It was 3:30 AM. The city was a ghost town, but on their Favorite Street, the lamps stood like silent sentinels, witnessing the most difficult hour of Ashok's life. Sony's flight to Dubai was in less than four hours.
The bike was parked on the side of the road. Neither of them wanted to get back on, because moving meant moving toward the airport.
"I have something for you," Sony whispered. Her voice was thick with the tears she had been holding back all night.
She reached into her bag and pulled out a small, heavy velvet pouch. When she opened it, the lamplight caught the gleam of silver. It was a custom-made pendant/dollar and chain.
"Look closely," she said, placing it in his palm.
Ashok's breath hitched. On one side, it was the "PA Eye"—a beautiful, watchful eye. On the other side, an intricate engraving: two figures, a Boss and a PA, holding hands while wearing their bracelets.
"So you don't forget whose hand you're supposed to hold," she moped, her bottom lip trembling. "Even if I'm 3,000 miles away."
Ashok didn't speak. He couldn't. He took her hand—the one wearing the ring from their "tablet night"—and pulled her into his space. He took the chain and carefully placed it around her neck instead.
"No," he murmured. "You wear it. It's a promise. I'm coming for you, Sony. One way or another, this isn't a goodbye."
He looked at his watch. 4:00 AM. The air grew colder, but the space between them was electric. Sony reached up, her fingers trembling as she touched the collar of his jacket. The "bold" girl was gone, replaced by a woman who was terrified of losing her anchor.
"Kiss me, Boss," she whispered. "Make it something I can feel when I'm alone in that desert. Make it last until I come back."
Ashok didn't hesitate. At 4:15 AM, under the glowing yellow lamps of their street, he leaned down and captured her lips.
It wasn't like the quick, shy kisses of the past weeks. This was a kiss of soul-deep recognition. It tasted of salt from her tears and the sweetness of the chicken rice they had shared earlier. It was the kiss of a man who had traveled through time just to reach this moment, and a woman who was finally realizing that her heart would never leave this street.
By 4:30 AM, they were just holding each other, swaying slightly in the middle of the empty road.
"I'll message you the moment I land," Sony promised, her head against his chest. "I'll call you every night shift. I'll take my tablets and tell you I'm married to you every single night if that's what it takes."
Ashok kissed her forehead. "Just stay safe. And remember... the moon is the same in Dubai as it is here. When you look at it, know that I'm looking at it too, saying your name."