The rain poured with a relentless rhythm, slapping against the streets, drenching everything it touched. The air was heavy, carrying the scent of wet asphalt and damp earth. Greenish streetlights flickered in the puddles, distorting the city around her like a half-remembered dream.

Aarya clutched her schoolbag tightly to her chest, her shoes squelching in the water, oblivious to the discomfort. Her mind was elsewhere, tangled with thoughts she couldn’t share with anyone—school marks, failed expectations, the constant pressure to do more than she felt capable of. Loneliness gnawed quietly at her chest, though she hardly noticed it beneath the storm’s roar.

Somewhere behind her, Hiten walked quietly. He wasn’t “following,” he told himself, though every sigh she let out, every sudden pause, made his chest tighten. The storm swallowed most of his footsteps, but not the pull he felt toward her. There was something magnetic, something urgent, that kept him a steady distance behind her.

A hidden pothole appeared ahead, and before she could step into it, a firm hand grasped hers.

Aarya froze, her heartbeat surging.

“You aren’t on the right track,” he said softly, barely above the rain’s rhythm. “I don’t know who you are… but you’re not in a good situation.”

“I’m fine,” she murmured, instinctively pulling her hand back.

“No. You aren’t fine. And you’re wet,” he replied, gentle but firm. “Come with me. Let’s get you out of this rain.”

Her chest tightened, a mix of fear and curiosity bubbling inside. Her eyes met his—calm, steady, and somehow protective. The storm outside blurred into insignificance. For a brief, suspended moment, all she could see was him.

Step by step, he guided her toward a warm glow ahead—the porch light of his home spilling onto the wet path. Each step soaked her further, but the strange warmth she felt from him seemed to chase away the chill.

Read the next chapter to find out!