Mansi Verma, a middle-class girl with an unquenchable passion for dance, crosses paths with Teron Hernandez-a young billionaire born into one of the wealthiest families, who owns multiple businesses and brands and is one of Bollywood's most celebrat...
Finally, June 16th—a week after his birthday. He must have turned 24 by now. I'd wished him over a message, but today... today I was finally going to see him again.
I'm on the train with Sakshi. She's fast asleep, while I lie awake, staring out the window, lost in thoughts of him... imagining our first meeting over and over again. And somehow, I can't stop smiling.
He had already shared his address earlier. "You both can come directly to my place. Stay as long as you want while you're in the city."
I remember hesitating when he said that. "Let's meet first... then decide," I had replied.
When we finally reach, I pause for a second.
A beautiful independent duplex stands in front of us—spacious, calm, the kind of house that quietly reflects the life someone has built for themselves.
His Home:
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We ring the bell.
The door opens.
Mateo.
Tall, sharp, glasses resting on his nose—giving him that effortless "smart but attractive" vibe. Teron's best friend.
I glance at Sakshi and whisper, "Of course... beautiful people have beautiful best friends."
We step inside, and as we do, my eyes immediately begin searching for him.
And then I see him.
Coming down the stairs.
For a second, everything else fades.
There's something about him—the way he carries himself, calm and confident. That easy smile. That quiet charm that doesn't need attention, yet somehow owns it. Around six-foot-one, with hazel eyes and a fair complexion, he looked exactly like the version of him I'd carried in my mind for the past year... maybe even better.
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And then there's me.
A little messy. Still figuring things out. 5'5", long semi-curly hair, trying to look put together... but not quite there yet.
Not perfect. Just... ordinary.
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We start talking, and somehow, everything feels easy. Too easy. Conversations flow without effort, laughter comes naturally, and soon lunch turns into sharing dance stories, embarrassing moments, and random memories. Mateo and Sakshi blend in like they've known us forever.
I didn't expect it to feel this comfortable. I didn't expect him to still remember me like this.
Teron insists we stay.
"Why spend money when you already have a place?" "Don't overthink this!"
We exchange looks... think a little too much... And finally agree to stay for a few days until we find something permanent.
And just like that, he gives me his room. "You take this one, it's better. I'll stay with Mateo."
He packs his essentials and shifts to Mateo's room without a second thought, as if it's the most natural thing to do.
And his room...
God.
Spacious. Minimal. Expensive in a quiet way. The kind you only see in movies.
Meanwhile, Sakshi picks a room downstairs.
"No way I'm climbing stairs 20 times a day," she says, and I can't help but laugh.
But somewhere beneath all this ease, something else quietly begins.
My mind starts doing what it does best.
Comparing. Observing. Overthinking.
He feels... put together. Certain.
And I feel like I'm still building myself. Still becoming.
A work in progress.
And somewhere in between all of this, I realised he was far beyond my reach—that I didn't quite fit into his world. So I chose to keep my feelings to myself. I couldn't risk losing what we had.
