There was a strange room silence in the university hallway. It was the afternoon, and most students were either in the canteen or the library. Riya was one of them- leaving with her books and laptop, wanting to focus on her projects without any disturbance.
But then, a moment.
A sudden jolt, a collision and everything fell-her books, her laptop and her balance-all at once.
And then, a hand-firm, cold and without any unnecessary movement caught her falling laptop mid-air.
Riya turned around.
A tall, broad-shouldered man, dressed in a dark shirt, stood there with one hand in his pocket. His face was completely emotionless-no annoyance, no surprise. Just a deadpan stare, as if this was a routine occurrence for him.
He slowly placed the laptop down, carefully, without a single word.
Riya picked up her books angrily."You-"
"Move."
A single word. Cold, authoritative and devoid of any emotion.
Riya froze for a second.
This wasn't just any ordinary guy. There was something unsettling sharp in his eyes, as if her existence didn't matter in the slightest.
"Excuse me?" Riya glared at him directly.
But he simply glanced at her once-without the slightest hint of interest-and started walking away, as if he hadn't even spoken to her, just issued an order.
Riya's anger still burned. "It was your fault!"
Without stopping, without turning, Vivan replied in a cold, indifferent tone-
"It doesn't matter."
Riya clenched her fists."What the hell?"
But by then he was already gone. Like a storm that appears for the moment, shook everything, and disappeared without a trace.
Yet, Riya had an odd feeling.
This wasn't just a collision.
This was the first spark of a battle.
The atmosphere in the university lecture hall was completely usual-students were in their places, some bored, some enthusiastic. Riya was sitting in her seat, chatting with her friend Anjali.
"I heard a new visiting professor is coming today!" Anjali said excitedly.
Riya looked at her with interest. "Oh? Who is it?"
"Dr. V. Oberoi," Anjali announced proudly, as if revealing a big name. "He has a doctorate from Oxford, has worked at Australia's top research institute, and is here as a visiting professor for just a few months."
Riya's excitement grew. She loved learning from talented professors. "Wow! That means whatever he teaches will be next level!"
"Yeah! And I heard he's super strict, doesn't tolerate anything unnecessary!"
Riya laughed. "Well, that just made things more interesting!"
Just then, the lecture hall door opened.
A tall man, dressed in a dark-colored suit, walked in.
A cold presence, sharp expressions, and a bell that rang only in Riya's mind.
Her eyes widened in shock.
This-THIS WAS THE SAME MAN!
The one who told her to "Move" without even looking!
The one who had picked up her laptop and placed it down without a single emotion!
The one who had walked away without an apology
Riya's excitement vanished in an instant.
"Good morning, students." His voice was calm, cold and full of command. "I am Dr. Vivan Oberoi. And from today, I will be handling your course."
Riya's reaction was priceless.
OH. HELL. NO.
The class began, and as expected-Vivan turned out to be precise and no-nonsense professor.
When a student made too much noise while taking his seat, Vivan simply cast a cold glance towards his direction, and within a second, the entire hall fell silent.
"Only serious students will be taught here, if you're here to learn,you can stay. Otherwise, you may leave."
Riya folded her arms. "So, is ignoring a person also part of your syllabus?"
The entire class went dead silent.
Vivan slowly turned toward her.
"Excuse me?" His voice was still calm, but there was an undertone of challenge in it.
Riya met his eye directly. "Do you have a problem saying a 'simple' sorry after bumping into someone, or did they not teach that at Oxford either?"
Now, the entire class has switched to gossip mode.
Vivan stared at Riya for a second. Then, without a change in expression, he turned back to the board. "If you're so interested in debates, you should have taken a psychology course. Now, back to our topic-"
Riya's face turned even redder with anger.
Her hand rested on the table, and with a low voice, she muttered "What a jerk."
But it wasn't low enough for Vivan to miss.
He stopped immediately and turned toward her.
The entire class went silent.
"Miss-?" His voice now carried a slight warning tone.
"Riya." She answered without hesitation. "And yes, you heard it right."
Vivan now faced her directly. "So you think you can disrespect a professor without any consequences?"
Riya gave him a challenging look."Do you think you can be rude to a student without any consequences?"
Vivan took a deep breath, then said firmly-
"Fine. Principal's office. Now."
Riya slammed her hand on the table.
"WHAT?! Are you serious?!"
Vivan remained completely composed. "Yes. Principal's office. I don't repeat myself."
The entire class was in shock.
And now, the battle had officially begun.