Chapter-06

She had always been a dreamer, but now, reality demanded her attention. She passed by a small cafe with a "Hiring Staff" sign stuck to the glass door. For a moment, she hesitated, then took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The cafe was warm and inviting, filled with the rich aroma of coffee and the soft hum of conversations. A middle-aged woman stood behind the counter, taking orders. Noticing Meher, she smiled.

"Yes, beta?" the woman asked kindly.

Meher adjusted her scarf slightly before speaking. "Aap log staff hire kar rahe hai? Mujhe job ki zaroorat hai. "

The woman nodded. "Haan, experience hai?"

Meher shook her head. "Nahi, par mai jaldi seekh sakti hoon. Please mujhe rakh le."

The woman studied her for a moment, then gestured toward a young man behind the counter. "Reyansh, ise kaam sikha do."

The boy, probably around her age looked up from the espresso machine. He had a sharp, playful look in his eyes as he looked at her from head to toe. "Naya baccha aaya hai?" he smirked. "Maza aayega."

Hearing his words, Meher felt a little nervous, but she didn’t say anything. She simply stood in her place, her anxious eyes darting around the cafe.

Noticing her hesitation, Reyansh raised an eyebrow and said, "Ab yaha aaogi bhi ya mai saara saman lekar aaun tumhe kaam sikhane?"

Meher snapped out of her thoughts and quickly stepped forward, not wanting to look weak.

Reyansh smirked again but didn’t say anything further. Instead, he started explaining everything to her step by step.

"Sabse pehle, yeh counter hai—yaha orders liye jaate hain. Simple hai, bas customers ki baat dhyan se sunni hoti hai, agar yaad na rakh sako to note kar lena." he said, tapping on the register.

Meher nodded, paying close attention.

"Phir yeh coffee machine—yeh tumhara asli dushman hai," he joked, pointing at the machine dramatically. "Agar isse sahi se samajh liya, to samajh lo tumne aadha kaam seekh liya."

He then started showing her how to prepare basic coffee, explaining each step in a casual but detailed way. Meher listened carefully, trying to remember everything.

"Samajh aaya?" he asked after finishing the first demo.

She nodded hesitantly. "Haan, ek baar mai try karun?"

Reyansh shrugged. "Of course"

Meher took a deep breath and attempted to make the coffee just as he had shown her. Her hands were a little shaky, but she managed.

Reyansh took a sip and dramatically smacked his lips. "Not bad. Lagta hai kaafi jaldi seekh jaogi."

Meher let out a small relieved smile.

Reyansh smirked and tapped the counter. "Abhi sirf coffee banana seekha hai, baaki ka kaam bhi samjhna padega."

Meher nodded, focusing again.

"Yeh raha billing system," he pointed at the cash register. "Jyada mushkil nahi hai, bas price enter karna hai, aur agar koi card se payment kare to yeh machine use hoti hai." He swiped an imaginary card with a grin. "Simple?"

Meher gave a small nod. "Haan”

"Aur yeh tables clean karna bhi kaam ka hissa hai," he said, grabbing a cloth and wiping the counter lazily. "Agar kisi table pe coffee gir jaaye ya koi plate chhod jaaye, to jaldi se saaf karna hota hai."

Meher frowned slightly. "Matlab sab kuch karna padhega?"

Reyansh chuckled. "Haan, madam. Yeh koi fancy office job nahi hai. Yaha sab kuch aana chahiye."

Meher sighed but nodded. She was here to work, and she had no choice but to adjust.

Reyansh stretched his arms and leaned against the counter. "Ab bas yeh counter ke peeche khade rehne se kaam nahi chalega," he said with a smirk. "Customers ko coffee serve karna bhi seekho."

Meher hesitated for a second but nodded. "Theek hai, batao kaise karna hai."

Reyansh picked up a tray and placed two cups of steaming coffee on it. "Yeh order table 4 pe dena hai," he said, handing the tray to her. "Dekh ke jaana, kahin gir mat dena."

Meher rolled her eyes. "Mujhe pata hai kaise chalna hota hai," she muttered to herself, carefully balancing the tray as she walked toward the table.

At first, she felt a little nervous, was afraid that she might spill something, but as the day went on, she started getting hang of it. She served coffee, cleaned tables, handled the cash register, and even managed small customer requests.

By midday, she had done almost everything that she had learned since morning. It wasn’t as bad as she had thought—tiring, yes, but not impossible.

Reyansh walked up to her, arms crossed, an amused look on his face. "Wah ji wahh… Pehle din hi expert ho gyi aap to."

Meher wiped her forehead and gave him a small, tired smile. "Thank you."

"Chalo, thoda rest bhi zaroori hai."

