The days started to blend together.

Classes, meetings, college projects — and for Akif, countless hours after that in front of his laptop, notes sprawled across the table, eyes burning from screen-time. His dream of becoming a CEO wasn’t something new, but now, he was putting it into motion — building ideas, laying the foundation of a future he always envisioned.

And Zoya? She became his calm in the middle of all that chaos.

It started one evening in the university’s study lounge.

“Why don’t you ever take a break?” Zoya asked, arms crossed, staring down at the boy hunched over his screen.

“Because dreams don’t build themselves,” Akif replied without looking up.

Zoya rolled her eyes and plopped beside him, dragging his laptop away. “Dreams also don’t function without rest. Come on.”

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I can’t. This pitch needs to be ready by tomorrow.”

She reached into her bag and handed him a thermos.

“What’s this?”

“Hot chocolate. With marshmallows. You work, I’ll sit here and keep you sane.”

Akif smiled slowly, heart melting more than the marshmallows.

---

From then on, it became a routine.

After classes, Akif would pull out his laptop, and Zoya would be right beside him — sometimes reading, sometimes typing small notes for him, sometimes just resting her head on his shoulder.

“Don’t forget to breathe,” she’d remind him.

He’d glance at her, and everything heavy would feel light again.

One night, while working on his presentation slides, Zoya leaned over to check something.

“Move a bit,” she said, their faces too close.

Akif blinked, and without thinking, pecked her on the cheek.

She froze.

He realized.

She turned to him with a raised brow.

He panicked. “It was an encouragement kiss. You’re helping, so… yeah.”

Zoya giggled. “Well then, here’s one back.”

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Akif practically melted into his chair.

---

Sometimes, she’d bring him snacks. Other times, he’d drag her into long cuddles on her apartment couch, whispering about business models between yawns.

“Akif,” she said once while sketching a logo design for him, “you’re going to be someone really big one day.”

He smiled, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “Only if you’re there with me.”

Zoya rested her head against his chest, heart thudding.

“You’re the reason I still believe in love,” he whispered into her hair.

They stayed like that until Aarfa burst in, yelling about cold pizza and missed calls from Ayaan.

---

Akif’s dream was big, almost scary. But with Zoya beside him — hugging him during panic, stealing kisses between Excel sheets, scribbling ideas in her messy handwriting, and simply being there — it felt possible.

Their love wasn’t loud.

It was quiet, consistent, and comforting — like a candle that never flickered out.

And as he edged closer toward his dream, Akif knew — Zoya wasn’t just part of his journey.

She was the journey.

---