The corridor hadn't fully settled after the commotion. Laughter still echoed faintly, footsteps moved in hurried directions, and the tension that had just existed lingered like a shadow refusing to leave. But now, there was silence where it mattered. Because he was there.
Arjun Malhotra stood at the far end of the corridor, one hand casually slipped into the pocket of his perfectly tailored black trousers. His crisp white shirt, sleeves folded neatly to his forearms, revealed a strong, defined build not exaggerated, but restrained. Controlled strength. A sleek watch rested against his wrist, subtle but expensive. Everything about him seemed effortless. And yet, everything about him demanded attention.
His gaze was fixed in one direction not at the seniors, not at the crowd but at the girl who had just walked away. The new girl. He hadn't planned to stop there. He hadn't planned to watch.
It wasn't the situation that held his attention. He had seen enough of those, heard enough of those, stopped enough of those. It was her reaction or rather, the lack of it. No panic, no performance, no attempt to please or rebel. Just composure.
His fingers curled slightly in his pocket, a reflex he didn't bother to analyze. That wasn't… usual.
His jaw tightened slightly. "Interesting," he murmured under his breath.
"Who?" a voice beside him asked casually.
Arjun didn't respond immediately. Instead, his eyes followed the fading figure until she disappeared completely around the corner. Only then did he shift his attention.
Beside him stood two very different personalities.
The first Kabir Mehta. Tall, sharp featured, with neatly styled hair and a composed expression that rarely changed. He wore a charcoal grey shirt tucked perfectly into dark jeans, his posture straight, his presence controlled. Kabir didn't speak unless necessary but when he did, people listened. He wasn't just Arjun's friend. He was the voice of reason, the balance, the one who thought before acting.
And then, there was the opposite Dev Khanna. Leaning lazily against the wall, sleeves rolled unevenly, hair slightly messy in a way that looked intentional, and a grin that never seemed to leave his face. His eyes held constant amusement, as if life itself were a joke he enjoyed more than anyone else.
"Don't tell me you're staring at freshers now," Dev smirked. "This is new. Should I be concerned?"
Kabir glanced once toward the corridor, then back at Arjun.
"That went a little too far," he said quietly.
Arjun's expression shifted barely noticeable, but enough. Without a word, he stepped forward.
The air changed instantly. The seniors who had been laughing moments ago fell silent. One of them straightened immediately.
"Arjun bhai—"
The rest didn't even complete their sentences because they already knew. Arjun didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
"What exactly," he said, his tone low but sharp, "do you think you're doing?"
No one answered. The boy who had been forced to propose earlier stood frozen at the side, unsure whether to leave or stay.
Karan tried to recover first. "Just a little fun, bhai. Freshers—"
"Does any of this look like fun to you?"
Arjun's gaze settled on him not angry, just steady. That was worse. Karan shifted back a step, the confidence from moments ago slipping away. The silence around them thickened.
Arjun exhaled softly, like he was already losing patience.
"I don't repeat myself," he said, voice even.
A brief pause.
"Stop this. Now."
Vikram nodded immediately. "Yes, bhai."
The others followed without a word. No arguments, no hesitation. Because when Arjun Malhotra said something, it wasn't a suggestion it was the end of the discussion.
Dev let out a low whistle from behind. "See? This is why people are scared of you," he said, amused. "You don't even try."
Kabir crossed his arms slightly. "They pushed it too far," he said simply.
Arjun didn't respond. His gaze drifted back to the corridor empty now. He paused, just for a second, as if expecting something… or someone. Then it was gone.
"She handled it well," Kabir added quietly.
Dev smirked instantly. "Ah. So that's what this is about."
Arjun shot him a look. Dev raised his hands in mock surrender. "What? I'm just saying… not everyone stands there, sings, and walks away like it's nothing." He tilted his head slightly. "Most people would've panicked."
Kabir nodded once. "She didn't react like the others."
Another silence. This time… thoughtful.
Arjun exhaled slowly. "She didn't try to prove anything," he said. "And still did."
Dev blinked dramatically. "Wow. That sounded deep. Should I write this down? Arjun Malhotra is impressed."
Arjun didn't respond, but for a fleeting second, the corner of his mouth lifted subtle, almost unnoticeable, not out of habit or control, but because something about it stayed with him. It didn't make sense, and he didn't question it.
________________________
By the time Ananya and Riya returned to class, the earlier commotion had faded into an uneasy quiet, like a ripple that refused to settle completely. The lecture hall felt calmer now, though the low hum of conversations still lingered.
Ananya slid into her seat beside Riya, placing her notebook neatly on the desk. Her movements were composed, precise—but her mind was elsewhere, looping over a single strange moment from before.
It wasn't about the seniors.
It wasn't about the ragging.
It was about that sudden pause—when everything had just… stopped.
The laughter had died out too abruptly. The joking tones had shifted, almost imperceptibly, into something colder. Even the seniors who had been enjoying themselves seemed to hesitate, their energy drained in an instant.
She hadn't turned around. She hadn't looked. Yet she had felt it. Something had shifted in the air.
Riya leaned closer, her voice low and playful. "If this keeps happening, I'm changing my route, my timing… maybe even my wardrobe. I can't deal with this."
Ananya let a faint smile appear but didn't reply immediately. After a moment, she murmured, almost to herself, "Did you notice something… ?"
Riya tilted her head. "Notice what? My potential trauma?"
Ananya shook her head, her voice softer. "No… before we left. That silence."
Riya paused, thinking. "Oh… you mean when everyone suddenly stopped?"
