3. I met him again, but…
1265 Words
Saanvi's Point Of View
My first kiss, the one Adrian gave me that night, was not deep. It was not demanding.
It was gentle, warm, and comforting.
It lasted only a few seconds, yet it managed to fill my entire being with an unexplainable sense of relief.
It was a wordless way of saying, I see you… I feel your pain… You are not alone tonight… I’m here for you…
Just like the snowflakes drifting around us and the golden glow of the Eiffel Tower, his kiss felt magical, almost unbelievable that I had truly experienced it.
After our lips parted, neither of us spoke. Despite all the sorrow weighing my heart down and the unspoken sadness I sensed in his, we both sat there smiling, watching the whole world around us shimmer with happiness, laughter, and Christmas joy.
But after a while, the snowfall grew heavier. I shivered despite having Adrian’s warm presence beside me.
He finally turned to me. “Where are you staying?”
I told him the name of the hotel.
“Let me take you there,” he said gently.
We took a taxi. Neither of us spoke, yet we sat close enough that I could hear his soft sighs. With my heart shattered into a million pieces in a city where I knew no one, having him beside me like that brought the comfort I so much needed. His presence alone made me feel a little less alone.
But halfway through the ride, Adrian’s phone suddenly rang. The moment he saw the caller ID, everything about him changed. The calmness vanished. His expression tensed. His breath hitched. Panic flickered across his eyes.
“I’m coming,” he said quickly, his voice urgent, almost trembling.
He ended the call and looked at me apologetically, guilt unmistakable in those blue eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Jaanu… there’s something urgent I need to take care of.”
Before I could respond, he told the driver to stop the taxi. He got out in a rush… and walked away without even looking back.
I sat there, stunned.
I had no idea what kind of emergency could make him leave so suddenly, without an explanation… without a goodbye… without giving me his number.
I didn’t even have time to ask for it.
The warmth, the comfort, the fragile happiness I felt just seconds ago vanished as the taxi drove away, leaving him disappearing into the snowy crowd.
I was alone again... with only my broken heart for company.
When I reached the hotel, I was too exhausted even to stand properly.
I couldn't sleep on the flight because I was excited. I had spent the entire day outside in the cold, carrying heartbreak and loneliness on my shoulders.
My body had no strength left. My mind felt shattered. My heart felt numb.
I fell asleep without even bothering to change.
The next morning, I had to check out. This hotel was far too expensive to stay longer; I had only booked it because everything else was fully booked for Christmas Eve. My company-arranged apartment will only be available next week. So I have to move to a cheaper hotel until then.
From the moment I opened my eyes that morning, the betrayal from yesterday replayed in my mind like a cruel movie. I saw several missed calls and messages from Enrico, but I didn’t need an explanation from him anymore.
I blocked his number.
Nothing he said could change the fact that he was soon going to be a father to another woman’s child.
However… Enrico wasn’t the only Frenchman who made my heart ache that morning.
Before leaving the hotel, I carefully wrote a note and handed it to the receptionist. If a man named Adrian comes asking for Jaanu… please give him this number.
It was a long shot.
After the way we parted, with no goodbye and no promise, I didn’t know if he would even remember me.
But if he wanted to find me, this hotel was the only clue he had.
I held onto that hope.
But the call I expected never came...
The next few days dragged painfully. My loneliness grew heavier. My sadness is sharper.
I barely left the small hotel room. I had no energy. Paris was beautiful, but beauty feels meaningless when you have no one to share it with.
The only thing that lifted my heart even slightly was the hope that my phone might light up with a message from Adrian.
But it never did.
I tried convincing myself he was busy… that he would call once things settled…
Then the New Year arrived, and still, nothing.
By that time, I had to accept the truth.
Meeting Adrian that night meant two broken souls helped each other survive one painful night. And that was it.
Maybe to him, I was just a random girl, a stranger he comforted and forgot.
But to me…
He was someone who held my heart together when it was falling apart.
*********************************
On 2nd January, I finally walked out of my small hotel room and headed to my workplace. A renowned French skincare company.
I was going to be a senior developer on their in-house development team, building and maintaining their sophisticated e-commerce platform.
Marco, my team lead, welcomed me warmly and introduced me to everyone.
There was one Chinese girl, Becky, who instantly became my friend. She had been the only female developer until now, so she looked genuinely happy to have me join. Her cheerful, warm personality comforted me more than she knew.
She was officially assigned as my buddy and eagerly began explaining how things worked in the company.
While she was showing me around, Marco approached again.
“Saanvi, come,” he said with a smile. “We work closely with the marketing team responsible for online strategy. Let me introduce you to their head.”
The marketing team was located on the other side of the floor.
Marco led me past several desks until we reached a tall man with his back turned to us, speaking to a colleague.
“Saanvi, this is Adrian Hayes,” Marco introduced. “Head of the marketing team.”
Adrian?
My heart trembled.
How many Adrians am I going to meet in Paris?
The man turned around...
And the moment my eyes focused on his face, my heart stopped.
Standing there in a navy-blue suit… was Adrian.
The Adrian who kissed me under the Eiffel Tower. The Adrian I had been waiting to hear from. The Adrian I thought fate had taken away.
My heart swelled with joy. This had to be destiny. How else could I see him again like this?
I stared at his handsome face, somehow even more handsome than I remembered. I completely missed whatever Marco was saying.
After all… Adrian didn’t need any introduction. He already knew me.
“Saanvi!”
Marco’s voice snapped me back to reality.
Adrian extended his hand with a polite smile.
“Nice to meet you, Saanvi. I look forward to working with you.”
I froze.
There was no recognition in his eyes. No warmth... No hint that he had ever seen me before... Spoken to me... Held me...Kissed me...
His blue eyes were calm, professional, and distant.
“I… I look forward to working with you too,” I managed to say, my voice trembling as I searched desperately for even a flicker of that man from Christmas Eve.
But there was nothing.
At that moment, I was almost convinced...
He had forgotten me completely.
- Writer
