Some rivals push you to work harder.
Some rivals make you hate losing.
But the worst kind of rival… is the one you can never escape.
The morning sun slowly spread across the college campus, lighting up the tall buildings and the busy walkways filled with students. Groups of friends laughed loudly as they reunited after the break, while others hurried toward their classrooms with notebooks in hand.
It was the first day of the new semester.
For most students, it was just another normal morning.
But for Meera, it meant something entirely different.
Competition.
Meera walked through the college gate with confident steps, her bag resting on one shoulder. She had always been known as one of the brightest students in the department. Hard work, determination, and discipline had helped her achieve the top rank many times.
But there was one problem.
One person who constantly stood in her way.
Aarav.
Just thinking about his name made her sigh in frustration.
For the past two years, Aarav had been her biggest rival. No matter what it was—exams, presentations, debates, or competitions—his name always appeared right next to hers on the leaderboard.
Sometimes first.
Sometimes second.
But never far behind.
Meera pushed open the classroom door and stepped inside. Several students were already seated, chatting loudly. The moment she entered, a few of them whispered.
"Meera is here."
"Do you think she'll beat Aarav this semester?"
"She almost did last time."
Meera ignored the whispers and quietly walked to her usual seat near the window. The soft breeze coming through the window felt refreshing.
She placed her notebook on the desk and looked outside for a moment.
*This semester will be different,* she told herself.
*I will beat him.*
"Trying to claim the best seat again?"
A calm voice suddenly spoke behind her.
Meera froze.
She slowly turned around.
And there he was.
Aarav.
Standing casually with his hands in his pockets, wearing his usual calm expression as if nothing in the world could ever bother him.
Meera narrowed her eyes.
"You're late," she said.
Aarav shrugged slightly. "Class hasn't started yet."
"That doesn't mean you can stroll in whenever you want."
He gave a small smile.
"And that doesn't mean you own the classroom."
Meera crossed her arms. "At least I come on time."
"Congratulations," Aarav replied calmly. "Do you want a trophy for that?"
A few students nearby tried to hide their laughter.
Everyone in the class knew about their rivalry. Watching their arguments had almost become entertainment for the entire department.
Meera leaned forward slightly.
"You may joke all you want," she said, "but this semester I'm taking the top rank."
Aarav raised an eyebrow.
"Again?"
Meera frowned. "What do you mean *again*?"
"You said the same thing last semester."
"That was different."
"How?"
"You got lucky."
Aarav chuckled softly.
"Luck doesn't work for an entire semester, Meera."
Meera tightened her grip on her pen.
Out of all the people in this college, why did it always have to be him?
Aarav had this irritating habit of appearing exactly where she didn't want him to be—right beside her success.
Before she could reply, the professor walked into the classroom.
The room immediately became silent.
"Good morning, everyone," the professor said while placing his books on the desk. "Welcome back to a new semester."
He looked around the classroom carefully.
"This semester will be a little different from the previous ones."
Curious whispers filled the room.
"We will be hosting a national academic competition," the professor continued. "Students from different universities will participate, and our college needs strong representatives."
Excitement spread across the class.
"That sounds amazing."
"I want to participate!"
The professor raised his hand to quiet everyone.
"To make things fair and effective," he said, "students will work in pairs."
Meera immediately felt excited.
This was the perfect chance to prove she was the best.
The professor glanced at the list in his hand.
"I have already decided the teams."
Meera sat up straighter.
*Please give me a good partner,* she thought.
"First pair," the professor announced.
"Meera."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"And…"
The professor paused.
"Aarav."
The classroom went completely silent.
Then suddenly—
"What?"
Meera almost stood up from her seat.
"At the same time?" Aarav asked in surprise.
The professor nodded calmly.
"You two are the strongest students in this department. It only makes sense for you to work together."
Meera shook her head immediately.
"No, sir. That's not a good idea."
Aarav crossed his arms.
"I agree."
The professor looked at both of them firmly.
"This decision is final."
The class watched with wide eyes.
The two biggest rivals in the department…
Working together?
It almost sounded impossible.
Meera sighed deeply and leaned back in her chair.
This was going to be a disaster.
Meanwhile, Aarav quietly took the empty seat beside her.
Without looking at her, he spoke calmly.
"Well… partner."
Meera turned toward him slowly.
"Don't call me that."
Aarav smiled slightly.
"Looks like we're going to be stuck together for a while."
Meera stared at him for a moment before turning toward the window again.
Of all the people in the college…
Why did it have to be him?
She had spent two years trying to beat Aarav.
And now, somehow…
She had to work with him.
Meera took a deep breath and whispered to herself,
"This semester is going to be a nightmare."
But neither of them realized yet…
That this rivalry was about to turn into something far more complicated than either of them expected.