The Bug That Was Love

Kolkata Girl x Hyderabad Boy | Colleagues to Besties to Lovers journey 

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*CHAPTER 1: The "Hi Sorry To Disturb" Girl*

Kolkata, 10:30 AM. Dona's first month in the company.

Dona on Slack: "Hi! This is Dona from Kolkata design team! Sorry to disturb, the dev link is not working? Can you please check when free? Sorry again!"

Hyderabad, 11:15 AM.

Adi on Slack: "fixed. check."

Dona: "OMG thank you so much!! You are super fast!! Thank you!!"

Adi: "hmm"

Dona in her head: _What a rude guy. Black t-shirt DP, topi, only says hmm. Full Undertaker._

But every bug she had, he fixed. In 10 minutes. Without extra questions.

So she started pinging him daily.

Dona: "Adi, quick doubt?"
Adi: "tell"
Dona: "You always say tell, hmm, fixed. Do you have other words in your dictionary?"
Adi: "have. but you talk enough for both of us. so I save words."
Dona: "You are calling me blabber!"
Adi: "I didn't. You said it yourself, Blabber."

And that's how she got her name. Blabber.

*CHAPTER 2: From Slack to 2 AM WhatsApp*

One month later, they were not just colleagues. They were on WhatsApp.

11:47 PM. Dona's shift over, but mind not.

Dona: "Are you awake?"
Adi: "was sleeping. now awake. tell."
Dona, voice note, 4 minutes: "Today in review, my lead said my design is average. I felt so dumb. Am I dumb, Adi? I try so hard and..."
Adi, voice note, sleepy: "Dona, listen. You are not average. You are the person who sends 12 versions of one banner because you want it perfect. Average people don't do that. You are my talented blabber, okay?"
Dona, tearing up: "You are awake just for me?"
Adi: "My phone is always on loud for you. Always. Even in production release. Rule, remember?"

*THE 2 AM RULE was born.* If Blabber can't sleep, Listener will pick up.

*CHAPTER 3: Besties - Cute Fights Era*

They became THAT duo. Kolkata and Hyderabad besties.

Dona: "You didn't see my 23 reels today!"
Adi: "I saw 2. You send reels like company sends emails. Non-stop."
Dona: "You don't love me!"
Adi: "I love you as my bestie, but my thumb has pain now from double-tapping your reels."
Dona: "Acha? Then I won't send!"
Adi: "You will send in 10 minutes again. I know you."
Dona, after 8 minutes: "_sends reel_"
Adi: "See? Told you."

Dona: "You replied 'okay' to my 10 min voice note! ONLY OKAY?!"
Adi: "Because I was listening and eating. Multitasking."
Dona: "I will block you!"
Adi: "Do it. You blocked me 3 times last week. Then you unblock and say 'sorry, network issue'."
Dona: "This time I will REALLY block!"
Adi: "Acha, my drama queen. Chai piyegi? Virtual chai? Then unblock your poor listener?"

She would always unblock.

*CHAPTER 4: The Ugly Fight - Distance Hurts*

December. Work pressure high. Both burnt out.

1:22 AM call.

Dona, crying: "You have changed! You only say hmm now! You don't care! I am always the one calling!"
Adi, exhausted, voice breaking: "Dona, I am on deployment since 14 hours! My eyes are burning! And you think I don't care? I care every single day! I am just tired! Why can't I be tired for one day?!"
Dona: "So I am a burden? Fine! Don't pick my call ever again!"
Adi: "Don't say things you will regret tomorrow!"
Dona: "Maybe we should not talk then!" _cuts call_

That night was hell. 1500 km felt like a different planet.

No good morning. No reel. No "did you eat?"

Whole day, both refreshing chat. Typing... Deleting...

7:13 PM. Adi couldn't take it.

Adi: "Did you eat, Blabber?"

Seen. No reply. Then typing...

Dona: "Are you still angry at me?"
Adi: "I can never be angry at you. I was scared. Scared that if I tell you I am low, you will think I am not strong enough for you."
Dona, voice cracking: "Idiot. I don't want you strong. I want you real. Even if real means you say 'I am tired today, Dona'. I will understand."
Adi: "Promise you won't go?"
Dona: "Promise. Now come on huddle. I want to see my Undertaker."

They stayed on huddle for 3 hours. No work. Just silence and breathing. And that was enough.

