They met again.
This time, it was Reva who asked for a favor. Her friend’s engagement was near her office, and she needed a place to get ready.
Jace—ever the gentleman—offered his apartment without hesitation.
Of course he would.
Reva told herself it was just kindness. Friendly, thoughtful, simple kindness.
They sat in his car, driving through the afternoon buzz. Reva looked out the window for a long moment, then quietly turned toward him.
“Jace, I want to ask you something.”
His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, but his voice remained calm. “Yeah?”
“Not now,” she said with a faint smile. “Let me survive this engagement first. But remind me later—I need to talk to you.”
He glanced at her, confused for a second. But then he smiled. “Okay.”
He didn’t think much of it then.
But later—he would.
Later, when she stepped out of his room dressed in soft pink lehenga, something in the air shifted.
The lehenga wasn’t heavy. There was no dramatic entrance. Just Reva, brushing her hair off her shoulder, her dupatta slipping slightly before she caught it.
Effortless.
And stunning.
Jace wasn’t someone who got distracted easily—but in that moment, he forgot he had a headset on. He forgot the client on the other end was still talking. He forgot the slide he was supposed to be presenting.
She stood by the mirror, adjusting a bracelet, her earrings, pulling a strand of hair to the front, doing a small twirl to check the flare of her skirt. A little laugh escaped her lips when she tried a half-dance step and almost tripped over the hem.
Jace blinked, fully caught.
She looked up and caught him staring.
“What?” she laughed.
“Stop looking. I’m just rehearsing—I have a short performance.”
“You dance?” he asked, intrigued.
“Barely. I’ll be on stage for a minute or two.” she shrugged. “ There’s another guy performing with me.”
That didn’t sit well.
Jace’s smile thinned just a little. “Practice with me, then.”
Reva turned sharply, surprised. “You’re kidding.”
“No,” he said, already rising from the sofa. “You said it’s just a minute or two, right?”
She looked amused. “Okay… You stand there. I’ll spin around you and then push you, like you’re no match.”
“Try me.”
She started twirling around him, playful.
He didn’t see the steps. Just her.
When she gently pushed him, he caught her wrist, pulled her closer—his voice low.
“I’m the perfect match for you.”
Blood rushed to her cheeks. She stepped back quickly, laughing to mask the flutter inside her chest.
“My driver will take you. Call me when you’re ready to head back,” he said casually, shifting the mood.
“Oh, that’s not necessary. I can go by myself.”
“Please, let me. I still feel guilty about last time.”
She didn’t argue. Just smiled.
What a gentleman.
Hours passed.
10 p.m.—Jace called. No answer.
10:30—More calls, more texts. Nothing.
11 p.m.—A call—ignored.
That was it. He grabbed his keys and left.
She’d told him the area, not the exact venue. But he was ready to search every hall if he had to.
And just as he was about to start, his phone rang.
“Where have you been?” he nearly shouted—but his tone stayed even.
“Sorry, Jace. Why’re you calling? You should sleep.” Her voice was loud, and there was music blaring in the background.
“I’ve been calling you for an hour.”
“Relax,” she yelled over the noise. “Everything’s fine.”
His anger spiked. “Fine,” he said, about to hang up—
“Jace—Jace! I need a favor. Can you come?”
That snapped him out of it.
He got the location, hit the accelerator, and reached in ten minutes flat.
She stumbled out of the venue, confused. “How’d you get here so fast?”
“I was around,” he said, calm as ever.
Still confused, but tipsy and tired, she leaned on him slightly as they walked.
“I thought it’d be a normal engagement,” she said, waving her arms dramatically. “But everyone started drinking and dancing like crazy.” she gestured wildly—clearly tipsy herself.
He smiled. “And did you drink too?” he teased, already knowing the answer.
Her eyes widened innocently. “I said no no no, like, ten times. But then I drank,” she grinned sheepishly.
He laughed softly. “I figured.”
“Jace?”
“Hmm?”
“How come you were around?”
“You weren’t picking up. I had to find you.”
“You were worried?” she beamed.
“Jace…”
“Hmm?”
“Why do you keep meeting me?”
“Why do you keep meeting me?” he shot back without thinking.
She paused, heart thudding. “Well… I see a good friend in you.”
Her eyes locked on his. “Now you tell me.”
He looked at her for a long second.
