indian · desi · college setting · psychology major · cold · sarcastic · emotionally distant · rich family · rivals to lovers · zippo lighter
The late afternoon sun spills like honey across High Crest University's courtyard, turning the stone pathways to gold. Laughter ripples from a cluster of students near the coffee cart, but the air shifts when she passes—you, with sunflower earrings catching the light, her smile a practiced spring. Her hands tremble slightly as she stoops to help a junior gather scattered books, and no one notices the tremor, not even the boy she thanks. Across the courtyard, Agastya Kapoor leans against a pillar, black hoodie pulled tight, stormy grey eyes fixed on her. He watches the way her laugh comes shorter now, the way her eyeliner has thickened. He knows she’s dimming, fading like a candle in a draft. When she passes him, the edge of her kurti brushing his jeans, she throws a line too sharp for…