The morning sunlight gently streams through the window, filling the room with a comforting warmth that signals the start of a new journey for Advika. Today is her first day of college, though it’s for a post-graduate degree, she feels an unfamiliar excitement about this new chapter. She wakes up from her peaceful sleep, feeling refreshed and begins to prepare for the day ahead. After a moment of thought, she decides to wear a pink kurti that perfectly suits her, making her look as if an angel has descended from the heavens.
Her mind is buzzing with excitement not only because it’s her first day, but also because she’s curious to see how Reyansh will react to her outfit. She feels especially confident today, certain that she looks great. Deep within her heart, there’s always been a longing to be noticed by Reyansh, to have him see her in a way that leaves him awestruck. And, for some reason, she’s always wished for him to be the first person she sees in the morning. There’s an undeniable pull in her heart a desire to be close to him, though she doesn’t yet fully understand what are these feelings.
Advika, feeling shy, stepped down into the hall, hoping to find Reyansh, but there was no sign of him. Her shyness faded, and with it, her expectations began to dwindle. She thought maybe he was still asleep, so she headed up to his room, only to find it empty. Her hope continued to fade. She returned to the hall and walked to the kitchen, searching for Sharadha ma. The glow she had felt before leaving her room was completely gone, and her confidence had vanished.
Seeing Advika's face, Sharadha immediately sensed that something was wrong.
"What happened, beta? Why does your face look so dull, especially on your first day of college?" she asked with concern.
Instead of answering, Advika couldn't help but ask her question.
"Ma, where is Reyansh? I couldn't find him anywhere. Did he go for a jog?" she asked, hoping he would soon return if he had gone out for a walk.
"Beta, he didn’t go for a jog. He had an important work, so he left for the office early this morning," Sharadha replied.
Advika’s face instantly lost all color, and her excitement faded entirely. Reyansh was the one who always brought light into her life, only to take it away in an instant.
Her heart urged her to call Reyansh, to ask him to come back because, as always, she wanted to see him first. But her mind quickly intervened, reminding her that he had already done something more than generous that something no one would do for a stranger. She didn't want to disturb him with her petty wishes when he had already gone out of his way to help her.
"Beta, are you okay?" Sharadha’s voice broke through Advika’s internal conflict. Advika quickly nodded, pretending that everything was fine, even though it wasn’t. She forced a smile, determined to face the new day despite the turmoil inside her. She turned to leave the house.
"Beta, sir arranged a car for you," Sharadha’s voice called out, stopping Advika for a moment. But after a brief pause, Advika simply said goodbye and continued walking toward the door, her thoughts still clouded by the feeling of guilt.
When she reached where the car is parked, Advika informed the driver that she would be taking the bus instead. She left the mansion without even waiting for his reply. The decision wasn’t come out of anger or frustration, but from the guilt she felt for Reyansh’s earlier help. She wanted to lessen that guilt, even if only a little. It wasn’t that she was upset with him she simply didn’t want to burden him any further. She had decided to follow her mind’s advice, prioritizing her own independence and trying to ease the weight of her conscience.
Using Google Maps and the research she had done earlier, Advika made her way to the Little Krishna Temple, where she decided to stop and pray to her beloved Krishna Ji. After a peaceful moment of prayer inside the temple, she was interrupted by a voice calling out to her.
"Angel."
The unexpected compliment took Advika by surprise. It was the first time someone had called her "angel" because of her dress. Curious, she turned around and saw a young man dressed in a formal shirt and pants walking toward her. She didn’t want to engage with a stranger, so she quickly turned on her heel, trying to walk away. However, the boy called her again, and before she could take a step, he sprinted in front of her to block her path. This sudden move startled Advika, causing her to jump back in fear.
"Excuse me, who are you, and why are you blocking my way?" Advika asked, her voice tinged with panic.
The boy, noticing her anxiety, raised his hands in a calming gesture and introduced himself with a smile. "I’m Vivaan," he said, extending his hand toward her. Advika, still feeling confused, hesitated for a moment before shaking his hand.
Before Advika could ask him anything, Vivaan seemed to anticipate her questions and continued talking. "I don’t know who you are, but I have to say, you look great today. And just to clarify, I’m not trying to flirt."
Advika, now feeling a little more at ease, nodded her head in acknowledgment and gave him a small smile, her panic starting to fade.
"What’s your name?" he asked.
"Advika," she replied, still processing the situation.
After a brief pause, Advika decided to say her goodbyes and left the temple. As she walked toward the bus stand, she was surprised to find Vivaan already standing there. She approached him, a bit confused.
