✨YUVAAN✨

I pulled up outside the gates of St. Xavier’s, my black SUV catching the eyes of almost everyone around. The engine hummed beneath me as I turned it off. As I stepped out, I caught the familiar buzz—a mix of whispers, hushed giggles, and stolen glances.

Girls were leaning on their friends, exchanging comments they probably thought I couldn’t hear. "Oh my god, that's Yuvaan Oberoi," one of them whispered, her voice all giddy. Another one added, "He’s even hotter in person." They were subtle, or at least they thought they were, but I had grown used to it. It was always like this.

I ran a hand through my hair and ignored the stares. None of it mattered. My focus was somewhere else today. I had plans—plans that didn’t involve indulging in their fantasies.

As I walked across the campus, a familiar face jogged toward me, basketball under his arm. Agastya. My guy since high school, the one who always had my back. We had been through enough together to know that some things—like today—were worth more than just basking in attention.

“Yo, Yuvaan!” he called out, tossing the ball toward me.

I caught it easily. “You ready to lose?” I asked with a smirk, spinning the ball on my finger.

Agastya chuckled. “You wish.”

We headed straight for the court, cutting through the crowd without a second glance. I could still feel the eyes on me, but the only thing that mattered now was the game. The court was already busy, but we found our spot and started shooting. The thud of the ball, the squeak of sneakers against the ground—it was all I needed to zone out.

After a few minutes of playing, I was halfway through a shot when I noticed someone hovering by the edge of the court. A girl. She looked nervous, standing there with her phone in hand, clearly waiting for the right moment to step forward. I tried to ignore her, but before I could get back into the rhythm of the game, she spoke up.

“Yuvaan!” her voice was shaky but loud enough to stop us mid-game.

I turned toward her, raising an eyebrow. Agastya grinned, clearly enjoying the situation.

“I—I just wanted to say,” she stammered, looking down at her phone, then back at me, “I really like you. I know it’s probably sudden, but I had to tell you. Will you go out with me?”

For a moment, everything seemed to pause. The guys on the court stopped playing, and I could feel Agastya nudging me with his elbow, trying to hold back his laughter. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, but it still caught me off guard every time.

I looked at her “Get lost” I said, trying to maintain my calm as much as possible possible.

Her face flushed, and I could see the disappointment written all over her. She gave a small nod before turning away quickly, disappearing into the crowd. I let out a sigh, shaking my head.

“Damn, man,” Agastya laughed, clapping me on the back. “You could’ve let her down a little softer.”

“I wasn’t rude,” I shrugged. “Just honest.”

We finished the game, the moment forgotten, and headed toward the canteen with the rest of the guys. As we walked in, the smell of greasy food and coffee filled the air. The tables were packed with students, all deep in conversation, but we found our usual corner and settled down.

“Tomorrow’s the big day,” Agastya said, leaning back in his chair with a grin.

I glanced at him. “What, the first day of classes?”

“Yeah, for the freshers,” he replied, looking around as if the thought itself gave him some kind of thrill. “BBA freshers. You know what that means.”

I knew exactly what he was getting at. Freshers' Day meant a new batch of clueless students, wandering into college life with bright eyes and big dreams, unaware of what awaited them.

“We’re not seriously going to do that, are we?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“Come on, Yuvaan,” one of the other guys at the table piped up. “It’s tradition. We’ve gotta show them the ropes. Besides, it’s harmless. Just a little fun.”

I leaned back in my chair, weighing the idea. I wasn’t really one for bullying or playing stupid pranks, but part of me understood the excitement. The whole senior-fresher dynamic was part of the college experience, after all.

"Alright,” I said, after a moment. “But nothing too serious.”

Agastya laughed, raising his cup of coffee as if he had just won some unspoken bet. “We’ll keep it light. Maybe just some harmless dares or something.”

“Yeah,” one of the others agreed. “Besides, it’ll be fun to see how they react.”

Tomorrow would be interesting, no doubt. But as I stared out the canteen window, watching the campus buzz with life, part of me wondered if this year would turn out to be more than just pranks and games. What can even happen in my fucked up life anyways .....