Lines That Don’t Cross

Mia ran along the footpath, her tight joggers hugging her toned legs. Her sneakers hit the ground in a steady rhythm, the sound mixing with the early morning quiet. A small gym bag was slung across her chest, resting between her firm breasts as she picked up her pace. Sweat dripped down her forehead, but she didn't slow down. She had somewhere important to be.

She stopped outside a luxurious villa—glass walls, clean modern architecture, and an intimidating air of money. Breathing heavily, she pulled out a small mirror and checked her face. She wiped the sweat off her lip, fixed a strand of hair, adjusted her top, and took a deep breath.

Then she rang the doorbell.

The door opened within seconds. Standing there was Jeniffer—wearing a sports bra and workout leggings. Her body looked like it was carved out of stone. Abs, curves, everything perfectly sculpted. She didn't just look good—she looked powerful.

Mia's brain froze. Her voice cracked. "O-Osaka."

Jeniffer raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? You don't look Japanese."

"No, no!" Mia laughed nervously. "It's Mia. Mia."

Jeniffer gave her a slight smile. "We've been to the gym before, remember? Come in."

Mia stepped in, her heart still racing, not from the jog but from the woman in front of her. The inside of the house was sleek—open space, modern design, and a huge gym area visible at the back.

"This film is important for my career," Jeniffer said, walking toward the gym space. "Once you reach a certain age, people stop offering you lead roles. Every fifty-year-old actor wants a twenty-two-year-old heroine. So now I'm producing my own film."

Mia listened quietly.

"It's about a Roman girl. Middle-class background. She becomes the first world MMA champion from Rome. Against all odds," Jeniffer continued, grabbing a water bottle. "To play that role, I need to look like a fighter. When I saw you at the gym benching a hundred like it was nothing, I knew you were the one who could train me."

She turned, looked directly at Mia. "Am I being too ambitious?"

"Of course not!" Mia said immediately. "Anything's possible. Even the word 'impossible' says, 'I'm possible.' Hashtag go hard or go home. Hashtag lift all day!"

She was too excited and accidentally tripped, falling flat on the floor.

"Oh shit!" she groaned, rubbing her knee.

Jeniffer chuckled and offered her a hand. "Did you smoke before coming here?"

"No! No, I didn't," Mia said, her cheeks turning red as she stood back up.

Still embarrassed, Mia quickly grabbed her bag and walked out. Jeniffer didn't stop her. She just leaned on the doorframe, smiling as she watched her go.

Outside, Mia lightly smacked her forehead. "Idiot... idiot... idiot."

As she walked away from the house, her mind drifted into an old memory.

Flashback – Years Ago, Mia's Hometown

The sun was setting, bathing the rooftops in a warm orange glow. Mia sat across from another girl on the rooftop. They were both quiet. The girl wore a light pink suit, her dupatta loosely hanging over her shoulder. Mia couldn't take her eyes off her.

The girl noticed. "Don't look at me like that."

Mia didn't blink. "What, is there a tax on looking now?"

The girl tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "What's there to look at?"

Mia shrugged. "We've known each other since childhood. I'm 24 now. I want to get married. I want a house. I want kids."

The girl's face changed. She looked down, then slowly back up.

"Just not with me," Mia whispered.

The girl nodded, her voice low. "Didn't you study biology?"

"What?"

"When I think of you, I think of biology even more."

Mia stared, confused.

"Mia… try to understand. You and I, we don't have a future."

"Why?" Mia asked. "Who said that?"

"Because only a few people get the right to love. The rest of us… we get married."

Mia clenched her fists. "You've been stuck in this nonsense forever. Come on. Let's run away. Let's go to Norway."

Suddenly, a male voice interrupted from the doorway.

"Hey! What's going on?" It was Mia's brother. "We were doing cardio. Trying to run away, huh?"

He looked at the girl and smiled. "You look beautiful in this pink suit, Pinky. I'm hungry. Get me some food."

The girl stood up. "Yes, just two minutes."

Then he turned to Mia. "And you… get me some water."

Mia frowned, voice full of irritation. "Here, take a pinch of water. Might help you drown in it."

He glared at her. "If you behave like this, who's going to marry you?"

Mia snapped back, "I'm not a coward like you to get married."

He left in silence, clearly annoyed.

Mia turned to the girl again. Her voice was low but full of frustration.

"How can you kiss him? Doesn't it make you sick to even look at him?"

The girl kept her eyes on the floor.

"Can't you flip him? He's your brother," she said quietly.

Mia stared at her, speechless.