Chapter 1

Mrinalini

@minakrish

Bags of Charm: A sweet mix-up

Writer - minakrish | Graphicer - PriyaArshiSarun | Theme - Bag

Priya won the Runner-Up in the Graphics Category for this book cover in the Mixed Bag of Celebrations. Please do go over and check out the contest results.

The cozy café buzzed with chatter, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the sweet scent of pastries. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a warm glow on the wooden tables, where patrons sat, engrossed in conversation or lost in their laptops. The soft clinking of cups and bursts of laughter added to the café's lively atmosphere, creating a welcome retreat from the chaos outside.

Arnav Singh Raizada sat at his usual corner table, tapping away at his phone while occasionally glancing around the café. He preferred this little hideaway from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Here, he could enjoy a moment of solitude and sip his black coffee in peace. The comforting hum of the café was a welcome respite, and he liked it just fine. Social interactions often drained him, leaving him yearning for the company of his thoughts.

It had been a long day, and his mood was, as usual, somewhere between annoyed and indifferent. The last thing he needed was any disruption to his routine.

But, of course, the universe had other plans.

“Excuse me! Hey! You—tall, grumpy guy!”

Arnav raised his eyes slowly, his brows furrowing as a woman, clearly out of breath, came to a stop right in front of him. Her wide eyes and frantic hand gestures were as if she were trying to signal a plane.

“You’re talking to me?” he asked flatly, his tone clipped.

“Yes! You!” the woman gasped, a hint of urgency in her voice. “You’ve got my bag.”

Arnav glanced down at the sleek, black and beige printed bag sitting beside him, raising an eyebrow. “This isn’t mine?”

“No it's not.” the woman snapped, her voice tinged with frustration. Then, realizing how rude she sounded, her tone softened. “I mean, that's my bag. You took it by mistake.”

Arnav blinked, feeling his patience run thin. “How could I have taken your bag by mistake?”

“You left with it when you picked up your order! I was sitting over there!” She pointed to a table across the café, where a small group of friends chatted animatedly, oblivious to their exchange. “And I saw you grab it when you left the counter!”

Arnav rubbed his temple, thoroughly unamused by the turn of events. “Look, I don’t have time for this. You’ve clearly made a mistake. This is definitely my bag.”

Khushi’s face flushed with frustration. “No, I haven’t! Check inside if you don’t believe me.”

With an exasperated sigh, Arnav picked up the bag and opened it, only to find an iPad, a small wallet, a bright pink notebook, and another book, looked like a sketchbook and a set of keys. Definitely not his.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered, already feeling the weight of the day pressing down harder. He shoved the bag toward her. “Fine. Take it.”

Khushi snatched the bag from him, her irritation quickly replaced with relief. “Thank you! I was so worried I’d lost it. My money, my cards, my keys everything’s in here!”

Arnav shook his head, grabbing his phone and standing up. “Well, now that this crisis is averted, I’ll be going to look for my bag.”

But just as he was about to leave, Khushi blurted out, “Wait!”

He froze mid-step, turning back to her with a raised eyebrow. “What now?”

She held up a bag that looked strikingly similar to the one she’d just taken from him. “This is your bag.”

Arnav’s face fell. He looked down at the identical bag in her hands and then back at his. “You’ve got to be joking.”

Khushi bit her lip to suppress a laugh. “Nope. We accidentally switched. I guess you did grab the wrong bag.”

For a moment, Arnav stared at her, processing the absurdity of the situation. His jaw clenched, clearly annoyed at the mix-up, but he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of amusement at her flustered yet determined demeanor. It was hard to stay irritated.

Arnav took the bag from her and opened it to ensure his belongings were there along with his laptop. He sighed, rubbing his temple again. “Yeah, fine. Just—be more careful next time.”

“Me be more careful? You’re the one who took my bag!” she shot back, but Khushi’s bright smile diffused the tension before it could escalate.

“Fine. Let’s just say we’re both at fault.”

“Agreed.” Khushi nodded, finally looking more relaxed. “Thanks for not storming out with my entire life in your hands. But these bags are so similar!” She opened her bag again and pulled out a pink notebook. “I had this custom-ordered. It should have helped!”

