"Oh my god, Viya! We are going to Japan! Can you believe it? I have always wanted to visit Tokyo!"
I had smiled and nodded, but inside, my heart was pounding.
Japan. I was going to Japan.
Where Armaan was.
When I came home that evening, I found Dadi in the living room, enjoying her evening tea. I sat down beside her and told her about the trip.
Her face had lit up immediately.
"That is wonderful, beta! You must go. This is an excellent opportunity for your career."
"But what about you, Dadi? I will be gone for two weeks. I do not want to leave you alone."
She had patted my hand with a warm smile.
"I have Rekha and the other nurses. And Mamta is here. I will be perfectly fine. You should go and do your work. And maybe..." She paused, her eyes twinkling with something that looked like hope. "Maybe you will see Armaan there."
The thought had already been consuming me. Would I see him? Would he want to see me? Or would he avoid me like he had been avoiding my calls?
???
One week later, I found myself on a plane to Tokyo with Akshita bouncing excitedly in the seat beside me.
"I cannot believe this is happening! Two weeks in Tokyo! We are going to have so much fun. We can visit temples, try authentic ramen, go shopping in Harajuku—"
I let her chatter wash over me, nodding and smiling at appropriate intervals. But my mind was elsewhere.
Would he be there when we landed? Would he be at the hotel? Would he come to the training sessions?
Would he even acknowledge me?
The flight felt endless. Thirteen hours of turbulence and cramped seats and recycled air. By the time we finally landed at Narita Airport, my entire body ached.
We collected our luggage and found the hotel shuttle bus waiting for us. The drive into the city was fascinating. Tokyo sprawled in every direction, a dazzling mix of ultra modern skyscrapers and traditional architecture. Neon signs blazed in Japanese characters I could not read. People rushed along crowded sidewalks.
It was beautiful and overwhelming all at once.
But I could not enjoy it. My heart was too busy hammering against my ribs.
When we arrived at the hotel, a sleek, modern building in the business district, the staff was incredibly efficient. They had all our room keys ready, handing them out systematically to each team member.
Everyone received their keys. Vikrant. Archana. Akshita. The other developers.
Everyone except me.
"Viya, you can just share my room until they sort it out," Akshita offered, her key already in hand. "I am sure it is just a mix up."
"No, it is fine. You go rest. You look exhausted. I will wait and get my key sorted out."
She hesitated, clearly torn between her desire to collapse into bed and her loyalty as a friend.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Go. I will be fine."
She gave me a quick hug and headed to the elevators with the rest of the team.
