Days in the life of Lavanya Ahuja were unusually scheduled. Each minute came with a purpose, and every hour was labelled with a task. Important days like today were planned even more precisely. 

Not necessarily because she wanted it to be, but because those around her dictated so. Some – most – thought she had no backbone, but Lavanya thought herself as co-operative. It wasn't the worst advice to comply with, especially if it meant she was prepared. Prepared to make no mistakes, especially today. There was no room for error.

But not everything always went to according to plan. Exhibit A: Lavanya was supposed to finish her lab on time. Instead, her incompetent and clumsy partner had pipetted the solution into the wrong wells. Like a bloody amateur.

Lavanya rushed down the hallway of the marbled building, her heeled boots clicking against the floor. She pulled the scrunchie out of her hair, the curls falling out of her bun. In a manner that was all too rough for her usual self, she shrugged the white coat off and it hung off her arm lazily. Walking out of the building, she spotted her BMW waiting for her in the darkness. It felt ridiculous to call it her car, when she had nothing to do with it, financially. With one press of a button, she unlocked it. She grimaced looking at the price on her phone. She cursed university parking.

Lavanya hurriedly glanced around the abandoned parking lot, and with pursed lips she reached for the navy dress in her bag. With rushed movements, she quickly changed, an eye always searching for any innocent bystanders.

She checked her appearance in the mirror. Passable. Her makeup was starting to crease under her eyes, and her red lipstick was starting to fade. Her boyfriend nor his family were going to be impressed. In fact, she could hear Mrs. Nair suggesting a different coloured lipstick to pair with her darker skin.

She turned the key in the ignition and reversed out of the parking lot. Lavanya hoped no one was around to witness her less than smooth driving skills. She was speeding, severely.

Driving was supposed to calm her down, but all it did was rattle her more. If it wasn't the car in front of her being too slow, it was the lack of a green light.

Eventually, the traffic drifted away, leaving her speeding car alone on the road.

An unpleasant sound escaped her car and before she could process it, the front wheels of her car spun out. Lavanya's foot pressed down the brake, jerking the car to a slow.

Her heart pounded beneath her ribs, her breathing heavier.

Lips pinched, Lavanya got out of her car and assessed the damage. A flat tire was definitely not part of the agenda. The gears in her head turned, tossing through her limited options. She couldn't call her parents. They had tried to sign her up for a class on changing tyres and she had vehemently refused, and now it had come to bite her in the ass. There wasn't a plethora of contacts on her speed dial, simply her family and boyfriend.

Because somehow, that's all her life had become. University, family, and a questionable relationship.

"Where the fuck are you?" Ansh's rough voice drifted through the phone.

Lavanya bit her lip, holding back any haughty comments. She could've done with a 'hi' or 'how are you'. "I have a flat tire."

"Well then, sort it out." He hung up.

Lavanya stared at her home screen, mouth agape. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. Eyes shut, she focused on breathing. She dialled her next option. The girl on the other side did nothing to assure her. Roadside assistance was an hour away.

The universe really didn't have her back today. As if it had a cruel sense of humour, Lavanya felt droplets on her face. And then on her arm and hair. More and quicker, the water rained. With a frustrated groan, Lavanya opened the door and sat in her car.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Her fingers clutched the steering wheel, manicured nails digging into the material. Her forehead fell onto the wheel and before she knew it, she was crying.

Crying about being late. Crying about her flat tire. Crying about her lack of social life. Crying about her empty relationship. Crying about who she had become.

The rain crashed down heavily onto her car muffling the sobs escaping Lavanya's mouth. A knock clattered through the rain. Lavanya jumped in her car seat. A face stared at her. Scrunched eyebrows and concerned blue eyes framed by long eyelashes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, raising his voice to yell over the rain.

Wide eyes even wider, Lavanya hesitated before lowering the glass between them. "Flat tire."Glass lowered, Lavanya could see him clearer. He was very pale, but dark hair littered his skin in a slight stubble. He glanced around the area, before adding, "Do you have a spare?"

Lavanya pursed her lips, ashamed at having to think about the answer. "Yeah."

"If you open the boot, I can change it for you."

Lavanya's eyebrows rose. She couldn't fathom why a complete stranger would soak in the rain just to help her. None of the reasons she came up with were comforting. All her scenarios ended up with her dead in a ditch. 

Her facial expressions must have given her away, since he said, "Don't worry, you can sit in here. Roll up the windows, have 911 ready to dial if necessary."

Lavanya bit her lip. "I don't have any tools."

"Don't worry, I've got some."

She nodded. "Thank you."

He jogged over to his car parked on the other side of the road. His sneaker-clad footsteps were loud against the wet asphalt. His tall figure hunched over the boot of his car before approaching her with tools in his hands. She didn't know what kind of person her age would have tools like that. Her thoughts drifted back to murder.

Lavanya could see his figure kneel down on the side of car through her rear-view mirror. He didn't spare her a glance. The rain splattered against his leather jacket. Lavanya bit her lip again. She pursed her lips and hesitated. With a sudden burst of bravery that she never thought she was capable of, she reached for the red umbrella in the back seat. Any smart person carried an umbrella in Auckland. Sunny one second, and a rainstorm the next.

One heel at a time, she exited the car. The red umbrella covered her, and she stared down at her saviour. His movements halted and he gazed up at her, surprise painted on his face. With uncertain steps, Lavanya inched closer to him until the umbrella covered them both. The rain stopped dousing him like a cold bath.

She wondered what it must look like to anyone driving by. A girl dressed for a party with hors d'oeuvres standing with a red umbrella over a boy who looked like the poster child for 'bad news'.

But then he smiled at her. His voice was smooth and polite as he said, "Thank you."

Definitely did not match the leather jacket stereotype.

"Do you always help the distressed in the rain?" Lavanya asked, surprising herself.

He chuckled, rolling the tire to the side. "Only if they drive a pretty baby like this one."

Lavanya resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't understand everyone's obsession with cars. As long as it moved, she was okay with it.

"Thank you for stopping," Lavanya murmured, her voice almost a whisper. She watched him move swiftly and confidently and wondered how often he had done this. Was she the only person in the world who didn't know how to change a tyre?

He stepped back from the tyre and gathered his tools. He lifted the flat tyre with ease and placed it in her boot.

"All done," he remarked with a smile. He stood under the umbrella with her, and her arm extended to cater for his height.

"Thank you," she whispered again but made no move to step back.

The streetlight shined down, illuminating their faces in the dark. His eyes narrowed on her face and she wondered if he could tell she had been crying.

"Do you like who you are?" Lavanya asked.

His eyebrows flew up before furrowing in the middle.

"Considering I just stopped in the middle of the rain to help someone, I'd say I'm not doing bad."

Lavanya supressed a smile. In a moment of no thought or logicality, she leaned and closed the space between them. His breath shook.

Then she kissed him. 

So, here's the first chapter! Unfortunately, all of these chapters will be unedited, first drafts. But feel free to offer your honest thoughts, any typos you see or even grammatical errors.