‘Happy New Year,’ he said to his parents who were in their cosy living room, watching an awards ceremony on television. He hugged them both, surprising them with his unexpected show of affection.

‘Where’s Vihana?’ he asked.

‘She has gone to a party at her friend’s place,’ his mother said. Madhav shook his head and said goodbye.

He spent the entire journey to Radhika’s place anxiously checking his hair and face in the mirror. He honked as he reached her apartment building, but she didn’t come out. He waited a while before calling her. But before her phone could ring, her apartment door opened. Madhav tried to peek at her through his car’s rear-view mirror. She came out looking flawless. His jaw dropped. She wore a peacock-blue dress with a pearl necklace and long yet simple earrings that perfectly complemented her styled hair. Madhav was stunned. He realized that true beauty lay in how elegantly a woman could carry herself and wasn’t determined by what she wore. And Radhika was the most elegant woman he had ever seen.

She walked slowly, her high heels clacking as she made her way to the car. Madhav got out to open the door for her. She paused and looked into his eyes. She had applied very little make-up—some mascara on her eyelashes and a matte red lipstick. She raised her eyebrows to wordlessly ask him how she looked. He gazed at her perfect glistening skin. His eyes were drawn to the string of pearls that gently caressed her neck, falling just below her collar bone. If the gods were real, he told himself, then this woman was their masterpiece.

‘You’ve stolen my words,’ he said and she laughed.

‘I’m flattered,’ she whispered. She loved how special he made her feel, a sensation she had quite forgotten. She felt inexplicably shy, as though she was once again a teenager on her first date.

‘Wait, haven’t I seen this car before?’ she asked, as she scrutinized his Honda. ‘It’s the same one I punctured that day, isn’t it?’

Madhav was taken aback. ‘No, this is not the same car. I mean, the colour is different. That was a Honda City too but it was not grey,’ he muttered.

‘No, it’s the exact same colour,’ she exclaimed as she examined the car carefully. ‘Madhav, tell me the truth,’ she said, her eyes stern like a strict schoolteacher who could wrangle the truth out of you, no matter what.

‘It’s the same car,’ he said, embarrassed.

Radhika laughed out loud. ‘Oh my God! You are so scared of me that you saw me puncturing your tyres and didn’t say anything. I simply can’t believe it!’ She ruffled his hair as he stood there sheepishly. She loved his naïve expression and he loved the way she caressed his head. They laughed about the incident until they reached the club, which was in one of Delhi’s most luxurious hotels.

Madhav parked the car and as they walked towards the entrance, Radhika slipped her arm through his, which made him happy beyond measure. He gazed into her eyes and, for a moment, the sight of the two of them near the lit fountain looked like a scene from a rom-com.