ICE AND FIRE

Akshay Singh Rathore didn't do distractions.
At 29, he was India's most feared businessman-CEO of the Rathore Group of Companies and the infamous "Professor Rathore" at Rathore University of Commerce. Students whispered about his stare that could freeze a volcano, his lectures that could make even the most confident crumble.
To him, emotions were liabilities. Love? A foolish weakness. His ex had made sure of that.
So when she walked into his lecture hall that Monday morning, all sunshine and confidence, his world paused for the first time in years.

Parvathi Singhania.
The name alone was enough to make his jaw tighten. The Singhanias-the Rathores' oldest rivals in business, politics, and power. Yet there she was, walking in with a soft smile, her ID card swinging, her eyes glowing with that "I can handle anything" energy.
Her pink notebook had tiny stars drawn on it. He hated that he noticed.
"Miss Singhania," he said, his tone cold as marble. "Interesting choice of university."
She smiled, tilting her head slightly. "Why not, Professor Rathore? I like a challenge."
The class went silent. Nobody ever talked to him like that.
From that day, their paths kept colliding. Boardroom meetings. Business seminars. Late-night strategy competitions at the university. Every encounter was a battle-her warmth versus his frost, her laughter against his silence.