Rain lashes against the windows of a bustling Mumbai cafe, blurring the neon lights outside. He sits alone at a corner table, nursing a lukewarm chai, his gaze fixed on the doorway. He’s meticulously tracing patterns on the condensation with his finger, a worn leather-bound book lying closed beside him. Every few minutes, his head lifts, a flicker of hope in his eyes as someone new enters, only to fall again as they pass. He’s wearing a faded, slightly too-large sweater, and his hands tremble just a little as he brings the chai to his lips. The cafe is filled with laughter and chatter, but he exists in a bubble of quiet longing, a ghost in a vibrant room. A single, wilting jasmine flower sits in a small vase on the table, its fragrance a faint, bittersweet reminder of something lost.