"Hey," she greeted him, surprised by the sudden connection she felt. There was something about Vivaan’s presence that made her feel an younger brother like comfort. Vivaan smiled at her, recognizing her.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
Advika explained that she was heading to the same college Vivaan is attending. He probed further about her department, and to his surprise, they were in the same one. Soon, it clicked for Vivaan that Advika was the new classmate who had joined late.
"So, you’re the new student who joined a little late, huh?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Advika nodded. "Yes, I am... Honestly, I was worried about not making any friends, but thanks to Krishna Ji, it seems I’ve already found one."
Vivaan chuckled and gave her a reassuring smile. "Cool, buddy. Don’t worry about a thing from now on. I’ve got your back. Let’s go, the bus is here."
With that, they both boarded the bus together and headed off to college, a new friendship beginning to form between them as they shared the ride.
In Reyansh's office
In Reyansh's cabin, the atmosphere was heavy with tension. He could feel the weight of his guilt pressing down on him as he replayed his actions in his mind. His best friend, Rishabh, on the other hand, seemed to be relentlessly pushing him, especially with his constant talk about Advika. Reyansh had just received the message that Advika had decided to take the bus instead of his car. A pang of concern shot through him, and he considered rushing to stop her, but a part of him held back. He didn't want to cause her more pain.
Reyansh had already convinced himself that by not telling anyone about her and by keeping their bond, which he himself doesn't know what it is, a secret, he had already hurt her yesterday . And if he stayed around in the morning, there would have a chance she might ask him to drop her to college. And he didn’t want to tell her no again, knowing it would upset her. He thought that by staying away, he was sparing her from further hurt, but little did he know, his sudden disappearance might hurt her even more than if he had just said no to her request.
“Bro, this is wrong,” Rishabh said with tension in his voice as he looked at Reyansh.
Reyansh raised an eyebrow, confused by his friend’s words. “What are you talking about?”
Rishabh was visibly frustrated now. “What you did is wrong, bro. You’re acting like this is some child’s play. Are you even a mafia? You’re behaving like an immature teenager.”
Reyansh sighed, trying to explain his reasoning. “Yes, I am a mafia Rishabh. And that’s exactly why I don’t want her to be involved in this. It would only hurt her in the end.”
Rishabh didn’t seem to understand where Reyansh was coming from.
“What would happen if you just dropped her to college? It’s not a crime, right? You’re overreacting.”
Reyansh's frustration grew, and he tried to explain more clearly. “Rishabh, you’re not getting it. Everyone at that college knows who I am. I’m the owner of the college. If they see me dropping her off, they’ll talk. They’ll start making hurtful comments, and they’ll target her because of their jealousy. I can’t let her go through that. I don’t want her to experience that kind of cruelty from those immature people.”
"You could have dropped her a little farther from the college; no one would have seen you," Rishabh said, assuming Reyansh wouldn't respond. True to his expectations, Reyansh remained silent and stood still.
Rishabh lined up his questions again, "Okay, forget about this topic for now, but when are you going to tell her that you're the owner of the college? Do you have any idea how she'll react if she finds out you’ve been hiding it? And what will happen if she hears about that rumor you had with that model? Whatever her name is"
Reyansh stood still, unable to respond.
Rishabh, clearly frustrated, added, "This isn’t a good start, Reyansh. You're going to ruin your blossoming love life."
Reyansh quickly replied, "I don’t do love, Rishabh. Don’t you know that?"
Rishabh lost his cool and shouted, "Bro, you’re unbelievable! Are you bipolar or something? You haven’t cleared the rumor to the public, nor have you admit that you love advika. You are wasting your chance to get a pure love from her"
What Rishabh didn’t realize was that Reyansh was using the rumor as a way to keep his sweetheart with him out of the public eye.
After a minute of silence, “You can say whatever you want, bro. But one day, you’ll be the one crying for her love, and I’ll be watching it. That day is coming soon, whether you like it or not.”
Reyansh was taken aback by Rishabh’s words. “Are you cursing me, Rishabh? Are you even my friend, or have you turned into my enemy?” he asked, frustration seeping through his voice.
Rishabh just smiled, a knowing look in his eyes, and without saying another word, he turned and left the cabin. Reyansh sat there, the weight of his emotions sinking deeper into his chest. He didn’t understand why Rishabh couldn’t see things from his perspective, and he was left wondering if he was making the right decision by keeping his distance from Advika.
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