The room was silent.
Except for the steady sound of rain tapping against the large glass windows of her bedroom.
The city lights shimmered beyond the rain-soaked glass, casting faint reflections across the walls.
Ishira lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Sleep was nowhere to be found.
Too much had happened today.
The shopping trip.
Aryan's call.
The argument.
And him.
Ivaan.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the blanket.
No matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept drifting back to him.
His voice.
His smirk.
The way he looked at her as if he could see straight through her.
It was unsettling.
Dangerous.
Yet strangely impossible to ignore.
Ishira turned onto her side and closed her eyes.
Big mistake.
The moment she did, his face appeared in her mind again.
Those dark eyes.
That infuriating smirk.
And the way he had whispered in her ear before leaving.
"Tomorrow is your first day of college."
"And there's a very big surprise waiting for you."
A shiver ran down her spine.
What surprise?
And why did he sound so certain she wouldn't be able to avoid it?
The thought should have irritated her.
Instead, it made her curious.
Very curious.
That realization alone was enough to make her groan and bury her face into the pillow.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered.
Yet her heart refused to listen.
For the first time in her life, a man occupied her thoughts this much.
And that scared her.
Because beneath the attraction...
Beneath the curiosity...
There was another feeling.
One she couldn't quite ignore.
Danger.
Every instinct warned her to stay away from Ivaan Mehra.
He was trouble.
The kind of trouble that ruined lives.
The kind of trouble that left scars.
And yet...
The more she tried to push him out of her mind—
The more impossible it became.
Outside, thunder rumbled across the Manhattan sky.
Inside, Ishira stared at the rain-covered windows and wondered why the thought of seeing him tomorrow made her heart beat just a little faster.
Sleep refused to come.
No matter how many times she closed her eyes, her mind remained restless.
The rain continued to pour outside, droplets sliding down the glass windows while thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance.
With an annoyed sigh, Ishira sat up in bed.
Her eyes drifted toward the bedside clock.
2:17 A.M.
Great.
She threw the blanket aside and got to her feet.
The cold marble floor sent a chill through her bare skin as she walked toward the wooden dresser near the window.
Opening the top drawer, she reached inside and pulled out a cigarette box.
A habit she rarely touched.
Only on nights when her thoughts became too loud.
And tonight...
They were deafening.
She lit the cigarette, the small flame briefly illuminating her face before disappearing.
Taking a slow drag, she walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
The Manhattan skyline looked beautiful beneath the storm.
Dark.
Mysterious.
Dangerous.
For some reason...
It reminded her of him.
Ivaan.
The thought alone made her roll her eyes.
"Unbelievable."
Another drag.
Another memory.
His smirk.
His voice.
The way he always looked completely in control.
As if the entire world revolved around his decisions.
And somehow...
That irritated her.
Yet she couldn't stop thinking about him.
That irritated her even more.
She exhaled slowly, watching the smoke disappear into the darkness.
What was wrong with her?
A few days ago, Ivaan Mehra was just a name.
A dangerous name.
One her brother hated.
One she should have stayed far away from.
Now he occupied her thoughts every waking second.
Her gaze drifted toward the rain-streaked city.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow she would see him again.
The realization made her stomach tighten.
Not from fear.
Not entirely.
Something else.
Something unfamiliar.
Something she didn't quite understand.
Then his final words echoed through her mind.
"Tomorrow is your first day of college."
"And there's a very big surprise waiting for you."
Her brows furrowed.
What surprise?
And why did he sound so confident?
As if he already knew exactly how tomorrow would unfold.
A strange feeling settled in her chest.
Part curiosity.
Part anticipation.
Part danger.
The worst combination possible.
Taking one final drag, she crushed the cigarette into the ashtray.
The rain continued to fall.
The city continued to sleep.
But Ishira remained standing by the window, staring into the darkness and wondering why the thought of Ivaan Mehra felt like the beginning of something she should have run from...
Yet secretly didn't want to.
When Ishira finally fell asleep, it was already close to dawn.
The few hours of rest she managed to get were far from enough.
The shrill sound of her alarm dragged her out of sleep the next morning.
A groan escaped her lips.
Her head throbbed painfully.
As if someone was repeatedly hammering against her skull.
She slowly sat up, pressing a hand against her forehead.
"Great," she muttered.
The lack of sleep was definitely catching up to her.
The memories of last night instantly returned.
The rain.
The cigarette.
And unfortunately...
Ivaan.
Rolling her eyes at herself, she forced her tired body out of bed.
Today was her first day at Blackwood University.
There was no way she could be late.
After grabbing a towel, she disappeared into the washroom.
Nearly forty minutes later, the sound of running water stopped.
Steam filled the bathroom as she stepped out.
Freshly showered.
Freshly annoyed.
A white bathrobe was loosely wrapped around her body while droplets of water slid down her damp hair.
The hot shower had eased her headache slightly, but not enough.
She walked toward the vanity mirror and examined her reflection.
Much better.
At least she looked alive now.
The cool morning breeze drifted through the slightly open window, carrying the scent of rain from the night before.
For a brief moment, everything felt peaceful.
Normal.
Then her eyes landed on the planner lying on the table.
First Day at Blackwood University.
Immediately, one particular voice echoed through her mind.
"Tomorrow is your first day of college."
"And there's a very big surprise waiting for you."
Ishira froze.
A strange feeling settled in her stomach.
Curiosity.
Annoyance.
And something she refused to name.
"What surprise?" she whispered to herself.
Unfortunately, knowing Ivaan Mehra...
Whatever it was—
It couldn't possibly be good.
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