The bass from the campus fest still thumped in Shanaya’s chest, a rhythmic reminder of the annoyance she’d left behind. She stumbled slightly on the uneven pavement, the heels of her sandals clicking against the asphalt. It was 2 AM, and the streets were nearly empty, save for the stray dogs and the occasional flicker of a dying streetlamp. She was fuming. Aryan, her boyfriend, had spent the entire night drinking like a fish, ignoring her, and practically drooling over his own lap. She had enough. Leaving the party was the only option to keep her sanity.

She pulled out her phone, thumbing the screen aggressively. Uber. Cancelled. Again.