The First Collision

Sia Rao (19): Smart, sarcastic, a hopeless romantic who hides her insecurities behind laughter.

Aarav Malhotra (21): Cold, brilliant, secretly broken; hides a painful past behind his perfection.

Maya (Sia’s best friend): The comic relief and secret cupid.

Reyansh (Aarav’s rival): Adds tension — also likes Sai.

Sia Rao, 19, is incredibly intelligent and sharp-tongued. Deep down, she's a romantic, but she often hides her softer side behind a veil of jokes.

Aarav Malhotra, 21, presents himself as a man of great intellect, though he can be a bit cold. He's quietly dealing with some inner struggles, keeping a difficult past hidden under a polished exterior.

Then there's Maya, Sia's close friend. She's there for comic relief and secretly plays matchmaker.

Finally a rival of Aarav's, adds some tension to the story and also has his eye on SIA.

........

The college hallway was a hive of activity, a vibrant mix of hurried steps and loud laughter echoing off the plain walls.

Clutching her sketchbook tightly, Sia Rao let out a long, heavy sigh. It was another dreary Monday, another day of pretending to be okay. She was almost to her classroom when someone turned the corner far too quickly.

Wham! Her sketchbook went flying, sending charcoal sketches spiraling across the gleaming floor. Sia froze, staring at the tall figure in front of her. The guy didn't even flinch; he just stood there, composed, brushing away invisible specks of dirt from his spotless white shirt.

"Watch where you're going," he stated coolly, his deep voice carrying more authority than anger. Sia's mouth dropped open. "Excuse me? You ran into me!" The boy lifted his head, and that's when she truly saw him. He had a chiseled jaw, framed by sharp angles, and hazel eyes peering from behind thin glasses. Every girl on campus knew his face. Aarav Malhotra. The academic prodigy. The unattainable. The one who rarely smiled. He crouched, gathering her scattered drawings. "You draw?" he asked, flipping through the pages before she could stop him. Sia snatched her sketchbook back. "Do you make a habit of going through people's things, or is that just part of your 'charming' personality?" For a split second, something flickered in his eyes—perhaps amusement. Then, it disappeared. "You're Sai Rao correct? You're Professor Sharma's project partner." Her stomach lurched. "You've got to be kidding me." He wasn't. Aarav simply nodded, already turning away. "Meet me in the library after class. Don't be late." He walked away—calm, collected, and utterly infuriating. Sai glared at his retreating back. "Wonderful," she muttered. "Stuck with Mr. Cold himself. This semester just took a turn for the worse." She didn’t know it then, but that collision—that ridiculous, accidental moment—was about to change everything.

Sia rolled her eyes. Whatever. It was just a project.

Yet beneath the surface, something pulled at her—curiosity, perhaps even a sense of challenge. She wanted to discover what lay behind that emotionless facade.

As she pushed open the library door, her heart gave an unexpected flutter.

At that moment, she had no idea that this was the start of it all—a collision, a glare, and a heartbeat that wouldn’t heed reason.

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End of Chapter 1

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