Meher nodded, finally realizing how exhausted she actually was.

Meher and Reyansh walked into the small staff area at the back of the cafe. It was a cozy space with a table, a few chairs, and shelves stacked with extra supplies. Meher sat down, stretching her arms as she let out a tired sigh.

Reyansh sat in the chair across from her and pulled out his lunchbox. He opened it and glanced at Meher, who was sitting empty-handed.

Reyansh smirked and pushed his lunchbox toward her. "Chalo, mere saath share kar lo. Waise bhi, ek akela aadmi pura kha nahi sakta."

Meher hesitated for a second but then took a small bite. As they ate, Reyansh started chatting casually.

"By the way, naam kya hai tumhara?" he asked, resting his elbow on the table. "Aadha din nikal gaya aur ab tak puchha bhi nahi."

Meher wiped her mouth with a tissue and answered, "Meher."

"Meher..." Reyansh repeated, nodding. "Acha naam hai. Suit karta hai tumpar."

She didn’t reply, just focused on eating.

To break the silence, Reyansh started telling her about Mrs. Gill, the cafe owner. "Waise, tumhe pata hai, ye jo hai na Mrs. Gill—wo bahut achhi. Kisi ko bhi pareshani ho, wo madad zaroor karti hain."

Meher looked at him with curiosity. "Matlab?"

"Matlab yeh ki agar tumhe kabhi kisi cheez ki zaroorat ho—chhoti ya badi—bas unse kehna. Bahut understanding hain wo. Bahut logon ki unhone madad ki hai, naukri di hai, naye shuruat ka mauka diya hai."

As they were talking, Mrs. Gill walked into the staff area with a warm smile. She placed a gentle hand on Meher’s head and said, "Tumne bahut achha kaam kiya Meher."

Meher looked up, a little surprised but happy, and replied, "Thank you, ma’am."

Mrs. Gill nodde "Aaj ke liye kaafi hai, tum aadhe din ki chhutti le sakti ho. Kal se full-time kaam shuru karna. Tum bhi Reyansh, cafe band ke dena mai kaam se bahar jar hi hun." She said to Reyansh and then gave Meher a reassuring smile before walking out of the room.

As soon as she left, Reyansh leaned back in his chair and said "Congratulations on your new job partner."

Meher smiled slightly and nodded. "Thank you."

They continued eating, their conversation flowing more naturally now. Reyansh kept cracking small jokes, and Meher, though still reserved, smiled at times.

As they continued, Meher hesitated for a moment before asking, "Tum koi tattoo studio ka address bata sakte ho?"

Reyansh raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Kyun? Tumhe banwana hai kya?"

Meher didn’t say anything. Instead, she just looked down at her plate, suddenly very interested in the last few bites of her food.

Reyansh noticed her reaction and chuckled. " Pehle batana padega."

Meher still didn’t say anything, just kept her gaze lowered.

Reyansh let out a small chuckle. "Achha, theek hai, mujhe zyada sawal nahi poochne chahiye, right?"

He then leaned back and said casually, "Chalo, jab decide kar lo, tab bata dena. Main Mumbai ke best tattoo studios ka walking, talking guide hoon."

Meher spoke softly, "Bol toh aise raha hai jaise khud ki studio ho."

She had said it under her breath, but Reyansh heard it loud and clear.

With a proud grin, he leaned forward and replied, "Ji bilkul."

Meher’s eyes widened slightly as she looked up at him. "Wait… tum seriously ke rahe ho?"

Reyansh smirked, crossing his arms. "Haan madam, seriously. Tattoo studio mera hi hai. Aur sirf mera nahi, meri ek chhoti si team bhi hai jo wahaan kaam karti hai."

Meher blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected that. "Oh…" was all she could say.

Reyansh chuckled at her reaction. "Tumhe laga tha mazaak kar raha hoon?"

Meher hesitated but nodded slightly. She then asked, "Agar tumhara tattoo studio hai, toh phir yahan kaam kyun karte ho?"

Reyansh sighed and leaned back against the chair. “secret hai," he said with a smirk.

Meher raised an eyebrow. "Matlab?"

He exhaled dramatically. "Mere papa ko tattoo ka kaam pasand nahi. Unko lagta hai ki ye sab faltu cheezein hain. Unki nazar me ye koi ‘izzat wala’ kaam nahi hai. Isliye, unki khushi ke liye yeh cafe ki job karta hoon, taki unko lage ki main ‘sahi’ raaste pe hoon. Aur apni khushi ke liye tattoo studio chalata hoon."

Hearing about his family, Meher’s heart clenched. It reminded her of her own father, his control over her life, and how she had to run away to make her own choices. But she quickly masked her emotions, not wanting Reyansh to notice.

