‘Being an investor, you must place your bets on her. This app is phenomenal,’ Kiana suggests.

‘I’ll give it a thought,’ I say. We walk over to where our cycles are parked. ‘I never imagined I’d be cycling in the Seychelles with you!’ I try to distract her from the topic of Asmitha.

Kiana nods. She looks at the picturesque landscape around us, completely mesmerized, and says, ‘Look at all this stunning beauty!’

We press a button on our headsets to start cycling and move forward in the virtual world. While we can’t feel the breeze, we can definitely hear the sound of the ocean and of birds chirping in the forest on our right. It feels surreal. It feels like we’ve been transported to a place where time stands still.

When we arrive at Anse Source d’Argent after that beautiful ride through the coastal road, we change into virtual swimsuits that have been laid out for us and dive into the crystal-clear waters, our avatars floating hand in hand. The water looks cool, but there’s no way I can confirm this. I walk up to the refrigerator in my kitchen and take out a bottle of water. I place it beneath my feet when I sit down again.

‘This is amazing,’ Kiana exclaims, her avatar treading the water beside mine. We’ve been splashing around and playing like children. ‘I never want to leave.’

I chuckle as I feel exhilaration and joy wash over me. ‘Me neither. Let’s just stay here forever.’ This is hands down the best video game I’ve ever played!

‘Don’t you want to do this for real?’ Kiana asks.

‘I do. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I’m to meet you in real life,’ I confess.

‘Why don’t you come down to Fort Lauderdale in Florida then? I went there with my college friends one summer. It was fantastic. Let’s take a vacation there soon!’ she exclaims.

‘Yeah, sure! And then we can plan your next one in India!’

Kiana’s avatar frowns even as she mumbles a yes. I decide against pressing further on the matter, and we continue to swim.

Later, we explore a vanilla farm that lies on the southeastern side of the island. Run by a local family, the whole place exudes an ethereal beauty, with vines swaying gently in the tropical breeze and sunlight dancing upon the emerald leaves, casting intricate shadows on the soil. There are yellow vanilla blooms weighing the vines down, and as we wander through the rows of lush greenery, I imagine how intoxicating the air must be with the sweet scent of vanilla.

‘Because … I am happy,’ Kiana suddenly breaks into a song and starts dancing.

I shake my head, amazed by her avatar’s moves. ‘You’re full of surprises, Kiana. But I like your happy dance.’