“I see more than just a good friend.”
Silence. The kind that says everything.
—
They pulled up to Jace’s place.
“Why are we here?” she asked, confused.
“So you can rest for a while.”
“No, I’m fine. I should go home. I told my parents I’d be back.”
“Did you tell them you’d be drinking?”
She scrunched her nose. Clearly, she hadn’t.
“Then call them. Tell them you’re staying at a friend’s.”
“But this isn’t necessary. And it’s embarrassing…”
“What would be more embarrassing is me letting you leave like this.”
That conviction—she saw it in his eyes.
Reva just made a face, like a stubborn kid caught red-handed.
“…Fine.”
Reva stayed. Jace, ever the gentleman, offered her a change of clothes and said goodnight from a respectful distance.
The Morning After
He is definitely not interested in you, Reva.
Different room. Not even a hint of… anything.
Just the kindness. That’s all.
These thoughts swirled through Reva’s head the moment she opened her eyes. She stared at the ceiling for a beat too long before she sprang up to find some water—her mouth dry and head slightly heavy.
But as she stepped out of the room, she stopped short. Jace was already at the dining table, dressed up, scrolling through his laptop. When he looked up and smiled, something shifted.
“Good morning,” he beamed, like he had been waiting.
Reva blinked. Her hands instinctively moved to fix her hair. Maybe I should’ve freshened up first… Her smile was awkward, betrayed by the conflict behind her eyes.
“Why are you all dressed up?” she asked, amused.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, waving a half-smile.
“Hu hu hu,” she mocked a laugh, covering her fluttering heart.
“Really—breakfast’s ready. I made some light risotto for you.” He nodded toward the table. “And for me.”
She sat down, still unsure. “You didn’t have to do all this…”
Jace looked up. “How’s your hangover?”
“I’m okay. Just need water to hydrate.”
“Wait.” He stood up and brought her a glass with slices of lime floating in it. “This will help.”
“Thanks… again. You’re very kind,” Reva said, awkwardness returning.
Jace tilted his head slightly. “What’s wrong?”
“Why are you so nice to me?” she asked, not quite looking at him.
Jace took a breath, considering. “Is that… wrong?”
“You might be nice to everyone—but i do not let everyone be this nice to me. And you’re so busy all the time… still, you make time. Do all this…” she trailed off, stirring her spoon. “That’s what i wanted to ask yesterday.”
Jace didn’t respond immediately, but his soft smile stayed. They finished breakfast while he quietly passed her butter, jam, tea, juice—everything within arm’s reach.
“Okay, enough,” she finally laughed. “You’re spoiling me.”
After a quiet pause, Jace asked “I was thinking… if you’re free, could you help me shop for my parents?”
“Me?”
“You picked such great stuff for Jenna’s maternity gift. Hari said she loved it. So, I trust your taste.”
“Well, I can try,” she smiled. “Why not.”
A Day Out
The mall trip turned into a real outing—shawls for her parents, snacks shared on the go, and even a mini arcade game where Jace beat her at air hockey. The easy laughter made everything feel… light.
By evening, they found themselves in a cozy cafe, sipping coffee as the sun dipped lower.
Reva kept glancing at him. Something had been building in her chest all day.
“What is it?” he asked.
“What?”
“You’ve been holding back. I can tell. Just say it.”
Reva bit her lip, then met his gaze. “Fine. What have you been holding back? You change the subject every time. Look the other way.”
Jace sighed and put down his cup. “I want to show you something. If you’re okay with that.”
“O…kay,” she replied, her heart picking up pace.
Jace didn’t say much as they left the café. The evening air had turned crisp, and Reva wrapped her scarf a little tighter around her neck. She glanced sideways at him—he looked oddly focused, as if his mind was running faster than his steps.
“Where are we going?” she asked, half-playfully, half-nervously.
“You’ll see,” he said with that calm, unreadable tone of his.
After the drive, they walked in silence for a bit. Reva tried to fill the quiet in her head with harmless guesses.
Maybe a rooftop view? A surprise meet-up with Jenna and Hari? Some new gadget he wanted to show off?
But something about his demeanor told her it wasn’t just a casual detour.
When they finally stopped in front of a sleek high-rise building, Reva blinked.
“Wait… this is an office complex.”
Jace just smiled and pressed the elevator button.
