Sunita had just wrapped up her transfer process, moving from Boston College to UCLA.
She'd get everything sorted before the Christmas break, and all she needed to do was show up at UCLA after the holidays.
On the first day of the Christmas break, Sunita caught a flight to Los Angeles.
Arjun was skeptical about her reason for transferring. In his mind, love wasn't enough to just change the course of someone's life like that.
December 25th.
8 AM.
Arjun hopped in a cab to pick up Sunita from the Los Angeles airport.
He had a driver's license, just no car to go with it.
Today, Arjun was in casual clothes with sunglasses that almost made him unrecognizable.
Even though Arjun was a towering 6'8", he was just a college basketball star, not an NBA celebrity. His fame wasn't the kind that everyone in LA would recognize.
Plus, without his jersey, even fans who knew him might not spot him.
The airport was bustling with Christmas travelers, many of them tourists.
Arjun noticed more Indian faces than usual.
After about half an hour, Sunita appeared at the VIP exit, pulling along her suitcase.
She was dressed simply in a short shirt and jeans, her long hair tied back in a ponytail, making her 5'9" frame and tight jeans turn quite a few heads, especially among the Asian men around.
Sunita had the delicate beauty of an oval face with well-matched features, a good genetic mix from her parents.
Seeing Arjun, she walked over with a radiant smile.
It had been a while since he'd seen her, and as she approached, a wave of her perfume made Arjun's heart skip a beat.
She was stunning, no doubt about it.
"Big star, I almost didn't recognize you in that getup," Sunita said.
Arjun, ever the gentleman, took her suitcase and replied, "I spotted you right away, still as gorgeous as ever."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
"So why won't you agree to be my boyfriend?"
"Hey, a girl's got to play it cool."
"If I play it cool, you'll just ignore me."
"Would I do that?"
"Of course, you did back in high school."
"That was different, we weren't close. My mom always said, 'Boys, protect yourselves when you're out and about.'"
"Oh, look at you, all self-protective. Met many girls at college?"
"What's a girl? Can you eat it? Basketball is my true love."
...
They had known each other back home, so there was no awkwardness, just catching up with jokes and laughter.
...
They took a cab from the airport to the hotel.
During the Christmas break, the school couldn't process dormitory accommodations, so Sunita had to stay in a hotel.
She had booked a five-star hotel, which was especially pricey over the holiday period.
Although Arjun was broke now, he wasn't unfamiliar with luxury,he'd been a billionaire in a past life and expected to be wealthy again. He had no issues with Sunita's spending habits.
Staying in a luxury hotel didn't mean Sunita was into wasteful extravagance. Her family was well-off, and this was just normal for her.
...
Sunita was pretty straightforward about her feelings for Arjun, not bothering to hide her admiration, especially as Arjun's star continued to rise. She saw him as a huge potential catch.
When she found out Arjun was staying on campus over the Christmas break, she decided to fly over immediately, determined to seize the opportunity.
Once they checked into the hotel, Sunita pointed to one of the rooms in the presidential suite and said, "Arjun, you can stay in this room. You'll be my bodyguard, and I'll take the master bedroom."
She added with a wink, "Just so you know, the master bedroom door doesn't lock from the inside. Feel free to come over anytime."
Sunita wasn't usually this forward, but with Arjun, she was an open book.
Arjun just shrugged off her flirtation.
"Just so you know, I can only hang out for two days during the break. I've scheduled some intense personal training for the rest."
Sunita blinked playfully, "Got it. You're gunning for the NBA, right? Can I watch you train? I'll even fetch your balls."
She was really sticking close to him.
Arjun sighed, "Fine, but you have to stay quiet. No chattering."
He needed to set these ground rules early to ensure his training wasn't compromised.
Sunita retorted, "Got it, you're fussier than my mom."
...
In the morning, while Sunita rested in the hotel room, Arjun went back to school to pack some things.
The hotel wasn't far from the school, and staying alone in the dorm felt lonely. When a beautiful girl suggested they stay together at a hotel, Arjun didn't object.
By 1 PM, they were having lunch together. Arjun had rented a car to make getting around easier during their time together, with Sunita footing the bill.
Sunita was curious about Arjun's college life, especially the NCAA games.
"How do the NCAA players compare to the guys from The Doon School?"
"It's a different league,this is college, that was high school."
"And the cheerleaders? How do they compare?"
"They're... more curvaceous."
"Are they better looking than me?"
"No comparison. Their figures are almost unreal, but you've got the perfect blend of beauty and proportion."
She giggled, "Does that make your heart race?"
"It does!"
"Actions speak louder than heartbeats!"
"...."
At 18, Sunita exuded that vibrant youthfulness.
Being with Sunita meant endless conversations and boundless energy.
Arjun, a bit more mature mentally, enjoyed this passive conversational style.
"Arjun, what do you look for in a partner?"
"Beautiful, great figure, can do laundry, cook, and manage household chores well."
She giggled, "I tick the first three boxes. I can do laundry but can't cook, and I'm so-so with chores. But I'll work towards it. You'll have to wait for me."
"Keep at it, I believe in you."
...
Arjun wasn't new to relationships,in fact, in his past life, he'd been quite the ladies' man.
But he wasn't looking to take advantage of Sunita.
He knew that if they got into a relationship, she would be all in.
Hurting her could have a profound impact, and Arjun couldn't guarantee his heart would remain hers alone.
The old Arjun wouldn't have thought twice, but this time around, he was more cautious.
Facing Sunita, Arjun chose to let things flow naturally.
Previously, Sunita hadn't been so infatuated with him, but getting to know him better, she had fallen hard.
This was her first time encountering someone so handsome, intelligent, and capable in her age group.
In every way, Arjun lived up to Sunita's fantasies!
It was hard for Sunita not to fall for such an impressive guy like Arjun.