But then came one fine morning.
As I strolled through a garden nestled at the heart of
Airoli Mindspace, where my new company now stands, I found myself stumbling
upon one of those overlooked wonders. The entire place felt like a canvas
painted by nature’s calm hand. Sunlight streamed gently through the tangled
branches like golden threads being woven into the air. Each beam touched the
dew resting on blades of grass, turning them into tiny diamonds, sparkling as
though the earth had borrowed the stars for a while.
As I lay there soaking in the moment, I noticed her. A girl walking along the garden path, blue jeans and a pink top. Our eyes met for a second. A normal day would’ve ended it there. But this wasn’t a normal day.
I looked at her again. Just a glance. And my brain, being its usual mischievous self, decided it was a game. A face-off.
She walked past with a subtle air of victory, as if she had won the round by not looking back again. Childish? Maybe. But my competitive spirit was awake now.
Round two came. This time I promised myself: no looking. I held strong… until she started singing. Her voice was sweet, melodic, and impossible to ignore. My reflexes betrayed me — I turned. Her sharp look said it all: “Haven’t you ever heard a girl sing before? Stop staring.” Ouch. Round two lost.
But hope remained.
The Twist in the Game
She came again. This time she stopped near me, scrolling through her playlist. My brain screamed: don’t turn, don’t lose again.
But then she asked (to no one in particular, or maybe to me):
“Should I play What Makes You Beautiful… or You’re Beautiful?”
My brain shut off. My heart took over.
I sang softly — “Baby, you light up my world like nobody else…”
She froze, looked at me with that stern expression again — but I could see it. Behind the serious face, her heart was laughing.
And then it happened. She smiled. A smile so pure it calmed my racing heart. In that moment, I realized: this was never a battle. Her victory wasn’t my defeat. Her smile was my victory.
The Ending That Wasn’t Really an Ending
No, she didn’t lie down beside me. No, we didn’t talk for hours like a Bollywood climax. She went her way. I went mine.
But sometimes, life gifts us fleeting connections that stay etched forever. Even today, when we occasionally cross paths with our respective friends, we share the same smile. A smile nobody else understands. A smile that says: “Remember our little face-off?”
Some things are better left unexplained.
Because in the end, it wasn’t about who won. It was about two people dropping their egos for a moment and letting their humanity win.
