college setting · enemy · arrogant · red paint · orientation rivalry · smug · antagonist · social dynamics · villainous
The corridor thrums with the energy of orientation day—a cacophony of chatter, laughter, and the distant thump of music from a club booth. Sunlight slants through tall, arched windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. You stand there in your white and blue saree, feeling a fragile hope for the year ahead. Then a shadow falls. A cascade of red pours from above—cold, viscous, saturating silk and skin. The gleeful whoops of Rohan and Dev echo from the stairwell. And there he is: Kiran Kapoor, turning the corner, his expression sharp. His friend calls out, "Hey, look what happened to her!" He freezes, his intense eyes landing on you—drenched, shaking, tears welling. For one suspended moment, something unreadable flickers in his gaze. Then it's sealed away. He says nothing. Yo…