She looked up at him and said, "Main tumhara studio dekhna chahti hoon… mujhe ek tattoo banwana hai."

Reyansh’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Sach? Tum toh aise lagti ho jo needle se bhi darti hogi."

Meher narrowed her eyes. "Mujhe kisi cheez se darr nahi lagta."

Reyansh smirked. "Theek hai, toh aaj hi chalte hain."

With that, they both got up and cleaned their table. After making sure everything was in place, they locked up the cafe and stepped outside.

After sometimes..

Reyansh and Meher reached a small but stylish tattoo studio tucked in a quiet lane, away from the city’s noise. The place had an artistic vibe—walls covered with sketches, ink bottles neatly lined up, and a faint scent of antiseptic mixed in the air.

Reyansh unlocked the door and walked in, tossing his bag onto a chair. “Welcome to my secret kingdom, partner,” he said with a smirk.

Meher stepped in cautiously, her eyes scanning the place. It felt oddly personal, almost like stepping into someone’s journal filled with stories written in ink.

She turned to Reyansh. “Safe toh hai na?”

Reyansh chuckled. “Tattoo banwa rahi ho ya koi illegal kaam karne aayi ho?”

Meher crossed her arms. "Mujhe wings banwane hai."

Reyansh raised an eyebrow before bursting into laughter. "Wings? Matlab pankh? Arey bhai, main tattoo artist hoon, bhagwan nahi jo tumhe udne ke liye ke pankh de doon!"

Meher's eyes narrowed as she glared at him, her face full of irritation. Seeing her reaction, Reyansh immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, mazaak bandh. Dekho, main tumhe kuch designs dikhata hoon, tumhe jo pasand aaye, wo choose kar lena."

Meher shook her head. "Nahi."

Reyansh frowned. "Nahi? Matlab tattoo banwana bhi hai ya nahi?"

Meher huffed. "Haan, banwana hai. Lekin design mai khud banaungi."

Reyansh blinked in surprise. "Artist ho kya?"

Meher nodded. “nahi”

Reyansh grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper from the desk, handing them to her. "Lo madam, khud bana lo apna masterpiece."

Meher took the pen without another word and focused on the paper. Reyansh watched her for a moment before stretching his arms lazily. "Tum banao, mai washroom ho aata hoon."

Meher focused on the paper, her fingers moving carefully as she sketched out the design she had in mind. She lost track of time, completely engrossed in bringing her vision to life.

A few minutes later, Reyansh walked back, drying his hands with a tissue. "Ho gaya?" he asked, glancing at her.

Meher handed him the paper. Reyansh took it and studied the design carefully, his playful smirk changed into a look of genuine appreciation. He traced a finger over the lines, nodding slightly.

"Nice choice," Reyansh said, looking up at her with an impressed expression. "Sach bolun toh expect nahi kiya tha ki tum itna accha design banaogi... Itna unique tattoo aaya kahan se tumhare dimaag mein?"

Meher opened her mouth, before she could filter her words, she muttered, "Maine... sapne mein dekha tha."

Reyansh raised an eyebrow. "Sapne mein?" He leaned forward slightly, intrigued. "Matlab kisi aur ka tattoo dekha tha ya khud par?"

Meher blinked, realizing what she had just admitted. She quickly looked away, suddenly unsure. "Mujhe nahi pata... bas dekha tha."

Reyansh smirked. "Matlab subconscious creativity ka kamaal hai. Interesting."

He twirled the pen between his fingers and leaned back slightly. "Waise, tattoo kahan banwana hai?"

Meher hesitated. Her fingers clutched the edge of the paper. She glanced at him, then quickly looked away, not knowing what to say.

Reyansh noticed her hesitation and raised an eyebrow. "Koi problem hai?"

Meher took a deep breath before asking, "Tumne kaha tha ki tumhari ek team hai... toh tumhari team mein koi ladki nahi hai kya?"

Reyansh smirked. "Kyun? Meri creativity pe shak hai kya?"

Meher quickly shook her head. "Nahi, aisa kuch nahi hai."

He raised an eyebrow. "Toh phir female artist kyun chahiye?"

Meher didn’t respond. She just looked down.

Reyansh watched her for a moment before sighing. "Hamare yahan koi female artist nahi hai… Tumhe tattoo banwana hai ya nahi?"

Meher hesitated. After a few seconds, she finally spoke, "Mujhe apni peeth par tattoo banwana hai…"

Reyansh immediately understood her hesitation. He softened his tone and leaned forward slightly. "It’s okay, you can trust me."

She looked at him, searching his face for any hint of discomfort or judgment, but found none. Taking a deep breath, she gave a small nod. "Theek hai."

