The night sky stretched endlessly above Lakshman and Urmila, dark blue and crowded with stars that looked almost unreal. A cold breeze wandered through the empty park, making the trees rustle softly while the city buzzed somewhere far away.
They sat on an old wooden bench beneath the open sky, takeaway coffee cups warming their hands. His legs were stretched lazily in front of him, posture careless, like he belonged everywhere and nowhere at once. She sat cross-legged beside him, bundled in her sweater, staring up at the stars like she expected the universe to personally deliver her a love story.
LAKSHMAN- You look like you are waiting for a shooting star to confess feelings.
Lakshman said to her while noticing her watching the sky. Urmila took a sip of coffee and she answered him.
URMILA- And you look like you would flirt with the moon if it looked at you long enough.
Lakshman laughed at her answer, he smirked a little before he answer her back.
LAKSHMAN- only if the moon texted first.
She groaned dramatically and shook her head in disbelief.
URMILA- See.? Isliye aap pyaar ko nahi samajhte.
LAKSHMAN- excuse me, Love is a temporary insanity with background music. Mujhe pyaar samajh aata hai.
Lakshman replied her immediately with that little smirk on his face and she turned toward him in disbelief.
URMILA- That is the saddest sentence I have ever heard.
Lakshman narrowed his eyes looking at her in a pout while Urmila smile at him softly.
URMILA- You treat relationships like free trials.
He pointed at her with his coffee cup, defending himself.
LAKSHMAN- Wrong. I belive to commit.
She blinked slowly and breathed deeply. She have observed that not- so- confidence in his voice and on his face.
URMILA- You have a girlfriend, remember.?
Urmila's sudden words made Lakshman to nod at her dramatically.
LAKSHMAN- I know, my Natty.!
She rolled her eyes so hard he almost laughed.
URMILA- No, seriously, pata nahi Natasha ne aap me aisa kya hi dekh liya.?
Urmila's question made Lakshman to stop sipping his coffee and he turned to face her.
LAKSHMAN- Excellent hair. Natural charm. Emotional damage. The full package.
Lakshman laughed to observe her disbelief look and Urmila sighed shooking her head.
URMILA- You are impossible.
Lakshman keep on giggling at her and she narrowed her eyes at him before speaking carefully.
URMILA- Do you even love her.?
The teasing smile on his face faded just slightly. He took a slow sip of coffee first, like he was buying time from the question. Then he shrugged.
LAKSHMAN- Not really...
The answer came too casually. Too honestly. She stared at him.
URMILA- Then why are you with her.?
Urmila's question again do not have any answers with Lakshman and he simply uplifted his shoulders casually.
LAKSHMAN- Because she likes me. I like her. It is simple.
Lakshman's casual answer made Urmila to look at him in disbelief.
URMILA- That is horrible.
LAKSHMAN- It is practical...
Lakshman again corrected her words and Urmila shook her head while turning her face at the coffee mug.
URMILA- That is not how love works.
Lakshman smile at her softly.
LAKSHMAN- aur aisa kisne kaha.? The love guru.?
Lakshman dramatically joins his hands, having that coffee mug still folded, infront of her. And Urmila turned to look at him.
URMILA- aisa har love story kehti hai.
He laughed softly again not believing at her words.
LAKSHMAN- And how many of those end without emotional trauma.?
She looked at him for a moment, genuinely frustrated now.
URMILA- The point is when you love someone, you know. You do not sit there sounding like you signed a rental agreement.
He nearly spit out his coffee laughing and Urmila watches him with confused look.
LAKSHMAN- rental agreement is crazy.!
Lakshman wipes his lips, the coffee moreover while Urmila straightens herself looking at him.
URMILA- I am serious.!
He smiled at her faintly and shook his head sideways while she observed him.
LAKSHMAN- I don't think people fall in love that easily.
Her voice softened a little to hear his words.
URMILA- Maybe not easily. But deeply.?
He leaned back against the bench, eyes lifting toward the stars.
LAKSHMAN- Deep love sounds dangerous.
Urmila smile at him and Lakshman turned to look at her reaction.
URMILA- it is dangerous indeed.
She shook her head, smiling despite herself.
URMILA- One day you are going to meet someone who ruins all this fake emotionally detached wisdom you keep preaching.
As Urmila said those words Lakshman smile at her softly.
LAKSHMAN- bas karo, sunne me khatarnak lag raha hai.
She laughed quietly into her coffee while the wind curled around them. Then she glanced sideways at him.
URMILA- actually, mujhe Natasha ke liye bura lag raha hai.
He looked offended and asked her immediately.
LAKSHMAN- Why.?
URMILA- Because imagine dating someone who talks about love like it's a tax payment..
He pressed a hand to his chest dramatically.
LAKSHMAN- You are very judgmental for someone who believes in soulmates.
Urmila rolls her eyes for his gimmicks and Lakshman giggles at her.
URMILA- And you are very defensive for someone who does not care.
That made him pause. Just briefly. Then he looked at her with that annoyingly calm expression again.
LAKSHMAN- Maybe jaisa tumne kaha, I will meet someone worth ruining my peace for.
The words landed between them softly. Dangerously softly. Her heartbeat stumbled a little, though she pretended to focus on her coffee instead. And when she smiled into the rim of her cup, he smiled too - like somewhere between their arguments, teasing, and midnight coffee beneath the stars, both of them had started realizing that love stories rarely begin with certainty.
Sometimes they begin with two stubborn people disagreeing about love... while slowly falling straight into it anyway. Above them, the stars burned patiently across the sky, like they already knew something the two of them were still trying to argue against.
Because maybe love doesn't always arrive like poetry. Maybe sometimes it begins with debates, sarcasm, midnight coffee, and two stubborn hearts pretending not to notice each other.
But still...
Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha.!
Some hearts are simply meant to meet...
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