking about each other?

Or had he not thought about her at all?

That single thought sent an uncomfortable twist through her chest.

She turned her head towards the window, biting the inside of her cheek. Maybe she was overthinking. Maybe she should just enjoy this—whatever this was.

But before she could drown in her own thoughts, Advik spoke.

"You know," he said, turning to face her, "the last time we met, I thought… maybe this is it. Maybe I'll never see you again."

His honesty caught her off guard. She met his gaze, her heart doing that annoying little skip again.

"Me too," she admitted, her voice quieter than she intended.

He smiled, resting his arm on the back of the seat. "So why did you come?"

Nikita hesitated.

Why did she?

For answers? For closure? Or just for the feeling—the unexplainable pull that had started the moment they met?

"I don't know," she finally said, shaking her head with a small laugh. "Maybe I just wanted to see if eight hours was enough to change everything."

Advik looked at her for a long second before nodding.

"Guess we're about to find out."

Love isn't always about certainty; sometimes, it's about taking a leap into the unknown. Trust isn't built in hours, but sometimes, a moment is enough to awaken it. Maybe love isn't about how long you've known someone, but how deeply they make you feel. And perhaps, just perhaps, some stories are meant to begin with a question rather than an answer.

And with that, the car drove deeper into the city, towards a park where fate was waiting to write the next chapter of their story.