Swipe Right For Mr. Wrong

Chapter 1: The Swipe-Free Zone

Aarohi Singh was always a different kind of person. In a world that revolves around selfies behind Instagram filters, fast swipes, and conversations in emojis, she was the odd one out. She still loved reading real, physical books, the smell of fresh chai from the campus tea stall, and finding comfort in the rhythm of her favourite Hindi oldies. She was the kind of girl who kept a notebook of handwritten poems in her bag—a small act of rebellion against the technology that ruled everyone else's life.

As she strolled through her college courtyard, her eyes wandered from group to group. It didn't take long to spot her friends, already camped out on their usual bench under the massive banyan tree. There they were, huddled around Riya's phone like they were decoding a map of hidden treasure. Aarohi's lips curled into a small smile as she caught snippets of their conversation.

"No way, swipe left!" Priya whispered, leaning over to peer at the screen.

"But look, he's actually cute, right?" Riya countered, sounding almost convinced.

"Cute? That guy looks like he just rolled out of a gym commercial," Aarohi muttered to herself, shaking her head in amusement. She'd been viewing this little "swiping ritual" for weeks. Her friends treated dating applications like a game, and every profile was just one more play, one other chance at a momentary rush. They loved it, and she... well, she'd rather have her wisdom teeth pulled.

"Hey, Aarohi!" Riya called out, spotting her from the corner of her eye. She gestured for Aarohi to join them, waving her phone around like it was an invitation to an exclusive club.

Aarohi reluctantly walked over, adjusting her backpack. "Am I interrupting some secret society meeting?" she teased, folding her arms as she gazed down at her friends.

Riya grinned. "Only the most exclusive one. The dating app life, Aarohi. Come on, join us! It's fun, and you could really use a little... adventure?"

Aarohi rolled her eyes. "An adventure? Riya, if adventure means chatting with a bunch of strangers who think texting is the only form of communication, I'm out"

Priya laughed and nudged Riya. "Oh, come on, Aarohi! Not everyone on these apps is a gym-addicted man-child. Some people are actually nice. And look at Riya, she's been on a few dates! 

Aarohi raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Riya's dates? Do you mean the one where he turned up in sunglasses at night or the one who attempted to pay the bill in Bitcoin?

Riya raised her arms in defence. "Well, everyone has a bad opening! I mean, yeah, there have been some weird ones, but not always. Sometimes you're lucky. And besides, you never know unless you try, right?

Aarohi sighed, leaning back against the bench. She looked up at the ancient banyan tree above them, its branches spread out as if protecting them. "Why do I have to try, though? Can't I meet someone old-fashioned? You know, bump into someone in a bookstore or lock eyes with someone across a library."

Riya rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with Aarohi's vision of romance. "Aarohi, this isn't Bollywood. You're living in the 21st century. It's time to get with the program. Just one week, all right? Give it a try for one week. If you hate it we'll never mention dating apps again."

Aarohi looked at Riya, then at Priya, who gave her a pleading look that was impossible to refuse. She glanced back at her book-filled bag, feeling the weight of both her resistance and the curiosity gnawing at her.

"Well, let's do it. A week. And if I survive to tell about it with a few non-posttraumatic stress episodes, blame is going around, my friends," Aarohi said playfully seriously.

Aarohi took the phone cautiously, her eyes scanning the app's bright colors and flashing icons. She felt she'd entered a strange, parallel world where every profile shouted out, Pick me!

The app prompted her to create a profile, and Riya nudged her with instructions. "Alright, just put in your name, maybe a cute bio... something like, 'Dreamer with a love for chai and poetry,' you know?"

Aarohi laughed. "Yeah, and what would my photos be? Selfies with my dog and pictures of my bookshelf?"

Priya gasped. "Actually, that's cute! It's authentic, Aarohi. Guys like that."

Aarohi shook her head, unable to deny the tiny smirk spreading onto her face. She went through the motions of a short bio: "Just a girl with a love for poems, chai, and old Bollywood movies. Looking for something... real."

"That's perfect!" Riya shouted, clasping her hands. "Now, let's swipe!

They went through a few profiles, each one more absurd than the last. One guy had a picture holding a huge fish; another had his shirt half off in what could only be described as a "wannabe model" pose. Aarohi snorted, looking at each profile with growing scepticism.

"Where are the guys who know how to read? Or at least know what a classic book is?" Aarohi mumbled, scrolling through another set of "matches."

Then, her thumb halted on a profile: Kabir Malhotra. He was smiling at the camera with a look that was both confident and slightly mischievous. His bio was simple but confident: "Life's an adventure—want to join?"

Riya peeked over Aarohi's shoulder. "Oh, now he looks interesting! Look at that jawline!"

Aarohi rolled her eyes but couldn't help taking a closer look. "He looks like every other influencer out there. I bet he spends more time taking selfies than actually living."

Without a second thought, she swiped left, dismissing him. But as the next profile loaded, a strange thought lingered in her mind. What if?

On the screen of her mobile, buzzes and also a notification that she matched with; Aarohi's heart skipped a beat looking into the name yet again: Kabir Malhotra. "What the heck?" Frowning, she asked aloud, "Did I accidentally swipe right?"

Aarohi blinked fast, Riya's arms holding her in. "Aarohi, this is a sign! Oh my god! You gotta message him!!"

Aarohi stared at the screen, The notification was still glowing in her hand. Heart racing, she wasn't sure if this could really be happening. After all the times she'd swiped left, only to find herself suddenly matched with Kabir Malhotra—was this some kind of sign?

Riya, still holding her arm, looked at her with wide eyes. "Aarohi, you have to message him. This is fate!"

But Aarohi wasn't too sure. Questions started buzzing in her head. Was this a mistake or something more? At least one thing was for sure—this was certainly different in some ways. Telling herself, Take a deep breath, she hesitated. Her thumb hovered over the screen, unsure. This could change everything.

A buzz suddenly shook her thoughts. There was a new message notification from Kabir.

Her breath caught.

What is he going to say?

AN:

Just a little something to explain this unexpected twist—sometimes, I guess, destiny works in the most mysterious ways. Aarohi had convinced herself that she had left-swiped Kabir's profile, dismissing him entirely. But sometimes, when the universe intervenes in things, they don't always turn out to be exactly what they seem. Was it a glitch on the app? Or perhaps it was a little nudge from the universe, guiding them together? Only time will tell. Perhaps it was meant to be. ????✨