The evening sun cast a golden glow over the college campus as Sharayu and Rutuja sat on the stairs near the library, sipping on their cold coffee. The gentle breeze carried with it the sound of laughter and distant chatter, but Sharayu's mind had drifted back in time-to a version of herself she barely recognized now.
"You know," she began, stirring the ice in her coffee absentmindedly, "if someone had told me in my first year that I'd be sitting here, sharing my life with a best friend, I would've laughed in their face."
Rutuja tilted her head, intrigued. "Really? Why?"
Sharayu exhaled with a smile, her gaze lost in the memories.
"Because I never wanted to be here in the first place."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.
"I had dreamed of another college, another life. But fate-or maybe destiny-had its own plans for me. I still remember my first year... it was just lectures, assignments, exams. A routine. A cycle. I had no friends, no real conversations-just me, existing."
Rutuja listened, eyes soft with understanding.
"But then," Sharayu continued, a small smile playing on her lips, "you happened."
Rutuja chuckled. "Oh, so I 'happened' to you?"
Sharayu laughed, nudging her playfully. "Yes! You were the first person who actually made this place feel less like a prison and more like... home."
"And then," she added, "slowly, one by one, we found more people. Hriday with his quick wit, Kunal with his endless jokes, Arohi and her wild ideas, Vrushal who always keeps things grounded, and Gayatri-the silent observer who actually notices everything."
She looked at Rutuja with a grateful smile. "Now, we're a group of seven. Seven people who turned a lonely existence into a life filled with memories."
Rutuja grinned, raising her cup. "To fate, then?"
Sharayu clinked her cup against hers. "To fate. And to us."
Rutuja took a sip of her coffee, the ice clinking softly against the cup, before giving Sharayu a teasing smirk.
"So, Miss 'I Never Wanted to Be Here,' tell me-what changed? What made you step out of your silent, assignment-submitting, lecture-attending shell?"
Sharayu chuckled, shaking her head as she leaned back against the railing.
"It wasn't some dramatic moment," she admitted. "No grand realization. It just... happened. One day, I was sitting alone in the canteen, scrolling through my phone, pretending to be busy so no one would notice I had no one to sit with. And then you-this random girl-plopped down in front of me with a tray full of food and said, 'You look like you could use some company. Also, I need someone to listen to me rant about how boring today's lecture was.'"
Rutuja burst out laughing. "That sounds exactly like me!"
"Oh, it was you, alright." Sharayu grinned. "And before I knew it, we started sitting together more often. You made it easy, you know? Talking to you didn't feel like effort. And then, slowly, our little world expanded."
She glanced around the campus, as if searching for echoes of the past. "First came Hriday-remember how he literally argued with a professor in class just because he thought the syllabus was outdated?"
Rutuja snorted. "Of course! And somehow, instead of getting into trouble, he managed to impress everyone with his logic."
"Exactly. And then there was Kunal, always making jokes, even when no one asked for them."
"The worst part? Some of them were actually funny."
They both laughed, the warmth of shared memories making the present even sweeter.
Sharayu continued, her voice softer now. "Arohi came next, with her wild ideas-like that time she convinced us to sneak into the auditorium at night just to prove it wasn't haunted."
"Oh god, and Vrushal was the one who kept warning us we'd get caught, but still tagged along."
"Because he secretly loves our chaos," Sharayu added with a knowing smile. "And then there's Gayatri, the silent one, who notices everything but only speaks when she has something truly meaningful to say."
Rutuja sighed, a happy, content sigh. "And just like that, we became a family."
Sharayu nodded, her heart swelling with a warmth she never thought she'd feel in this place.
"Funny, isn't it?" she mused. "How life gives you what you never knew you needed?"
Rutuja bumped her shoulder against hers. "That's fate for you."
Sharayu smiled. "Yeah. And this time, I'm glad fate had its own plans."
Rutuja stretched her legs out, letting her shoes scrape against the rough concrete of the stairs. She glanced at Sharayu, a playful glint in her eyes.
