Chapter 3: Preparation

Aisha's feet barely touched the ground as she burst into her room. Neha's text lit up her phone again: "SPILL. NOW." Aisha flopped onto her bed, grinning like mad.

"Neha, oh my god," she typed, "he asked me out. Tomorrow 😍."

Neha's response was instant: "DEETS. NOW. In person. Tomorrow morning, 10 AM, the café downstairs."

Aisha laughed, nerves kicking in. What to wear? What to say? Her mind spun as she drifted off into a happy daze...

Aisha tossed her phone aside, jumping off the bed. She flapped through her wardrobe, clothes flying everywhere. "What says 'casual-cool-first-date'?" she muttered.

Neha's text popped up again: "P.S. Wear that blue top. You look fire."

Aisha chuckled, grabbing the top. 10 AM tomorrow felt like an eternity away.

As she prepped, doubts crept in: What if she said something stupid? What if...

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with Rohan's message: "Hey, looking forward to tomorrow. Sleep tight!"

Aisha's heart skipped. She smiled, typing: "Me too ."

As she drifted off to sleep, her mind whirled with possibilities...

Aisha barely slept, tossing between excitement and nerves. At 8 AM, she gave up, jumping into a shower. The blue top lay neatly on her bed, Neha's text pinned to it: "You got this ."

As she dressed, Aisha rehearsed lines in her head: "Hey, how's it going?" No, too casual. "Hi, looking great!" Too much? She shook it off, grabbing her bag.

9:45 AM. Time to head out...

Aisha smiled, locking her room. As she walked downstairs, her mind ping-ponged between "What ifs" and "Maybe he'll..." She pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the walk.

Main Street buzzed with morning energy. The café's sign read "Open" – she was 15 minutes early. Aisha took a seat at a corner table, nerves kicking in.

Rohan walked in at 10 AM sharp, scanning the café. Aisha's heart skipped as their eyes met. He smiled, heading her way...

Aisha's breath caught as Rohan approached, his smile widening. "Hey, you're early," he said, sliding into the chair across from her.

Aisha laughed, trying to sound casual. "Just got here. Hi."

The waiter popped up, and Rohan ordered coffee for both. "So, how's your day been?" he asked, leaning in a bit.

Aisha relaxed into the chatter, finding their banter easy. They talked about books, music, and somehow landed on travel dreams. Rohan mentioned Kyoto – Aisha squealed, "Me too! Cherry blossoms are my fave."

The coffee arrived, and as they sipped, Rohan asked about her week. Aisha shared a funny story about a college project, and he laughed. The nerves dissolved.

As they chatted, Aisha noticed the way Rohan listened – like she was the only person in the world. The café buzzed around them, but it felt like just the two.

Time flew. "Want to grab lunch?" Rohan asked, checking his watch. 12:30 PM.

Aisha's heart made a tiny leap. "Love to."

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