"Damn it, I'm gonna be late," he cursed, as he looked at his iPhone 8, the one thing he hated about these devices was their constant notifications. The calendar alert had gone off, but he didn't need the reminder. The reason he was in the city that filled him with dread was for her. Of all the days, he really had picked the worse one to be bull-headed. This weekend was not supposed to be about their recurring argument, it was supposed to be about celebrating her achievements.

Matthew found himself brooding on a cement bench on Carter Rd, when he should have been by Nalini's side, supporting her during the good times - of which there were so many all thanks to her. From the day he met her, her twinkle had turned into a shooting star, one that kept soaring. He didn't say it enough, but he was proud of the woman she had become. The violent splash of the waves on the cement wall snapped him out of his stupor. When he'd walked out of her apartment, he'd immediately felt like the biggest idiot on the planet.

Although he still lived in Goa, he'd seen the way she worked towards her dreams with integrity and passion. This hard work had made her one of the most recognised faces in the country. One that brands and celebrities wanted to work with. A face that he loved seeing first thing in the morning and kissing before he dozed off at night. The only thing she ever asked of him was to share it all with her, in the city that she could not leave. Looking across the choppy brown ocean, the skyline barely visible through the thick smog, he tried to find something to like about this city.

Nalini and Xavier had one two things in common, their love for this city and their love for him, he thought. He knew that much was true. Where Nalini had soared, Xavier had plummeted. His palms started to sweat, the humid breeze clinging to his skin like the memories of his brother. He had failed Xavier, was he willing to fail her too?

The alarm went off again. You'll regret it if you don't go, he thought. He knew she'd be at the event already, but if he was fast enough, he could be there before the unveiling of the book cover. Matthew started to walk hurriedly, in the direction of her apartment, all the while, knowing that it was time to let go of his brother's past and create a future with Nalini.

Matthew walked into the apartment and was met with the familiar scent of her vanilla and coconut shampoo, all these years later, and he was still intoxicated by the way she smelled. He hurried to the bathroom, aching to take a shower, when he noticed a small package wrapped in handmade paper on the bed, with his name written on it. Matthew recognized the handwriting immediately, the strong slash across the Ts, and confident strokes, even her writing embodied her spirit. It was placed next to the blazer she'd kept out for him. Girls and their tricks, he smiled relieved he didn't have to style his outfit.

He opened the package, it was her book, on the cover was a picture he was very familiar with - he had one just like it in his leather-bound wallet. The picture that had launched her into the limelight. It was the candid photo taken by a budding photographer, who had worked for Vogue on the night that they met, all those years back. It hadn't made it into the magazine, but it became viral on the internet. The photo that made every festival girl want to look like her and every festival guy want to date her.

He looked at the book's glossy cover, running his fingers over her embossed name. There she was, in the picture staring back at him. Younger, head in a crown, hair just as wild as he remembered. Her captivating eyes, full of wonder. The reflection of the stage light casting shadows on her striking face. It was a perfectly captured moment - the moment she'd first seen him and heard his voice. A memory that was carved in the bark of a tree that had taken root in him the minute he'd first locked eyes with her.

Leafing through the book, something was wedged among the pages, it was the business card, yellowed and wrinkled. She had gotten it laminated and turned it into a bookmark. A smile crept on his face as he saw his poorly written old phone number. He turned it over, the inscription was one that Matthew was only too familiar with because he'd sung those lyrics for her at countless sold-out concerts.

To my Matthew, Thank you for,

'All our violet nights and festival lights.'

Damn, I'm done for.