"So, let me get this straight-first year Sharayu was this lone wolf, drowning in assignments, avoiding social interactions like they were some sort of plague." She smirked. "And now, look at you. Sitting here, reminiscing about the group that practically became your second family."
Sharayu chuckled, shaking her head. "I know, right? If I met my first-year self now, she'd probably glare at me and say, 'Betrayal. You were supposed to hate this place forever.'"
Rutuja laughed. "And what would you tell her?"
Sharayu leaned back on her elbows, looking up at the evening sky. The sun was dipping lower, casting long shadows across the campus. She thought for a moment before answering.
"I'd tell her that sometimes, life gives you what you need, not what you want."
Rutuja hummed in agreement. "And that sometimes, the best things happen in the places you least expect."
Sharayu smiled. "Exactly."
The campus around them buzzed with life-students rushing to finish last-minute assignments, a group playing guitar near the lawn, others just like them, sitting and talking about everything and nothing. It was the same place she had once felt so lost in. And yet, now, it felt like home.
Rutuja nudged her. "You know, it's kinda crazy how we all just... found each other."
Sharayu turned to her, curious. "What do you mean?"
"Well, think about it," Rutuja said, counting on her fingers. "Hriday could've just been that one guy who's good at arguing and nothing more. Kunal? Just another class clown. Arohi? The girl with a million crazy ideas but no one to execute them with. Vrushal? That overly responsible dude who probably would've spent all of college just following rules. And Gayatri? She could've remained that quiet girl in the background who no one really knows."
Sharayu listened, her heart swelling with realization.
"But instead," Rutuja continued, "we all somehow gravitated toward each other. Like pieces of a puzzle that didn't even know they were supposed to fit together."
Sharayu exhaled, shaking her head in awe. "You're right. It wasn't just chance, was it?"
Rutuja grinned. "Nope. It was meant to be."
Silence settled between them, not the awkward kind, but the comfortable kind that comes when words aren't needed anymore.
Then, Rutuja broke it. "Okay, deep conversations aside, do you remember the time Kunal tried to prank Hriday and ended up pranking himself instead?"
Sharayu burst out laughing. "Oh god, yes! He was so confident about it too! And then he slipped on his own water spill and fell flat on his face."
Rutuja was laughing so hard she nearly spilled her coffee. "And Hriday just stood there, like, 'Wow, karma works fast!'"
Sharayu wiped a tear from her eye. "See? This. This is what I never knew I needed."
Rutuja clinked her cup against Sharayu's. "To fate, friendships, and the best group of seven misfits who somehow make life perfect."
Sharayu smiled, looking around the campus that once felt so unfamiliar.
Maybe she hadn't ended up where she wanted.
But she had ended up exactly where she was meant to be.
The road leading to the college was buzzing with students, some dragging themselves half-asleep, others chatting excitedly about the new academic year. The air smelled of fresh beginnings mixed with the familiar scent of roadside chai and buttery vada pav from the stalls just outside the campus gate.
Sharayu and Rutuja walked side by side, their cold coffee cups in hand, still caught in the afterglow of their deep conversation.
"And here we are," Rutuja announced, stretching her arms as they neared the main entrance. "Third year, baby! Who would've thought we'd actually make it this far?"
Sharayu smirked. "Honestly? Not me. I was fully prepared to just exist here until graduation. And now look at us, thriving."
Before Rutuja could respond, a loud, unmistakable voice cut through the morning chaos.
"Well, well, well! Look who finally decided to show up!"
They turned to see Hriday, leaning casually against his bike, arms crossed, with his signature mischievous grin. His black hoodie hung loose over his shoulders, making him look like some sort of college rebel-which, knowing him, wasn't too far from the truth.
Rutuja rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. We're exactly on time. Unlike you, who probably got here an hour early just to make a dramatic entrance."
Hriday smirked. "Guilty as charged."
Before anyone could say anything else, a bike zoomed past them and came to a screeching halt right next to Hriday.
Kunal.
