Tejasswi paced her room that morning, unable to shake the restless feeling inside her. She’d thought about Karan’s words over and over, each time getting pulled deeper into the mystery that was him. He was evasive, yes—almost defiantly so. But there was a part of him that she sensed was crying out, a part that wanted to be understood and needed someone willing to look beyond his defenses.

Today, she would take a chance and confront him. She needed to understand what he was hiding and why he seemed so determined to push her away. Maybe it was foolish, even reckless, but the curiosity he stirred within her was unrelenting.