Winter Petals

"She lives quietly, hidden from the world, a timid soul who has only known fear and solitude. He stands before her as a wall of ice-cold words, hard eyes, a man feared by all. To her, he is cruel. To himself, he is a shield. For beneath his ruthless exterior lies a love so fierce it could burn through the coldest winter. She is the last petal of warmth in his frozen world... but can a fragile bloom survive when spring is forbidden to come?"Morning spilled across the city in shades of pink and gold, as though the sky itself had been brushed by an artist's hand after a night of restless rain. The streets still glistened, trembling with drops that clung to leaves and rooftops.Ishika's heart pounded as her footsteps echoed against the wet pavement. It was her first day of college, and already she was running late. The strap of her bag dug into her shoulder as she weaved through the unfamiliar crowd, breath quick, eyes wide.The city towered around her-skyscrapers piercing the clouds, glass walls glittering like jewels in the morning sun. She had always feared this kind of glamour. The lights, the pace, the endless noise-it felt too loud for someone who had grown up in silence, too dazzling for a girl who preferred shadows.But dreams were stubborn things. For her career, she had stepped into this city of glitter and steel, even if her heart whispered of escape. Today, there was no turning back.And it was on this hurried morning, drenched in gold and nervesShe slipped through the west gate, hurried and breathless. For a moment, she froze. The corridor was drenched in an odd kind of stillness. It was the first time Ishika had seen silence instead of just feeling it-walls towering, footsteps absent, the echo of her own breath the only sound.Her wristwatch read 9:10 a.m.Clutching the crumpled map the college had provided, she wandered nervously. The blocks blurred together, each hallway looking like the last. Anxiety crept in until, at the far end, she spotted a group of boys laughing among themselves.Drawing in a shaky breath, she approached.Ishika (softly): "Umm... excuse me. Could you please help me find the Biotechnology Block-C for the bachelor's classes?"One of the boys arched a brow, smirking.

Pagina's: 236, Paperback, Ottavio Ferrante