It was my first time traveling by bus from Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar. A last-minute plan, almost every seat booked. I had no option but to take an upper sleeper – one of those two-seater berths. I boarded at the first stop after noon, half curious, half resigned, wondering who my co-passenger would be. Obviously, I assumed it’d be a guy.

I was enjoying the passing scenery when sleep quietly took over. I don’t know how long I’d been out when raised voices jolted me awake.

That’s when I saw her.

Aditi.

Twenty-two. Fair skin. Natural brown hair brushing her shoulders. A perfectly tempting 32-28-32 figure wrapped in a jaw-droppingly tight black top and soft grey pajamas that hugged her curves just right. She looked flustered, arguing with the conductor. Turns out, her brother had mistakenly booked her ticket under “male.” Every seat was full. Her only option? Share a sleeper with a guy…or cancel the journey.

She couldn’t cancel. Something urgent was waiting for her. And fate decided that I was the guy she’d be sharing the berth with for the next eighteen hours.