Ananya nodded. "Yeah. It felt… off. Like someone had come in."
Riya leaned a little closer, lowering her voice. "I don't know exactly who it was… but I heard some seniors mention a final year."
Ananya frowned slightly. "But how does everyone just react like that?"
Riya shrugged. "I don't know… but it didn't feel random. One second they were laughing, and the next nothing."
Ananya's gaze dropped to her notebook, her voice barely above a whisper. "So… they just stop, without anyone saying a word?"
Riya shook her head slightly. "Exactly. That's what's strange. It's like everyone just… understands."
A silence settled between them, heavier this time.
Ananya didn't understand why,
The thought of someone who could walk in and quiet an entire corridor so effortlessly… it settled somewhere in the back of her mind and refused to leave. It wasn't just what he said—she hadn't even heard his voice clearly but the way everything had changed the moment he was there. Like his presence alone was enough.
It wasn't fear—she didn't feel scared. And it wasn't simple curiosity either. It was something quieter, more personal. Like a feeling she had brushed against but hadn't had the time to fully process.
For a brief moment, she found herself replaying it the sudden silence, the shift in the air, the way everything had just… stopped. She hadn't even turned around, hadn't seen anything, and yet it had felt real. Present.
Her fingers rested still on the page, her thoughts drifting without her meaning them to. It was strangen how something so small, so fleeting, could stay with her like this.
Riya nudged her lightly. "Why are you staring like that?"
Ananya blinked, returning to the present. "I'm not," she said softly.
But she was. Because for the first time, a name she barely knew felt like it carried weight.
________________________
By the time the final class ended, the sky had softened into shades of gold and pale orange. The campus looked different in the evening quieter, gentler as if the chaos of the day had finally exhaled.
Students walked out in groups, laughter replacing the nervous tension of the morning. Conversations flowed more easily now, unhurried and lighter.
"WE SURVIVED," Riya announced dramatically as they stepped onto the pathway.
Ananya let out a soft laugh. "It was just one day."
"One very long day," Riya corrected, grinning.
They moved along the pathway together, fallen leaves crunching softly under their steps, the golden light wrapping around everything in a quiet warmth.
For a moment everything felt normal. Light. Easy.
_____________________
Back in her hostel room, the day finally caught up with her.
The noise, the crowd, the emotions she had kept neatly contained—it all settled slowly into a quiet exhaustion.
She sat on her bed, loosening her braid, letting her hair fall freely over her shoulders. The room was peaceful, the soft hum of the fan the only sound around her.
Her phone buzzed.
Amma Calling.
A small smile appeared instantly.
She answered softly, "Amma…"
Her mother's voice came immediately, warm and familiar. "Chinnu… are you back at the hostel? How was your day?"
Just hearing that, her chest softened. Before she could reply, her father's voice came from the background. "Did you get there safely, Chinnu? Tell us you've settled in a bit," he said gently, concern threading through his calm tone.
A soft shuffle of footsteps, and then her brother spoke. "Amma, can I talk to her?"
"Chinnu," he said, his voice quieter than usual but filled with care, "are you okay?"
Ananya blinked, a small smile forming. "I'm okay, chetta."
"Hmm," he murmured, not fully convinced. "Okay means actually okay… or your version of okay?"
She let out a soft laugh, her eyes lowering. "…My version."
There was a pause not empty, just filled with care.
"You don't have to handle everything at once," he said gently. "Take your time. You always do better that way."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone. "Hmm."
Her mother's voice came back, softer now. "Did you eat dinner properly, Chinnu?"
"Yes, Amma."
"What did you have?"
Ananya smiled faintly. "Rice, dal, and some vegetables."
"Good, that's fine," her mother said, still gently concerned. "Don't skip meals because you're nervous."
"I won't," Ananya replied.
Her father's calm voice returned. "How were your classes, difficult?"
"A little… but manageable."
"Good," he said simply. "That's enough for now."
Another small pause, then her brother again—"Did you make at least one friend?"
Ananya thought of Riya, the laughter, the chaos. "…Yes," she said softly.
"Good," he repeated. "Then you're already doing better than your first school day."
She smiled properly this time.
"You remember that?" she asked playfully.
"You cried for two hours," he said, amusement in his voice. "Hard to forget."
"I did not," she protested quietly.
"You did," he insisted, still amused. "Amma had to sit outside your class."
Her mother laughed softly in the background. "Don't remind her."
Ananya shook her head, her smile lingering. The silence that followed felt warm. Like home.
Then her brother's voice lowered slightly. "Chinnu…"
"Hmm?"
"If anything feels off… anything at all… you call me. Don't think twice. Okay?"
Something in his tone made her chest tighten just a little. "…Okay."
Her father spoke one last time. "Take care of yourself, chinnu."
"I will, Appa."
"And sleep early," her mother added gently.
"I will, Amma."
The call ended slowly, not abruptly, as if none of them wanted to hang up first. When the screen went dark, the room fell quiet again but this time, the silence felt different. Softer. Safer.
Ananya lay down, pulling the blanket slightly closer, her thoughts drifting quietly: the day, the noise, the unfamiliar. And somewhere in between a moment she didn't fully understand, a presence she hadn't even seen, and and a name that lingered quietly, without permission—Arjun Malhotra.
Her eyes closed slowly, and sleep came gently. 🌙
*****
Hey dear readers!
I hope you enjoyed stepping into Ananya's first day at college. There's so much excitement, new beginnings, and little moments that make life feel… real, isn't it? 💛
Stay tuned, and keep your hearts open for surprises! 💫
With love,
inkedTales.