The sun hung high over the sprawling campus of St. Xavier’s, casting long shadows across manicured lawns and bustling pathways. Nandini Murthy moved through it all with an innate grace, a whirlwind of breezy summer dress and sparkling smile. She was, undeniably, the queen of St. Xavier’s – popular, effortlessly charming, and unfortunately, a magnet for unwanted attention. Every day brought a fresh crop of love letters, awkward serenade attempts in the cafeteria, and desperate pleas for a single glance. It was exhausting.
Her popularity, once a source of innocent joy, had turned into a gilded cage. She yearned for a moment of peace, a day where she wasn't fending off the advances of overzealous admirers. The worst of them all was Harshad Saxena. His father was the college principal, a fact Harshad wielded like a divine right to torment anyone, especially Nandini. He wasn't subtle; his advances were aggressive, his persistence relentless, and his sense of entitlement suffocating. Nandini, ever polite and wary of crossing the principal's son, had mastered the art of gentle deflection, a skill that was wearing thin.
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