First meet

"What’s happening over there? Why is everyone pushing like it’s a concert?”

The guard, an elderly man with a kind face, smiled. “That’s the list of new students with their class sections.”

"Oh! Thank you, uncle!” she replied, her face lighting up momentarily before the dread set in.

She glanced at the throng of students and groaned. “How am I supposed to get through that?” she muttered under her breath. But she had no choice—she needed to find her name.

With a resigned sigh, Sia dove into the crowd, squeezing her way forward. It was chaos. Elbows jabbed her sides, bags bumped into her, and she could barely breathe.

“Excuse me! Coming through! Can’t you see I’m tiny?” she called out, half-laughing, half-panicking. Her petite frame wasn’t doing her any favors. As she inched closer to the board, someone bumped into her from the side.

“Hey! Watch it!” she yelped. But before she could regain her footing, someone pushed her hard from behind.

The world tilted. Time slowed. Sia stumbled, her arms flailing like a cartoon character. Before she knew it, she was in the middle of the driveway—right in front of an oncoming bike.

The rider, a tall boy in the school’s senior uniform, tried to swerve, but it was too late. The bike wobbled, and in a split second, both Sia and the rider tumbled to the ground in a heap.

“Owww!” Sia groaned, rubbing her elbow. Her bag had flown a few feet away, and her hair was now a mess. She looked up at the boy, who was sprawled on the ground, his helmet slightly askew.

“What the hell was that? andhi ho kya?” he snapped, brushing dirt off his uniform.

“Excuse me?! I got pushed!” Sia shot back, glaring at him. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she wasn’t going to let him scold her. “Maybe you should watch where you’re going! This is a school, not a race track!”

The boy’s jaw tightened, and he opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, a crowd began gathering around them, murmuring. Sia’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.

“Ugh, great! My first day, and I’m already a public spectacle,” she muttered to herself, groaning in frustration.

The boy stood up, dusting off his pants “Just… get up already. You’re blocking the road.”

Sia huffed, getting up on her own. She grabbed her bag, glared at him one last time, and marched off, muttering, “What a great start to the day. Absolutely fantastic!”

Boy groaned as he pushed himself up, brushing dirt off his uniform. His helmet was slightly tilted, and as he removed it with a frustrated jerk, a cascade of messy, dark hair fell over his forehead. He ran a hand through his hair, the motion effortlessly dramatic, like a scene from a movie. The crowd around him seemed to collectively hold their breath.

The boy was none other than Rudra Malhotra.

As he looked around, his sharp, irritated gaze swept over the crowd. His piercing eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles in his face became prominent. The murmurs of the students watching only fueled his frustration.

“What are you all staring at?” he barked, his deep voice slicing through the chatter like a whip. “Don’t you guys have classes to attend, or are you here to waste time watching a drama for free?” His tone was dripping with sarcasm, but his eyes burned with genuine irritation.

The students flinched, some looking away, others awkwardly pretending they hadn’t been gawking. But Rudra wasn’t done.

“How the hell are you all making a crowd like this?” he shouted, his voice echoing across the courtyard. “Are you animals or students? Don’t you have any common sense? Form a line, check your details, and move along! I don’t want to see this nonsense again. Got it?” His roar was commanding, and his presence so intense that even the air seemed to grow heavier.

The students quickly began shuffling into an orderly line, their heads bowed like scolded children. Rudra let out an exasperated sigh, his broad shoulders rising and falling with the effort of containing his anger.

“Great. What a fantastic start to the new session,” he muttered under his breath, sarcasm thick in his tone. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white as he suppressed the urge to yell further.

He turned to his bike, which lay on its side, and pulled it upright with a single, sharp movement. His gaze darkened as he inspected the scratches on the body. “First day, and someone already ruined my bike. Unbelievable.”

Just as he straightened, the school bell rang sharply. The sound seemed to mock him. Rudra groaned, raking a hand through his hair again. “Late on the first day,” he muttered irritably. “Just perfect. Exactly what I needed", his temper simmering like a volcano ready to erupt.

Eklavya strolled toward the school gates, one earbud in and the other dangling from his collar, nodding his head slightly to the music. As he neared the entrance, he paused, furrowing his brows. There stood Rudra Malhotra, looking like a ticking time bomb.

Eklavya checked his watch, and his jaw dropped. “First period is already started… What on earth is he doing out here?”

He flagged down a passing student. “Hey, you! Yeah, you with the oversized bag...come here.. What happened here? Why is Rudra still outside?”

The boy, still slightly shaken, launched into an animated retelling of the earlier bike crash. “There was this junior girl—got pushed into his bike. Both of them fell, and Rudra Sir…” He hesitated. “Well, he… um, let’s just say he wasn’t too happy about it.”

Eklavya's eyes widened in disbelief. “Wait, wait. Rudra fell? As in, on the ground?!” He clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. “Oh, this is gold!”

He jogged over to Rudra, who looked like he was ready to punch the next person who spoke to him.

“Well, well, finally! After what feels like a century, the almighty Rudra Malhotra has broken a rule,” Eklavya announced dramatically, hands on his hips. “Mark this day on the calendar, people! The ‘perfect’ Rudra is late for class.”

Rudra shot him a death glare that could have frozen fire. “Do you want to shut up, or should I make you?”