*CHAPTER 5: The First Meet - Hyderabad Boy Lands in Kolkata*

Company quarterly meetup. Location: Kolkata office. Adi was coming from Hyderabad.

Dona, video call, panicking one day before: "What if you see me and think 'is this the blabber?' What if I am annoying in real life?"
Adi, smiling in black t-shirt and topi: "Dona, I have heard you blabber for 187 hours on call. I know you are annoying. I am coming BECAUSE you are annoying. Pack your best earrings, the one you lost story you told me."

Next day. Kolkata office. 4:12 PM. Coffee machine.

Dona freezes. He is there. Real. Taller. Same topi.

Dona, whispering: "Adi?"
Adi turns. Sees her. Short hair, messy, big eyes, same as DP.

Adi: "Blabber."

First hug. Office hug, awkward, then he pulls her tighter.

Dona: "You actually came."
Adi: "1500km for a bug fix. The bug was - my bestie was sad. So I had to come, no?"
Dona, hitting his chest: "Still only hmm?"
Adi: "Hmm... with extra hug."

Everyone in office saw. Kolkata girl hugging Hyderabad boy like they knew each other for years. Because they did.

*CHAPTER 6: From Besties to Something More - That Evening*

After party. Terrace. Kolkata skyline. Light rain starting.

Only them. Two chairs, one fairy light that someone left.

Dona: "Adi, we are... what are we now? Still besties?"
Adi: "What do you want us to be, Dona?"
Dona, looking down: "I don't know. I get jealous when some girl from your Hyderabad team comments on your code. I don't want to be just bestie who gets jealous."
Adi comes closer, holds her cold hands.

Adi: "Dona, listen. I took a 6 AM flight from Hyderabad. I hate flights. I did that for you. I keep my phone on loud only for you. I remember your cat's name, your earring story, your ma's scolding story. Do you think a bestie does that?"
Dona, eyes up: "Then what does a..."
Adi: "A person who is in love does that, Blabber."

Silence. Rain louder.

Dona: "You... you love me?"
Adi: "Since that first 'hi sorry to disturb' message. I just didn't say, because I thought long distance will scare my blabber."

Dona tears up, but smiling.

Dona: "Idiot. You should have said before. I have been loving you since you first called me Blabber."

He tucks her hair behind her ear. Slowly. His fingers cold from rain.

Adi: "Can I...?"
Dona: "You don't need to ask anymore, Undertaker."

*CHAPTER 7: The Unexpected Hot Romance - The Rain Terrace*

He kisses her forehead first. Long, warm. Like a thank you for all those 2 AM calls.

Then her cheek, where her tears were.

Dona whispers: "Adi..."

Then lips. Finally.

It's soft at first, like he is scared to break her. Then Dona pulls his black t-shirt and kisses him back - hungry, adorable, all her words finally in kisses.

Dona, between kisses, breathless: "You... you kiss like you listen. So patiently."
Adi, smiling on her lips: "And you kiss like you blabber. Non-stop."
Dona, giggling, then kissing him harder: "Shut up!"

His hands on her waist, her arms tight around his neck. The topi falls. The rain wets them both but they don't care.

Adi, whispering, voice husky: "Dona, I have wanted this for so long. To hold you like this, not just on voice call."
Dona, holding his face: "Then hold me. Properly. No more long distance. No more 'hmm' only."

He picks her up slightly, makes her sit on the ledge, stands between her legs, forehead touching hers.

Adi: "I am going to apply for Kolkata transfer. Or you come to Hyderabad. But no more 1500km, Blabber. I want to be able to hug you when you cry, not just say 'tell' on phone."
Dona, kissing his neck, his jaw: "Anywhere. As long as I get to annoy you daily. In person."
Adi, groaning softly because her kisses are making him lose his calm Undertaker act: "You will be the end of me, Donna."
Dona: "Good. I want to be."

Final scene: They are sitting on the floor of the terrace, drenched, Dona in his lap, his black t-shirt now half wet, her head on his chest, his arms wrapped around her like a blanket. The cat from the office building comes and sleeps near them.

Dona: "My hug quota?"
Adi: "Overfulfilled for lifetime."
Dona: "One more?"
Adi: "Lifetime more."

And Kolkata rain keeps falling, but for Adi and Dona, long distance finally ended. Colleagues became besties. Besties became lovers. And the blabber finally got her listener - not just on call, but in her arms, for real.

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