The bell rang, instantly dissolving the focus of the classroom. The announcement of the Western Ghats trip had done its job: a tidal wave of excited chatter, laughter, and speculation washed over the students as they gathered their things. The impending journey to the medicinal forest—three days away from the mundane lecture halls—was the only topic of discussion.
Aarav was placing his notebook into his backpack when Akash came jogging up to his desk, eyes bright with his own plan.
"Hey! I'm heading out to find Pooja," Akash said, referring to his girlfriend. "She wasn't in college today, so she hasn't heard the news yet. Can't keep her out of a rainforest trip, she'd kill me. I'll text you the bus details later!"
Before Aarav could reply, Akash was already turning, eager to share the news. "See you, Ayushi! Time to chase destiny!" he called out before sprinting for the exit.
Aarav secured his bag and stood up, ready to move, when a bright voice halted him.
"Wait, Aarav! Hold up!"
Ayushi rushed to his side, her cheeks flushed with lingering excitement. "I'm coming with you. I need to get home and start listing all the microbial strains we should look for. We can brainstorm on the way."
"Sure," Aarav replied, his voice soft, a smile touching his lips. He was never going to turn down extra time with her.
They walked out together, side by side, leaving behind the empty rows of desks and the faint chalk dust of the lecture hall.
As the heavy classroom door swung shut behind them, only one person remained. Rajat Sharma.
He sat perfectly still in the back row, his expensive leather bag still resting beside his feet, his gaze fixed on the closed door. The usual, volatile fury that twisted his face when he saw Aarav and Ayushi together was gone. This time, there was only a chilling, cold smile. It was a smile of absolute confidence, devoid of any genuine warmth.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk, and spoke the words into the silence of the room, as if making a solemn vow to himself.
"Wait, Aarav. How much happy do you want to feel? Feel it. Enjoy the trip. See, this trip will end your happiness. It's the last time you'll walk out of this college with that proud look."
He then fixed his gaze on the vacant spot where Ayushi had stood.
"And you, Ayushi," he whispered, his eyes narrowing. "You also wait. You think you've won a partner and a future? See after this trip, you will become mine obediently."
With the promise hanging in the air, Rajat finally rose, the quiet intensity of his hatred focused entirely on the coming three days in the forest.
Aarav and Ayushi walked along the pavement, the early evening traffic of Bengaluru buzzing around them. Ayushi was animated, talking rapidly about her company.
"It's the perfect environment, Aarav. Agumbe has a micro-climate we can't replicate in a lab. If we can find that specific strain of heat-resistant decomposer—it'll cut our composting cycle by twenty percent! It's what our entire pitch hinges on."
Aarav listened intently, nodding and occasionally adding a sharp, strategic question about potential investors or timeline risks. He loved seeing her this passionate. Every ambitious word she spoke was proof that the tragic future was truly being rewritten.
They turned onto a quieter street when the weather shifted with the dramatic speed of a tropical storm. The sky, which had only minutes ago been bright, suddenly deepened to a charcoal gray. A heavy, moist wind whipped through the trees.
Then, the rain began. Not a sprinkle, but a sudden, violent downpour that instantly sheeted the road.
"Oh, no!" Ayushi cried, clutching her notebook to her chest.
Without a second thought, Aarav swiftly pulled his backpack off, yanked out his compact travel umbrella, and snapped it open.
"Here, get in!" he urged.
Ayushi quickly darted under the small canopy. The umbrella was designed for one person, and the sudden, intense need for shelter pushed them immediately into a shocking closeness.
Ayushi was pressed against his side, their arms touching, the heat from their bodies instantly noticeable in the cold, wet air. She was forced to tilt her head back slightly to look at him, her gaze meeting his beneath the shelter of the umbrella's edge.
They both stopped walking. The world outside the small, wet circle was a blur of pounding water and rushing sound, creating a cocoon of intense intimacy. They were so close they could feel the rapid, light flutter of each other's breathing, the air around them suddenly thick with unspoken feeling.
Aarav looked into her eyes. The usual fire of her ambition was momentarily replaced by a soft, uncertain pool of emotion. They stood like that, two silent figures framed by the pouring rain, gazing at each other. Five minutes passed like a single, drawn-out heartbeat.
The spell shattered when the intimate closeness became too much for Ayushi. Her eyes widened slightly, and a deep flush of embarrassment spread across her neck and face.
She broke eye contact first. Without a word, she snatched the umbrella from Aarav's hand, the small, violent tug startling him.
"Thank you for the umbrella, Aarav!" she blurted out, her voice high and breathless.
She wheeled around and ran, fast and awkward, clutching the umbrella and her notebook, disappearing quickly down the street.
Aarav stood alone in the deluge, his clothes instantly soaking through, the heavy rain falling over his hair and face. He looked at the empty space where she had been and started to laugh—a full, relieved, joyous laugh that the rain muffled into a private sound.
She hadn't run because she was angry. She had run because she was flustered.
He was getting closer. He was rewriting her destiny, and now, he was finally becoming a part of it.