The city was alive with chaos as the rain came down in silver sheets, drenching streets and people alike. Horns blared, headlights flickered, and the storm painted everything in shades of grey. But inside a sleek black car, shielded from the world by tinted windows, Ayaan Malhotra couldn't have cared less.
His fingers drummed impatiently on the steering wheel as he waited for the signal to change. His mind wasn't on the rain, or the traffic, or the world outside. It was on the endless meetings, the contracts he had to sign, and the weight of expectations that came with his last name.
And then — it happened.
A flash of color, a small figure darting into the road. The sudden thud against the side of his car jolted him back to reality.
Ayaan slammed the brakes, heart pounding. He threw the door open and stepped out into the downpour.
Lying on the wet road was a young boy, clutching his scraped knee, his bicycle twisted beside him. And standing over him was a girl — her clothes soaked, her eyes blazing with fury that burned hotter than the rain was cold.
"Are you blind?!" she shouted, not caring who he was or how expensive his car looked.
Ayaan blinked, momentarily stunned. No one spoke to him like that.
"I didn't see him — he came out of nowhere!" Ayaan defended, though his voice lacked its usual arrogance.
The girl crouched beside her brother, checking him over. The boy whimpered but nodded when she asked if he could stand. She helped him up, and only then did she face Ayaan fully.
Zoya Khan.
Her name wasn't spoken, but in that instant, Ayaan knew it. Felt it. As if the universe had whispered it in his ear.
"Maybe next time, try watching the road instead of your own reflection," she snapped, pulling the boy close and guiding him to the footpath.
Ayaan opened his mouth to respond — to say what, he didn't even know. But she was already walking away, her back straight, her head held high despite the storm.
And he just stood there, watching her disappear into the rain, feeling like for the first time, someone had truly seen him — and turned away.