Laced in Your Ruin

Chapter [XV]: The Calm Before the Storm

The last bell of the semester echoed through the sunlit corridors, cutting through the weight of textbooks and half-finished notes. Relief swept through the campus like wildfire—conversations bubbled louder, laughter became sharper, and the tension that had gripped every corner of the university for weeks dissolved into carefree excitement. Students spilled out into the courtyard, tossing around plans for late-night parties, post-exam food binges, and the much-hyped trip that everyone had been counting down to since the semester began.

Exams were finally over. The heavy silence that had cloaked the campus during those grueling weeks lifted, replaced with laughter, relief, and endless chatter about the much-anticipated college trip. Students buzzed with excitement, making plans about snacks, outfits, and who would share rooms. Everyone was relieved—everyone, except Qays Malik.

Qays leaned against his car in the parking lot, arms crossed, his dark hoodie pulled up like a shield. 

His dark hoodie shielded his sharp, unreadable expression as his eyes followed the chaos in detached silence. His phone rested in his palm, but the screen was dark. He wasn't scrolling through Instagram or answering congratulatory texts—he didn't need to. His friends were busy enough with their own distractions, and his family... well, family wasn't exactly something he counted on for warmth. His father's voice still echoed in his head—"You'll inherit the business whether you like it or not, Qays. Stop wasting time pretending you have a choice."

His gaze shifted automatically when familiar laughter caught his attention.

There she was.

Inara Alawi stood beneath the shade of an ancient neem tree, her dupatta fluttering slightly in the wind. She was dressed in soft shades of pink, her hair neatly tied back, and her eyes sparkled with the kind of happiness Qays hadn't known since he was a child. Beside her, Siya waved her arms around animatedly, probably narrating one of her wild stories about almost failing an exam or accidentally insulting a professor with one of her unfiltered remarks.

Qays hated how effortlessly she seemed to exist in this space—untouched by the weight of things he didn't even talk about. His friend Aarav was practically bouncing beside him, eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.

Aarav's voice broke through his silent observation. "Bro, if you keep staring at her like that, someone's going to think you actually have feelings."

Qays didn't bother looking away. "She's nothing special."

Aarav let out a low chuckle, clapping him on the back. "Nothing special? You're lying to yourself. She's got that 'I-don't-even-know-you-exist' charm that's messing with your head, isn't she?"

Qays' jaw tightened, but he stayed silent.

"Ibrahim, you have to come! This trip is going to be legendary—bonfire, trekking, late-night card games—come on, stop being such a boring old man," Aarav teased, elbowing him.

"I'm not interested," Qays replied flatly, eyes fixed on something—or rather, someone—across the courtyard.

She stood under a neem tree with Siya, her laughter light and free, the stress of exams finally gone. She had that soft glow of quiet confidence, the one that always made her stand out without even trying. Her dupatta fluttered in the breeze like it had a life of its own. Qays didn't realize his jaw had tightened until Aarav followed his gaze again.

"Seriously? You're not even trying to hide it now," Aarav smirked. "Jealousy looks good on you, man."

Qays tore his gaze away. "You're delusional."

Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, Inara was deep in conversation with Siya.

"Do you think Ammi and Papa will even let me go?" Inara's brows were furrowed with genuine concern.