The morning sun streamed gently through the curtains, painting soft golden stripes across Aahana Sharma’s bedroom. Her eyelids fluttered open to the sound of a familiar voice calling her.
“Aahana! Wake up, beta! You’ll be late for work!” her mother’s gentle but insistent voice echoed from the kitchen.
Aahana groaned and rubbed her eyes, pushing the blanket off her. “Mom… it’s too early. Five more minutes,” she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.
“No ‘five more minutes’ today! Listen, I need you to deliver this package to Mrs. Khanna on your way to Bud & Bloom. And be back early, okay? There’s a family coming to see you today,” her mother instructed, placing a neatly wrapped bundle on the table.
Aahana blinked, trying to focus. “A family coming to see me? Mom… seriously? Who?”
Her mother chuckled softly. “Just… some family friends. Don’t overthink it. Just focus on your work and the shop, okay?”
Aahana groaned softly, burying her face into her pillow for a moment. She had been dreaming of rows of blooming roses and the smell of fresh jasmine, but now reality intruded. “Okay, mom, I’m up,” she mumbled, swinging her legs off the bed.
By the time she got ready, the small room smelled faintly of her lavender body lotion and jasmine soap. She chose a simple, light blue kurti paired with her favorite jeans—something comfortable enough to move around in while running her little flower shop, yet neat enough to look presentable. Her hair was tied back in a loose braid, and she slipped on her brown sandals.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped out, feeling the soft morning breeze brush her face. The streets were quiet, the city still waking up. Her thoughts wandered to the little tasks she had to do at the shop, her mind lost in the patterns of flowers she wanted to arrange for today’s delivery.
And that’s when it happened.
Her foot caught on the uneven pavement, and she stumbled forward… straight into a tall, dark figure.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” she gasped, her hands flying out instinctively. But it was too late. Her shoulder collided with his chest, and the clay pot she was holding toppled, shattering on the ground into pieces.
The man—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed sharply in dark formal wear—looked down at her with piercing eyes. “Watch where you’re going,” he said, his voice deep and calm, but there was a sharp edge to it.
“I—I was walking carefully! You just stood in my way!” Aahana snapped, feeling her cheeks burn. She looked at the pot. “And my flowers! My delivery! Everything’s ruined!”
He bent down, examining the shattered pot, and shrugged. “It’s just a pot.”
“Just a pot?” she echoed, incredulous. “Do you have any idea how much work goes into this? My flowers, my clothes—they’re ruined!” She glanced down and noticed her light blue kurti had gotten smudged with clay. “And my clothes too! This is all your fault!”
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. “My fault? You were walking straight into me, lost in your thoughts. If anyone’s at fault, it’s you.”
Aahana opened her mouth to argue, but he didn’t even flinch. He just stood there, calm and almost intimidating, as if the morning sunlight itself had chosen him to be perfectly composed while she fumed.
“I… I wasn’t even looking at the road! But still, if you were standing in the middle—” She waved her hands in frustration. “How can you just stand there and act like nothing happened?”
He finally looked at her, his dark eyes scanning her face. “Maybe because nothing really happened. You’re fine, aren’t you?”
Aahana huffed. “Fine? Fine? My delivery is ruined, my pot is broken, my clothes are ruined—and you’re acting like I just sneezed or something!”
He smirked faintly. “Maybe that’s exactly what it was. A minor inconvenience.”
She felt her temper rising. “Minor inconvenience?! I’ve been running around all morning preparing everything for Bud & Bloom! And you—” she pointed at him—“you didn’t even say sorry, you didn’t even offer to help!”
“Help?” he asked casually, hands in his pockets. “Do you look like the kind of person who needs help?”
Aahana blinked, taken aback. “Excuse me?”
“I said, you look… capable,” he added, almost dismissively. “So maybe you don’t need help cleaning up your own mess.”
Aahana felt her jaw tighten. “Capable? You—” She stopped, glaring at him, “you ruined my morning!”
He leaned slightly closer, just enough to make her heart skip a beat despite her anger. “And you ruined mine by walking straight into me.”
“Mine? Yours?” she repeated incredulously. “I don’t even know you!”
He gave a small, almost amused shrug. “And yet here we are.”
Aahana glared at him, straightening her back. “Well, I hope the rest of your day goes… perfectly. And next time, watch where you’re going!” She snatched up what remained of her delivery basket and stormed off, leaving him standing there, his dark eyes following her every step, a faint smile playing at his lips.
She muttered under her breath, still fuming, “What a rude, impossible man… And I haven’t even met him properly yet. Great, just great.”
Little did she know, the man she had just argued with on the street was exactly the same person her family wanted her to meet today.
The little brass bell above the glass door jingled as Aahana entered Bud & Bloom, her pride and joy. The shop smelled faintly of roses, fresh lilies, and the hint of lavender from the candles she had lit the previous evening. The sight of her colorful flowers usually lifted her mood—but not today.
She slammed her bag on the counter and sighed loudly.
Rohan looked up from trimming a bunch of sunflowers. “Good morning to you too, boss. Who annoyed you this early?”
“Some random stranger,” Aahana grumbled, brushing her hair back with an irritated flick. “He just stood there like a tree, and I accidentally bumped into him. My pot broke, the flowers are ruined, and he didn’t even say sorry!”
