Khushi POV
The last bell echoed through the design block like the soft clang of liberation. Our final class for the day had ended, and just like that, a gentle energy flooded through the college campus. Laughter, sandals against stone, books being shoved into bags — everything felt lighter, brighter.
My friends and I walked together across the corridor, the four of us heading back toward the hostel. Aayushi bumped her shoulder into mine, eyes wide with anticipation.
“Okay, Khushi, no more dodging! Now tell us what happened this morning?” she asked, looping her arm through mine. “You said you almost died?”
That one sentence pulled me out of the buzz around us. The memory returned too easily—the car, the sudden freeze in my limbs, the rough grip pulling me back, the voice… his voice.
I glanced at Aayushi and then the others. “Let’s go to the room first,” I said, with a small, unsure smile. “I’ll tell you everything there.”
Meher, ever the peacekeeper, nodded. “Sure, but only after we get snacks from the mess. My brain is running on empty.”
Tanya groaned dramatically, “Yes! And also my soul needs something to survive what Khushi’s clearly been hiding.”
We all laughed and headed toward the mess. The aroma of fried potatoes and spice seemed to restore something in all of us. We talked about professors, upcoming deadlines, and shared fries like siblings on borrowed time.
Then we walked back to our hostel floor. Tanya, ever the commander of chaos, turned around just before her room. “Everyone, gather in Khushi’s room in ten minutes. Emergency meeting.”
Aayushi gave her a salute, Meher laughed and I just shook my head.
“Didn’t know I was hosting a summit,” I mumbled, unlocking my door.
Ten minutes later, my bed was cluttered with pillows and three curious pairs of eyes.
I sat cross-legged and looked at them.
“Okay,” I began, “but you all have to promise to just... listen. No shouting, no fainting, no jumping on the bed.”
“Now I’m scared,” Aayushi whispered.
I told them everything. Not every detail—some things felt too new, too close to my skin—but I shared the rest.
The moment with the car. The stranger saving me. My words of thanks. How he came to talk to me again after the lecture. How lunch turned into a spontaneous plan. The restaurant. The challenge. The ninety minutes. The photo. The drive back.
I didn’t mention how his breath had felt when it brushed against my cheek. I didn’t tell them how my hands had shaken when they touched his chest for the picture. Or how I still felt the warmth of his voice like it was stitched into my skin.
I kept that part for myself.
When I said his name—Luca Volkov—everything shifted.
Meher’s mouth fell open.
Tanya let out a strangled noise.
Aayushi gasped and slapped the blanket. “WHAT?”
Meher leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Khushi… do you even know who Luca Volkov really is?”
I blinked. “He said he’s a businessman.”
Tanya threw her arms in the air. “Just a businessman? Oh my god, Khushi!”
Aayushi sat back, collecting her thoughts before she said in mock calmness, “Okay, so let me get this straight. You were almost hit by a car. But then Mr. Luca Volkov saved you. Then you thanked him. Then he asked you to treat him to lunch. You agreed. Then you both went to one of the most expensive restaurants in the entire country. You found out about some challenge where couples could eat free if they lasted ninety minutes. You pretended to be a couple with the most powerful man in Delhi for one and a half hours. You won. Ate luxury Italian food. Didn’t pay. And then he drove you back. Correct?”
I nodded sheepishly.
Tanya looked like she was ready to throw a pillow at me. “Khushi, you need to come out of your books and see the real world.”
“I don’t understand why you’re all freaking out,” I said, genuinely confused. “He didn’t even tell me he was—whoever you’re making him out to be.”
Meher sat up straight. “He’s not just anyone. He’s the CEO and owner of The Volkov Group. That’s one of the top conglomerates in the world. Real estate, luxury brands, even tech. The man’s worth more than Delhi’s GDP!”
“What…” My voice faded. My thoughts stumbled, caught in a web of disbelief. “That can’t be true.”
“Oh, it is,” Tanya confirmed. “We literally studied a case on The Volkov Group last semester. I even stalked him on social media for days. No pictures with women. No interviews. Total mystery.”
Meher wasn’t done. “Not just that—he’s probably the most charming man alive. Every girl in the country would faint just hearing his name. And you—” she pointed at me, “—you got to talk with him. Laugh with him. Eat with him.”
I couldn’t breathe for a moment.
His eyes. The gentleness in his voice. The way he looked at me like I was something important.
“I didn’t know,” I whispered.
“Of course you didn’t. You live in your books,” Tanya said, but her voice had softened.
Meher giggled. “This is like something out of a drama. Like some fantasy show on Netflix.”
Aayushi leaned over. “So what now?”
“Nothing, I mean we won’t even meet again, I don’t even have his number.” I said quickly. “We have exams. Life. Projects.”
All of them groaned in unison at the mention of exams.
Tanya threw her hands in the air again. “I think they’re stupid.”
“Who?” we all asked.
“The people who made the datesheet,” she explained. “They gave no gap before the hardest subject and gave three days for the easiest one. Is that a joke?”
We all nodded in agreement.
“I haven’t even finished my thesis,” Aayushi sighed. “Have you, Khushi?”
I shook my head. “A part is still left. I need one last section.”
We talked for a little longer—about submissions, professors, and what kind of mess food would best cure heartbreak. Then, slowly, they each filtered out, leaving me in the quiet of my own room.
I stared at the ceiling for a long time.
Then closed my eyes.
Luca’s face was the first thing that came into focus.
His voice.
His smile when I’d called him an angel.
The way his hand had brushed against mine in the restaurant.
His real identity of being the owner and CEO of The Volkov Group.
I pressed a palm to my chest.
What was happening to me?
I didn’t have an answer.
That night, I tried to study. Really, I did. But somewhere between lighting a candle for focus and opening my design notebook, I drifted into sleep.
And the dream came.
The nightmare.
I was alone.
No friends. No colors. No home.
Just an endless darkness stretching in every direction.
I called out. Screamed for help.
No one came.
I ran, barefoot and desperate, heart cracking open with each step.
Until I saw it.
A faint light—far in the distance.
I ran toward it like my soul depended on it. And as I reached the edge of that brightness—
I woke up.
The room was still. The fan above hummed softly.
My cheeks were damp.
What was that?
What was that light?
My thoughts returned to Luca. Could it have been him?
I didn’t know.
But I wanted to.
I lit a small lamp beside my desk and opened my notebook again.
There were still exams to face. Life to return to.
But inside me, something had shifted.
A quiet understanding.
A quiet ache.
And somewhere beneath it, a hope I didn’t dare name yet.
But it was there—glowing faintly.
Just like the light in my dream.
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Hey guys hope you like this part. Thank you for reading the story till now. Do like for the chapters and comment your reviews in the comment section.
Stay tuned to read about another beautiful and a bit intense moment that is soon going to occur between Khushi and Luca😉😘
See you all tomorrow💕❤
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