First Date Swipe Left on love story
Anu stared at her phone, resting her tired head against her cab window. The dating app buzzed again.
Another match. With an annoyed smile Another guy with a joke in his bio.
“If you laugh at my jokes, I’ll marry you.”
She scoffed.
“Nobody’s original anymore,” she muttered—just another guy trying too hard to be funny.
She hovered over the left swipe and paused.
Stand-up comic? Great. The kind she couldn’t stand.
But something about his eyes made her stop. Maybe it was the smile… or just the boredom.
Click. Right swipe.
And just like that—“It’s a match!”
Anu rolled her eyes. “Let’s get this over with.” let’s see what happens with him.
The café was in Bandra—cute, a little quirky, and full of people pretending to read serious books.
Anu walked in, red decently dressed, with sharp boots, a blazer, and a no-nonsense attitude. She scanned the place and spotted him immediately.
Rishi. Hoodie, messy hair, and that overconfident smirk.
“Wow,” he grinned, standing up. “You look like you came to interview me, not date me.”
Anu raised an eyebrow. With a fake charm smile “And you look like you just woke up in your stand-up dreams.”
He laughed. She didn’t.
He noticed.
“Tough crowd,” he mumbled with a shrug. “Cool cool.”
They sat down. The silence stretched for a few seconds too long.
“So,” Rishi said finally, tapping the menu, “Anu the architect. You build stuff. I destroy people’s egos on stage. Perfect Match made in hell?”
Anu smirked. “Only if you stop cracking PG jokes.”
“Oh no, you didn’t,” he gasped, placing a hand over his chest. “My PG jokes pay my rent.”
“And I pay mine with floor plans. Yours probably have punchlines,” she replied dryly.
They both laughed this time—surprised by the rhythm they’d found so early.
When the menu came, the next fight began.
“One pizza to share?” he offered.
“Sure,” Anu replied. “But no pineapple. Please.”
Rishi blinked. “Wait what? You’re one of those people?”
“Pineapple on pizza is a crime,” she said, straight-faced.
“No, ma’am. It’s a revolution. Sweet, salty, spicy—just like me.”
“More like confused, annoying, and extra,” Anu muttered, trying not to smile.
“My pineapple soul feels attacked,” Rishi said dramatically.
She chuckled, finally giving in. “You’re such a clown.”
“And you, madam, are a tough nut to crack. But challenge accepted.”
The bill came. War resumed.
“I’ll get this,” he offered.
“Nope. I don’t do pity payments.”
“This ain’t pity. It’s chivalry.”
“Chivalry’s dead, bro. We’re splitting.”
“You’re seriously killing romance in real time,” he sighed.
“And you’re overpaying for ₹400 coffee,” she shot back.
They split the bill. Obviously.
Instead of calling it a night, they ended up wandering into a tiny bookstore nearby—one of those cozy, slightly dusty places that smelled like paperbacks and nostalgia.
“No plan, huh?” she asked, brushing her hand along the shelves.
“Best kind of plan,” he replied. “Let chaos lead.”
Rishi pulled out a paperback with a swooning couple on the cover.
“You into these mushy romance novels?”
Anu raised an eyebrow. “Only when I hate myself enough.”
“Nice. Finally, Now we are talking he said with a smirk
“Oh, I save my drama for real life,” she smirked, flipping through a comic book.
They sat on the floor between the shelves, legs stretched out, shoulders almost touching.
“You read comics?” she asked, surprised.
“Of course. Where else would I learn life skills like sarcasm and villain monologues?”
She laughed. “Valid. I wanted to be an astronaut once.”
“Oooh, space kid! What happened?”
“Found out I couldn’t carry my mom’s aloo paratha to Mars. Dream over.”
He clutched his heart. Oh, dear !!!
They both chuckled. Not the loud, obvious kind. The kind that sneaks out when something feels unexpectedly… warm.
Outside, the sky had gone all soft-purple, like a painting with bad lighting.
They walked side by side. No phones. No rush. Just that weird, quiet comfort you don’t usually feel on a first date.
“You know,” Anu said after a pause, “I thought this date would be a disaster.”
Rishi nodded. “Same. I was this close to unmatching you after that power blazer pic.”
She stopped, pretending to be offended. “Excuse you—that blazer is iconic. I was serving boss energy.”
“Oh, you did. CEO
She grinned. “And you? Still annoying. But in a slightly bearable, comic-sidekick kinda way.”
He gasped. “That is the nicest backhanded compliment I’ve ever received.”
At the crosswalk, they slowed down.
“So,” she said, glancing at her watch that wasn’t even working, “this was… surprisingly decent.”
“Wow,” he replied. “High praise. I’m flattered.”
“Don’t let it go to your head, stand-up boy.”
“Oh, too late. I’m already planning our second date… I mean, debate.”
She chuckled, eyes lingering on his for a second longer.
“Maybe this was the last first date,” she said softly.
He blinked. “Damn. That sounded romantic. I might faint.”
“Stay with me, drama queen.”
“Only if you promise to insult me again next time.”
She winked. “Deal.”
And just like that… what started with sarcasm, ended with a spark.
Maybe, just maybe, this was their last first date. ❤️