The atmosphere at the airport was heavy with the scent of jet fuel and unspoken goodbyes. Sony stood by the luggage trolley, her eyes red and puffy. She looked exactly as she had in Ashok's memory—clutching her passport, her heart torn between the ambition of a life in Dubai and the man standing in front of her.
Her brother and sister stood a few feet away, giving them a moment of privacy.
"I have to go, Boss," Sony whispered, her voice trembling. "The contract is signed. My family... they expect this."
Ashok looked at the large digital clock on the terminal wall. 3:30 AM. In the old timeline, he would have just hugged her, cried in private, and waited for a WhatsApp call. But this Ashok had lived through the loneliness. He knew that "five or six months" would feel like a century.
"Do you remember the night of the tablets, Sony?" Ashok asked suddenly.
Sony looked down, blushing despite the sadness. "I told you, I was just talking nonsense."
"And the 4:30 AM kiss on our favorite street last week?" Ashok stepped closer, ignoring the busy travelers rushing past. "Was that nonsense too?"
Sony looked up, her eyes swimming with tears. "No. That was real. But reality is also this ticket in my hand."
Ashok reached into his pocket. He didn't pull out a gift or a souvenir. He pulled out a second passport and a folder.
"I'm not letting you go alone this time," Ashok said firmly.
Sony's eyes widened. "What... what is that?"
"While you were overthinking our goodbye, I was talking to the head office," Ashok said, a naughty, confident smirk playing on his lips—the one he only ever showed her. "They have a branch in Dubai. They needed a Senior Lead for the transition team. I applied the day you got your visa."
He showed her the approval letter.
"Boss... you... you're coming with me?"
"I'm your Senior, remember?" Ashok teased, though his eyes were soft and sincere. "Who's going to teach you how to handle the shifts over there? Who's going to make sure you eat your chicken rice? And most importantly..."
He leaned in, whispering near her ear, "...who is going to remind you that we're already 'married' in your head?"
Sony let out a sob that was half-laughter and half-relief. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. The bold Sony was gone; the kind, loving Sony was all that remained.
"You're crazy," she whispered.
"I've had a lot of time to think about this," Ashok replied, holding her tight. He looked over her shoulder at the sunrise beginning to glow through the terminal glass.
The past was gone. The cycle of waiting and missing each other was broken.
"Attention passengers," the intercom drifted through the hall. "Flight 402 to Dubai is now boarding."
Ashok grabbed the handle of her trolley with one hand and took her hand with the other. He looked at the ring she had once given him—the one he now wore with pride.
"Ready, PA?"
Sony wiped her tears and stood tall, a bold smile finally breaking across her face. "Ready, Boss."
Epilogue: The Moon is Always Beautiful
Six months later, on a balcony overlooking the sparkling lights of the Dubai Marina, two people sat eating chicken rice from a takeout box.
"Boss?" Sony asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Hmm?"
"Do you ever feel like... like we've done this all before? Like you knew exactly what to say at the airport?"
Ashok looked at the moon hanging over the Persian Gulf. It was the same moon that had watched them on their favorite street back home. He could tell her the truth—that he had traveled through time, that he had lived a life of longing just to get back to this moment.
But he just kissed the top of her head and smiled.
"Maybe I just know you better than you know yourself," he said.
Sony laughed, reaching for her night tablets. "Well, tonight I'm taking my medicine. So you better be ready to hear about our 'wedding' again."
Ashok laughed, pulling her closer. "I'm counting on it."
The End... or a New Beginning?