As I slowly regained my strength, my thoughts drifted… I wondered about Arun, how he came into my life.
My mind went back again… to 2009.
After the exams, Aadhya and I called every day—sometimes talking for hours about everything, sometimes about nothing at all.
Adithya also started calling me, and we talked a lot too.
He told me he was aiming for HU College in Hyderabad, saying it was one of the best for computer science.
I thought… maybe I should aim for it too. That way, we could all be back together in the same class.
It would be a little tough for Aadhya, but she said confidently, "I'll give my best."
When the holidays ended, we were back in college. Aadhya and I spent our weekends together—watching movies, grabbing meals, playing games. Days seemed to fly by, each one painted with laughter, mischief, and small adventures. Life felt brighter, more vibrant, as if every moment carried its own color.
Of course, we fought sometimes—stupid arguments over trivial things—but just as often, we missed each other.
As we grew closer, the year passed in a blur. Final exams were ahead, and we studied harder than ever, all of us hoping to reach HU College so we could be together again. I loved computer science, and Adithya shared the same dream. Aadhya… she just wanted to be with me, and that was enough for her.
When the results came in, we did well. I secured a rank close to Adithya and was confident I would get a seat at HU. But Aadhya… she wasn't so sure. She lagged slightly behind, and when the final day of college counseling arrived, it became clear.
Adithya and I got the colleges we wanted. But Aadhya… she didn't. There were no donation seats—everything was strictly merit-based.
I turned to her, trying to ease the disappointment. "Let's both join the same college," I said. "It's fine for me."
But she shook her head, determined. "No, Sid. I know how hard you worked. It's fine. I'll take the long route, study one more year… and next time, I'll get in."
I sighed, heavy-hearted. "So… we'll be apart for a year then."
Aadhya smiled softly, her eyes steady. "Yeah… but this is the sacrifice we have to make for our future. It's fine. I'll be your junior, so you can make sure no one rags me in college," she added with a teasing grin.
I couldn't help but smile back.
Soon, Aadhya joined her long-term preparation in Hyderabad, and me and Adithya started our college life. The first day felt strange and exciting all at once. Even though I had met him plenty of times in the past year, staying together in the hostel… it hit differently. It felt like old times, only bigger, newer, and full of possibilities.
We reached the college, settled into the hostel, and unpacked our things. The rooms echoed with laughter and chatter as students found their places.
Then, Adithya nudged me and said, "Hey, you need to meet someone."
I turned to see a tall, sharp-eyed guy walking toward us, his presence calm but confident.
"This is Arun," Adithya introduced. "You two will be seeing a lot of each other from now on."
Arun had joined Adithya's school after I left, and later he went to the same college as Adithya, pursuing MPC. As we were talking and settling in, a group of seniors suddenly entered our room.
"Which branch are you in? Names?" they asked sharply before leaving as quickly as they came.
We let out a collective sigh of relief, thinking that was it. But within five minutes, another group of seniors came, asking the exact same questions. This pattern repeated over and over until dinner.
Our room had five occupants: me, Adithya, Arun, Nikhil, and Ravi.
We decided to stick together and went to dinner as a group, hoping for a break. But on the way back, we noticed posters plastered across the walls: "Ragging is an offense and will be punished."
Before we could relax, a senior stopped us in the hallway.
"Branch and names. Now."
He glanced at his watch. "Room 303. Exactly twenty minutes. Don't be late."
We exchanged uneasy looks. The warnings on the posters didn't make us feel any safer.
We went to the seniors' room and got ragged badly. I'd rather not go into the details of what they did—it's enough to say it wasn't pleasant.
When we finally made it back to our room, drained and uneasy, we barely had time to settle before another batch of seniors called us out again. Oddly, going through all of that together made us closer than before.
From that day on, the five of us stuck together. We ate at the same time, went out at the same time, and slowly found comfort in each other's company. Among them, Arun and I became especially close.
After surviving the ragging, adjusting to hostel life, and making it through our first set of exams, time passed faster than I expected. Eventually, the freshers' party arrived—a turning point. By then, ragging had finally stopped, and college life began to feel lighter, almost normal.
By the end of that first year, our little circle had taken shape: me, Adithya, Arun, Krithika, and Sneha. What started as chance encounters and shared struggles slowly turned into a bond, one that made the days a little easier.
Sneha had a huge crush on Arun. She never hid it either—always flirting with him in front of everyone, teasing him, finding reasons to sit closer or start a conversation. But Arun never really seemed to feel the same way. He'd laugh it off or change the topic, never letting her advances get too far.
Time kept moving, and soon exams arrived. We all pushed ourselves, but as usual, Adithya outshined everyone. He stood top in the class, and no one was really surprised.
I used to meet Aadhya on weekends, but most of the time Adithya and Arun tagged along. It was hard to find any real alone time with her, and sometimes that bothered me more than I admitted.
But now, things were about to change. Aadhya had scored well in her entrance exams, and soon she'd be joining our college as a junior.
We had managed to keep our relationship hidden all this time. In fact, we'd never even officially proposed to each other. Somewhere deep down, I was saving that moment—I wanted to do it once she joined our college.
And then the day finally came. Second year began, and the campus buzzed with excitement. Everyone else was waiting for the juniors to arrive so they could rag them. But me? I was waiting for her.