Love, Lies & Lattes

It was past midnight, and Kiara lay sprawled across her sofa, scrolling mindlessly through her phone. After the exhausting day she had endured—thanks in no small part to Rohan Kapoor—she’d earned a quiet, relaxing evening of doing absolutely nothing.

Yet, sleep was elusive.

She sighed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Somehow, her mind kept drifting back to their awkward handshake, the annoying smirk on Rohan’s face, and Meera’s irritatingly accurate teasing.

Kiara shook her head firmly. Absolutely not.

Frustrated, she opened her phone again and saw a familiar icon— "Cupid's Café", a dating app she'd downloaded on impulse a month ago but never truly explored.

She hesitated briefly before shrugging. Why not distract herself with a bit of harmless swiping? She opened the app, scrolling through the sea of smiling faces and cheesy bios, occasionally laughing out loud.

• Jay, 27: "Will cook for love (results not guaranteed). Bonus points if you pretend to like my terrible jokes."

Kiara chuckled softly, swiping right purely for humor.

• Sahil, 28: "Searching for someone to bring home to mom—she's worried I might die alone."

She laughed louder, swiping right again, feeling a little lighter already.

Then, another profile popped up. Her fingers froze.

• Ro (29): "Entrepreneur by day, caffeine enthusiast by night. Sarcasm connoisseur, looking for a witty sparring partner. Must appreciate good coffee."

Kiara squinted suspiciously at the screen, heart fluttering uncomfortably. The profile picture was a scenic silhouette shot against a sunset. No clear face, nothing identifiable.

She tapped hesitantly, considering her options. Could this "Ro" be… No, surely not. Delhi was big, coffee lovers abundant. And yet…

She studied the bio again. “Sarcasm connoisseur,” she mumbled skeptically. "Caffeine enthusiast?" That description eerily matched someone she knew.

Shaking her head, she scoffed. "You're becoming paranoid, Kiara. Swipe left and forget it."

But just as her thumb hovered over the screen, curiosity got the better of her. What’s the worst that can happen? It’ll probably be some random guy with boring conversation skills.

With a daring smirk, she swiped right decisively.

To her astonishment, the screen flashed immediately:

It's a Match!

She bolted upright, nearly dropping her phone. Her heart pounded absurdly fast.

“No way,” she murmured in disbelief. Her fingers trembled as she tapped on the chat box.

She stared, biting her lip, unsure if she should initiate conversation or wait. Seconds ticked by, her screen bright in the darkened room.

Before she could decide, a new message popped up.

Ro: "Well, hello there, mysterious stranger. Tell me, what makes your heart race faster—a triple espresso or a witty comeback?"

She rolled her eyes at the cheesy pickup line but couldn’t resist a smirk. Whoever he was, Ro certainly knew how to make an entrance.

She hesitated for only a moment before typing back.

Kiara: "Definitely witty comebacks. Espresso might spill under pressure."

He responded instantly.

Ro: "Speaking from experience, are we? I’d love to hear that story."

She laughed softly, settling deeper into her cushions.

Kiara: "Only if you’re brave enough. It’s not for the faint-hearted."

There was a brief pause before his reply appeared.

Ro:

Kiara smiled broadly, eyes glinting with excitement.

They exchanged playful banter back and forth, their chat moving effortlessly from coffee debates to silly life anecdotes. Kiara found herself laughing aloud, completely losing track of time. She hadn't felt this relaxed or amused in weeks.

She eventually glanced at the clock—3:17 AM.

"Oh God," she muttered, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Kiara: "You’ve officially ruined my sleep schedule, Ro."

Ro: "Worth it?"

She hesitated briefly, then smiled to herself.

Kiara: "Maybe. Ask me again after my third espresso tomorrow."

Ro: "It’s a date, then. Sweet dreams, witty stranger."

She stared at the message, her heartbeat quickening at the word "date."

With a satisfied sigh, she placed her phone aside, finally sinking into restful sleep.

---

Across town, Rohan smiled at his phone screen, still amused by the witty banter of the mystery woman he'd matched with.

“Kiara,” he murmured, yawning as he turned off the bedside lamp. "Interesting name."

As he drifted off to sleep, he wondered idly if this mystery Kiara’s coffee was as impressive as her comebacks.

Little did he know, he'd already tasted it.