The elevator ride was silent. Too silent. She kept fiddling with the strap of her purse. Her heart wouldn’t stop tapping at her chest.
When they reached the top floor, Jace led her down a glass corridor and finally pushed open the door to a spacious corner office.
His office.
He stepped aside and gestured gently, like he was unveiling something far more intimate than a room.
Reva looked around, eyebrows raised. “Really? That’s your big reveal?” she teased, hands in her back pockets.
Jace chuckled lightly behind her. “Yes. This is it.”
She turned to face him fully now. “Okay, I’m officially confused.”
“I just thought—if you ever feel like I’m too busy or hard to reach,” he said, stepping closer, “you should know… this is where I’ll be.”
His voice had shifted—lower, slower. Weighted with something unspoken.
“And for the record,” Jace added, taking another step forward, “I’m not this nice to everyone. Just you.”
Reva’s breath caught as the space between them disappeared. Her voice barely made it out.
“Why?”
“Because I want to be nice to you. Even when I don’t have time, or I’m exhausted, I still want to show up for you. And honestly—” he exhaled, finally letting the words fall—“even if I didn’t want to, I don’t think I could help it.”
“Jace…” she whispered.
“You’re the most beautiful, most maddeningly sweet girl I’ve ever met. You don’t even try, and still you—” his voice caught for a second, “—you get to me.”
Reva’s eyes flickered. Her face flushed, and she tilted her head slightly, lifting her gaze to meet his.
“You know it’s not going to work out, right?” she whispered.
He nodded, but not in agreement.
“I know it’s meant to happen,” he said simply, with the kind of certainty that silences everything else. “And no one—no one—can stop this.”
His hands reached up gently, one cupping her face, the other brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His touch wasn’t urgent. It was reverent, like she was something precious he’d waited too long to hold.
She closed her eyes, just for a second. Maybe to breathe. Maybe to steady herself. Maybe to fall.
And then they kissed.
It wasn’t explosive or wild. It was soft. Tender. Real.
A kiss filled with a kind of aching relief—like two people who’d been walking around with full hearts and no place to pour them.
That moment didn’t ask for permission. It just happened. With full consent, full feeling, and full silence around them.
Later when Jace dropped Reva at the metro station, there was a quietness between them—not awkward, but warm. The kind of silence that follows something real. Something that no longer needed to be hidden.
She glanced at him once before stepping into the crowd, eyes uncertain but smiling. Jace didn’t say anything. He just watched her go, a strange calm settling over him, like something finally aligned.
He didn’t head home.
Instead, he drove straight to Hari’s place.
“Bro,” Hari opened the door in his shorts, hair wild from a nap. “It’s 9 PM. You okay?”
“I think I’m going to date Reva,” Jace said without waiting.
Hari blinked.
“…Wait. What?!”
Jace stepped inside like he hadn’t just dropped a bomb.
“You heard me.”
“You think you’re going to date her? What makes you think she’d agree to that?”
“She probably will.” Jace’s tone was maddeningly calm as he poured himself a glass of water from the kitchen.
Hari followed, half-shouting. “Bro, are you serious right now? You’re not in a board meeting, bro. This is not business.”
“Don’t talk like I can’t handle a relationship.”
“You can, just not with her. You don’t have time either. You live in meetings, you sleep in your office—”
“And yet, I spent my entire Saturday cooking risotto and lime water for one girl.”
Hari’s mouth opened and closed.
“You’re obsessed.”
Jace didn’t deny it. He just smiled, slow and shameless.
Hari groaned. “Okay, okay, what did she say?”
“She said… ‘you know it’s not going to work out, right?’”
Hari clapped once, triumphant. “Exactly! See? She knows it too! This is doomed. You two are from different galaxies, man.”
Jace leaned back against the kitchen counter, folding his arms. “And I told her—‘I know it’s meant to happen.’”
“You what?”
Jace tilted his head, voice calm but unwavering. “If it wasn’t meant to happen, the thought would’ve never crossed my mind.”
Hari stared at him, completely at a loss.
“I don’t know if you’re delusional or in love,” he muttered.
“Maybe both.” Jace smiled, almost teasing.
Hari stood frozen in the kitchen, watching his friend leave like a man with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
“…Shit,” he muttered, rubbing his face. “He’s serious.”
Chai & Matcha Diaries 
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