The Right Kind of Wrong

16. Rajat's Growing Realization

Rajat stood on the college terrace, the usual hum of student chatter filtering up from the courtyard below. He had excused himself from his group of friends, saying he needed fresh air, but in truth, he just needed space to think.

His mind was a mess, tangled in thoughts he wasn't used to having. It had all started at that party a few nights ago. Savi had been there, standing out like she didn't belong, looking as awkward as she had been determined to hide. And yet, even amidst the chaos, there had been something about her that had drawn him in.

He had always noticed her, of course. Who wouldn't? Savi was like a bolt of lightning—impossible to ignore, burning with passion, fiercely driven. Their arguments had become the highlight of his days in a strange way. At first, he'd chalked it up to their constant banter, the way they could never agree on anything. But after the party, when he had defended her from Arsh's rude comments, something had shifted.

He had seen her differently that night, not just as the stubborn girl he clashed with every day, but as someone more. Someone strong, vulnerable, and so deeply passionate about her goals that it made him question everything he thought he knew about her—and about himself.

And that terrified him.

Rajat gripped the railing of the terrace, staring down at the sprawling campus. What's wrong with me? He had always been in control—of his life, his studies, his emotions. But Savi was messing with his head in ways he hadn't anticipated. He couldn't stop thinking about her, replaying their conversations, their arguments, the way she had looked at him after the party when they had walked together in the cool night air.

She had let her guard down, if only for a moment, and it had been enough to unravel something inside him.

Rajat's phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the screen and saw a message from Aman.

"Where'd you disappear to? We're at the cafe. Come join us."

Rajat sighed, slipping the phone back into his pocket. He wasn't in the mood for his friends' teasing today, especially not after the ribbing they'd given him since the party. They had all seen him with Savi, and the jokes about his "secret crush" had started almost immediately.

And maybe that was the problem—maybe it wasn't a joke at all.

Rajat shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. No. We're too different. Savi was focused on her IAS dreams, on proving herself, on breaking free from whatever pressures her family had placed on her. She was intense, idealistic, and relentless in her pursuit of success. He admired that about her, but it also made him question where he fit into the picture.

He wasn't like her. He wasn't sure of anything beyond his law degree, wasn't even sure if he wanted to be a lawyer. He lived for the moment, took life as it came, while Savi planned her every move with military precision.

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that they were on completely different paths. We don't make sense together. Yet, the more he tried to push her out of his mind, the more she crept back in.

Later that day, Rajat walked into the college library, hoping to bury himself in some case studies and forget about everything else. But, as if fate had other plans, he spotted Savi at one of the tables near the back, her laptop open and surrounded by a mountain of books.

She was biting her lip as she typed furiously, completely absorbed in her work. Rajat paused, watching her from a distance, and for a moment, he felt something strange stir inside him. She was so focused, so dedicated—it was impossible not to admire her.