Today was just another ordinary day at college.

Dressed in a fitted white top tucked neatly into black jeggings, Saanjh stepped out of her house and inhaled the crisp morning air. Their little town was breathtaking, surrounded by lush greenery and peaceful streets that looked almost untouched by time.

She smiled.

No matter how badly people treated her here, she could never deny its beauty.

Almost instinctively, her gaze drifted toward the house next door. A small, well-maintained bungalow. She stretched her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of the one person who had occupied her thoughts for far longer than she cared to admit.

Vikram Chauhan.

Her forever crush.

She stood there for another five minutes, pretending to adjust the strap of her bag while secretly watching the front door. Nothing. With a disappointed sigh, she gave up and started walking down the footpath.

A loud motorcycle horn suddenly echoed behind her. Her heart skipped a beat. She turned around. There he was. Riding a black Harley-Davidson like he owned the road.

Vikram Chauhan.

If perfection had a face, it would probably look like him.

At twenty-four, he stood well over six feet tall, with broad shoulders, an athletic frame, and an effortless confidence that demanded attention. His jet-black hair was carelessly styled, his dark eyes carried a dangerous intensity, and intricate tattoos disappeared beneath the rolled sleeves of his charcoal-grey shirt.

He looked every bit like trouble and somehow, that only made him more attractive.

After losing both his parents in a tragic accident the previous year, Vikram had been living alone in the house next door. People often whispered that the tragedy had changed him, making him colder, rougher, more reckless.

If the rumors were true, it certainly didn't stop women from chasing him. In fact, it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Today was no different.

A stunning girl sat behind him on the motorcycle, her arms wrapped possessively around his waist as she leaned close enough to whisper something into his ear. Vikram merely smirked before speeding past.

Saanjh watched until the motorcycle disappeared around the corner. A dramatic sigh escaped her lips.

"If only..." She laughed at herself.

She wasn't foolish enough to mistake her crush for love.

Vikram wasn't the kind of man she dreamed of spending forever with. He was the kind of man girls fantasized about from a safe distance—the thrilling, reckless bad boy every romance novel seemed to have. If she were being completely honest with herself, she simply wondered what it would feel like to experience that kind of excitement just once.

But that was all it was. A fantasy. Reality was very different.

Vikram barely knew she existed.

And why would he? Girls like the one riding behind him were beautiful, confident, and effortlessly glamorous.

Girls like Saanjh....were invisible.

Pushing the thought aside, she continued toward college. The familiar campus soon came into view, buzzing with students rushing to their classes.

"Morning."

A familiar voice made her smile before she even looked up.

Krunal Agarwal…Her best friend.

He adjusted his glasses before flashing his trademark grin.

Saanjh and Krunal had known each other since childhood. Their mothers had been college friends, and the two of them had practically grown up together. While most children bonded over games, Saanjh and Krunal bonded over books, quizzes, and an endless curiosity to learn.

People often assumed they were secretly dating. They couldn't have been more wrong. There had never been anything romantic between them. They were simply best friends—partners in surviving college, late-night study sessions, and every challenge life threw their way. If anything, they made a pretty unbeatable academic team.

"Ready for another day?" Krunal asked.

Saanjh smiled, adjusting the strap of her backpack.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Neither of them realized that before the day ended, everything they thought they knew about their peaceful little college was about to change.

"Hey, Kru," Saanjh said as she fell into step beside him. "Did you read that article I sent you about child psychology? The one about childhood trauma affecting adult relationships?"

Normally, Krunal would've launched into a twenty-minute discussion. Today, he barely looked at her.

"Hmm."

Saanjh frowned. She had known Krunal long enough to recognize when something was wrong.

"Buddy..." she nudged his shoulder. "What's the matter?"

He forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Nothing, Saanjh."

"Liar."

He sighed but said nothing.

The two of them continued walking toward the college canteen, their usual spot between lectures. Almost every student was there, laptops open, notebooks scattered across tables, everyone busy finishing assignments and thesis work.

Saanjh and Krunal claimed their regular corner table and ordered two cups of coffee. As the waiter walked away, she noticed Krunal wasn't paying attention to anything she was saying. His eyes were fixed on someone across the room. Curious, Saanjh followed his gaze.

A beautiful girl sat laughing with her friends.

Tara.

Recognition dawned instantly. Of course.

Krunal had a crush on Tara for years.

She turned back toward him.

"Kru..." she asked gently. "Is this about Tara?"

He nodded without taking his eyes off her.

"Tell me what happened."

He remained silent for a few moments before speaking.

"I saw her yesterday..." His voice sounded unusually hollow. "...with Vikram."

Saanjh blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"They were in the boys' restroom." He swallowed hard. "They weren't just talking."

Her heart gave an unexpected jolt. She wasn't sure why. She had no claim over Vikram. He didn't even know she existed. Yet hearing those words left an uncomfortable ache somewhere deep inside her chest.

Across the canteen, Tara now sat comfortably on Vikram's lap, whispering something that made him smirk. His arm rested casually around her waist while she leaned against him as though she belonged there. It was difficult to look away.

"I guess... that's it for all my dreams, Saanjh," Krunal said with a bitter laugh. "They're over."

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. Krunal had always been the gentle one. The dependable one.

They had been inseparable since childhood. Whenever other children mocked Saanjh for her weight, Krunal was the first to stand beside her. He had argued with classmates, taken punishments on her behalf, and once even returned home with a split lip after trying to stop a group of boys from bullying her. He had always protected her.

Always.

She smiled softly.

"Kru... if they're together, then whatever they do is their choice, isn't it? Maybe they're in a relationship."

He shook his head.

"No, Saanjh."

His expression hardened.

"You really are too innocent."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone knows Vikram."

Krunal lowered his voice.

"He doesn't do relationships. He charms girls, gets what he wants, and when he's bored... he moves on to the next one."

His words settled heavily between them. Saanjh instinctively glanced toward Vikram again. He looked completely at ease, laughing as Tara playfully pushed his shoulder. He didn't look heartless. But appearances could be deceiving.

"Stop overthinking," she said, sliding his coffee toward him. "One girl isn't worth losing your smile."

He finally looked at her and chuckled.

"You always know how to cheer me up."

"That's because I'm the wiser one in this friendship."

He snorted.

"In your dreams."

They laughed together, and just like that, the heaviness eased between them.

Opening their laptops, they returned to working on their thesis, occasionally debating psychological theories the way they always did. But despite her concentration, Saanjh found her thoughts drifting back to Vikram.

He was everything she knew she should avoid. Arrogant. Reckless. Dangerously charming. He wasn't the man she imagined building a future with. Yet there was something undeniably magnetic about him. Perhaps it was the mystery. Perhaps it was the confidence.

Or perhaps every sensible girl secretly wondered what it would feel like to be the one capable of taming a man no one else could.

Saanjh smiled to herself before quickly shaking the thought away.

Stop dreaming, she silently scolded herself.

A girl like you was never meant to be noticed by someone like Vikram Chauhan.

With that bittersweet thought, she forced herself to refocus on the pages of her thesis while the sounds of the bustling canteen faded into the background.