🖋️ The First Word — Co-Writing Begins
Ruhi sat at her desk, staring at the blinking cursor. Rudra sat opposite her, legs crossed on the couch, notebook in hand. Their publisher had suggested they write alternate chapters — "like a literary tennis match."
"Who goes first?" Rudra asked.
"You," Ruhi smirked. "You always start fights. Now start the story."
He grinned and began:
*"We weren't meant to fall in love.We were meant to crash, to collide.
But the wreckage? That's where we found our beginning."*
Ruhi raised an eyebrow."Damn. Did I marry a poet?"
"No," he said. "You married a man who fell for one."
💬 Simran's Big News
Three days later, Simran called from Jaipur, where she had gone to attend a literary festival.
"Guess what?" she beamed."Remember the short story I submitted to that bilingual writing contest? They want to publish it as part of an anthology."
Ruhi squealed. "Simran! This is huge!"
"Looks like all those midnight chai sessions finally paid off," Simran smiled.
"I'm so proud of you."
"Not more than I am of you," Simran replied. "You built a home, a marriage, and a novel. That's three universes at once."
🎤 Aarav's Book Launch — A New Face in the Crowd
Aarav's book Half Time Diaries launched at a packed event in Delhi. Rudra and Ruhi sat in the front row, teary-eyed as Aarav stood behind the podium.
"This book isn't about victories," he said."It's about the halves — the pauses, the timeouts, the moments where life says: 'Hold on. Breathe. Begin again.'"
After the event, a young woman from the crowd walked up to Aarav.
"Hi, I'm Kavya. I read your blog during my hospital recovery. Your words made me feel seen."
Aarav blinked."…You're the one who commented with the sunflower emoji?"
She nodded.
They smiled.And the beginning of something quietly unfolded.
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 204
"Love isn't always loud.Sometimes it walks in through bookstore doors, holding your name on its lips like a bookmark."
🪔 First Anniversary, First Surprise
As their first wedding anniversary approached, both Ruhi and Rudra pretended to forget — just to plan their own surprises.
Rudra's plan:He recreated their first college classroom setting at home.Projector. Chalkboard. Even a fake "Attendance Register."And on the board:
"Sharma, Rudra — Present for her. Forever."
Ruhi's plan:She printed their old college photos into a memory wall, ending with the caption:
"And now we edit each other's chapters with love, not red ink."
When they revealed their surprises at the same time, they both burst into laughter.
"Same love story, different punchlines," Rudra said.
🧁 The Cake That Fell — And the Moment That Didn't
They had ordered a three-layer cake.
But Rudra tripped over Chintu (yes, the plant) and dropped it.
Ruhi gasped.He looked horrified.Then… she started laughing. Hard.
"You dropped our first anniversary cake!"
"I dropped your side of it."
They ended up eating it off plates anyway — smeared but sweet.
Love, like frosting, is best when messy.
💡 Writer's Block Solved — With a Game
One night, Ruhi hit another wall.
Rudra grabbed a whiteboard and said, "Let's play: One Word, One Line."
They took turns writing one word, building a sentence together.
Ruhi: WhenRudra: weRuhi: loseRudra: eachRuhi: otherRudra: weRuhi: findRudra: home.
By the end, they had three pages.
It became Chapter 9 of their book.
☕ Two Mugs and Midnight Promises
That night, as they sipped chai on their balcony, Ruhi looked at him.
"You ever wonder what would've happened if we never met?"
"Nope," Rudra said.
"Why not?"
"Because even if we didn't meet in college, I believe we'd have bumped into each other somewhere — in a bookstore, at a basketball court, or even chasing the same auto."
She smiled."You believe in fate?"
"No," he said."I believe in us."
📸 The Polaroid of the Week
Ruhi holding a chalkboard with "Still Present" written on it
Rudra wearing a fake ID card with "Staff" crossed out and "Husband" written instead
Chintu the plant — fully grown and leaning toward the window
Caption:
"One year down. Forever to go.PS: Chintu survived. So will we."
💫 End of Chapter 46