The First Domino

Title:The First Domino
Genre: YA Contemporary Drama | Coming-of-Age

Blurb:
One text. One lie. One endless spiral of regret.

When introverted 16-year-old Rishab asks his classmate Shanaya for her number on a school trip, he tells himself it's just to text another girl. But when she slides her phone into his palm without a word, it sparks a chain reaction that will haunt him for years.

What starts as midnight Snapchat streaks and clumsy compliments soon twists into a toxic game of emotional hide-and-seek. Shanaya, drowning in her obsession with their enigmatic teacher, Basu, uses Rishab as her anchor. Rishab, desperate to be seen, lets her-even as he sinks deeper into the mud of his own making.

But some doors, once opened, can't be closed.

A broken pen. A blocked message. A friendship shattered into ash. Years later, as Rishab burns the remnants of their digital ghosts, he wonders: If he'd never sent that first text, would any of this have happened? Or are some hells inevitable-destined to repeat, no matter how hard we run?*

Why You'll Be Hooked:
Raw & Relatable: A haunting exploration of first love, betrayal, and the choices that define us.
Modern Tragedy: For fans of *Normal People* meets *All the Bright Places*, with the addictive angst of a K-drama.
Cultural Resonance: Set in small-town India, where gossip travels faster than WiFi and every mistake feels eternal.
Unflinching Truths: Tackles toxic mentorship, digital obsession, and the lies we tell to survive adolescence.

Perfect For Readers Who:
- Crave stories about messy, imperfect characters who make *disastrous* choices.
- Know the ache of loving someone who loves someone else.
- Have ever stayed up past midnight, staring at a screen, wondering: *"Why can't I just let go?"