Crushed Flower - Some blooms are born from darkness.

Chapter 4

As Aayna hurried down the street, anxious not to be late for school, her eyes caught sight of a dog wandering helplessly onto the road. A car came barreling toward it at frightening speed.

Without a moment’s hesitation for her own safety, she sprang forward and scooped the trembling animal into her arms. The car screeched to a halt just inches away.

Inside the luxurious vehicle sat Ayaan Khan, the young and powerful owner of AK Industries. It was he who had urgently commanded the driver to brake.

Still clutching his phone, Ayaan stared, astonished, at the girl in the red and white school uniform. Her beauty outshone even that of celestial beings. The tenderness with which she cradled the frightened dog pierced straight through his heart.

If her heart holds such softness for animals, how much more love must she have for people, he wondered, captivated.

As Aayna crossed the street gently, the dog still nestled in her arms, Ayaan remained frozen in his seat. Only after she vanished from view did he lean back, releasing a deep breath and allowing a faint smile to touch his lips.

I’m done for, he whispered under his breath.

Have I truly fallen in love at first sight? No, Ayaan Khan does not succumb to such childish emotions, he reminded himself. Yet his heart told a different story.

Ayaan Khan was the only son of Zafar and Kubra Khan. After completing Class 10, he had been sent to the United States, where he lived with his aunt and earned his MBA. Now, he had returned home to take the reins of his family’s empire.

That afternoon, as school let out, the skies opened, and rain began to fall.

Aayna had just stepped out of the gate when her foot slipped on the slick pavement. In a flash, a strong hand caught her by the waist and pulled her to safety.

Startled by the sudden contact, she turned sharply and slapped the boy’s face.

The boy was Faiyaz, the same young man who had quietly stood outside her school for the past six months, silently watching her from afar.

Rain poured down his face, yet his eyes burned with a fierce fire Aayna could not see as she turned and walked away.

He said nothing.

Soaked through, his hand still lingering where her slap had landed, Faiyaz clenched his jaw and watched her retreating figure with stormy eyes.