After escaping to a new city, I began a fresh life by enrolling in a new college to resume my studies, and performing some small jobs to take care of my life and college expenses.
Upon enrolling, I formed some new acquaintances, bunked classes, and attended various college lectures simply out of interest and to learn something new.
We were pursuing B.Com, but my friends loved attending BBA classes in a private college nearby — just for the experience and because it was fun.
Don't ask how we bypassed the gate security guards. That's a different story.
One day, while I was attending a B.Com class in my own college, a girl walked in.
When I first saw her at a glance — her voice, her looks, her pretty eyes paired with her glasses, and the sway of her hair — it all left me stunned for a few moments.
There was a spark, instant and undeniable, something that made time slow for just a second.
Later, I invited her to sit with me to discuss a college project, since the other girls' teams were full.
Slowly we began to talk.
Talking turned into long conversations.
We started gifting small things to each other, and our friendship slowly turned into love.
We started visiting the canteen together, sitting for classes together, cracking jokes and laughing like anything else in the world didn't matter.
But one day, a strict teacher walked in and saw me resting my head on her shoulder.
I was seeking a moment of peace and quiet, burdened by my old problems, and we were just talking about our daily lives.
He stopped and said that boys and girls weren't allowed to sit together.
He made her move to the last bench alone, since all the girls were already sitting in rows of four and the benches were full.
I was mad and upset to see her sitting all by herself.
The teacher who was taking the class quietly told us that she didn't have any issue with girls and boys sitting together.
She even shared that she had met her own partner the same way during college – though back then, they had to be extra careful when teachers were around.
But this particular sir was from an older generation, and he didn't allow such things.
Days passed.
We still chatted, shared jokes, gifted flowers and chocolates to each other.
And our love grew deeper with every passing day.
We were all sitting in the canteen one afternoon when one of our friends shot me a playful side-eye and joked that a girl in our class was having a child — all the while staring at me (hinting that she was).
Everyone burst out laughing.
I laughed too — because, well, to make a child, you have to dothat, and I hadn't... at least not until then.
But one day, we did.
Not out of pressure, not out of curiosity — but because we really loved one another.
It seemed like the purest thing to join two souls together.
And then, after that, we both sort of forgot about it.
Life moved on.
In some way, through some means, the stern teacher heard about it.
He began to search for me.
So I devised a plan to run away from the college.
One day, when the guardians of other students visited the campus, I imagined one of them was my guardian and began walking towards them.
I wished they would leave early and I could fit in and escape.
But unluckily, they didn't return to the gate — they remained within the college grounds.
Meanwhile, I escaped outside.
The guards became suspicious.
And when they saw the strict teacher chasing after me, they were certain.
With whatever strength I had remaining in the summer sun, I continued to run.
Out on the street, I spotted my parents.
They were now operating a fast food stall from a thela (a roadside stall).
I ran up to them, panting, and informed my mom, "You're going to be a grandma."
She was shocked for a moment, then clung to me tightly and began sobbing in joy.
My dad was distracted with customers, but he nodded knowingly.
But in my life, happiness never lasts long.
It never does.
An aunty ran towards us and explained that the teacher had called the police.
Now, some of you might be thinking – how did this random aunty know my parents and me?
Well, my mother was a school teacher, and the child of the aunty studied in that very school.
She was familiar with me.
And now, the police – rather than solving actual issues – took mine like it was some kind of national crisis and began chasing me with cars.
They were still far away, but I knew they'd catch up really quickly.
I held my mom close one last time and bid her farewell.
She was weeping, and I was as well, but I didn't have time to pause.
I began running once more.
I did not take government buses — the police can stop them with ease, and they will.
I sought out a lift instead, hoping to go very, very far.
Far from the chaos.
Far from the noise.
And maybe... not alone.
Did I go by myself?
Did I take her with me?
Well...
That part of the story comes later.
Well…
That part of the story comes later.
For now, I ran —
With just one hope in my heart —
To return one day.
And begin a new life with the love of my life.
To be continued...