Arnav couldn’t help but smirk. “Right. Because a pink notebook will magically differentiate between our bags.”

Khushi rolled her eyes but laughed softly. “Okay, fair point. But it’s still an honest mistake. And you wouldn’t believe how often this happens. People are always mixing up their bags in this café!”

“Really?” Arnav raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself.

“Oh, yes! Just last week, a man walked off with my cousin Payal's bag. She had to chase him down the street!” Khushi exclaimed, animatedly recounting the tale. “Imagine the chaos!”

Arnav shook his head, still processing the humor in the situation. “I can only imagine. What’s next? A bag swap club?”

“Hey, don’t give me ideas!” she laughed, her light-heartedness infectious. “We could start a trend! ‘The Café Bag Exchange!’”

Arnav's furrowed brow slowly relaxed as her laughter echoed in his ears, surprising him with its warmth. He let out a chuckle, surprising himself. “I think I’ll pass on that.”

Khushi’s laughter faded into a comfortable silence. She glanced at her bag and then back at him. “Look, I really am sorry about this mix-up. I didn’t mean to disrupt your day.”

“Yeah, well, you definitely did,” he replied, though his tone had softened. “But it’s fine. I’m sure I’ve caused enough disruptions in my life as well.”

As Arnav sat there, contemplating the absurdity of the situation, he felt a conflicting mix of annoyance and curiosity tugging at him. Khushi, standing before him, seemed to sense the shift, her expression brightening with a burst of enthusiasm.

“So… what now?” she asked, her eyes glinting playfully. “I can’t just let you walk out after this whole bag fiasco.”

Arnav blinked, thrown off by the question. “What do you mean?”

Khushi smiled wider, her excitement almost contagious. “I mean, you technically saved my day by giving me my bag back. How about I buy you a coffee? It’s the least I can do.”

Surprised by the unexpected offer, Arnav's first instinct was to say no. He wasn’t one for spontaneous gestures, especially not with strangers. But there was something about her—the light in her eyes, the warmth in her smile—that made him pause.

“I—uh—don’t really need coffee,” he muttered, clearly caught off guard.

Khushi didn’t miss a beat. “Okay, no coffee. How about a cupcake, then? I saw you eyeing the chocolate one earlier.”

Arnav’s gaze involuntarily drifted to the pastry counter, where a decadent chocolate cupcake sat, tempting him. He hesitated, torn between leaving this odd interaction behind and the strange warmth growing inside him.

“Fine,” he said at last, though his tone remained reluctant. “One cupcake.”

Khushi’s grin grew wider, victory flashing in her eyes. “Deal! I’ll be right back.”

She darted off to place the order, leaving Arnav to shake his head in disbelief. He had come in for a quick coffee, and now he was sitting here, about to share a cupcake with a complete stranger who had accused him of stealing her bag. What have I gotten myself into? he mused.

Before his thoughts could wander too far, Khushi returned, two cupcakes in hand, her infectious smile still firmly in place. She set one in front of him and slid into the chair across from him.

“By the way,” she said, extending her hand with a cheerful grin, “I’m Khushi.”

Arnav stared at her hand for a moment, then reluctantly reached out, shaking it. “Arnav,” he said, still holding onto a faint hint of his earlier irritation, though it was starting to fade.

Khushi leaned back in her chair, taking a bite of her cupcake. “Well, Arnav, you don’t exactly strike me as the cupcake-eating type,” she teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

He smirked, finally taking a bite of his own. “And you don’t seem like the kind of person who’d mistake someone else’s bag.”

Khushi laughed, the sound light and free, instantly dissolving the last traces of tension between them. “Touché. But I guess today’s full of surprises.”

Arnav chuckled softly, feeling a bit of the day’s weight lift from his shoulders. Maybe this unexpected detour wasn’t so bad after all. He glanced at her, realizing with a quiet sense of curiosity that, perhaps, life’s disruptions were worth embracing now and then.

-x-x-x-

^ Congratulations Priya. Thank you for making this book cover for my OS.