Aira Kapoor wasn't having a good day.
Not even a normal bad day.
It was the kind of day where everything piled up —
homework, teachers, pressure, emotions, expectations —
and then her feelings for a certain boy decided to sit on top like the final Jenga block.
During lunch, the cafeteria felt louder.
Her chest felt tight.
Her throat felt hard to swallow around.
Sia was rambling about something chaotic, Zayden was smiling softly as always, but Aira felt… off.
Like something inside her was cracking a little.
Reyhan noticed instantly.
He spotted her from across the cafeteria — sitting between Sia and Zayden, hands tight around her tray, staring at nothing.
His expression shifted immediately.
Gone was the smirk.
Gone was the swagger.
Gone was the teasing.
He walked toward her table — not fast, but purposeful. Focused.
"Aira," he said quietly when he reached her, "look at me."
Her head snapped up, startled. "What? Why?"
"You're not okay."
Aira's stomach clenched. "I'm fine—"
"No, you're not."
Sia and Zayden exchanged looks.
Reyhan pulled out a chair and sat beside her — closer than usual, like he was trying to shield her from the world without touching her.
"What happened?" he asked.
Aira shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just tired."
Reyhan stared at her for three seconds — long enough for her heart to panic.
"That's a lie," he said softly.
Aira looked away. She felt her eyes sting, and that scared her more than anything.
This wasn't the place to fall apart.
Not in front of everyone.
Not with him watching.
She stood abruptly. "I'm going to get some air."
Reyhan stood too. "I'll come."
"No," she said quickly. "Please… I just… I need a minute."
Reyhan hesitated.
She expected him to insist.
He didn't.
He just nodded once. "I'll be here."
Aira hurried out of the cafeteria before her voice could break.
---
Outside, she leaned against the cold wall, breathing slowly.
Everything felt heavy.
Too heavy.
Her chest ached.
Her eyes burned.
Her throat tightened.
She tried to wipe away the tears quickly —
But someone was already there.
Reyhan.
She didn't even hear him approach.
He didn't say anything.
He didn't smirk.
He didn't try to joke.
He just stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, eyes on her like he was trying to figure out how to keep her from falling apart.
"Aira," he said softly.
She shook her head. "Please… don't. Not right now."
He moved closer — slow, cautious — until he was standing in front of her.
He lifted one hand, hesitated, then gently touched her elbow.
Light.
Barely there.
As if waiting for her permission to comfort her.
Aira's chest crumbled.
She whispered, "I don't want to cry. Not in front of you."
Reyhan's voice softened to something she'd never heard before.
"Why not… in front of me?"
"Because," she whispered, "you'll see too much."
Reyhan exhaled — slow and careful.
"Aira… I already see too much."
She felt her heart shatter and heal at the same time.
"I'm just overwhelmed," she said quietly. "It's nothing big."
"It's big if it hurt you," Reyhan replied.
Aira's breath caught.
Why was he like this?
Why did he sound like he meant every word?
Why did her rules feel useless around him?
Reyhan gently tilted her chin up — not forcing, just guiding.
Aira met his eyes.
Warm.
Steady.
Full of something she wasn't ready to name.
"Don't hide from me," he whispered. "Not this. Not you."
Her eyes stung again.
This time, she didn't turn away.
Reyhan stepped closer — just enough so she could feel his presence, not his touch.
"I'm not here to judge you," he said quietly.
"I'm here because you looked like you needed someone… and I want to be that someone."
Aira swallowed hard. "Why?"
Reyhan stared at her like the answer was obvious.
"Because it's you."
Aira felt everything inside her collapse.
The fear.
The confusion.
The walls.
All of it cracked under the weight of one truth:
He cared.
Deeply.
More deeply than he ever said out loud.
She whispered, "Reyhan… I don't know how to deal with everything."
He stepped close enough that their shoulders brushed.
"You don't have to deal with it alone," he said.
Aira blinked, and a single tear slipped down her cheek.
Reyhan's expression softened completely.
He reached out, gently wiping it with his thumb — slow enough that she could pull away, soft enough that she didn't want to.
Her breath caught.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"It's okay. I've got you."
Aira closed her eyes for a moment — letting herself feel it.
The warmth.
The safety.
The terrifying comfort of him.
Just for a second.
Just long enough to breathe again.
(And maybe break another rule.)
RULE #22: Don't let Reyhan Malhotra see you break.
Because once he does…
he'll hold you together more gently than you expect.