"A wave? You gave her a parting wave and just walked out?" Yash doubled over, clutching his stomach. "Akasa, that's not legendary—that's creepy! I can't believe you actually did that." He leaned in, squinting at his friend mockingly. "Maybe the fever passed from me to you. You were definitely dreaming, brother. There's no way she didn't call security." The whole group dissolved into hysterics again.
"Wait, wait! Let me get to the end first," Akasa insisted, his voice cutting through their hysterics. "Once you hear the rest, you'll see I'm a genius, not a creep." He waited for Yash to stop pointing at him before continuing. "So, there I was, walking down the fifth-floor hallway, thinking I'd pulled off the smoothest move in history... when suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me."
(BACK TO THE STORY)
"Wait, Akasa, what did she—" Kumar started, but Akasa cut him off by lunging for his arm. He'd heard her footsteps approaching the door. Without a word of explanation, Akasa dragged a confused Kumar toward the stairwell. Kumar was nearly tripping over his own feet, shouting, "What happened? Why are we running?" but Akasa just kept sprinting, his heart hammering against his ribs.
They didn't stop until they had cleared the college gates and reached the safety of the street. Kumar, bent over and gasping for air, finally found his voice and shouted, "What the hell did you do back there?! Did you mess something up? Why are we running?!" Akasa, his face pale and eyes wide, shook his head frantically. "No! I didn't do anything wrong!" He slumped against a wall, clutching his chest as if he were trying to keep his heart from bursting right out of his ribs.
"So, what actually happened? Why did we run so hard?!" Kumar demanded, hitting Akasa on the shoulder in frustration. Akasa winced and rubbed his arm. "Ah! Nothing... I just gave it to her and then I panicked! I thought she was coming after us to say something!" Kumar stared at him, his mouth hanging open. "Are you serious? That is why we ran five floors and two blocks? Because you were scared?" He just started nodding his head in disbelief, looking at the sky as if asking for strength.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Yash shouted, nearly falling off his chair. "Just tell me—did you actually confess to her or not? Don't tell me you just dropped it on her desk like a time bomb and bolted!" Akasa looked down at his plate, unable to meet their eyes. "No… I tried, but…" Kumar smacked him on the shoulder again, his face a mask of pure frustration. "You foolish… you absolute idiot! I'm done. I don't even want to be friends with this guy anymore!"
"Okay-okay back to the story."
Kumar stared back at the college building, his face pale with sudden anxiety. "Wait... just tell me the truth," he stammered, his voice tense. "Are we going to get in trouble? What if they call it harassment or something? Are we going to jail?!" Akasa laughed softly and draped an arm over Kumar's shoulder, trying to steady his friend. "Relax, bro. It's not like that. All I did was hand her a gift and walk away. I didn't even say a word, remember?"
"So, it was a hit-and-run creepiness!" Yash teased, pointing a finger at Akasa. "God, I can't handle this. Someone saves me!" As the boys dissolved into hysterical laughter, Akasa's face turned bright pink. He tucked his head down, a shy smile spreading across his face. He knew they were right, but at least the "Time Bomb" was delivered.
"Focus, guys!" Yash commanded, silencing the laughter with a wave of his hand. "We've only got a few minutes before college starts. Akasa, finish the story. What happened after you ran away?" He stared at Akasa, his scepticism replaced by genuine curiosity. Akasa took a slow sip of his water, leaned forward, and lowered his voice for the grand finale.
"Okay, genius," Kumar said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Since you didn't confess, did you at least introduce yourself? Did you get a name?" Akasa shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around the mess hall. "Actually... I forgot." Kumar let out a loud, pained groan and swiped at Akasa's arm. "You absolute clown! You gave a 'time bomb' to a total stranger? I'm done with you!"
"You missed the most basic step," Kumar groaned. "How is she supposed to approach you without a number?" Akasa gave a mysterious little laugh and finally met Kumar's gaze. "Wait for it... because I'm actually a mastermind. I tucked my number right into the sketches and highlighted it carefully." Kumar froze, his hand mid-air for another hit. "Wait... really? You actually did that?"
"It's a foolproof plan," Akasa declared. "She has the gift, she has the sketches, and she has my number. It's only a matter of time." He looked at Kumar with admiration, grateful for the help. Kumar just muttered under his breath, "Assuming you actually have any luck left." Akasa stopped walking. "Excuse me? What was that?" Kumar laughed and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "Nothing, man! Don't worry. It's a masterpiece—she's definitely going to ask for you."
Eight hours later, as the first grey light of dawn began to break, Akasa stood alone on the college grounds. He looked up at the fading stars in the darkest part of the sky, feeling a heavy sense of solitude. "Maybe I wasn't lucky enough to win her heart," he whispered to the wind. "But at least I tried." He bowed his head, ready to let go, but a sudden, steady thought struck him: True love is the only thing that really exists. Just as the thought crossed his mind, his phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket.
He opened his phone, the bright screen illuminating his face in the early morning darkness. A message from an unknown number sat at the top of his notifications. His heart skipped a beat as he read: "Hey Akasa, are you the one who gave this beautiful gift to me? Let's talk." A wave of relief washed over him. It wasn't just luck—it was real.
"And that's the end of the story," Akasa concluded with a satisfied grin. "We talked, met up on campus that afternoon, and... well, we've been dating ever since." Yash stared at him, his eyes narrowing in total disbelief. "Wait, what? That fast?! You managed to get a girl in just two days? Man, that's faster than high schoolers! I leave you alone for one fever and you turn into a speed-dating champion!"
They sat there for another fifteen minutes, just laughing and reliving the madness of the last forty-eight hours. Finally, Yash glanced down at his watch and his eyes went wide. "Whoa, guys—look at the time! We're already late. Let's move!" He stood up, grabbing his bag as the other two scrambled to follow him, their laughter still echoing as they hurried toward the lecture hall.
As they walked, Adi suddenly piped up, "Come on, Yash—you're way too charming. Just admit it, you've probably had three or four relationships by now, right?" Kumar jumped in immediately, hyping him up. "Yeah, seriously! No one on this entire campus has an aura like yours, man." The rest of the group joined in, nodding in agreement. "It's true, Yash. You're easily the most handsome guy on campus."
Their voices blurred together—handsome, aura, charm—but the words felt hollow, like echoes in a canyon. None of it reached him. Instead, a cold, venomous whisper crawled up from the back of his mind: "You don't deserve this. You should die."
The world tilted. Yash's smile vanished as he gripped his skull, trying to physically shove the voice away. For a heartbeat, the hallway dissolved into a blinding white void where a girl in a wheelchair sat, her smile fixed on him like a silent accusation. "It doesn't matter!" Yash suddenly screamed, his voice cracking under the weight of his own panic. The silence that followed was deafening. Akasa watched him, his eyes filled with a dark, growing concern, as they resumed their walk in a stifling, uneasy quiet.