Kiara stared at her phone, Aarav's words replaying in her mind: "I can't mix worlds."
It wasn't rejection—it was a wall. And Kiara had never been afraid of walls.
That evening, as she scrolled through her gaming app, an idea sparked. Aarav had always loved strategy games back in school. Maybe that hadn't changed. She typed a quick message:
Kiara: "Do you still play? Or have rockets replaced everything fun?"
Minutes later, her phone buzzed.
Aarav: "Depends. What's your definition of fun?"
She grinned. Hooked.
Kiara: "Winning. Obviously."
Aarav: "Then you're in trouble."
Two hours later, Kiara was sitting cross-legged on her couch, headset on, her laughter echoing through the empty apartment. Aarav's voice came through the speakers—calm, teasing, with that quiet confidence that made her stomach flutter.
"Kiara, you just blew up your own base," he said, chuckling.
"I was distracted!" she protested. "You kept talking about orbital mechanics!"
"That's called multitasking," he teased. "You're supposed to be good at that."
She rolled her eyes, smiling. "Says the guy who spends his life calculating rocket trajectories."
"Touché," he murmured, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
Hours slipped by unnoticed. They played, they talked—about school, about dreams, about the strange loneliness of chasing something bigger than yourself. Aarav wasn't just brilliant; he was funny, unexpectedly charming in his understated way.
At one point, Kiara leaned back, headset slipping slightly, and whispered, "You know… I missed this."
There was a pause. "Missed what?" Aarav asked softly.
"Talking to someone who doesn't see me as… Kiara Kapoor, the actress," she said. "Just… me."
His voice was quiet, almost tender. "I've only ever seen you as you."
Her breath caught. For a moment, the game faded, the world faded—just his voice and the pounding of her heart.
When they finally logged off, it was past midnight. Kiara stared at the dark screen, her lips curved in a smile she couldn't suppress.
Aarav had built rockets, but tonight, he had launched something else—something dangerous, thrilling, and impossible to ignore.
And Kiara? She was ready to chase it, no matter how far it took her.