• English - Romance

    Chai, Sweat & Secrets

    Sanjana Kaul 1 The Bengaluru sun pierced through the glass walls of the co-working space like a daily ritual, washing the industrial-chic interiors in gold. Tanya Rao stood at the head of the long wooden conference table, sleeves rolled up, jaw tight, the glow of her smartwatch reflecting her rising heart rate. Another pitch meeting loomed, another investor to impress, and her team was scrambling to pull the demo together. Her co-founder, Rishi, had the audacity to be late—again. “Just wait, you’ll like him,” he had texted about the new UX designer joining today. Tanya didn’t care. She didn’t have…

  • English - Romance

    The Equation of Us

    Maanvi Shah The conference room was too cold for summer, like most VC firms that mistook temperature control for control in general. Rhea Mehta crossed her legs, stilettos clicking lightly as she adjusted her seat, eyes steady on the projected slide deck. “You’re up,” she said, voice clipped, betraying no emotion. Across the glossy table stood a lanky young man in jeans and a faded hoodie—unapologetically casual in a room full of silk blouses and cufflinks. He stepped forward, opened his laptop, and clicked the remote. “My name is Arjun Iyer,” he began, his voice a blend of caffeine and…

  • English - Romance - Young Adult

    Red Ink on White Paper

    Tara Deshpande Part 1: First Paper Cut The essay was titled “Love is a Knife with a Sugar Handle.” Rayan D’Souza read the first paragraph, then the last, then the whole thing again in silence. It wasn’t just good—it was surgical. Each line left a mark, a strange blend of emotional vulnerability and cold detachment. The author was Aranya Sen. Roll number 07B/LIT/019. He remembered her vaguely from the second row, a girl who didn’t take notes but always looked like she was memorising the whole room. Her photograph was stapled to the file, standard college protocol, a small passport-size…