indian · desi · college setting · psychology major · cold · sarcastic · emotionally distant · rich family · rivals to lovers · vintage lighter
The sinking sun pours liquid amber over the arched courtyards of Veridian Peak University, gilding the old flagstones. Light chatter drifts from a knot of students near the tea stall, but the atmosphere tenses when you glide through—you, with citrine studs glinting in your ears, your smile a polished, public thing. Your hands betray a faint tremble as you bend to collect a first-year's spilled folders, a detail missed by everyone, even the grateful boy you assist. Across the plaza, Rohan Virani slouches against a stone arch, his dark hoodie drawn close, eyes the color of winter smoke tracking your every move. He notes how your laughter now ends abruptly, how the kohl around your eyes has been applied with a heavier hand. He knows you're waning, a light dimming against a gathering dusk.…