"Missed me?" he asked, flipping his helmet's visor up with unnecessary flair.
"No," Sharayu and Rutuja said in unison.
"Rude," Kunal huffed, dramatically clutching his chest. "You know, one of these days, my heart won't be able to take this constant rejection."
"Your heart?" Arohi's voice chimed in from behind them as she walked up, adjusting the strap of her bag. "Please, Kunal. The only thing fragile about you is your ego."
Vrushal appeared beside her, shaking his head. "And yet, he still keeps trying."
Kunal sighed. "One day, my comedic genius will be appreciated."
"And that day is definitely not today," Gayatri said, stepping into the group with her usual calm demeanor.
Sharayu smiled as she looked around. Just like that, the group was complete. The seven of them, standing in the middle of the campus, ready to take on another year together.
Hriday stretched lazily. "Alright, people, new year, new opportunities, and most importantly-new professors to annoy."
Sharayu shook her head. "You mean new professors to argue with?"
He grinned. "Tomato, tomahto."
Arohi clapped her hands together. "Okay, before we get too distracted, what's the plan for today? We're officially third years now, which means we need to establish dominance."
Vrushal sighed. "Why do I feel like your version of 'establishing dominance' involves something mildly illegal?"
Arohi smirked. "Relax, I was thinking more along the lines of taking over our favorite spot in the canteen before the juniors steal it."
Kunal gasped. "You're right! We can't let history repeat itself. Remember last year? That group of second years took our table, and we had to sit near the vending machine for a whole month!"
Gayatri chuckled. "It wasn't that bad."
"It was humiliating," Kunal corrected. "I refuse to go through that again."
Rutuja nodded in agreement. "Operation Claim-Our-Rightful-Place starts now."
And just like that, they marched forward-seven individuals, different in their own ways, yet somehow perfectly in sync.
Sharayu walked a little slower, taking it all in. A year ago, she would've walked into this college feeling nothing. But now, with these six beside her, there was excitement, laughter, and a sense of belonging.
She had once thought she wasn't meant to be here.
Now, she couldn't imagine being anywhere else.
As the group walked through the bustling college gates, a sense of excitement buzzed in the air. Third-year. It felt unreal. They had survived two years of assignments, last-minute submissions, chaotic exams, and-most importantly-each other.
They made their way to their favorite canteen table like it was a battlefield, their mission clear: reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
But fate, as always, had its own twisted plans.
The moment they stepped in, Arohi froze, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Oh. Hell. No."
Everyone followed her gaze-and there it was.
Their table. Occupied.
A group of juniors sat there, laughing, casually sipping on their chai as if they hadn't just committed a grave crime.
Kunal gasped. "The audacity."
Hriday crossed his arms, smirking. "Well, well, well. Looks like we have a situation."
Vrushal sighed. "Guys, it's just a table-"
Arohi cut him off. "No. It's our table."
Gayatri leaned in. "So... what's the plan?"
Rutuja cracked her knuckles. "We could just ask them to move."
Kunal scoffed. "Where's the fun in that?"
Hriday grinned. "Exactly."
Sharayu couldn't help but smile. She had a feeling things were about to get very interesting.
Arohi was the first to move. She walked straight up to the table, placing both hands on it dramatically. "Hello, juniors."
The group of second-years looked up, confused. "Uh... hi?"
Arohi smiled sweetly. "Nice table you've got here."
"Uh, thanks?"
Hriday stepped in, his voice casual but laced with mischief. "Did you know this table has a history?"
One of the juniors raised an eyebrow. "A... history?"
Kunal nodded, leaning in like he was about to tell a ghost story. "Oh, yes. You see, two years ago, a group of students unknowingly sat here... and weird things started happening."
Rutuja caught on immediately. "One of them spilled their coffee without even touching it."
Sharayu fought back laughter. "Another forgot their entire project file here... and the next day, it was gone."
Vrushal, despite usually being the voice of reason, added, "And let's not forget the mysterious disappearance of a samosa. No one ever found out where it went."
