This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and events are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.All rights to this story and its original characters belong to the author.
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The envelope was thick, the kind that carried dreams. When Sehra tore it open, her breath caught.
"Congratulations, Sehra Aslan. You've been accepted..."
Her fingers trembled, eyes wide with disbelief—and then joy burst through her like sunlight after rain.
Cheers echoed through the house. Her mother hugged her tight, whispering thanks under her breath, while her father beamed with silent pride. It was the moment they'd all been waiting for.
"You've made us so proud, my child," her father said, placing a gentle hand on her head.
Ezaz, her older brother, gave her a one-armed hug. "University is a new world, Sehra. Don't just chase success—grow into it. And fulfill your dreams."
Then came Ayaz, grinning like he'd just cracked the funniest joke in the world.
"Seriously? She gets to escape to a dorm, live with her best friend, no chores, no nagging—and you guys are spoiling her like she's going off to war," he said, dramatically flopping on the couch. "Next thing I know, you'll be packing her snacks in gold wrappers and spending every day waiting for her phone call."
Sehra threw a pillow at him, laughing.
"It's not a vacation, Ayaz. I'll be studying."
"Studying," he scoffed. "Right—studying friendship bracelets and campus cafés."
Still, his teasing couldn't hide the glimmer of pride in his eyes.
As the day neared, the house buzzed with excitement. Her suitcase sat by the door, packed and repacked with books, clothes, and pieces of home. She was nervous, hopeful, and filled with a strange kind of electricity.
She didn't know what awaited her_not the challenges, the lessons, or how deeply her life would change. And she certainly didn't know that somewhere ahead, she would meet someone—unexpectedly—who would come to hold a place in her world far bigger than she could imagine.
But for now, she just smiled, ready to begin and chase her dreams.
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Far away, on a beach scattered with laughter and crashing waves, Ruaan sat under the shadow of an umbrella, staring out at the sea. Around him, his friends were joking, chasing each other, tossing snacks, and living the moment. But his mind was elsewhere.
"Guess what," Muhib said, nudging him with a grin. "My cousin got accepted into our university. The whole house is lit up like Eid. They're acting like she cured a disease or something."
Ruaan forced a smile. "That's nice."
He didn't say much else. Just listened. Nodded. Pretended to care.
Because he remembered the day he got accepted too—quietly, almost silently. No hugs, no celebration, no family dinner.
Just his father's flat voice:
"Good. But it's not a big deal. Most of my friend's kids got in too."
And then, the careless comment that lingered for months:
"Well, although those kids had connections. You… just got lucky."
Ruaan let out a slow breath, the kind that carried more weight than sound. He didn't argue. Didn't try to prove anything.
Now, two years have passed. The second year was behind him, and only one remained.
"One more to go," he muttered, mostly to himself.
Nothing special will happen. Just the same halls, the same faces, the same silence at home.
He didn't expect surprises. Not anymore.
But the thing about life is—it doesn't ask for permission to change.
And just like Sehra didn't know she'd meet someone who'd take up space in her heart…
Ruaan didn't know he was about to become someone else's story too.