scene: Natasha arrives at the apartment in Amsterdam.
(The front door creaks open. Natasha puuls her giant suitcase inside,eyes scanning the unfamiliar apartment)
Anne(popping up from the couch with half a stroopwafel in her mouth) Oh! you must be Natasha.
Natasha(awkwardly pushing her suitcase in) "Hi...yeah.Um,sorry for the late arrival. My cab driver kept giving me a tour of all wrong places.
Anne(grinning) "Classic Amsterdam welcome,you hungry? I have stroopwafels,questionable pasta,and fridge that might be growing new species.
Natasha(sniffing the air) "..Did you say stroopwafels or stroopmystery?"
Anne "Depends on how adventurous you are, Also wait a second"(sniffs dramatically) "Is that pickle i smell?"
Natasha(facepalms) "Oh God.yes,my mom sent enough pickle to last till the next apolocalypse. She thinks dutch food will emotionally damage me."
Anne(eyes wide) "Please tell me you also bought laddoos"
Natasha I brought three tins. One is already half empty. I stress-ate them at the airport.
Anne(mock serious) you're hired officially my favourite flatmate ever. Now come in,shoes off.this place is so sad-vibes zone.
(They walk,Anne grabs Natasha's duffel like it weighs nothing)
Natasha "you didn't even ask me if i had serial killer tendencies."
Anne "Sweetheart,you brought laddoos and smell like home ,you could be an International spy and I'd still let you crash there.
Natasha(grinning) "I think, I might like you."
Anne "Ofcourse you do.I'm delightful. Now let's dump your stuff and make tea.
Later that evening,after unpacking,over cups of tea.
Anne "So you're here to study,run away from an arranged marriage or find yourself like in a Netflix original?"
Natasha "Little bit of all three. My dad thinks I'll become a CEO. My mom thinks I'll return married to a local Chaiwala."
Anne "Plot twist-What if you marry a cheese vendor instead?"
Natasha "Please my aunt will burst into flames,if i bring someone like them"
Anne(laughing) "This is going to be so much fun."
Scene continuous that night-Natasha and Anne are in the living room in their Pajamas,lights dim,tea mugs in hand,and a cozy vibe in full swing.
Anne(hugging a pillow) "So are all Indian moms like tiny emotional tornadoes in Sarees or is it just the ones in instagram?"
Natasha(laughs) "Oh, mine's category five. She once cried because i said i didn't like one kind of pickle. One kind.
Anne "Tragic.Betraying the pickle legacy like that."
Natasha "She even packed salwars for me. like I'mgoing to roam around Amsterdam like I walked off a wedding invitation."
Anne(grinning) "Please do.just once,i'll film it'll go viral Desi Diva conquers Dutch Streets."
Natasha "Only if you wear a lehenga and walk beside me eatingstroopwafels."
Anne(gasps) "Deal.But only if i get bangles that make dramatic noise with every moment."
Natasha "you're too comfortable with this idea."
Anne "I was born to cause drama in sequence."
(They both break into laughter.A comfortable silence follows as they sip their tea)
Anne(softly) "you know you're surprisingly chill for someone who just moved countries."
Natasha(looking down) "I think I'm just trying not to think too much.it's easier to laugh with you than panic about the new life."
Anne "Well,lucky you've got me. I'm excellent at distracting people from their existensial crises."
Natasha "Glad my existensial dread comes with snacks and sarcasm."
Anne "Anytime,love. you're officially my favourite Introvert."
Scene: Next day, Late night-living room.
The apartment is softly lit warm-toned fairy lights twinkling around the shelves. Anne has brought out a tub of icecream and Natasha is curled up on the couch a bit awkward.
Anne(grinning) "Okay,rule number one of living here-this couch is sacred. It has seen heartbreak, binge-watching marathons,and once a very confusing salsa night."
Natasha(laughs nervously) "Salsa night? should i be scared?
Anne "Only if you hate fun. But seriously make yourself at home. you seem suspiciously well behaved."
Natasha(smirks) "That's just my Delhi-based trauma. It takes time to fade."
Anne(grabs two spoons) "Trauma tastes better with cookie dough here."
She hands Natasha a spoon and flops down beside her.
Anne "So what's most rebellious thing you've ever done?
Natasha(thinking) "Once..I removed the SIM card from my phone so mom couldn't track me."
Anne(pause,then bursts into laughter) "That's adorable.we're gonna have to level you up."
Later that night-in the kitchen
Anne is sneaking snacks,Natasha is following her with wide eyes.
Anne "Do you cook?"
Natasha "I can make a mean Maggi. Does taht count?"
Anne "Legend. Midnight Maggi it is."
They boil water and lean on the counter chatting about everything from Indian aunties to embarassing school crushes.
Bedroom-lights dimmed
They both crash on their respective sides of the bed but kept talking through night.
Anne(muffled) "Tell me something weird about Indian families."
Natasha "Everything. But mainly the obsession with tupperware and spying neighbors.
Anne(giggling) "Noted. In return,I'll teach you how to say rude things in Dutch without getting caught."
Natasha "Deal."
They fell asleep with half spoken sentences and quiest laughter.
Scene: Next morning as Natasha's third day-Apartment kitchen.
Natasha is in her pajamas,lazily flipping through a cereal box while Anne is dancing barefoot to 2000s pop music in the kitchen.
Anne(singing off-key) "cause you're hot then you're cold,you're yes then you're--
Natasha(teasing) "you're tone deaf then you're more tone deaf."
Anne(gasps) "Rude! This is the voice of a generation."
There's a sudden knock at the door, Natasha glances up confused.
Natasha who's there at this early morning?
She opens the door, saw karan holding a paper bag and grinning like a goof.
Karan "Bonjour,my little confused NRI brought you samosa's and a week's worth of gossip
Natasha(shocked and smiling) "Karan! How wait-what--"
Karan "Magic,Also you told me your address during one of your 'I miss Indian chai' rants.
Anne(from the kitchen) "who's this dangerously charming man,and does he know how to load dishwasher?"
Natasha(laughing) "Anne meet Karan,my bestfriend. Karan,meet Anne. She sings like a rebel and pranks like a villain."
Karan(bowing slightly) "A true icon. I'm honored."
Anne(grinning) "you're going to be fun."
Later that day-city outing begins
The trio is walking through a colorful Dutch street market.Natasha's holding a stroopwafel,Anne's wearing sunglasses and taking photos and Karan is inspecting cheese like he's judjing a contest.
Anne "Okay,pick one:eat raw herring or tell your crush you love them infront of your mom?"
Natasha(dramatically) "Why are you like this?"
Karan "Raw herring. Easy I've already embarassed myself infront of enough moms."
Anne(eyebrow raised) "That sounds like a story."
Karan "Oh,it involves a wedding,a tripping incident and a very loud fart."
Natasha(dying of laughter) "Please stop,my stomach hurts."
Evening- A quiet canal side.
They're sitting on the edge of a quiet canal,dangling their feet. The sky is pink and city is glowing.
Anne "I like us."
Natasha(meekly) "Mee too. This is easy I didn't expect that."
Karan(softly) "sometimes life surprises you with the good kind of people."
Scene ends: with Anne snapping a photo of the the three of them laughing uncontrollably,the canal glistening behind them.