Meera's POV
The surprise test happened on a Wednesday morning.
I had just settled into my seat in the Algorithms lecture hall when Professor Klein walked in carrying a stack of papers.
Immediately, the entire class groaned.
"That reaction tells me you all know exactly what this is," he said calmly.
A girl in the front row whispered loudly, "We're dead."
Professor Klein smiled slightly.
"Pop quiz. Fifteen minutes."
My stomach dropped.
I opened my notebook quickly, hoping it was something simple—maybe graph traversal or complexity analysis.
But when the papers reached my desk and I flipped it over, I froze for half a second.
Gale–Shapley Stable Matching Algorithm.
I exhaled slowly.
Of course.
The algorithm was elegant but tricky. It dealt with something strangely human for a mathematical concept—matching preferences between two groups so that no pair would rather abandon their assigned partners.
Stable matching.
I picked up my pen and started writing.
As I worked through the steps, something strange happened.
My mind began wandering.
The algorithm described a situation where two groups—traditionally men and women—ranked their preferences. The system then produced matches where no one would rather leave their partner for someone else.
It was supposed to represent fairness.
But as I wrote the pseudocode, I found myself thinking about something completely unrelated.
Relationships.
Back in India, relationships were rarely discussed openly in families like mine. Most of my cousins eventually entered arranged marriages, where families introduced potential partners and the couple decided if it would work.
Dating existed, of course.
But it wasn't as casual or public as it seemed here.
In America, I saw couples everywhere.
Holding hands across campus lawns.
Studying together in cafés.
Kissing openly near the library steps without worrying who might see.
It was so… natural for them.
Meanwhile, I had never even held a boy's hand.
The thought made me feel oddly self-conscious.
I scribbled the final step of the algorithm and leaned back slightly.
Stable matching.
If life actually worked like that algorithm, everything would be so simple.
Everyone would have a perfect partner based on preferences.
No heartbreak.
No confusion.
Just… balance.
But real life wasn't code.
"Time's up," Professor Klein announced.
Groans filled the room again as papers were collected.
I didn't feel too worried. The algorithm had made sense when I studied it.
Still, tests always made my heart race.
After class ended, I packed my bag slowly and stepped into the hallway.
Students moved past me in groups, already talking about weekend plans.
Someone said something about a party.
Someone else complained about the quiz.
I started walking toward the campus café, thinking about grabbing a coffee before my next class.
That's when someone called out behind me.
"Hey, you're in Klein's class, right?"
I turned around.
A tall guy with dark skin and curly hair was jogging slightly to catch up with me. He wore a bright blue hoodie and had an easy smile.
"Yes," I said.
He stopped beside me.
"You understood that quiz?"
"I think so."
He laughed.
"Man, I was staring at that paper like it was written in alien language."
I smiled slightly.
"It's not too bad once you see the pattern."
He extended his hand.
"I'm Malik Carter."
I shook it.
"Meera."
"Where are you from, Meera?"
"India."
"Nice. I'm from California."
He started walking beside me casually.
"So tell me," he said, "did you actually understand the stable matching thing, or were you just pretending to look confident?"
"I understood it," I said.
"Of course you did."
He sighed dramatically.
"You look like the kind of student who ruins grading curves."
I laughed.
It felt… surprisingly easy talking to him.
"So what's the trick?" he asked.
"The algorithm?"
"Yeah."
I thought for a moment.
"Imagine two groups with preferences," I said. "Each person proposes to their top choice. If that person prefers someone else, they reject them. Eventually everyone settles with the best possible stable partner."
Malik blinked.
"Okay… now explain it like I'm five."
I laughed again.
"Everyone keeps proposing until nobody wants to change partners anymore."
"Oh," he said.
"That actually makes sense."
He nodded thoughtfully.
"So basically… dating but organized."
I raised an eyebrow.
"I guess you could say that."
Malik grinned.
"Man, if dating apps used algorithms like that, half the drama in America would disappear."
We reached the café.
Malik ordered a coffee while I got tea.
Then we sat outside on a wooden bench overlooking the campus lawn.
"So," he said, "how long have you been here?"
"About a month."
"And you're already acing algorithm quizzes?"
I shrugged.
"I study a lot."
"That explains it."
He leaned back.
"You got friends here yet?"
I hesitated.
"Not really."
"Well, you do now."
I looked at him, surprised.
Malik shrugged casually.
"Campus rule," he said. "Nobody should survive engineering alone."
I smiled.
Maybe making friends here wasn't impossible after all.
Later that evening, I walked back toward my dorm.
The sky had turned dark, and the campus lights glowed softly along the pathways.
My mind kept drifting back to the stable matching algorithm.
It was strange how a mathematical concept had made me think so much about relationships.
What kind of person would I want someday?
The thought made my cheeks warm slightly.
If I imagined a future partner, he would probably be kind.
Patient.
Someone who respected my ambitions.
Someone who understood my family values.
But then another thought appeared.
Would my parents accept someone I chose myself?
Or would they want to meet him first?
Would they prefer someone from India?
Or someone from our culture?
The questions felt endless.
I shook my head.
Why was I even thinking about this?
My priority was studying.
Not romance.
Still… seeing couples everywhere made it hard not to wonder sometimes.
I reached the dorm building and walked across the courtyard.
The wind was cool tonight.
As I climbed the steps, a strange feeling crept over me again.
That familiar sensation.
Someone watching.
I paused.
Slowly, I turned around.
At the far edge of the courtyard, near the shadow of a tree, I saw a figure.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Standing perfectly still.
My heart skipped.
The light above the pathway flickered briefly.
For a split second, the glow illuminated his face.
Sharp features.
Dark hair.
Intense eyes.
Then the light dimmed again.
He didn't move.
Didn't step closer.
Just stood there.
Watching.
A chill ran through my spine.
I looked away quickly and pushed the dorm door open.
Inside, the warm lights and distant voices of students made everything feel normal again.
Maybe it was just another student walking around.
Maybe I was imagining things.
Still…
The image of those eyes stayed with me.
Watching.
Studying.
As if he had been observing me for a long time.
What I didn't know—what I couldn't possibly know—was that somewhere in the shadows of this unfamiliar country…
I had already captured the attention of a man whose name alone made powerful people nervous.
And once someone like him decided to notice you…
There was no such thing as disappearing from his world.