Chapter 1:the transfer
The soft sound of suitcase wheels echoed in the college hallway as Zoya stood outside her new classroom.
Her heart beat too fast. New place. New people. New start. She wasn't ready.
But then again, she never had been.
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
Every head turned. A few whispers. A few curious glances.
"Excuse me," she said quietly, her voice barely rising over the rustling notebooks.
"New transfer?" a boy near the front asked.
She nodded. "Zoya Khan."
From the corner of the room, Ayaan looked up.
Just one glance.
A quiet moment.
But something shifted in him.
Her presence wasn't loud, but something about her made him grip his pencil tighter.
He had seen sadness before — but never wrapped so beautifully in silence.
---
Zoya found an empty seat by the window.
She didn't know anyone. She didn't care to.
The teacher entered soon after and started calling out names, giving out sheets for the upcoming art project — a college tradition, apparently.
"Zoya Khan," the teacher said, glancing at the list. "You've been paired with a student already. Partner assignments are final."
Zoya blinked. "Okay."
The teacher smiled. "You'll be working with… Ayaan Mirza."
Her eyes widened slightly.
The boy who hadn't looked at her twice.
The one who sat alone.
The one with the cold eyes.
She nodded, trying to keep her voice calm. "Alright."
But deep inside, something fluttered.
And far behind her, Ayaan's pencil snapped in half.