An Overthinker

FIRST DAY OF COLLEGE

A notification sound came from Arjun's mobile. A message. Arjun read it and took a deep breath. It was about his college. It was going to start on August 1st, 2022. He just had a week till his college started. It's not a top college but still a pretty good one. 

August 1st, 2022

The first day of Arjun's college. His parents wished him luck. But Arjun was nervous to talk to a new person and he just wanted a peaceful college life after everything happened. He went to his class. There were some students busy with their phones and already exchanging their social media accounts. Arjun was like Bro, seriously!  You can't live without talking to others? 

 He just went and took the last seat. Few tried to talk to Arjun but he kept the conversation short. Seats start to fill. And the bell rang. Then just like in our daily life, Here comes a latecomer. Raj. Raj just comes and takes the seat beside Arjun.

Raj      - "Hi bro. I am raj."
Arjun - "Hey. I am Arjun."

"How the hell can you come so late when you live just 20 min away from here?" asks a girl sitting in front of Arjun.

Raj - "I was playing MINECRAFT all night. I don't even remember when I slept."
"Great." - says the girl.

"Thank you! And Arjun, this is my friend, Aditi."

"Hello" - Arjun

"Hi" - aditi

Then as we all know, God hates Arjun very badly. Their first class is Mathematics.
An old lecturer enters the chat. I mean class. Everyone stands up to wish him well.

"May I get in sir?" asks another latecomer. 
Well, well, well. What do we have here?  I think God finally wants to add something other than pain to Arun's life.

A Pretty girl is standing by the door. Almost every boy in the class felt she was the one for them.

"Another great person" - Raj whispers.

"Late for the first day, huh? " says the lecturer.
"I am sorry sir. It won't happen again." - The latecomer.
"It shouldn't. Come in now." - The lecturer.

There weren't any vacant seats except the one in front of the raj. So she sits there. The girl who spoke to Raj before is beside her. The latecomer asks her - "Hey, did he take attendance?"

Aditi - "Don't worry. He just arrived too."
"Ohh. That's great." - The latecomer.
"Yeah. I am Aditi, BTW"
"I am Riya" -The latecomer.
Then a voice comes from behind Riya -"And I am Raj "
"He's my friend, Raj" - Aditi.

Riya- "Oh, Nice." (Looking at Raj) "Hi!"
Raj- "Hello!"
Arjun observes them silently.

Riya's eyes divert at Arjun and their eyes meet each other. And just when I thought Arjun would fall in love with her at first sight a loud voice comes.

"And I am S Prabhakar. Your Mathematics Teacher. If your chit-chat is completed let's start our first chapter." Says the lecturer.

They had to listen to the class as he was very strict. After 1 Hour the bell rang.

"Bro, They said every class is for 1 hour. But our very first class felt like 1 day."-Raj
Riya and Aditi laughed. But Arjun smiled a bit.
Then comes another old lecturer. "Everyone give your attendance. You have your roll number on your ID." - said that lecturer. Everyone gives their attendance. Arjun, Raj, Aditi and Riya. Their roll numbers are simultaneous.
Then he said "Your physics lecturer has some work. So he can't take the class. Stay silent and revise your previous class. You all are engineering students now. so behave like one. "Yes sir." Everyone lies. Who even revises their first class on their first day of college.

The moment he left the class everyone started their chit-chat.
"I'll be right back." saying this Riya left the class.
"Bro, what was that?" - Aditi
"What?" - Raj asks with a dumb smile.
"Don't act dumb. You know what I am talking about." - Aditi
"I don't. Honestly." - Raj
"Why did you speak to her? You looked like an idiot" - Aditi
"Just trying to make new friends." - Raj
"Really?" - Aditi.
"Yeah" - Raj smiles again.
"Whatever." - Aditi.
"Arjun. Be careful with this idiot. He always causes trouble and drags others into it." - Aditi. 
"Speak for yourself, Shorty." -Raj.
Aditi's eyes became furious. She started giving a death stare to Raj.
"Sorry" - Raj.
Arjun stayed silent again.

Then comes lunch break.
Arjun was going to the restroom and Raj tagged along as he was going there too.
Raj - "Bro, Do you always stay silent like this?"
Arjun - "No but I take some time to get close to others. That's it."
Raj -"Right."
Arjun-"Yeah. You and Aditi look pretty close."
Raj -"Yep. She is. We have been friends since childhood. She's my best friend. "
Arjun -"That's nice."


They came back to class. Aditi and Riya started their lunch. They all had their lunch. Raj was talking a lot. Arjun kept replying to him. But didn't speak much.
Then after an eternity, The long bell rang.
Everyone was leaving the college."This is the shittiest college I've ever seen." - Raj.
In engineering, everyone curses their college at least once before they graduate.
Everyone walked towards the gate.
"Guys, I am new to this area and I need to buy some groceries. Can you tell me where can i find a grocery store?" - Riya
"There's a new one with pretty good quality. But it's a little bit far from here. We can give you some company. Right, raj ?" -Aditi.
"Definitely." says Raj - "Arjun, you coming?"
"Umm, I have somewhere else to be right now. So I can't be, sorry." -Arjun.
"It's okay" - Aditi.
"We'll hang out next time." - Raj
"Yeah"-Raj
"Ok before you leave give me your number. I'll create a group for the 4 of us." - Aditi
"Yeah. That's good" - Riya
Arjun gives his number.
"All right, BYE. See you tomorrow" 
"Bye"

Arjun walks for some time and a hospital comes in sight. He goes in and asks for a patient with name 'Lily'. He gets the room number. He visits her.
She was lying unconscious. He takes a chair and sits beside her.
"YO! You can hear me right?
I am coming from my college's first day. It was not bad.
I met a guy. His name's Raj. He speaks too much but he's a good guy. He has a best friend. Aditi. BEST FRIEND! Nice, right? And there's another girl. Riya. Every boy's eyes were on her " and so Arjun talks about his day.

" And you know Raj called her shorty." He smiles and takes a deep breath. "Well, I am jealous of him."

 "Just wake up soon, Idiot.  BYE! " - says Arjun in a sad voice.

As he left, Lily's eyes became wet with tears and she could do nothing about it.
But Arjun knows how to hold his tears. 

He left the hospital. And took a different way which was a shortcut to his house. But there was a grocery store he never noticed. Maybe it's a new one.  
"Yo Arjun!" 
Arjun hears a familiar voice.
And it's Raj.