Avani peeked from the back room, her hands full of freshly cut daisies. “Oh no! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Aahana said, pulling at her kurti to show the brown stains. “But look at this! My favorite blue kurti—ruined! He didn’t even bother helping me pick up the pieces. Just… stood there, talking like I was the one who couldn’t see straight!”
Rohan chuckled, placing the scissors down. “So, what did you do? I hope you didn’t throw the rest of the pot at him.”
“I wanted to,” Aahana shot back, folding her arms, “but I was already embarrassed enough! The street was full of people staring. He acted so calm, so… composed, like it was nothing! Who does that?”
Avani grinned. “Maybe he was too handsome, and that distracted you?”
Aahana rolled her eyes. “Handsome? Huh! He was—well—yes, tall and decent-looking, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was rude and arrogant!”
“So, tall, dark, handsome, and arrogant,” Rohan teased. “Sounds like someone from one of those drama serials you pretend not to watch.”
“Ugh, stop it, Rohan!” she said, smacking his arm lightly. “He’s probably one of those people who think the whole world should move out of their way just because they wear expensive suits.”
Rohan laughed. “Okay, okay. Let’s forget Mr. Tall and Terrible. We have real work. Mrs. Mehra’s bouquet needs to be redone since your pot is gone, right?”
“Yes,” she sighed, rubbing her temples. “I’ll do it again. And I need to deliver it by noon. After that, I have to rush home—Mom said some family is coming in the evening.”
Avani looked up, curious. “Family? Like relatives?”
Aahana shrugged. “I don’t know, she just said it’s someone important. Probably one of her endless marriage proposal meetings again.”
Rohan grinned. “Ohh, another one? How many is that now? Four? Five?”
“Six,” Aahana said dryly, arranging the fresh lilies in a vase. “And I’m not interested in any of them. I don’t even know why Mom keeps trying. I’m perfectly fine with my shop, my flowers, and peace.”
Avani nudged her. “Maybe this one will be different?”
Aahana laughed without humor. “The only thing different today is that I already met a man—and I hope I never see him again.”
Rohan smirked. “You sure about that? Life’s funny like that.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Please, Rohan. The universe would have to be really cruel to send me someone like him again.”
Aahana spent the next few hours at her shop, trying to shake off the morning’s disaster. The shop smelled like heaven—roses and lilies everywhere—but her mood was still stormy.
She stood behind the counter, carefully trimming the ends of some fresh tulips. “You know, Avani,” she said after a long silence, “I still can’t believe he didn’t even say sorry. Who does that?!”
Avani giggled as she arranged orchids into a vase. “You’ve mentioned him ten times already, Aahana. I think you’ve memorized his face by now.”
Aahana frowned. “No, I haven’t! I barely looked at him properly. I was too busy saving what was left of my pot. But still… those eyes…” she paused without realizing, then shook her head quickly. “Never mind! Forget it.”
Rohan smirked. “Ah, so now we’ve reached the those eyes stage?”
“Oh, please!” Aahana said, glaring at him. “If I ever see him again, I’ll—” she stopped mid-sentence, realizing she had no idea what she’d actually do. “—I’ll make him buy me a new pot!”
Rohan laughed. “Very threatening.”
She huffed, pretending to be annoyed, though a small smile tugged at her lips. “I mean it! That man had no manners. And to think, I woke up early, dressed nicely, and planned a peaceful morning. I should’ve known something bad would happen the moment Mom called me ‘beta’ in that sweet tone. It always means trouble.”
Avani chuckled. “Oh right, you said she wanted you home early, right? Something about a family visit?”
“Yeah,” Aahana said, putting down her scissors. “Apparently, a family is coming to see me.” She made air quotes. “I don’t even know what that means anymore. Maybe some business friend’s son, or some distant relative’s cousin.”
Rohan leaned on the counter. “Hmm, sounds like a setup to me. Maybe your mom’s planning to get you married.”
Aahana froze for a moment, then gave him a deadpan look. “Don’t even joke about that.”
Avani smirked. “Oh come on, Aahana. You’re twenty-four, single, running a flower shop—your mom’s bound to worry. Maybe the guy will be nice.”
Aahana rolled her eyes. “Nice? Please. Men like that don’t exist. They’re all either full of themselves, like Mr. Rude-Pot-Breaker, or they pretend to be sweet and then turn bossy later.”
Rohan snorted. “You’ve really decided you hate him, huh?”
“Yes! Completely,” she said without hesitation, dusting off her hands. “If I ever see him again, I’ll—well, let’s just say it won’t be a friendly conversation.”
The clock above the counter chimed softly, reminding her that it was already afternoon.
“Oh no,” Aahana said, glancing at her watch. “I need to go. Mom will freak out if I’m late. She’s probably already setting out snacks and polishing the good teacups.”
Avani smiled. “Go, before she sends an army after you. We’ll close up the shop today.”
Aahana nodded gratefully. “Thanks, Avani. Rohan, make sure the roses for Mrs. Mehra’s order are packed by evening, okay?”
“Got it, boss,” Rohan said, giving her a mock salute.
She laughed softly, grabbing her bag and heading toward the door. As she pushed it open, the small brass bell chimed again.
The sun was beginning to dip a little lower in the sky, painting everything in soft gold. Aahana took a deep breath and smiled faintly. Maybe the rest of the day would be better. Maybe the morning had been just bad luck.
“Just a normal evening,” she whispered to herself, stepping onto the street.
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