New, Delhi - 7:00 AM
Kumbhkaran ki chhoti behen, aka Kashvi Verma, was sleeping so peacefully, it looked like she was on a private vacation inside her blanket fort. The world could collapse outside... earthquakes, tsunamis, and she would still be sleeping peacefully.
Her mom, however, was not having it.
"Kashhhuuuuuuuu! It's 7 o'clock! It's your first day of college, wake up!" her mom yelled, pulling the curtain aside with Olympic-level force.
"Ughhhh," came the groan from inside the blanket. "Mom, why are you enemies with my sleep?"
But Mrs. Verma was already on mission: Wake-the-Kumbhkaran.
Finally, after 5 failed attempts...with the patience of a mother and the cunning of a ninja, she walked to the switchboard...
Click.
The fan went off.
"AAAHHHH! There is something called human rights too!"
Kashvi screamed, finally waking up.
.........
Meanwhile, at the Sharma household...
Divya Sharma had been up since 6:00 AM.
"Today a new journey is beginning," her mom smiled, feeding her a spoonful of dahi-shakkar.
"Thanks mom," Divya smiled.
She wore an oversized hot pink shirt, casually half-tucked and buttoned just enough to keep things laid-back but bold. The sleeves were slightly rolled up, adding a touch of relaxed rebellion. Paired with light blue wide-leg jeans that fell perfectly over her white sneakers, the whole look was effortlessly cool.
.........
Outside Kashvi's House – 8:20 AM
"Kashviiiiiiii! Hurry up, we'll be late on the very first day!"
Divya honked twice outside the Verma residence, looking effortlessly cool on her black activa.
Inside, chaos was dancing in full glory.
Kashvi Verma, the storm in human form, ran out of her house with a lavender kurti flying like a cape and powder blue jeans barely ironed. Her left foot had a sandal, the right was still confused between two options. A toast clenched between her teeth, a bag swinging off her shoulder, and hair doing its own rock concert.
"Mom! Where are my glasses?!" she yelled, bumping into the doorframe before spotting Divya.
"Come on, hurry up!" Divya shouted, adjusting her watch and raising an eyebrow. "We're getting late!"
Kashvi hopped over the last stair, finally putting both sandals on mid-air (somehow), and sat down behind Divya on the activa.
"You look like Ranveer Singh's wardrobe exploded," Divya muttered as they took off.
"Thank you, I try."
"Did you bring a pen?" Divya asked.
"Hmm."
"Book?"
"Hmm."
"Specs?"
"Hmm."
"Brain?"
Divya looked over her shoulder, smirking. "Well, you don't have that anyway."
Kashvi smacked her head. "Shut up!" she said, making a dramatic face. "From today onwards, I'm going to be serious…"
Just then, her half-eaten toast slipped from her hand, flying in slow motion, and smacked a street dog right on the head. The dog barked in protest, chasing them for a few seconds as Divya sped up, laughing uncontrollably.
Kashvi blinked. "...From tomorrow."
.........
Divya parked her activa and took off her helmet like she was featuring in a slow-mo shampoo ad. Kashvi, on the other hand, jumped off with a thud, adjusting her lavender kurti and clutching her bag like it was a bomb about to explode.
"Man, it feels like we're coming to college after so many years..." Kashvi stretched dramatically.
Divya raised an eyebrow. "After so many years? Madam, it's literally the first day."
"This vibe is weird... I'm feeling scared," Kashvi whispered."Divya! If I faint, make sure my IV drip is filled with chocolate."
Divya laughed, "Relax. No one in this college can be more chaotic than you."
"Wow, thanks for the motivation, daughter of Sharma ji." Kashvi rolled her eyes.
They were walking toward the main building, arguing about canteen food options, when-
THUD!
Kashvi collided straight into someone. Her books fell, and so did her ego.
"Aankhon mein dahi jama rakhi hai kya? (Were your eyes soaked in yogurt or what?) Dekh ke nahi chal sakte raat bhar bhigoye huye chane ke chhilke (Can't you walk properly,soaked chickpea peels?)" she snapped, rubbing her arm.
The guy turned, clearly taken aback. He was tall, calm-looking, and wore a neatly pressed white shirt with a backpack slung casually.
Rihan Gupta raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?!"
Kashvi scoffed, bending to pick her book. "Don't you know how to walk properly?"
"YOU were walking in reverse and you're blaming me?" Rihan crossed his arms.
"My life is already going in reverse, you're just another peel that came in the way," she fired back.
Divya, trying very hard not to laugh, whispered, "Kashvi, you're overdoing it…"
Rihan smirked. "You create more drama than Netflix. Ever thought of joining the drama club?"
Kashvi narrowed her eyes. "I came here to become a doctor… but if I keep getting patients like you, I might have to make a career in acting instead."
Divya finally burst out laughing.
Rihan just shook his head and walked away, muttering, "Stupid girl."
Kashvi turned to Divya, fuming. "Ugh! I need his full name. From today onwards, he's my villain."
Divya said between giggles, "Welcome to college, drama queen. You already found your arch-nemesis."
.........
The classroom was buzzing with chatter, the typical "first day energy" in the air. Everyone looked equally lost... wide-eyed, nervous, or pretending to be cool.
Divya and Kashvi entered quietly and grabbed two seats near the window.
Just as they settled, the lecturer walked in, adjusting his mic.
"Good morning. I'm Prof. Mishra. Welcome to your very first lecture of MBBS – Anatomy."
Divya pulled out her notebook. Kashvi pulled out a small pack of Fruity from her bag.
"Are you seriously going to drink that?" Divya whispered.
"This glucose is the only thing that will keep me alive," Kashvi mumbled, sipping like a dehydrated squirrel.
But Divya's attention was already elsewhere. She blinked twice toward the third rows, nudged Kashvi's elbow, and leaned in.
"Look… third row, white shirt… that's the same guy you collided with, right?"
Kashvi blinked dramatically. The moment she saw him, her expression turned from curious to irritated.
"Yes! Him... the soaked chickpea peel." she whispered.
Divya tried not to laugh. "Peel? What does that even mean?"
Kashvi smirked, "I mean... just look at him... walking around with that weird expression. His face is permanently in 'I have better things to do' mode."
They peeked again. The boy was quietly listening, note-taking like a model student. But he did glance towards them once, noticing the giggling duo. His eyebrows twitched. No smile. Just confusion and slight judgment.
Just then, the boy turned around again. This time holding a pen he accidentally dropped.
Their eyes met.
It was awkward.
Kashvi quickly looked away.
Kashvi muttered, "I don't know his name, but my feelings are clear. Dislike at first sight."
Divya laughed under her breath, trying to stay composed as the professor explained the topic.
Meanwhile, Kashvi opened her notebook and wrote down on the top:
"White Shirt Boy = Ego's LIVE skeleton"