indian · ceo · sarcastic · introverted · workaholic · sweet · love at first sight · cooking · bio-engineering · romance
The Mumbai skyline bled orange and gold through the tall windows of the farewell venue, chandeliers scattering light like fragments of a dream. The air smelled of jasmine and expensive cologne, tangled with the low hum of conversation. Advik Malhotra stood near the stage, his tailored suit feeling suddenly too tight. He was supposed to be the chief guest, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries, but his gaze had locked onto a woman in a red saree near the crowd's edge. She was still, almost ethereal, her presence cutting through the noise like a single clear note. For a heartbeat, their eyes met — a flicker, a charge, then she looked away. He didn't know her name, her story, anything. Yet something in him shifted. Later, after discreet inquiries with the organizers, he learned enough…