“Oh, come on, Rudra. Don’t look at me like that. This session is going to be a blast if this is how we’re starting!” Eklavya grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I mean, you’re already trending in the rumor mill.”

Rudra sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I should’ve just run you over when I had the chance.”

Eklavya smirked, unfazed. “Honestly, this is partly your fault. I told you to wait for me while I got ready, but nooo, ‘Mr. Perfect’ had to be early. Bet you regret that now, huh?”

Rudra didn’t respond, but the tightening of his jaw said enough.

“Oh, by the way,” Eklavya continued, leaning in with exaggerated curiosity, “who was that girl? Was she beautiful? Did your heart go all dub dub dub when you saw her?”

Rudra’s glare darkened. “Do you want to die right now?”

Eklavya placed a hand on his chest, feigning shock. “Ah, I forgot! How could I? Your heart is made of stone! Of course, it didn’t go dub dub!”

Rudra rolled his eyes, shoving past him toward the building. “Get out of my way, idiot.”

Eklavya followed, snickering to himself. “Oh, this year’s going to be so much fun. I can already feel it.

---

Sia wandered the endless corridors of the grand school, muttering under her breath. “10th B… 10th B… where the hell are you hiding?” she grumbled, peeking into every passing classroom, her frustration mounting. The hallways were eerily empty, and the sound of her shoes echoed in the silence.

“Why is nobody here? Has everyone already found their classes? Am I the only one left?!” Her voice rose with every word, panic creeping in. She stopped abruptly in the middle of the corridor, clutching her bag strap tightly.

“Please, God,” she said, closing her eyes and clasping her hands dramatically. “Don’t let me get scolded on my very first day! I promise I’ll… I’ll try to study! Just this once, save me!”

As she slowly opened one eye, she spotted a girl sprinting toward her from the far end of the hallway.

“Huh? Wait, what—” Sia barely had time to react before the girl’s foot slipped on the polished floor.

“Nooooooo!” The girl’s exaggerated scream echoed as she skidded, arms flailing wildly like a cartoon character. The next second, both of them collided with a loud thud, landing in a heap on the cold floor.

“Owww!” Sia winced, rubbing her elbow. “First the bike guy, and now this! Is this school cursed or something?!”

The other girl sat up first, clutching her head. “Ow, my precious nose! Is it still there?!” she exclaimed, patting her face frantically.

Sia stared at her, half-annoyed and half-amused. “Yes, your nose is still attached,” she said dryly.

The girl sighed in relief, quickly standing up and extending her hand to Sia. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to crash into you. I was running because it’s my first day and I’m already late. Please forgive me!”

Sia blinked at the girl, who was smiling sheepishly now. Her bright, almond-shaped eyes sparkled with a mix of mischief and nervousness, and her glossy hair, tied in a loose ponytail, framed her delicate face. She was undeniably beautiful, with a personality that screamed “drama queen.”

“Slow down, slow down!” Sia said, laughing as she took the girl’s hand and stood up. “It’s okay, no harm done. I’m Sia. And you?”

“I’m Nisha!” the girl chirped, her dramatic energy still bubbling.

“And your class?” Sia asked, brushing dust off her uniform.

“10th B,” Nisha replied, her grin widening.

Sia’s face lit up. “Wow! We’re in the same class! Let’s find it together before we both get scolded.”

The two set off, chattering as if they’d known each other forever. After a few minutes of wandering, they finally found the elusive 10th B—only to be greeted by the stern gaze of their teacher.

“You’re late,” the teacher said sharply, arms crossed.

“Ma’am, it’s not our fault!” Nisha said dramatically, clutching her chest. “We got lost in this maze of a school, and it’s only our first day!”

The teacher raised an eyebrow. “Take your seats. And no excuses tomorrow.”

Sia and Nisha exchanged a guilty smile before sliding into the last bench.

As the bell rang for lunch, the corridors buzzed with life, students flooding toward the canteen in excited chatter. Amidst the crowd, Veer made his way to Rudra, his usual confident grin plastered on his face.

“Dude, what’s with the stormy mood?” Veer asked, folding his arms. “And to my absolute shock, the great Rudra Malhotra—the paragon of punctuality—was late for class! Twenty minutes late on the very first day! What a legendary entry.” Veer burst out laughing, his voice echoing over the crowd.

Before Rudra could respond, Eklavya appeared out of nowhere, slinging an arm around Rudra’s shoulder. “Oh, you don’t know the best part yet. The reason for his royal tardiness was a girl.”

Veer’s laughter faltered, replaced by wide-eyed disbelief. “A girl? Are you serious? A real, breathing girl?” He turned to Rudra, pointing an accusing finger. “Rudra Malhotra? The guy who’s allergic to emotions and romance?”

“Like, seriously! A girl?” Eklavya added, his tone dripping with mock shock, shaking Rudra by the shoulders for effect.

Rudra glared at both of them, his gaze icy enough to freeze the Sahara. “Do you both want to be buried here? Because I can arrange it.”

But Veer wasn’t letting go. “Eklavya, spill everything. Now.”

Eklavya launched into a dramatic retelling of Rudra’s bike crash, complete with wild hand gestures and exaggerated sound effects. Veer doubled over, clutching his stomach as laughter erupted from him. Rudra, on the other hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, his patience wearing thin.

“Guys, enough!” Rudra snapped, but before he could add more, a shrill voice echoed across the canteen.

___________________________

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When we met. ✨