Mahi's POV
I sat on the chair next to Shreya.
She noticed the faded colour of my face and asked, "What happened?"
"H-uh." I snapped out of my usual post-awkward-moment thought spiral — What do I do after these situations? Regret. Always regret. Regret why I didn't yell at him for calling me kiddo this morning.
"Nothing. It's just a guy called me kiddo this morning, and two minutes ago, he helped me grab this book." I lifted the book lying in front of me as proof.
"And he was wearing a neon orange jacket?" Shreya asked, one eyebrow raised, a smirk already forming.
"Yes… How do you know?" I asked, my confusion written all over my face.
"Because," she said, leaning closer, "the guy who called you kiddo today has called me a shrimp—uhm—more than a hundred times. His name is Robin. And let me tell you, even an ant is more dangerous than him, but I wonder why he called you kiddo, he barely talks with strangers so casually."
I stared at her. "You're kidding."
"Wish I was."
I sighed and dropped my head on the table, mumbling, "What kind of people roam around this campus?"
"The funny kind," she said, flipping through her notes. "He's harmless. Just dramatic."
The rest of the day went fine—or at least normal by my standards. I tried to focus in class, but the kiddo scene kept flashing in my head, and every time it did, I felt my jaw tighten. That jacket, that grin—it all felt like an unnecessary memory I didn't ask for.
When the last lecture ended, I was about to leave when Shreya suddenly stopped me near the gate. "Wait!" she said, panting as she caught up.
"What now?"
"Just… five minutes. I need to introduce you to someone."
I groaned. "Shreya, please. I've met enough 'someones' for a day."
"Trust me, you'll love this one." She said it with such confidence that I for one second thought 'is it a celebrity?'
We stood near the college building as Shreya pulled out her phone and called someone. I could hear the familiar tone of chaos in her voice.
"Yeah, come here, idiot. I want to introduce you to someone," she said into the phone, smiling wickedly.
The line went silent for a second before she smirked again. "Don't worry. She doesn't bite."
I squinted at her. "She?"
She ignored me, grinning as she hung up. "He's on his way."
And that's when it hit me.
"No. No way. Please tell me it's not—"
Before I could finish, the unmistakable orange jacket entered the frame, bouncing down the hallway.
"Why do I feel like I've been lured into a trap?" I muttered under my breath.
Robin spotted Shreya first, waved like he was in a parade, and then saw me. His face changed—not dramatically, but that quick shift from his usual grin to something almost nervous was… interesting.
"Robin," Shreya called out, voice dripping with amusement. "Meet Mahi."
Robin shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing from Shreya to me.
"and Mahi, this is Robin, popularly known for wearing very unique clothes and—"
"and for giving a nickname to strangers. Right?" I interrupted Shreya.
Shreya chuckled, "Yeah, that too."
He laughed—a short, effortless sound. "Wow, I didn't know someone whose cheeks turn into a tomato, when getting helped by someone, could talk this much."
I raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk on my face ."Well, I also didn't know that a weirdo like you could be… helpful."
Robin chuckled, tilting his head. "Helpful, huh? I'll take that as a compliment… I think."
"I did say weirdo, don't forget that part," I shot back, my eyes sparkling with mischief.
"ouch! " Robin said, clutching his chest as I'd actually hit him.
I glared, arms crossed. "Oh, don't act all dramatic. You're the one who patted me like I was a toddler this morning."
He smirked, leaning back casually. "Oh, that, I thought you were a kid."
I blinked at him, jaw tightening. "A kid? Really? That's your excuse?" I crossed my arms, trying not to show how annoyed I was.
" Yeah, a 4ft kid who got lost in a fair." He laughed so proudly like he had won IGL.
And I..
I was just staring at this stranger, and it made me wonder how he never got beaten up by anyone for his not-so-bad-but-not-so-good jokes, or maybe he had gotten beaten up. Who knows?
Robin tilted his head, finally noticing me giving him a side-eye. "What? You look like you're plotting my death or something."
I let out a dry laugh. "Trust me, I'm not plotting anything, at least not right now ."
He raised an eyebrow but didn't seem offended.
I shook my head mentally, trying to ignore him.
Shreya's chuckle behind me only made it worse. I gritted my teeth in silent annoyance.
Shreya sighed dramatically, "Great. Now that you two are done being awkwardly clever, can we go grab coffee?"
Robin pointed at me. "If she promises not to throw the cup at me."
"Only if you promise not to nickname any stranger again."
"Okay, I promise, I'll never nickname any stranger again. Fine, Angry Bird?" he said with his smirk hiding behind his innocence.
"Wait, you just promised, you wouldn't— " I said it, amused, but he didn't let me complete.
"Who said we are unknown to each other now?" he said, leaning towards me.
Imagine.. I mean, just imagine.
and Shreya just stood beside and enjoyed the whole scene like she was watching a reality show.
We three then moved towards the college canteen, everyone silent. I can explain myself. I was just intimidated by him, but why were they not talking?
God knows…
And thankfully, the only good thing that happened today to me, other than meeting Shreya, was, the canteen got closed by the time we reached there.
"What should we do now?" Shreya asked.
"Let's just go home. I am tired." I recommended, although I knew even if they were not going home, I was.
"Yes, coffee, maybe someday else," she said.
"Yeah, so which line do you take?" I asked, adjusting the strap of my bag.
"Blue line, till Noida Sector 62," Shreya replied, brushing her hair back. "What about you?"
"Rajouri Garden. Same line, opposite direction," I said, already pulling out my MetroCard and keeping it in my jeans pocket.
Robin grinned, standing beside us. "And I'm somewhere in between you two—Dwarka Mor."
Someone ask this guy 'Who asked?'
Shreya said, laughing. "Yeah, I have company till halfway. Lucky me."
