Hyderabad had seen every kind of love story.
Love at first sight. One-sided love. Arranged love. Forgotten love.
But Lucky had absolutely no interest in any of them.
For her, life was meant to be enjoyed before it became complicated.
She was the kind of girl who could walk into a café alone, make friends with strangers within ten minutes, laugh loudly without caring who was watching, and disappear on a random drive just because the weather felt good.
Her philosophy was simple.
“Love is a beautiful word people use before making their lives miserable.”
And there was one person who had heard that sentence more times than anyone else.
Sandy.
Her best friend.
They had known each other for years. He knew when she was lying, when she was angry, when she was pretending to be happy and, most importantly, when she needed someone beside her without asking for explanations.
Lucky never noticed the way Sandy looked at her when she wasn’t looking at him.
He never confessed.
He never proposed.
He never even tried to make her fall for him.
Because Sandy knew Lucky.
He knew that if he pushed her, she’d run.
So he stayed exactly where she needed him to be.
Beside her.
One Friday evening, Lucky and Sandy were sitting at a rooftop café overlooking the Hyderabad skyline.
Lucky was scrolling through her phone.
“Everyone is getting married,” she said suddenly.
Sandy looked up.
“That’s generally what happens when people grow up.”
Lucky frowned.
“I don’t understand why.”
“Why what?”
“Why people voluntarily give up their freedom.”
Sandy smiled.
“Maybe they find someone worth giving it up for.”
Lucky laughed.
“That’s exactly the kind of nonsense I’m talking about.”
Sandy didn’t answer.
Lucky looked at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You have that face.”
“What face?”
“The ‘I know something you don’t know’ face.”
Sandy smiled.
“I don’t know anything.”
Lucky narrowed her eyes.
“You’re lying.”
Before Sandy could answer, Lucky’s attention shifted towards the entrance.
Someone had just walked into the café.
A man.
Tall.
Calm.
Dressed simply, but carrying himself with a confidence that didn’t seem deliberate.
He wasn’t looking around trying to impress anyone.
That was probably why Lucky noticed him.
She watched him for a few seconds.
Sandy noticed.
“Who are you looking at?”
Lucky immediately looked away.
“Nobody.”
Sandy smiled.
“Interesting.”
“Don’t start.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to.”
The man walked towards the counter.
His name was Shiv.
And neither Lucky nor Sandy knew that his arrival was about to change the balance between them.
Later that night, Lucky was walking towards her car when she accidentally dropped her keys.
Before she could pick them up, another hand reached them first.
She looked up.
Shiv.
“You dropped these.”
Lucky took the keys.
“Thanks.”
“Lucky?”
She paused.
“How do you know my name?”
Shiv smiled.
“Your friend called you.”
Lucky glanced behind him.
Sandy was nowhere nearby.
“You were listening?”
“I wasn’t trying to.”
There was something about his expression that irritated her.
Or perhaps intrigued her.
She couldn’t decide.
“So you’re Shiv?”
He nodded.
“And you’re Lucky.”
“Unfortunately.”
He smiled.
“That’s a strange way to introduce yourself.”
“I’m a strange person.”
“I noticed.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Already?”
“It’s not difficult.”
For the first time in a long time, Lucky didn’t have a smart reply.
Shiv walked away.
She stood there watching him.
Then she whispered to herself—
“Okay… that was interesting.”
The next few days, Shiv appeared in her life in unexpected ways.
A coffee shop.
A bookstore.
A friend’s gathering.
A chance meeting near Jubilee Hills.
Each time, there was the same effortless tension between them.
They didn’t know each other.
But somehow, every conversation felt familiar.
Lucky began noticing things she usually wouldn’t notice.
The way Shiv smiled before answering.
The way he looked directly into her eyes.
The way he never seemed desperate for her attention.
And that bothered her.
Because Lucky was used to people trying to impress her.
Shiv didn’t.
One evening, Lucky found herself sitting opposite Shiv at a quiet café.
Rain had started outside.
She looked through the glass window.
“Hyderabad rain.”
Shiv smiled.
“You don’t like it?”
“I love it.”
“Then why do you look annoyed?”
“Because rain makes people romantic.”
“And that’s a problem?”
“For me, yes.”
“Why?”
Lucky looked at him.
“Because I don’t believe in love.”
Shiv leaned back.
“Maybe you just haven’t met someone who makes you believe in it.”
Lucky smiled.
“And you think you’re that person?”
“No.”
His answer surprised her.
“I don’t think I’m anything.”
“Then why are you here?”
He looked at her.
“Because I wanted to see you.”
Silence.
For once, Lucky didn’t laugh.
Her eyes remained on his.
The rain became louder outside.
Neither of them moved.
There was something in that silence that felt more intimate than words.
Lucky slowly looked away.
Shiv smiled.
“You’re nervous.”
“I don’t get nervous.”
“You are now.”
She looked back at him.
“Don’t be so confident.”
“I’m not confident.”
“Then?”
“I just like watching you pretend you’re not affected.”
Lucky’s heartbeat changed.
She hated that he noticed.
She hated even more that she liked it.
Outside the café, Sandy was waiting in his car.
He had called Lucky twice.
No answer.
He looked towards the café.
Through the glass, he saw Lucky sitting with Shiv.
He smiled faintly.
Not because he was happy.
Because he already knew.
Lucky had finally found someone who could make her feel something she had spent years avoiding.
He started his car and drove away.
Inside, Lucky’s phone finally lit up.
Sandy.
She looked at the screen.
Then at Shiv.
She didn’t answer.
Shiv noticed.
“Your boyfriend?”
Lucky laughed.
“No.”
“Then why aren’t you answering?”
“Because he’s my best friend.”
“Ah.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Lucky leaned closer.
“You’re jealous?”
Shiv smiled.
“Should I be?”
She looked at him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Lucky said softly—
“Maybe.”
Shiv’s expression changed.
The distance between them suddenly felt much smaller.
Lucky could feel her own heartbeat.
Shiv slowly leaned closer.
Not enough to cross the line.
Just enough to make her wonder if he would.
Lucky didn’t move away.
Their eyes met.
The moment stretched.
Then Shiv stopped.
He smiled and whispered—
“Good night, Lucky.”
He stood up.
Lucky stared at him.
“That’s it?”
Shiv turned around.
“What were you expecting?”
Lucky smiled.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s probably why I should leave.”
He walked away.
Lucky remained seated, staring at the rain.
For the first time in her life, she had no idea what she wanted.
But she knew she wanted to see him again.
The next morning, Lucky woke up to a message from an unknown number.
“Tonight. 8 PM. Same place.”
She stared at it.
No name.
Just the message.
She smiled.
Then another message arrived.
“Come alone.”
Lucky’s smile disappeared.
She looked at the number again.
And then she noticed something.
It wasn’t Shiv’s number.
Before she could reply, another message arrived.
“If you want to know why Shiv came to Hyderabad… come.”
Lucky’s face changed.
Who was this person?
And what did Shiv have to do with it?
For the first time, Lucky’s carefree world suddenly had a mystery in it.
And she was already walking straight towards it.