Saved Seats and Silent Longings

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Aashna dashed through the corridors of St. Victoria University. She had barely made it in time for class, her tote bag slung over her shoulder as she weaved through students, ignoring the grumbling of her stomach from skipping breakfast.

The moment she reached the lecture hall, she scanned the room, already knowing what she was looking for.

"Aashna!" a familiar voice called from the third row. Advait Singh, her childhood best friend, was waving at her, his usual warm smile in place. He had already saved her a seat beside him, as he did every single day.

"You're a lifesaver," she panted as she slid into the seat.

Advait chuckled. "As always. What was it today? Late wake-up or lost book?"

"Both," she admitted, shaking her head. "And Baba gave me another lecture on punctuality."

Before Advait could respond, a loud thud echoed beside them as Sia Patel dramatically dropped into the chair next to Aashna.

"I swear to God, if that guy from our Economics class calls me 'bro' one more time, I'll throw my book at his face," Sia announced, her voice loud enough for half the hall to hear.

Aashna stifled a laugh while Advait sighed. "Sia, you literally call everyone 'bro.'"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean he gets to 'bro-zone' me first!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "Anyway, enough about me. Aashna, did you finally start reading that novel you were so obsessed with finding yesterday?"

Aashna's face fell. "Nope. Spent so much time looking for it that I didn't get a chance to start."

Advait shook his head. "Priorities, Pathak."

Sia nudged her playfully. "At this rate, we're gonna have to stage an intervention."

Before Aashna could retort, the professor walked in, calling for silence. The three friends exchanged amused looks before pulling out their notebooks, settling in for the lecture.

On the other side of the college, in the Mass Media department, Dhruvin sat in the dimly lit classroom, half-listening to his professor talk about the upcoming short film competition. His fingers tapped idly against the desk, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.

"Deshmukh," the professor's voice cut through his daze, bringing him back to reality.

Dhruvin looked up. "Hmm?"

The professor crossed his arms. "I've seen your past projects. You've got an eye for storytelling. Why aren't you signing up for this competition?"

Dhruvin adjusted his posture. "Not my thing."

The professor sighed. "Not your thing? You have the potential to do something remarkable, but you're just coasting through this course. Enter the competition, Deshmukh. Push yourself."

Dhruvin clenched his jaw, avoiding eye contact. He had always kept his talents at arm's length, afraid of getting too involved, too invested. Because when you cared too much, things had a way of slipping through your fingers.

"I'll think about it," he muttered, hoping that would end the conversation.

The professor gave him a knowing look but didn't push further. "You've got until Friday."

Later that afternoon, Dhruvin lounged in the college canteen, his feet propped up on the chair in front of him. Manan Thakker was busy scrolling through his phone, probably texting one of his many flings. Raj Shekhawat and Saumya Menon were locked in a heated debate over which movie franchise was better-Marvel or DC.

"I'm just saying, Batman could totally take down Iron Man," Saumya argued, waving a samosa for emphasis.

Raj scoffed. "That's cute. Iron Man would fry him before Batman even pulled out a gadget."

Dhruvin listened as he sipped his cutting chai, letting their argument fade into background noise. His eyes subconsciously flickered around the canteen, scanning the crowd without really knowing what he was looking for-until he did.

The girl from the lift.

He hadn't even realized he'd been thinking about her, but now, as his gaze wandered, he found himself hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl in the pink kurta, the one who had rushed in last minute, her eyes filled with irritation and something he couldn't quite place.

He shook his head, annoyed at himself. What was he even doing? She was just another student, another passing moment in his day. And yet...

"You good, bro?" Manan's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Dhruvin straightened slightly. "Yeah. Just wondering how many more times Raj and Saumya will argue about this before one of them gives in."

Manan chuckled. "Give it ten more debates. Minimum."

Dhruvin huffed a quiet laugh, pushing the thought of the mystery girl to the back of his mind.

For now.

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Author's Note

Hey there, dear reader! 💛

Thank you for diving into Aashna and Dhruvin's world with me. This is just the beginning of their journey-one filled with unexpected moments, heartwarming connections, and maybe even a little chaos! If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to vote, share, and show some love. Your support means everything and keeps me going! ✨

Let me know your thoughts-I'd love to hear from you! 💕📖