So we decided to call it—a day of nothing. After all the back-and-forth on what we could do, we landed on the most honest conclusion souls could reach:
“We’ll see tomorrow.”

The clock was nearing 7 p.m., and the hunger was finally louder than our laziness. We stepped out in search of food. The city had changed its shade—the afternoon heat had dissolved into a pleasant evening hum. Streets were alive again. Yellow lights poured out from shop fronts, street vendors called out with their usual charm, and people walked with the ease that only comes after a full day’s work.

We found a place that looked decent—nothing fancy, just the kind that serves food that tastes better when you’re truly hungry. We ate in comfortable silence, both too immersed in the food to say much.

By the time we returned, it was around 9:30 p.m. The city had begun to quieten again. Back in the room, phones in hand, scrolling through social media—laughing, sharing reels and memes without even speaking much.

Sleep caught up with us early. We both admitted it—we needed this. So we turned off the lights and drifted into sleep.



Next Morning

It was 9 a.m.—one of those lazy mornings where the sun filters through half-drawn curtains, the fan creaks in rhythm, and getting out of bed feels like a philosophical dilemma. The exhaustion from yesterday had mostly melted away.

Eventually, I reached for my phone—the modern morning ritual. A few notifications blinked up, but one caught my eye. A message from my old tuition mate. We’d been meaning to meet since I was in her city now, and i was waiting for her to confirm the location. I still didn’t know the city well enough to pick a spot, so I followed her lead.

I got up, stretched a little, and told my friend about the plan. He nodded half-asleep, grumbling something like “Enjoy,” while burying himself deeper into the pillow.

A quick shower, a few checks in the mirror, and I was ready—not too dressed up, just enough to not look like homeless. I booked an auto to the location she sent. The wait was short. A honk from the lane below signaled it was here.

So was I.