The 9:05 Lift - By Hrishikesh Baikar

Written By: Hrishikesh Baikar

Category: Short Story

Competition: Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the captivating short story "The 9:05 Lift" by Hrishikesh Baikar, we are invited into the subtly intricate world of Tanmay and Ananya, whose daily encounters in an office lift become the backdrop for an unexpected connection. This story is part of the esteemed Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 hosted by Hashtag Kalakar. Through the lens of a routine morning, Baikar explores themes of chance meetings and budding romance, offering readers a delightful glimpse into the magic of everyday interactions.

About the Work

"The 9:05 Lift" delicately balances the mundane with the extraordinary, capturing the essence of human interaction within the confined space of an office lift. Hrishikesh Baikar skillfully weaves humor and warmth into the narrative, creating a relatable and endearing portrayal of Tanmay's subtle admiration for Ananya. The story's charm lies in its simplicity and the unspoken nuances of attraction, highlighting how ordinary moments can spark unexpected joy and connection.

The 9:05 lift

Original Submission by Hrishikesh Baikar

Tanmay reached the office lobby at 9:05 a.m., just like he always did. The lift was open, almost as if it was waiting for him. He was still half sleepy, holding his coffee like it was the only thing keeping him awake.

Just as the doors were about to close, a hand with clicking bangles stopped them.

There she was. Ananya.

Bright-eyed, smelling of something floral, humming a cheerful tune. Suddenly, he was wide awake.

It had become their unspoken routine to bump into each other in the lift, pretending not to notice the other. He tried telling himself it was just coincidence, but somewhere between her humming and her smile, she had become the morning alarm he never asked for.

Tanmay worked on the 6th floor. Ananya on the 8th.

But every day, Tanmay would stay inside till the 8th floor… only to come back down to the 6th later. Just a few extra seconds to see her.

He thought she never noticed. But she did. Every single time.

The lift began moving like always-quiet, steady, predictable.

He wanted to start a conversation but didn’t have the courage. That day the universe decided to change the script.

The lift jerked once and came to a sudden stop between the 4th and 5th floors.

The sudden halt made Ananya grab the railing, Tanmay’s coffee almost slipped out of his hand.

“Did… that really just happen?” she asked, looking around.

“I… think the lift got stuck,” Tanmay said, trying to sound calm.

Ananya pressed a couple of buttons. Nothing.

He pressed the emergency button three times. Still nothing.

Finally, the small speaker crackled.

“Guys, don’t worry,” the security guard said. “We’re working on it. We’ve also called the lift vendor. They’re on the way.”

A little relief washed over the small space.

Ananya let out a breath. “Great. Stuck in a box before 10 a.m. Exactly what I needed today.”

Tanmay gave a small smile. “At least the AC is working.”

She looked at him and laughed. “That’s your solution? AC?”

“Small wins?” He replied.

Ananya leaned back against the railing, looking at him with a curious smile.

“So… Do you always go up to the 8th floor?” she asked casually.

Tanmay froze. His brain stopped working before the lift did.

“I-uh-what?” he stammered.

She pointed lightly at the display panel. “You work on the 6th floor, right?

“And yet,” she continued, “you never get off at the 6th. You ride with me till the 8th every day.”

His face warmed up instantly. “Oh, that… I mean… I just”

She raised an eyebrow. “You just...?”

He searched for words. Any words.

“My….my friend works on the 8th floor,” he lied horribly.

Ananya’s smile grew wider.

“Really?” she asked, pretending to believe him. “Because I’ve never seen you talk to anyone when you get off.”

He blinked. “You… noticed?”

“Of course I noticed,” she said, laughing softly. “I’m not blind, Tanmay.”

How do you know my name? He asked.

She pointed at his office ID, “ Your ID literally screams it.!!”

He wished the lift would swallow him whole.

She watched his embarrassed face, finding it way too adorable.

“So,” she said, tapping her finger lightly on the railing, “if it’s not a friend… who is it?”

