When he knew me by heart

**When He Had My Heart**

She wanted Dehradun.
He wanted distance.
Neither of them asked for *this*.

Darejaan Khan is the girl with highlighters in her hair, an average student's mind, and zero tolerance for distractions especially the human kind. She has board exams next month and a one-way ticket to her dream university, away from home. Nothing is supposed to go wrong.

But Hayaam does.

Her friend's older brother, back home for the holidays. National-level shooter. Golden boy with a guarded past and the kind of voice that ruins concentration. His laugh echoes from the football ground like a challenge, his eyes scan people like they're targets.

He's sharp, secretive, and heartbreak-wounded.
She's stubborn, brilliant, and absolutely not falling for him.
At least that's what she keeps telling herself.

They meet in stolen glances and midnight coffees.
They clash over revision breaks and rooftop silences.
And they fall, too slowly, too recklessly.

"You still write at night, don't you?"
"You weren't supposed to notice."
"I notice everything, Darejaan. That's the problem."

This isn't a love story.
It's what happens *before* one begins.