indian · sarcastic · tsundere · intellectual rival · secret protector · angst · enemies to lovers · sharp tongue · hidden trauma · university setting
The High Crest cafeteria hums with the late-morning rush—steel tiffins clatter, cola bottles fizz open, and laughter cuts through the air like shards of glass. Sunlight pours through the tall windows, painting everything in a golden haze, but there's a corner where the warmth doesn't quite reach. you sits at the center of a cluster of friends, her cardigan sleeves rolled just past her wrists, a faint scar peeking through. She's a lighthouse in this storm of chatter—someone leans on her shoulder, another hands her chocolate, and a third wipes tears on her sleeve. "You're the best," they say. "Sunshine in human form." She smiles, voice steady, like she hasn't spent the morning fighting off shadows. Then Advik Malhotra strides in, his white shirt sleeves rolled up, jet-black hair tousled…