The juniors looked at each other, clearly unsure whether they were being pranked or if they had unknowingly walked into a haunted canteen conspiracy.
Gayatri delivered the final blow, her voice eerily calm. "But hey, if you don't believe in curses, then I guess you'll be fine."
That did it. One of the juniors quickly grabbed his bag. "Uh... actually, we were about to leave anyway."
"Yeah, yeah," another added, standing up so fast his chair almost fell over.
In less than thirty seconds, the table was empty.
Arohi turned back to the group, victorious. "And that's how you reclaim what's yours."
Kunal wiped an imaginary tear. "Beautiful. Just beautiful."
As they sat down, Hriday clapped his hands together. "Alright, now that we've established our dominance, let's get to the real business-ordering food."
Sharayu shook her head, laughing as she took her seat.
This. This was exactly why she couldn't imagine college without them.
And if the rest of the year was going to be anything like this?
She knew it was going to be one hell of a ride.
As they settled into their rightfully reclaimed table, Kunal stretched out like a king returning to his throne. "Ahh, home sweet home."
Arohi flicked a sugar packet at him. "Don't get too comfortable, we still need to place our orders."
Hriday rubbed his hands together. "One misal pav, extra spicy. Let's see if this can finally make Kunal cry."
Kunal scoffed. "Please. My tear ducts are immune to spice."
Vrushal raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because last time, you chugged an entire bottle of buttermilk after just one bite."
Rutuja smirked. "And let's not forget the way you screamed 'Betrayal!' when the waiter brought extra mirchi."
Kunal pointed at all of them dramatically. "Listen, that was a moment of weakness. It will not happen again."
Just then, their food arrived, and for a while, their table was filled with the comforting sounds of laughter, teasing, and clanking plates. The canteen bustled around them, but to Sharayu, it felt like they were in their own little world-just the seven of them, like always.
And then, the drama began.
A loud CRASH! echoed through the canteen, making them all turn their heads.
Near the counter, a guy had tripped, sending a tray of chai cups flying. The hot liquid splashed across the floor, right at the feet of a girl who gasped, stepping back in shock.
"Dude, are you serious?!" the girl snapped, glaring at the boy.
The guy looked utterly panicked. "I-I didn't mean to! The tray just-"
Sharayu squinted. Something about this scene felt... oddly familiar.
And then it hit her.
"Oh no," she muttered, covering her mouth to hide her grin. "This is Bollywood-level drama happening right in front of us."
Kunal gasped. "Wait. WAIT. This is it. The classic 'boy bumps into girl, spills chai, and now they're mortal enemies before falling in love' trope!"
Hriday leaned forward, fascinated. "We're witnessing history."
Arohi smirked. "Should we take bets? How long before this turns into a full-on rom-com?"
Before anyone could answer, the girl stormed past the guy, muttering angrily under her breath. The poor guy stood frozen, looking helplessly between the spilled chai and his rapidly vanishing dignity.
Vrushal sighed. "Poor dude. He doesn't know it yet, but his fate has been sealed."
Gayatri, who had been silently observing, finally spoke. "They'll be dating by next semester."
Rutuja nodded. "Calling it now-this fight will turn into 'I hate you' and then slowly into 'Maybe you're not so bad' and finally into 'I can't imagine life without you.'"
Kunal placed a hand over his heart. "Bollywood would be proud of us right now."
Sharayu laughed, shaking her head. She loved this about their group-how even the most random incidents turned into entertainment.
As they finished their food, the chaos of the canteen continued, juniors nervously avoiding their table (thanks to their earlier performance), and the chai-spilling duo unknowingly beginning their own dramatic love story.
Hriday stretched. "Alright, team. We've successfully reclaimed our table, witnessed a potential rom-com, and made Kunal relive his spice-trauma. I'd say this day is already a win."
Arohi raised her chai cup. "To third-year. And to whatever madness this year is going to throw at us."
They clinked their cups together, laughter echoing around them.
One thing was certain-this wasn't just another year of college.
This was going to be legendary.
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