The morning at the resort started with a light drizzle, the cool breeze making it even harder for everyone to leave their cozy beds. Shumaila stretched lazily, yawning as she walked into the common lounge where the rest of the group was already gathered, sipping on coffee and munching on breakfast.
Komal raised an eyebrow as she saw Shumaila plop onto the couch. "Looks like someone isn't a morning person."
Shumaila groaned. "I swear, I need at least three cups of coffee before I can function."
Rudra smirked. "Or maybe you're still thinking about last night?"
She shot him a glare. "Do you want to die this early in the morning?"
Aarav chuckled as he sipped his coffee. "Alright, enough teasing. What's on the agenda for today?"
Sneha tapped her phone. "There's a hiking trail nearby. Thought it might be fun before we leave."
Everyone agreed, albeit with varying levels of enthusiasm, and soon they were making their way up the scenic trail, the morning mist still lingering among the trees.
As they walked, Komal and Siddarth found themselves paired together, thanks to Rudra's not-so-subtle maneuvering. Komal stumbled slightly on an uneven path, and Siddarth instinctively reached out to steady her.
"Careful, clumsy," he said with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes. "If I fall, I'm taking you down with me."
Neither of them let go of the other's hand immediately, though.
Meanwhile, Akansha was lagging slightly behind, trying to adjust her backpack straps when Aarav wordlessly handed her his water bottle.
"Here. You look like you need this."
She hesitated before taking it. "You're… not as annoying as I thought."
Aarav grinned. "That's dangerously close to a compliment."
She huffed but didn't deny it, making him chuckle.
Shumaila, on the other hand, had somehow ended up next to Hamza. The silence between them was thick with unspoken words.
"Are you going to keep avoiding me?" he finally asked, his voice low.
She sighed. "I'm not avoiding you. I just… don't know what to say."
He smirked slightly. "Then let me help you. Start with 'Hamza, you were right all along.'"
She scoffed but didn't move away when he sat beside her on a resting bench along the trail. Their moment was cut short when Rudra's voice rang through the air.
"HEY, LOVE BIRDS, STOP HAVING A MOVIE MOMENT AND COME BACK!"
They both rolled their eyes but got up nonetheless.
Later that evening, after they returned to the resort, the group sat in the lounge, chatting and packing up. Just as they were about to call it a night, Sneha's phone buzzed with a university-wide message.
"Uh, guys? Looks like we have an announcement."
"What now?" Siddarth groaned.
"Apparently, there's a competition happening next week. Arts majors are the main participants, but the whole university will be involved."
Komal and Akansha immediately perked up. "Finally, something for us," Komal said with a grin.
Aarav nodded. "Looks like we've got some serious preparation ahead."
Meanwhile, Hamza and Rudra exchanged glances. "And there's also a sports tournament. Guess football's back on the table," Rudra added.
The group laughed, unaware of just how intense things were about to get.
As they packed up and headed back to the university, the real games were only beginning.