For ten years, Sumit’s greatest love story existed entirely inside his own head.

At age nine, hanging upside down from a guava tree, Sumit fell in love at first sight. For the next decade, separated by distance and terrifying shyness, he survived by keeping an imaginary version of that girl, Arohi, by his side. She became his conscience, his confidante, and his safe haven. But when a single digital request finally bridges the gap between them, the flawless illusion of his imagination collides with the beautiful, messy reality of the real Arohi.

To explain his decade of silence and his profound fear of relationship "cages," Sumit unravels a haunting parallel tale from their school days: the legend of Utsav and Aditi.

Utsav is a quiet boy who transforms himself into a ruthless academic prodigy simply to be worthy of standing in the radiant Aditi's orbit. Yet, his devotion is entirely silent. Believing that true love shouldn't demand acknowledgment, Utsav becomes the invisible architect of her happiness—sabotaging his own perfect scores so she can claim the Rank 1 crown, and quietly absorbing punishments to keep her smiling.

But silence is a dangerous sanctuary. As Utsav’s unspoken devotion clashes with the harsh realities of growing up, ambition, and the unpredictable nature of the heart, the line between selfless love and devastating self-sabotage begins to blur.

A beautifully layered exploration of unrequited love and the heavy toll of unspoken words, this novella asks a heartbreaking question: How much of your own soul are you willing to bankrupt to build a glass castle for someone who doesn't even know you're fighting for them?