Mumbai Airport- 10:00 PM

Yogesh sits at the airport, waiting for his flight to Jaipur.The flight is already fifteen minutes late.He checks the time on his phone once again before leaning back against his seat. His mind is occupied with the fashion show ahead-rehearsals, fittings, the stage, the cameras, the endless schedule.

He has no idea that this trip is about to become much more than just another professional commitment.

By some strange coincidence-or perhaps something more powerful than coincidence-he is travelling to the very same fashion show where Sorab is going.

And somewhere in that same city, Akanksha is already there.

None of them know.

Yogesh and Sorab haven't spoken properly in the past few days. Their schedules have been hectic, and neither has had the time to ask the other about their plans.

So Yogesh has no idea that Sorab is in Jaipur.

And more importantly-

He has absolutely no idea that Akanksha is there too.

At 10 PM, his flight finally takes off

.

Jaipur - 12:00 AM

Yogesh lands in Jaipur just after midnight.

He heads straight to the hotel arranged by the sponsor.At 12:30 AM, he reached his room.He freshens up, changed his clothes and finally collapse onto the bed.

For a while, he simply lay there, staring at the ceiling.

There is a strange feeling sitting heavily inside his chest.

Uneasiness.

He can't understand where it is coming from.

Nothing has happened.

There is no obvious reason for him to feel this way.

Yet something inside him keeps whispering that tomorrow is going to be different.That something is coming.Something he cannot see yet.

He closes his eyes.

"Why do I feel like something is about to happen?"

He doesn't have an answer.

Eventually, exhaustion becomes stronger than his thoughts.And sleep slowly takes him away.

The Next Morning

7:00 AM

"Akku... uth."

No response.

Sorab sighs.

"Akku."

Still nothing.

He walks closer and pulls the blanket away.

"Akanksha, saat baj gaye hain. Humein nikalna hai."

Akanksha opens her eyes halfway.

"Yaarrr..."

Her voice is heavy with sleep.

"Abhi kyun utha raha hai? Mujhe aur sona hai."

Sorab looks at her helplessly.

"Main tujhe kal raat ko teen baar bata chuka hoon ki humein saat baje nikalna hai."

Akanksha pulls the blanket back toward herself.

"Haan toh... kal raat ko mujhe sab yaad tha. Abhi mujhe kuch yaad nahi hai."

Sorab laughs despite himself.

"Tu impossible hai."

"Pata hai."

She closes her eyes again.

Sorab immediately pulls the blanket away.

"Chal. Drama band kar. Hotel pahunch ke jitna sona hai so jaana."

Akanksha finally sits up, her hair completely messy.

"Tu na... ek din meri neend ke saath meri dosti tudwa dega."

Sorab shakes his head.

"Tumhari neend se toh meri pehle hi dushmani ho chuki hai."

She gives him an annoyed look.

"Bohot bolne laga hai tu."

"Chal, madam."

A small smile escapes Akanksha's lips.

"Okay... chal."

They leave the apartment and take a cab to the hotel.The morning slowly unfolds outside the window, but Akanksha barely notices it.

Within minutes, her eyes become heavy again.She rests her head against the window and falls asleep.

A little later, the cab takes a turn, and her head slips from the glass onto Sorab's shoulder.

Sorab looks down at her.

He doesn't move.

He simply lets her sleep.

Because he knows how exhausted she has been lately.

She may laugh.

She may joke.

She may pretend everything is fine.

But he knows there are things she still carries quietly inside herself.

So for once, he doesn't tease her.

He simply lets her rest.

8:00 AM - Hotel Airport view

The cab stops outside the hotel.

Akanksha steps out, still half asleep.

She stretches her arms dramatically.

"Ahhh... finally!"

She looks up at the hotel.

"Aisa lag raha hai jaise hum Jaipur nahi, seedha meri neend ke paas pahunch gaye hain."

Sorab laughs.

"Bas kar. Abhi hotel ke bahar hi khadi hai aur already room ko apna ghar bana liya."

Akanksha yawns.

"Bhai, mujhe bas room chahiye. Mujhe apni beauty sleep complete karni hai."

Sorab mutters,

"Haan haan... badi aayi beauty sleep wali."

Akanksha immediately turns toward him.

"Kuch kaha?"

Sorab straightens his expression.

"Nahi."

"Pakka?"

"Bilkul."

"Good."

She walks ahead.

Sorab smiles to himself and follows her inside.

Sorab receives his room from the team.

A separate room is arranged for Akanksha on the same floor.

The moment she enters her room, she throws herself onto the bed.

"Aaaahhh..."

She spreads her arms.

"Yeh hui na zindagi."

Sorab stands at the doorway.

Akanksha looks at him with sleepy eyes.

"Bhai, sach mein... mujhe abhi duniya ki kisi cheez ki zaroorat nahi hai. Bas yeh bed aur main."

Sorab chuckles.

"Tu soja. Main bhi apne room mein fresh hone ja raha hoon."

He pause before leaving.

"Lekin Akku..."

She looks at him.

"Hmm?"

"Agar kuch chahiye ho, ya kahin jaana ho, mujhe call karna. Akeli mat nikal jaana bina bataye."

Akanksha smile softly.

"Tu itna tension kyun leta hai mera?"

Sorab's expression softens.

"Kyuki tu khud ke liye kabhi tension nahi leti."

For a second, she goes quiet.

Then she smiles.

"Okay, bhai. Promise."

Sorab nods.

