EPISODE 1 — Two Different Mornings

Before sunrise, the roadside tea stall slowly comes alive under dim yellow streetlights.

Steam rises into the cold air while Manav quietly helps his mother prepare for the morning rush. Without speaking much, he wipes the benches, arranges biscuit jars, and places fresh tea glasses near the stove before the first customers arrive.

His mother notices him lifting another steel container.

“Bas, ab jaa college ke liye,” she says while preparing tea.

“Haan,” Manav replies automatically.

But a minute later, he is still there —
serving tea to two factory workers who just arrived.

The small roadside stall slowly fills with sleepy voices, coins, steam, and hurried conversations.

Near the counter, Manav’s engineering books rest beside loose change and cigarette packets.

A regular customer takes his tea and smirks lightly.

“Tu har roz late ho jaayega ek din.”

Manav only smiles faintly.

“Ho jaata hoon kabhi kabhi.”

His mother quietly places a lunch box near his bag while handling another customer.

Without looking at her directly, Manav picks it up.

A normal routine.
Repeated so many times that neither of them needs to say much anymore.

A few minutes later, with his bag hanging from one shoulder, Manav finally leaves for college through the cold early-morning fog while the tea stall lights continue glowing behind him.

—

Meanwhile, across the city, Tanya Malhotra’s room is still dark.

Only the white glow of Instagram reels keeps flashing across her face while loud music plays softly through one earphone.

Luxury fashion clips.
Travel couples.
Lifestyle creators.
Funny college videos.

One reel after another keeps changing rapidly on her screen.

A sharp knock suddenly hits the bedroom door.

“Tanya!”

Her mother’s voice.

“You’re awake all night again?”

Tanya rolls her eyes dramatically without pausing the reel.

“I was watching content.”

Her mother opens the door anyway.

The room looks completely chaotic.

Clothes thrown over the couch.
Open makeup kits near the mirror.
A ring light still switched on.
Tripod standing beside the bed.

Her mother looks around with visible irritation.

“You’re joining engineering college next month and this is still your routine?”

Tanya finally removes one earphone.

“Maa, I already told you…”

She lazily sits up against the headboard.

“…I’m going there only for you and Dad.”

“You say it like we’re punishing you.”

“Because you kind of are.”

Her mother exhales tiredly.

“At least take your future seriously.”

Tanya laughs lightly.

“My future is not sitting inside engineering books.”

Then casually, without much emotion, she adds—

“And I’m definitely not joining Dad’s business.”

For a brief second, her mother simply stares at her.

But Tanya has already picked up her phone again.

Another reel starts playing instantly.

This time —
a college lifestyle vlog.

Campus clips.
Friends laughing.
Late-night drives.
College couples.

For the first time that morning, Tanya’s scrolling slows slightly.

Not because engineering interests her.

But because the life around it suddenly does.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Manav quietly walks toward college through the fog —
completely unaware that someone from a completely different world is slowly moving toward the same place.