Echoes of Love and Lies

As Ria and Arun walked into the airport, Ria's curiosity was at its peak. Her eyes darted around, searching for any clue about their destination. Arun, however, kept his poker face intact, casually steering her toward the check-in counter.

"Arun, this is driving me crazy! Are we leaving the country? Is this a work thing? A vacation? What's going on?" Ria demanded, her tone half-playful, half-exasperated.

Arun handed over their passports to the staff and smiled at her. "Patience, Ria. Good things come to those who wait."

Ria crossed her arms, muttering under her breath, "You're enjoying this way too much."

The airline staff handed them their boarding passes. Ria leaned over eagerly, trying to sneak a peek, but Arun quickly tucked them into his pocket.

"Nope," he said, grinning. "You'll find out soon."

Moments later, they were seated in the waiting lounge. Arun handed Ria a coffee and gestured to a nearby seat.

"Okay," Ria said, narrowing her eyes. "At least tell me what kind of clothes I should've packed. Am I going to regret not bringing a jacket? Or a swimsuit?"

Arun chuckled. "You'll be fine. I made sure you packed the right things."

"Ugh, you're impossible," Ria groaned, slumping back in her seat.

Soon, the boarding announcement echoed through the lounge. Ria perked up, hoping to catch the destination, but Arun stood up, blocking her view of the display.

"Time to board!" he said cheerfully, pulling her along.

As they settled into their seats on the plane, Ria leaned closer, her voice a soft whisper. "Arun, I'm serious. If you don't tell me now, I might explode."

Arun leaned back, smirking. "Well, I wouldn't want that. But you've waited this long—what's another couple of hours?"

Ria let out an exaggerated groan, but a smile tugged at her lips. She hated surprises but couldn't deny that Arun's excitement was contagious.

A few hours later, the plane landed, and Ria followed Arun through the bustling airport. As they exited, the warm breeze hit her, and she spotted palm trees swaying in the distance.

"Wait a minute… are we in Maldives?" Ria asked, her voice rising with disbelief.

Arun grinned. "Surprise!"

Ria froze for a moment, her eyes wide. "You're kidding. You planned a trip to the Maldives? For us?"

Arun nodded, taking her hand. "You've been stressed lately, overthinking everything. I thought we needed a break—a chance to relax and just… be us."

Ria felt a lump rise in her throat. "Arun, this is… this is amazing. But why didn't you tell me?"

"Because the surprise is half the fun," he said, his voice soft. "I wanted you to feel something unexpected. To remind you that sometimes, we don't need all the answers. We just need to go with the flow."

Ria smiled, her heart full. "Okay, I admit it—you got me. This is perfect."

As they stepped outside, a private car waited to whisk them away to their resort. The drive was filled with laughter, Arun pointing out the turquoise waters and Ria marveling at the beauty around them.

When they arrived at the resort, Ria was stunned. Their villa was perched on stilts above the crystal-clear ocean, complete with a private deck and a small infinity pool.

"This is unreal," Ria whispered, stepping onto the deck and staring out at the horizon.

Arun joined her, slipping his arm around her waist. "We needed this, Ria. A chance to hit pause, to remind ourselves why we're doing this together."

She turned to him, her eyes shining. "You're incredible, Arun. Thank you for this."

"Anything for you," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Ria felt the weight of her worries melt away. For the first time in a long time, she wasn't thinking about the past or the future—just the beauty of the present and the journey ahead.