The music pulsed through the grand venue as freshers continued to enjoy the party, lost in the thrill of the night. The energy was electrifying, with students dancing under the dazzling lights, laughter echoing across the space. It was a night of celebration, but for some, it was also a night of subtle battles and unspoken tensions.
Shumaila stood in the middle of the dance floor with Karan, the university's star footballer, and the moment their dance started, whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire. He was the center of attention wherever he went, and now, paired with Shumaila—known for her sharp wit and untouchable confidence—it was a sight no one had expected.
Near the bar, Taniya's group sat with drinks in their hands, their gazes fixed on the scene unfolding before them. One of her friends leaned in, scoffing, "What's up with Karan? Why is he dancing with her?"
Taniya rolled her eyes, swirling the drink in her glass lazily. "He's just messing with that CS guy," she muttered, her eyes subtly shifting to Hamza, who sat at a table with his usual unreadable expression, though there was a certain stiffness in his posture.
Her friend followed her gaze and smirked. "Ohh… seems like he's not completely unaffected."
Taniya chuckled. "Exactly. But enough about them. Let's focus on what we planned for tonight."
Meanwhile, back on the dance floor, Karan twirled Shumaila effortlessly, his grip strong but respectful. "You're not as bad at this as I thought," he teased with a smirk.
Shumaila raised a brow, unfazed. "And you're not as smooth as you think."
Karan let out a laugh. "Feisty. No wonder you keep shutting down Taniya. I can see why she hates you."
"I don't care why she does," Shumaila replied, her tone casual but firm. "But I'm sure you didn't ask me to dance just for a chat."
"Maybe I just enjoy pissing people off," he admitted, throwing a glance towards Hamza before smirking. "Or maybe you're actually fun to be around."
Shumaila scoffed but didn't comment. She wasn't oblivious to the subtle game Karan was playing, nor was she entirely bothered by it. If anything, she was amused that Hamza was somehow dragged into this without even trying.
Across the venue, Hamza remained at his table, his fingers lightly tapping against his glass. Rudra, sitting beside him, finally nudged him. "Dude, why do you look like you just lost a coding competition?"
Hamza snapped out of his trance, rolling his eyes. "I don't."
Rudra smirked. "Right, right. It's not like you've been staring at them for the last five minutes or anything."
Hamza scoffed. "It's just annoying to see him act like that."
"Him as in Karan, or him as in Karan with Shumaila?"
Hamza shot Rudra a warning look, but the latter simply grinned.
Before their conversation could continue, the group reunited at their table, the girls laughing and teasing as they rejoined. Shumaila casually slid into her seat, picking up her drink.
"Well, that was unexpected," Sneha remarked, eyes glinting with mischief. "Dancing with the star footballer? You're making headlines, Shumaila."
"Hardly," Shumaila replied nonchalantly. "It was just a dance."
"Yeah, but one that shook the whole venue," Siddarth teased. "You sure you're not secretly enjoying all this attention?"
Shumaila gave him an unimpressed look, but before she could respond, a loud announcement echoed through the hall.
"Attention, freshers! It's time for our surprise segment—an exciting round of challenges! Are you ready?" The host's voice boomed, met with cheers and applause.
Taniya smirked from across the hall, exchanging glances with her gang. Everything was falling into place. It was time for their real plan to begin.
The host continued, "For our first challenge, we'll need a few brave volunteers! And, of course, we already have a few names picked out…"
As the names were called, the group quickly realized what was happening. Among the chosen ones were Shumaila, Sneha, Hamza, and Siddarth.
Shumaila's eyes narrowed as she met Taniya's gaze from across the room. The night had just taken an interesting turn.
And she wasn't about to back down.