"Yeah, lucky you," I said, pretending to mean it. But as I walked towards the metro station along with them, a smirk tugged at my lips—turns out, being unlucky had its perks today.
We reached the station together, our steps echoing down the stairs. The three of us stood at the token counter for a few seconds—just enough silence for me to feel awkward again.
Shreya tapped my arm. "Okay, Rajouri Garden goes this way. See you tomorrow?"
"Hmm," I nodded, waving lightly.
Robin gave a small salute. "Goodbye, Angry Bird."
I didn't turn back, but I could feel his grin following me as I walked toward my platform.
The metro pulled in, brakes squealing. I got in, found a corner, and leaned against the pole. Through the glass, the platform blurred—faces, noise, city lights. But somehow, I still caught a flicker of him waving again, that same ridiculous energy radiating like a kid who's got a kinder joy.
I shook my head, trying not to smile. He's impossible.
The train jerked forward. My reflection blinked back at me in the window, tired but a little amused. "Robin…" I whispered under my breath, as if testing how the word felt in my mouth. Then, quieter—almost to myself—"Idiot."
The metro rattled through stations, the evening crowd thinning with every stop. My head leaned against the glass, and the hum of the tracks almost drowned out my thoughts. Almost.
When my station finally arrived, I stepped out into the warm rush of the night air. My neighbourhood wasn't exactly quiet, but it had a comfort the city didn't—streetlights flickering, kids chasing each other even after dark, and the faint smell of someone burning incense nearby.
I walked home slowly, kicking at a loose stone, my bag heavier than it needed to be. The chaos of the day finally started to settle—the failed canteen plan, Shreya's endless chatter, Robin's infuriating smirk.
By the time I reached my lane, the world felt softer, like someone had turned the volume down. The street dog near the gate wagged his tail lazily as I passed.
I unlocked the door, dropped my bag, and sighed into the quiet. "Home," I murmured, like it was a small relief.
Leaning against the wall, I glanced at my phone lighting up with a message from Shreya:
"Told you it was going to be fun ;)"
I rolled my eyes and tossed the phone on the couch. "Yeah, sure," I muttered, though a tiny laugh slipped out before I could stop it.
As I trudged toward my room, I caught my reflection in the mirror—hair messy, eyes tired, but lips curved just slightly.
Robin's POV
The metro hummed beneath us, its soft metallic rhythm filling the silence between two friends who'd known each other long enough to read every unspoken sentence.
Shreya was smiling at her reflection in the glass door, but that smirk wasn't for herself.
It was for me.
And I could tell, because that's exactly the smirk she wore when she was about to start trouble.
"So…" she began, stretching the word like taffy. "You and Mahi, huh?"
I groaned. "Oh, here we go."
Her eyes sparkled. "Don't play innocent. You were acting like yourself — the fun, annoying, teasing version. The one you only show your close friends. Not the 'I 'm-too-cool-for-people' version."
I leaned back, crossing my arms. "I wasn't acting like anything. I was just—" I paused, realising how defensive I sounded, "—being polite."
"Polite?" Shreya raised an eyebrow. "You called her Angry Bird."
"That is polite for me," I said with a grin.
She laughed, shaking her head. "You're impossible, Robin."
"Correction — bored. Raizada's gone for a week, remember? Intercollege football tournament? The guy who usually keeps me entertained just with him being by my side."
Shreya snorted. "So, you annoy a random girl because your best friend isn't around?"
"Not random," I corrected. "You introduced us. Blame yourself. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have said a word."
"Oh, come on," she nudged me lightly. "You two have that love-hate spark already. Admit it, it's cute."
"Cute?" I frowned. "That's not love-hate, Shreya. That's me being normal and her thinking I'm an alien."
She laughed so hard that a few passengers turned to look.
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help chuckling too. That was Shreya — drama queen, chaos generator, and probably the only person who could make boredom tolerable.
After a minute, she quieted down, her tone softer. "You know, you should let people see that side of you more often. The easygoing, funny one. Not just your group."
"Maybe," I shrugged. "But it's easier when you already know someone won't judge you."
She looked at me for a long second, like she was trying to say something but couldn't find the right words. Then she smiled — not her usual playful smile, but something smaller, almost shy.
"Robin," she said quietly, "you ever think about… I don't know, love? Or liking someone seriously?"
I blinked, caught off guard. "Love?"
"Yeah," she said, brushing her hair back casually, though I could tell she wasn't casual at all. "Like, don't you ever… feel something for someone?"
Her tone carried more weight than her words. And for a moment, I didn't know what to say.
I looked away, pretending to watch the stations blur past. "No," I finally said. "Not really. I don't think this is the age for that."
She tilted her head. "Why not?"
"Because," I said, running a hand through my hair, "people confuse interest with emotion. Everyone's chasing something that feels big when it's just a distraction. I don't want to be that guy. I'm fine with the friends I've got."
Shreya's smile flickered, but she nodded as she understood. "You're such an idiot sometimes," she whispered, half-laughing.
"I know," I said lightly, standing up as the train slowed. "And yet, you're still stuck with me."
Her voice was gentle when she replied. "Maybe I don't mind being stuck with you."
I looked at her, but before I could respond, the announcement chimed — Next station, Dwarka Mor.
That was mine.
"See you tomorrow, Shreya," I said, giving a small salute — the same one I'd given Mahi earlier. Only this time, it felt heavier.
She smiled, but her eyes followed me a little too long as the doors slid shut behind me.
Outside, the night air was cooler than usual. I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets, walking toward the exit, hearing her laughter replay faintly in my mind — mixed with Mahi's annoyed voice and my own words echoing back at me.
Not the best age to fall.
Maybe.
I shook my head, half-smiling.
'Maybe I should just stick to TMKOC… till that idiot comes back .'