"Show shaam ko saat baje hai. Ready rehna. Main tujhe lene nahi aa paunga, rehearsals mein busy rahunga. Location bhej dunga. Yahin paas mein hai."

"Okay."

"And please," he adds, pointing at her, "sirf sone ke chakkar mein late mat ho jaana."

Akanksha gives him an offended look.

"Main kabhi late hoti hoon?"

Sorab raises an eyebrow.

"Tu seriously pooch rahi hai?"

She laughs.

"Okay, okay. Ja ab."

Sorab smiles.

"Rest kar."

He leaves.The door closes.And within seconds, Akanksha's eyes close again.

She has no idea that on the same floor, just a little distance away, someone from her past has already arrived.

On the Other Side

8:00 AM

Yogesh wakes up.

He freshens up quickly and gets ready for the day's rehearsals.

The team has asked all the models and participants to gather in one room for a briefing before preparations begin.

Yogesh walks toward the meeting room.He enters casually.And then-

He stops.

A familiar face stands in front of him.

For a second, neither of them says anything.

"...Sorab?"

Sorab turns around.

His eyes widen.

"Yogesh?"

The surprise on both their faces quickly turns into happiness.

"Bhai!"

They walk toward each other and hug.

"Tu yahan?" Sorab asks, genuinely surprised. "Tune bataya bhi nahi ki tu Jaipur aa raha hai!"

Yogesh laughs.

"Bhai, mujhe khud nahi pata tha ki tu yahan hai. Agar pata hota toh tujhe batata na."

"Woh bhi hai."

Sorab pats his shoulder.

"Lekin seriously... kya coincidence hai yaar."

Yogesh smiles.

"Lagta hai Jaipur ne hum dono ko ek saath bula liya."

They laugh.

Sorab then looks at him carefully.

"Chal, woh sab chhod. Bata, kaisa chal raha hai?"

Yogesh's smile becomes slightly smaller.

"Bas bhai... chal raha hai."

"Bas?"

"Haan."

He laughs, trying to make it sound casual.

"Same life. Same drama. Same galiyan. Abhi toh bas galiyan kha raha hoon aur popat bana hua hai."

Sorab laughs.

"Tu nahi sudhrega."

Yogesh smiles.

"Sudharne ka time kiske paas hai?"

They both laugh again.

But Sorab's eyes remain on him.

Because somewhere beneath that laughter, he notices something.

A tiredness.

A hesitation.

Something Yogesh isn't saying.

Sorab's voice becomes softer.

"Yogesh..."

"Haan?"

"Tu sach mein theek hai?"

Yogesh looks at him.

"Bilkul."

"Pakka?"

"Haan bhai."

Sorab doesn't look convinced.

Yogesh sighs lightly.

"Tu mujhe jaanta hai na?"

"Isi liye toh pooch raha hoon."

That sentence makes Yogesh quiet for a moment.

Sorab continues,

"Har baar mazaak kar dena aur baat taal dena iska matlab yeh nahi hota ki sab theek hai."

Yogesh looks away.

For a few seconds, he doesn't answer.

Then he forces a small smile.

"Kuch nahi hai bhai. Bas thoda tired hoon. Schedule kharab hai. Aur kuch nahi."

Sorab watches him carefully.

He knows there is more.But he also knows that sometimes a person has to be ready before they can speak about what hurts.So he doesn't force him.

"Thik hai," Sorab finally says. "Jab mann kare, bata dena."

Yogesh looks back at him.

"Thanks, bhai."

Sorab gives his shoulder a small squeeze.

"Main hoon."

And for a moment, Yogesh's expression changes.Almost as if those two words mean more to him than he wants to admit.

Then suddenly-

Sorab remembers.

Akanksha.

His heart drops.

Akanksha bhi toh yahin hai.

His eyes instinctively move toward the door.

For a second, panic rises inside him.

Oh God.

Yeh kya ho raha hai?

He looks at Yogesh.

Then toward the hallway.

Akanksha is sleeping in her room.

Yogesh is standing right here.

And neither of them knows.

Sorab's mind starts racing.

Bataun?

Ya nahi?

If he tells Yogesh, he knows his friend.

Yogesh won't be able to focus.

And if Akanksha comes downstairs and sees him...

Sorab doesn't even want to imagine what that moment could do to her.

He knows how hard she has been trying to put herself back together.

He knows she has been learning to smile without expecting anything from the past.

He cannot let one unexpected encounter tear all of that apart.

No.

Abhi nahi.

He takes a quiet breath.

Akanksha room mein hai. Yogesh poora din rehearsals mein busy rahega.

Dono ka saamna nahi hoga.

At least, that's what he tells himself.

Shaam ko show khatam hone ke baad Yogesh ko bata dunga.

He looks at his friend again.And somewhere inside, he silently prays-

Bas aaj sab theek se nikal jaaye.

Bas Akanksha usse na mile.

Aur agar mil bhi jaaye... toh please, Bhagwan... is baar uska dil mat todna.

Meanwhile, on the same floor-

Akanksha is still sleeping peacefully.

Her face is relaxed.

Her breathing is slow.

She has no idea that the person she has been trying so hard to leave behind is only a few doors away.

She has no idea that the past has entered the same hotel.And she certainly has no idea that destiny has already started closing the distance between them.

For now, she sleeps.

For now, Yogesh doesn't know.

For now, Sorab keeps the secret to himself.

But sometimes...

the things we try hardest to keep apart are exactly the things fate is determined to bring together.