Meet Indira Devi, an ambitious 18-year-old from India who secures acceptance into her dream university, The London School of Economics. Leaving behind the comforts of her home country, she sets out on a journey to pursue her passion for economics an...
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7th of September, Saturday.
7:02 am
I was deep in sleep, lost in the quiet of my room, until the faint sound of a giggle floated through the door, followed by the soft creaking of the hinges. Slowly, I blinked awake, rubbing my eyes, still groggy from the comfort of sleep. Before I could fully open them, the door creaked wider, pulling my attention.
"Morning, sleepyhead."
Indie stood there, leaning against the frame with a smile that seemed to light up the entire room. The sight of her first thing in the morning made something stir in my chest. Seeing her like that, in all her soft morning glow, was the kind of view I could definitely wake up to every day.
"Morning," I mumbled, my voice thick with sleep as I squinted up at her from beneath the covers. She was wearing a white set of shorts and a matching top dotted with tiny pink bow prints, the fabric light and summery, despite being autumn. The look suited her perfectly. Cute. Natural. Irresistible.
I was so lost in her presence that I almost forgot to breathe until she moved, crossing the room to pull the curtains open. A soft groan escaped my lips as the light filtered in, the early morning hues of orange and purple spilling into the room. The contrast was beautiful, but it didn't stop me from wincing at the sudden brightness.
"What time is it?" I asked, squinting towards her as she moved to open the balcony door. A cool breeze from the sea drifted into the room, carrying the salty air with it.
"'Round seven," she replied casually, turning back to me with that smile that sent warmth through my chest.
"You know," I murmured through a lazy grin, "you could've woken me up at ten, love." Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, and I bit back a chuckle at the sight. She was so damn easy to fluster, and I couldn't help but enjoy every second of it.
"No one's up," she mumbled, glancing down as she tugged at the hem of her top. "I was bored. Thought I'd wake ya." Her voice had that teasing edge to it, but the blush still lingered. It was hard not to smile at her playfulness.
Indie padded over to the bed and plopped herself down beside me, pulling her phone from the back pocket of her shorts. "Wanna go for a quick surf or something?" she asked, her eyes bright with excitement.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Now?" I asked, still half-buried in the sheets.
She nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, now. Val told me last night there are surfboards in the garage. So I thought me and you could go out there before everyone else wakes up. Unless... you don't know how to surf?" She looked up from her phone, eyes glinting with mischief as she baited me.
I chuckled, my gaze locking with hers. "I do know how to surf, Indie. But it's autumn, the water's freezing." I watched as she processed that for a moment, clearly weighing her options.
