#1 in Tainted Series
"Love, Heartbreak, and Redemption"
In this two-part tale, Amaira's life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Reyansh, best friend of her brother Arjun, suddenly breaks up with her without explanation. As she struggles to mo...
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The campus was buzzing with life, the warm October sun casting a golden hue over everything. The lush greenery of Saphire University swayed in the light breeze, the tall, ancient trees lining the pathways like silent guardians. Students scattered across the grounds, laughing, talking, rushing to their next class, or simply basking in the beauty of the day. I could smell the faint sweetness of jasmine and wet earth, remnants of a light rain that had passed through earlier in the morning. It was my second week here, but I still couldn't get over the sheer beauty of this place.
My thoughts were everywhere as I wandered across the courtyard, passing the marble statue of the university's founder, lost in the overwhelming newness of it all. I was thinking about my classes, the people I had met, and the fact that my life had drastically changed since I left Udaipur. The sprawling gardens reminded me of home, of Rathore House, and a pang of homesickness washed over me. But just as quickly, it was replaced by excitement. There was something thrilling about being on my own, about starting fresh.
As I turned the corner toward the central library, I wasn't paying attention and collided into someone—hard. The sudden impact knocked me off balance, my books spilling onto the cobblestone pathway.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" I blurted out, flustered as I quickly knelt down to pick up my things. My heart raced, my face flushed with embarrassment.
"No worries, really," came a smooth, deep voice from above. I glanced up to see who I had bumped into, my hands momentarily freezing mid-reach for my books. Standing there, towering over me, was none other than Reyansh Rajvansh—Bhaiya's best friend, Aadhya's big brother and the one person on campus everyone seemed to know.
I had heard about him from my batchmates—his reputation as the campus heartthrob wasn't just idle gossip. Girls constantly swooned over him, their conversations filled with dreamy sighs and exaggerated giggles whenever his name came up. He was a final-year student, popular, smart, and apparently, impossible to ignore. But this was different. Seeing him this close, feeling his presence, was something I hadn't expected.
I stood up, clutching my books awkwardly. He was even taller than I remembered—his imposing height of 6'3" cast a shadow over me, his broad shoulders and chiseled frame radiating a quiet strength. His skin gleamed in the sunlight, a warm golden brown that made me think of long summer days. His dark brown eyes, almost black under the light, held a mixture of curiosity and amusement, but there was also a softness there. A gentleness that surprised me.
"I'm fine," I said quickly, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, feeling suddenly very small. His presence was magnetic, pulling me in without effort, and it left me breathless. I tried to ignore the flutter in my chest, the way my pulse quickened just standing near him.
