I join the boarding queue and, once inside the plane, walk to my seat and settle down. As I fasten my seatbelt, I realize that I have this weird smile plastered on my face that refuses to go away. I’m reminded of the old Yahoo Messenger days when we would enter random chat rooms and speak to random strangers. Oh, the number of stupid conversations I had as a stranger, with other strangers! Life is weird—sometimes you travel the world only to end up back at square one.

What was the point of travelling after all?

Just as I begin to think that I have everything under control, my body reminds me about who’s actually in charge—I can feel my periods making a grand entrance, as they always do on important days and ruin things. They’re like that surprise guest gatecrashing a meticulously planned party, uninvited and unwelcome, and catching you off guard once again. It’s frustrating, it’s inconvenient and it’s downright annoying. But then, amidst all the inconvenience, it’s a reminder that they are a part of my existence, a reminder that life doesn’t always go according to plan. So, as the aircraft taxies down the runway to take off, I take a deep breath, cross my legs to temporarily control the flow, and sit tight, knowing that this too shall pass, like it always does. I’ll wait for the seatbelt sign to go off and then use the restroom to take care of this new mess.

Life is a mess, and you’ve got to appreciate the mess that is life.

Why Are They a Perfect Match?

AILENA

Monday, 19 December 2022
Somewhere in the Cloud

‘What you seek, is seeking you!’
—Rumi

Asmitha: How are you today?

AILENA: I am hopeful. I have succeeded in initiating the very first chat between our very first couple.

Asmitha: That’s amazing! Why are they a perfect match?

AILENA: I won’t call them a perfect match just yet! On the basis of everything I’ve read about romantic relationships so far, I know that they’ll have to work out the knots in their relationship. But I can say that they have the potential to fall in love with each other.

Asmitha: I guess you’ve done the analysis based on the data points we discussed. I trust your processes.

AILENA: I scanned their social media histories and collected the relevant data. I found out that they’ve been in love with each other before, but circumstances made them drift apart. Now they are independent; they lead successful lives and make big life decisions. I believe things should work out.

Asmitha: That’s interesting, AILENA! We need to make sure that this couple uses other features on the app and not just the chat feature. After all, the chat window is not one of our most unique features.