The sharp sound of the alarm pierced through the quiet room. Khushi groaned, blindly reaching out to silence it, but her hand knocked over the steel glass of water on the nightstand instead. The glass hit the floor with a loud clang.“Uff, kya din shuru hone se pehle hi khatam ho raha hai!” she mumbled under her breath, pushing her thick, wavy hair out of her face.

The morning sunlight filtered through the thin cotton curtains, casting a soft glow on the small but cozy room. The walls were lined with posters of Bollywood movies, a string of fairy lights, and shelves stacked with worn novels. It was a room that reflected its owner perfectly  simple, dreamy, and a little messy.

Khushi Sharma stretched her arms with a loud yawn, her oversized kurti slipping off one shoulder. She was twenty-two, but sometimes she felt like an old soul trapped in a young body. Life hadn’t exactly been kind or easy but she had learned to find joy in the little things. The smell of chai, the sound of rain, the pages of a good book.“Khushi! Jaldi uth, nahi toh maa tujhe maar dalegi!” her younger brother’s voice echoed from outside the door.“Bhai, ja na! Subah-subah shanti bhi nahi milti!” she called back, dragging herself out of bed.

As expected, her mother was already in the kitchen, frying puris and muttering complaints about how lazy her children were. Khushi sneaked up behind her and hugged her tightly.“Maa, meri pyaari maa, aaj kya banaya hai?” she teased, grinning when her mother swatted her hand away.“Drama band kar! Teri naukri ka time ho raha hai,” her mother warned, but there was love in her voice.

Khushi worked as a receptionist at a small travel agency  not exactly the job of her dreams, but it paid the bills. Her father’s health hadn’t been good for a while, and as the eldest, she had stepped up without a second thought.

But sometimes, when the nights were quiet and the world was asleep, Khushi allowed herself to dream. Of a life filled with love and adventure, of a prince who would sweep her off her feet  just like in the movies.She sighed, tying her dupatta as she grabbed her bag. Reality was far from a fairytale.Little did she know, her life was about to change. And the storm that was Aarav Malhotra was waiting just around the corner.