The sun had barely risen when Akansha stretched lazily on her bed, her hair a mess as she yawned. "Last night was wild."
Komal, already seated by the mirror fixing her hair, snorted. "Wild? It was pure chaos, thanks to our dear Shumaila."
Sneha, who was in Akansha's and Komal's shared room was busy scrolling through her phone, chuckled. "She's going to have a heart attack once she remembers what she did. Especially the Hamza part."
The three exchanged looks before bursting into laughter. Akansha said while leaving the room "Let's head to the kitchen; I've already made us breakfast."
Just then, the door to Shumaila's room creaked open, and she stepped out, rubbing her temples with a groggy look. "Why do I feel like I was run over by a truck?"
"Good morning, Miss Drunk Chaos," Komal greeted, smirking.
Shumaila groaned. "Ugh, don't tell me I did something embarrassing."
"Oh, we wouldn't have to tell you if you just check your flashbacks," Akansha teased, wiggling her brows.
Shumaila narrowed her eyes. "What did I do?"
The three girls exchanged mischievous glances before Sneha spoke. "Well, let's just say you… thoroughly entertained us all last night. And oh—Hamza might have a new nickname now."
Shumaila blinked. "What?"
Akansha grinned. "You poked his cheek and said, and I quote—'Soft.'"
Shumaila's eyes widened in horror. "I DID WHAT?!"
Komal barely held back her laughter. "Oh, and the best part? You refused to let anyone help you except him. You even swatted Karan away."
Shumaila groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "I need to leave this university."
Akansha patted her shoulder. "Too late for that. Now, hurry up and get ready before we're late for class."
Later, at the Lecture Hall
The group filed into the classroom of their common subject, taking their usual spots. Shumaila avoided looking at Hamza, her embarrassment still fresh. The professor walked in and started the lecture, but she barely paid attention. Every time she shifted, she felt eyes on her.
Sneaking a glance, she caught Hamza smirking at her.
Her eye twitched. Why is he looking at me like that?! She quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the lecture.
By the time the class ended, Shumaila had successfully avoided any interaction with him. But her relief was short-lived.
Cafeteria - Trouble Brewing
The group settled at their usual table, lunch trays spread out.
"Okay, let's address the elephant in the room," Rudra started, smirking at Shumaila. "Or should I say—the drunk baby elephant."
Shumaila rolled her eyes. "Ha. Ha. Very funny."
"You know what's funnier?" Aarav grinned. "You refusing to let Karan help you but clinging to Hamza like he was your lifeline."
"Can we please not—"
"Oh, and don't forget the cheek poke!" Siddarth added, laughing. "Soft!"
The whole table erupted in laughter.
Shumaila sighed dramatically. "I hate you all."
Hamza, who had been silently enjoying her misery, finally spoke, leaning slightly towards her. "You know, for someone who calls me annoying, you sure seemed pretty attached last night."
She stiffened and turned to him with a glare. "Don't flatter yourself. I was drunk."
"Clearly." He smirked. "Still, I never expected you to be that… affectionate."
Shumaila groaned and covered her face. "I swear to God, I'm going to drop out."
The group was still laughing when suddenly, a voice cut through their conversation.
"Well, well… I finally found you, Komal."
The laughter died instantly as all heads turned toward the source.
Standing there, with a confident smirk, was a tall, athletic guy in a fitted black jacket and ripped jeans. His sharp features and familiar presence sent an immediate chill down Komal's spine.
Akansha and Shumaila tensed at the sight of him.
"You've got to be kidding me," Shumaila muttered under her breath.
Komal's fingers clenched around her fork. "What are you doing here, Raghav?"
Raghav's smirk widened. "What? No 'hi' for your ex-boyfriend? I'm hurt."
Siddarth's gaze sharpened, shifting between Komal and the new arrival. He didn't like the way this guy was looking at her.
Raghav's eyes flickered to the rest of the group before landing back on Komal. "I just transferred here. Thought I'd surprise you."
Komal scoffed. "Lucky me."
Raghav chuckled and then pulled out a chair, sitting down like he belonged there. "I heard you had quite the eventful freshers' party. Shame I missed it."
The entire group remained silent, tension thick in the air.
Sneha was the first to break it. "We were actually in the middle of lunch."
Raghav barely glanced at her. "Oh, don't mind me. I just wanted to say hi to my Komal."
Siddarth's jaw tightened. His?
Komal gritted her teeth. "I'm not yours."
Raghav smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction. "Relax, princess. I'm just here to catch up. But… now that I'm here, maybe I'll stick around for a bit."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, realizing that their peaceful lunch had just taken a sharp, unpleasant turn.
And from the way Raghav looked at Komal—this was just the beginning.