After the Tokyo victory, Aarav was invited to speak at the World Youth Empowerment Summit in Paris, a global event spotlighting young changemakers.
His panel was titled:
"From Rejection to Revolution: Building Power from Pain."
He wasn't nervous about the speech—but someone in the audience made his heart race.
A woman. Elegant, with sharp eyes and soft defiance on her face.
After the talk, she approached him.
"Aarav?""Yes.""I saw your fight. But it was your silence after the win that impressed me."
Her name was Leyla Haddad, a half-Moroccan, half-French social worker who taught Muay Thai to girls in refugee camps. Fierce, independent, and completely immune to Aarav's fame.
She didn't ask for selfies. She asked him:"What are you doing with your victory?"