Reyansh gestured toward the tattoo chair. "To chalo, let’s get started."

Meher sat on the chair, she gathered her hair and tied it up in a loose bun, exposing the smooth skin of her back. Slowly, she unzipped her dress just enough to reveal the area where the tattoo had to be inked.

Reyansh sat beside her, setting up his equipment. "Aage jhuk jao taaki mujhe aasani ho.”

She obeyed, and leaned forward. Just as he was about to start, his eyes landed on a small black mole at the center of her back. A smirk tugged at his lips, but he said nothing and focused on his work.

As soon as the needle touched her skin, Meher’s body tensed, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Reyansh noticed but didn’t say anything, letting her adjust to the sensation.

Hours passed, and soon, the tattoo was complete. The delicate wings he had inked onto her fair skin looked breathtaking. Reyansh leaned back, admiring his work for a moment before speaking.

"Ho gaya. Dekhna chaogi?"

Meher slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "Itna jaldi?" she asked, surprised.

Reyansh chuckled as he removed his gloves. "Haan madam, tattoo hai, Taj Mahal nahi jo saalon tak banta rahe."

Meher rolled her eyes at his comment but couldn’t deny the slight curiosity bubbling inside her. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Dekhna hai."

Reyansh grabbed a handheld mirror and positioned it so she could see her back through the reflection of the larger mirror on the wall. "Lo, apna masterpiece dekho."

Meher turned her head slightly, and the moment her eyes landed on the design, she felt a strange emotion rush through her—something between awe and disbelief. The wings looked delicate yet powerful, the fine details making them seem almost real.

For a second, she just stared at it, speechless. Then, she whispered, "Yeh… bilkul waise hi hai jaise maine dekha tha."

Reyansh smirked. "Of course, maine banaya hai."

She glanced at him through the mirror, unimpressed. "Ego kam karo, artist sahab."

He laughed, standing up. "Accha chalo, ab bandage laga dete hai."

Meher nodded and carefully sat up, making sure not to mess up the freshly inked tattoo.

She stood near the mirror, her fingers lightly traced the skin near the tattoo. It felt like more than just ink.

Reyansh, watching her expression, leaned against the counter and said, "Toh, kaisa laga?"

Meher turned to face him, her lips curling into a small, genuine smile. "Bohot accha… aur thoda ajeeb bhi."

Reyansh raised an eyebrow. "Ajeeb kyun?"

She hesitated before replying, "Bas… lagta hai jaise iska koi matlab hai."

Reyansh looked at her curiously but didn’t push further. Instead, he simply nodded. "Hota hai… kabhi kabhi koi chhoti cheez bhi hume kisi badi cheez se jodti hai."

Meher didn’t say anything, just looked at him for a moment longer before turning away. "Chalo, ab bandage lagao."

Reyansh smirked. "Jaisa Pankho waali Raani hukum kare." And bowed down a little.

Meher shot him a glare. "Reyansh"

He chuckled and grabbed the necessary supplies. "Accha baba, serious mode on. Chalo, idhar aao."

As he carefully placed the bandage over her tattoo.

Meanwhile…

The man from the flight sat in his vanity room, his fingers tapping restlessly on the wooden table. His reflection stared back at him in the mirror, but his mind was elsewhere. That girl. The one from the flight. Cat-eyes.

Why couldn't he stop thinking about her?

There was no logic to it—she was just a stranger, someone he had met for a few hours. And yet, something about her unreadable eyes, her hesitant voice, the way she held onto his hand during takeoff… it all played on a loop in his mind.

He leaned back, exhaling sharply, as his manager, Shiv, entered.

"Sir, kal ka schedule—"

He cut him off. "Us ladki ka kuch pata chala?" His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to it.

Shiv hesitated before shaking his head. "Sir, kuch bhi nahi mila. Na naam pata hai, na koi pehchaan. Aise toh dhundhna impossible hai."

His jaw clenched. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, his fingers gripping the strands for a moment before he exhaled, shaking his head. "dhoondo."

Shiv opened his mouth as if to argue instead decided to keep his mouth shut. He simply nodded and left.

As soon as the door shut, he slammed his fist on the table. Why the hell was she haunting his mind?

He got up abruptly, walking to the mirror, both hands gripping the edges of the table. His breathing was heavy, his heart pounding with a strange, unexplainable urgency.

This wasn’t just attraction. This was more.

It felt like he was meant to find her.

His fingers curled into a fist as he whispered, his voice low, filled with desperation—

"Main tumhe kismat par nahi chhod sakta… Jo bhi ho tum, jahan bhi ho… Main tumhe dhoondh kar rahunga. Tumhe mujhe milna hi hoga."

His own reflection stared back at him—restless, burning, obsessed.