The fifth semester at Hansraj College began just like every new session — crowded notice boards, confused students running between blocks, and professors already acting like the exams were tomorrow. Tanvi walked through the lawn with her usual calm face, though inside she was repeating the same promise she made every semester: “Iss baar kuch toh achieve karungi.”
Her first tutorial of the semester was Tut 1, and she took her seat in the second row, quietly arranging her pens as Shanaya Ma’am walked in with her strict expression and oversized tote bag.
“Okay class, presentation topics,” she announced, not wasting a second.
Aman Kapoor sat two benches away, arms crossed like he already knew the whole syllabus. The moment his name was called, he straightened up.
“Which topic, Aman?” Shanaya asked.
“Dystopia Literature,” he replied, confident as always.
“How many people?”
“Four.”
“Fine. Next, Tanvi?”
Tanvi stood up, trying to sound confident. “Ma’am… dystopia.”
Shanaya nodded. “Okay. Dystopia is now full. No one else can take it. I’ll send the presentation schedule soon. Class dismissed.”
Tanvi didn’t move. Her brain glitched.
Yaar… ma’am ne mere group ka naam toh manga hi nahi… main akeli hoon iss topic mein… FULL MATALB MERA GROUP INKA GROUP… yeh kya ho gaya!
She slowly collected her notebook as if each page weighed 10 kilos.
When she reached the corridor, Heer was standing with her HR file, tapping her foot impatiently.
“Kya hua? Tu aise kyun chal rahi?” Heer asked the moment she saw Tanvi’s face.
Tanvi grabbed her arm dramatically. “Meri zindagi barbaad ho gayi, Heer!”
Heer’s eyes widened. “KYA?! Tut 1 mein ghost dekh liya kya?”
Tanvi groaned loudly. “Ma’am ne group ka naam hi nahi manga! MAIN AKELI HOON. Aur Aman ne bhi dystopia liya… matlab… automatically main unke group mein!”
Heer paused… then burst into laughter so loudly that two juniors turned to stare.
“Abe koi nahi!” Heer said between laughs. “Itna kya ho gaya! Kya pata dost ban jaye!”
Tanvi made a betrayed face. “BHAAI TU MERA DARD SAMAJH NAHI RAHI. Main akeli unke saath kaise manage karu? Main introvert, woh log alag hi universe!”
Heer held her stomach laughing. “Chal na… experience hi ho jayega!”
Tanvi dramatically slapped her forehead. “Ho gaya mera experience… khatam!”
Before Heer could tease more, they heard loud, carefree voices approaching the hallway. Uvi and Aman were walking toward the lecture hall — joking, pushing each other, completely unaware of the chaos they had caused in Tanvi’s life.
Tanvi froze. “Bas… aa gaye mere ‘team members’.”
Heer whispered, “Chal, chup reh. Lecture ka time ho gaya.”
The girls entered the class quietly and took their usual seats. Tanvi sat stiffly, pretending not to notice the boys entering behind them. Her mind kept replaying the same fear: “Main akeli hoon… manage kaise karungi?”
The professor walked in, students settled down, and the semester officially began — but Tanvi already knew one thing.
This semester wasn’t going to be normal.
Not with Heer becoming HR.
Not with new tutorial groups.
And definitely not with her ending up in a presentation group she never signed up for.
Somewhere behind her, Uvi laughed at something Aman said.
And Tanvi sighed.
“Yeh semester… bohot lamba hone wala hai,” she whispered.
YOU ARE READING
"When Our Paths Didn't Cross... But Their Eyes Did"
RomanceTanvi was the kind of girl everyone overlooked - average grades, average confidence, average presence. But what no one noticed was the fire she carried inside. The day she finally decided she wanted to achieve something, she wasn't just good... she...