Tanmay swallowed. “Uh… I just like… the ride?”

She laughed again. “Yeah, sure. The ride.”

Tanmay finally lifted his eyes from the floor, still unsure if this was real.

“So…” she said, folding her arms, “how long have you been doing the whole ‘going-two-floors-extra’ thing?”

Tanmay rubbed the back of his neck. “Um… not long.”

“How long?”

He tried to escape,“A few days.”

“Really?”

“…okay, a few weeks. Was it that obvious?”

“Yes,” she said instantly. “Very.”

He groaned quietly, leaning his head back against the elevator wall. “God. I thought I was being subtle.”

She laughed softly. “Tanmay, you’re many things. Subtle is not one of them.”

He looked at her, confused. “What… things?”

She took a slow breath and counted on her fingers.

“One:- you stand on the same spot in the lift every day. Two:- you look like you rehearse things in your head. Three:- you never actually say any of them out loud.”

“…okay, that’s fair,” he said.

“And four,” she added, lowering her voice a little, “you keep adjusting your glasses whenever I walk in.”

He blinked. “I do that?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding. “It’s cute. Like a nervous tic.”

Tanmay covered his face with his hand. “This is so embarrassing.”

She giggled. “Why? It’s honest. And honestly? I like it.”

He dropped his hand slowly. “What about you? Do you take the same lift every day on purpose?”

She bit her lip, as if deciding whether to tell him.

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?” he echoed.

She shrugged. “Maybe I also got used to seeing someone at 9:05 a.m.”

He froze again. “Someone?”

“Someone who holds his coffee like it’s his last hope,” she teased.

“Someone who smells like fresh cologne.”

“Someone who looks sleepy but tries very hard not to.”

Tanmay stared at her. No one had ever described him like that before.

“You… noticed all that?” he asked quietly.

“Of course I did,” she said. “You weren’t the only one paying attention.”

They stood there for a moment, the elevator unusually warm despite the AC humming above them.

“So,” she said, tapping her nails lightly against the railing, “apart from riding lifts and drinking coffee, what do you do?”

He blinked, thrown off. “Like… my job?”

“Anything,” she said. “I barely know you. And we’re stuck. Let’s fix that.”

“Oh.” He straightened up a bit. “Well… I do graphic design. Mostly boring stuff. Posters for events, layouts, logos.”

“Hey, that’s cool,” she said. “Creative guy!!.”

“I try,” he said softly. “What about you?”

“I’m in HR,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I talk to people all day. Maybe that’s why I’m extra talkative now. Lifts break and my HR brain thinks it’s bonding time.”

Tanmay laughed. “It’s working.”

She giggled. “You always carry the same cup, don’t you?”

He blinked. “Yess”

she said casually. “White cup. Red lid. You hold it with two hands like a baby.”

Tanmay’s ears went warm. “It’s hot.”

“It’s cute,” she said simply.

He froze at the word cute, but she continued talking like it was nothing.

“And you always wear these safe colours,” she added, pointing at his shirt. “Grey, blue, white… zero risks.”

Tanmay looked down at his shirt. “I like simple things.”

“I know,” she said.

“You do?” he asked softly.

She nodded. “Yeah. Your vibe says ‘simple guy, simple life.’”

Tanmay chuckled. “That… actually sounds right.”

Ananya leaned back, studying him.

“Okay, your turn. Describe me.”

“What?” he asked, startled.

“Come on. I noticed things about you. Now it’s your turn.”

Tanmay swallowed, thinking.

“Well… you hum,” he said, keeping it as safe as possible.

She smiled. “Okay, that counts.”

“And you wear those bangles every day,” he added.

She lifted her wrist. “These? Yeah. Habit.”

“And…” he hesitated. “You smile a lot.”

Ananya looked surprised. “Do I?”

“Yeah,” Tanmay said, a little braver now. “Like… even when you’re on your phone or alone. You smile at small things.”

She softened. “Maybe I do.”

