The days after the hackathon victory were quieter, but something had shifted between Tina and Ishaan. Their conversations were softer, smiles lingered longer, and the space between them felt alive with something unspoken.
Mira noticed it first.
"You two are acting weird," she teased as they walked back from class one afternoon. "Like, romantic comedy background-music weird."
"Mira—" Tina began, but Mira only winked.
"You know what you need? A break. No code, no stress. Just a day out. And guess who's been dying to ask you out, Rathod?" She glanced at Ishaan, who looked caught but not guilty.
"I wasn't dying," Ishaan said, but his grin betrayed him. "Just… waiting for the right time."
---
Tina raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly would a 'break' look like?"
"A movie," Ishaan said simply. "And maybe a mall trip. Saturday?"
She hesitated. Going out wasn't her thing. She hated crowds, hated the feeling of being watched. But the way Ishaan asked — no pressure, just warmth — made something inside her soften.
"Saturday," she agreed.
---
The Phoenix MarketCity mall in Pune buzzed with life on Saturday evening. Bright lights reflected on the polished floors, and the smell of popcorn, coffee, and new clothes filled the air. Tina felt a little out of place, her hair tied back in a simple bun and her glasses sliding down her nose. She was used to the quiet of coding labs, not bustling malls.
Ishaan, on the other hand, looked effortlessly comfortable. He wore a navy blue hoodie and jeans, his usual messy hair tamed just enough to look intentional.
"First stop," he announced, "bookstore."
"You know me too well," Tina said, smiling despite herself.
Inside the bookstore, she lost track of time running her fingers over the spines of new releases. Ishaan picked up a novel and handed it to her. "This one's about a girl who codes her way out of her problems. Sound familiar?"
She smirked. "Except I'm still coding my way through them."
---
They grabbed tickets for a late evening show — a romantic comedy Mira had recommended. Tina didn't think it was her genre, but when Ishaan grinned and said, "You'll like it. Trust me," she found herself agreeing.
Inside the theater, she was tense at first, not used to sitting so close to someone in the dark. But as the movie played, Ishaan leaned over and whispered, "Why do all rom-com guys own bookstores or cafés? Where's the guy who builds firewalls for fun?"
She laughed quietly. "You'd make a terrible rom-com hero."
"Oh really?" He tilted his head. "I'm charming, I fix bugs at 3 AM, and I'd totally bring coffee on our first date."
Her heart skipped a beat. Was this a date? She wasn't sure. But when their fingers brushed while reaching for popcorn, neither of them moved away.
---
After the movie, they headed to a quiet rooftop café near the mall. The city lights of Pune stretched out below them, shimmering in the night air.
"Did you always want to code?" Ishaan asked, sipping his coffee.
"No," Tina admitted. "I wanted to paint. My mom used to say my drawings felt like stories. But when she…" Her voice faltered. "When she got sick, I needed something that felt… solid. Numbers don't fade like memories do."
Ishaan's gaze softened. "I'm sorry, Tina. I didn't know."
She looked away. "It's okay. I don't talk about her much. But… she'd have liked you. She used to tell me not to trust anyone who couldn't laugh at their own jokes."
"Then I'd be her favorite," he said with a small grin.
Tina laughed, and for the first time in months, it felt like the sound belonged to her again.
---
On the way back, rain drizzled lightly, making the streets gleam under the streetlights. Ishaan walked beside her, holding the umbrella slightly tilted so she wouldn't get wet.
"Thanks," she said softly. "For today. It's… the first time I've felt normal in a while."
He looked at her, his expression unreadable but warm. "You're not just normal, Tina. You're… extraordinary. You just don't see it yet."
Her breath caught. She wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in her throat. Instead, she smiled — small but real.
---
When she reached her dorm, Ishaan hesitated at the door. "Next time, I'm picking the movie," he said lightly.
"Next time?" she teased.
"Oh, there's definitely a next time," he said with that grin that made her chest tighten.
And for once, Tina didn't want to argue.
---
To be continued…