The air was thick with a mix of excitement and nerves. Clusters of students milled around — wide-eyed freshers clutching suitcases and duffel bags, their voices a jumble of chatter and directions. Nikhil stepped out, taking in the scene with faint amusement. He was, as he noted with a hint of pride, probably one of the last to arrive.
He made his way toward the entrance, where a visitor room opened to one side. Beyond that was a pathway leading deeper into the hostel blocks — and at its mouth, a group of three boys stood talking animatedly.
With practiced ease, Nikhil approached them. He was not, by any stretch, the sort of person who blended into a crowd. His 6'1" frame, lean build, and easy posture made him stand out even among the taller students. The late evening light brushed against his light brown curls, turning them almost golden, and his relaxed, sunny expression drew instinctive second glances. His natural charm did the rest.
The three boys fell quiet as he neared them, their conversation faltering as they turned to take in the new arrival.
"Hey," Nikhil greeted effortlessly, a friendly grin tugging at his mouth. "Freshers?"
All three nodded, almost in unison.
"Me too," he said easily. "Just arrived, actually. Though you guys look like you've already settled in. Mind telling me how to get to the rooms?"
One of them blinked in surprise. "You're only just arriving? Today?" he asked, disbelief colouring his voice. The session began tomorrow — everyone else had come days earlier.
Nikhil nodded without missing a beat. "Family emergency," he said casually, his tone smooth enough to make the excuse sound entirely believable.
The boy nodded sympathetically. "Oh. Well, you'll need to go to the warden's office first — get your room number. Your roommate's probably already here."
"Got it."
Nikhil thanked them with an easy smile and moved on. The warden's office wasn't hard to find, and a few minutes later, he was walking out with a key dangling from a labelled tag.
"Room number 31," he murmured, glancing at it.
The corridor was quiet, sunlight spilling through long glass panes, dust motes glimmering in the orange glow of evening. His shoes clicked softly against the tiled floor as he found his way to the door marked 31.
It was already unlocked. After confirming the number, he pushed it open.
The room was a standard two-sharing hostel setup — not luxurious, but liveable. Two beds stood on opposite sides with desks and wardrobes neatly dividing the space. The windows let in the fading sunlight, washing the walls in a warm, golden hue.
It looked like his roommate had indeed arrived before him — the other bed's sheets were rumpled slightly, like someone had just been sitting there, and a suitcase rested near it.
Nikhil stepped in, setting his own bags on the empty side.
Before he could do much else, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. The door swung open, and a boy entered — tall, around 5'11", with messy black hair and pale skin. His expression was one of nervous tension, and he wrung his hands together before blurting out,
"You! You're Nikhil, right? I'm Anuj — your roommate."
The words tumbled out in a rush as he extended a hand. His glasses, a size too large for his face, slid precariously down his nose with the motion. He was lanky and slightly awkward — tall enough, but with the anxious energy of a startled rabbit.
"You arrived pretty late," he continued in a breathless stream. "I tried asking them for your number so we could coordinate earlier, but they said they didn't have it, and I got so worried — I thought maybe you changed your mind or surrendered your seat—"
"Nope. Just fashionably late," Nikhil interrupted smoothly, grin unfaltering as he pulled out a chair and sat down. His eyes scanned the room with lazy interest.
Anuj's side was meticulously organised — textbooks aligned with geometric precision, stationery stacked neatly, even the bedsheet tucked with military discipline. Nikhil's side, by contrast, was a blank slate — suitcases unopened, desk bare.
"So," he said lightly, "I assume you arrived first?"
Anuj nodded, perching on the opposite chair. "Yes, I got in during the first round itself."
Nikhil hummed, saying nothing. He didn't bother to mention that he was also a first-round admission. Letting people think he'd come in the last round kept them from asking too many questions.
Anuj continued, "Though nothing much has happened so far. The first fifteen days were just the foundation course — you know, new NMC guidelines."
Nikhil nodded vaguely, uninterested.
Anuj leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Forget that. Have you heard… about the ragging?"
Nikhil raised an eyebrow, amused. "Ragging? Seriously? They still do that?"
"Of course they do!" Anuj said, voice dropping even lower. "The older the college, the deeper the traditions. I even heard they boycott you if you act too cocky or break the rules—"
The note of genuine anxiety made Nikhil laugh. He leaned back in his chair, laughter rich and unbothered. "Oh, come on. You're acting like it's a military academy. You know that stuff's all dramatized in movies, right? It's probably just a few seniors pretending to be high and mighty for a week. It's not that deep."
"It is that deep!" Anuj insisted, almost whispering now. He darted to the half-open door and shut it quietly, glancing over his shoulder like someone might overhear. "I'm serious! One of the seniors made a list — and someone uploaded it to the WhatsApp group. Not the official 'MBBS Batch 2025-26' group, obviously — the unofficial one, Steth and Chill. Everyone's been talking about it."
Nikhil tilted his head, entertained. "Oh, this I've got to hear."