He scratched his neck. “It makes the lift feel… nice.”

She looked at him for a moment, quiet, thoughtful, like she wasn’t expecting that.

“You know,” she said slowly, “you’re not as quiet as I thought.”

Tanmay blinked. “Is that… good or bad?”

“Good,” she said immediately. “Very good.”

They shared a small smile, not deep, not dramatic, just a simple one.

The kind that says:

Okay… I like this.

A soft beep echoed inside the lift.

Both of them looked up at the display panel as it flickered back to life.

“Oh,” Ananya said, straightening a little. “Looks like we’re moving again.”

Tanmay nodded, trying not to show the tiny disappointment he felt.

He didn’t want the moment to end so soon.

The lift hummed and slowly began to rise again.

6th floor.

The doors slid open halfway.

“This is your floor,” Ananya said.

“Yeah,” Tanmay replied, taking a step forward… then stopping.

He didn’t know why stopping felt easier than leaving.

Ananya watched him hesitate. A small smile tugged at her lips.

“You’re not getting off?” she asked softly.

He looked down at his coffee, then back at her.

“I… don’t know.”

She pressed the “open” button gently, keeping the doors apart.

“Tanmay, your work is literally here.”

“Right,” he said, still not moving.

“And,” she added, trying not to laugh, “you can’t keep following me to the 8th floor every day. People will start thinking we’re suspicious.”

Tanmay scratched the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to...”

“I know,” she said. “Relax. I’m kidding.”

The doors stayed open.

Tanmay stayed frozen.

Finally, she tilted her head and asked,

“Do you want to get off or not?”

“I… kind of don’t,” he admitted quietly.

That made her smile, the kind of smile that made everything worth it.

The doors began to close again on their own.

Ananya quickly pressed the button again.

“Okay,” she said softly. “Then wait till 8th.”

He blinked. “What?”

She shrugged. “You always come till 8th anyway. Might as well do it with me standing here.”

He laughed under his breath. “Fair enough.”

The doors closed again.

The lift moved up those last two floors, slow, quiet, warm.

For the first time, the silence didn’t feel awkward.

It felt comfortable.

The lift slowed as it reached the 8th floor.

The ding sound echoed softly before the doors parted.

Ananya stepped forward but didn’t exit immediately.

Instead, she turned back to him.

Tanmay stood there, suddenly unsure of where to look at her, at the floor, or at the stupid coffee cup that had been shaking for the last twenty minutes.

“So,” she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “this was… different.”

“Yeah,” he replied. “Unexpected.”

She smiled. “Unexpected good or unexpected bad?”

“Good,” he said quickly. “Really good.”

She held the door with her hand as the sensors tried to close it.

“Tanmay?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to grab a coffee today?”

He blinked. “Coffee?”

Her smile widened. “Yeah. I want to know more about the mystery guy who rides two extra floors every morning.”

Tanmay felt his heart jump in a way even the broken lift couldn’t manage.

“Oh,” he said, his voice softer than he expected. “I… I’d like that.”

“Good,” she replied.

She stepped out into the hallway but turned back one last time.

“After work? Same lobby?”

“Same lobby,” he nodded.

Ananya gave him one more smile, the kind that stayed with him even after the doors closed.

The lift started moving down again, but Tanmay didn’t feel like he was going anywhere.

For the first time in a long time, his morning felt more awake than his coffee ever could.

“Unexpected moments make the best memories.”

About the Competition

The Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious platform celebrating the power of words and creativity. This competition brings together writers from diverse backgrounds, offering them an opportunity to showcase their talents and share their unique voices with a global audience. Participants from around the world contribute their poetry, short stories, and creative writings, enriching the literary landscape with fresh and inspiring perspectives.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Hrishikesh Baikar for sharing "The 9:05 Lift" with us as part of the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. This delightful story reminds us of the beauty in small, everyday moments and the unexpected connections that can arise from them. We are grateful for your contribution and look forward to more of your creative works in the future.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.