SUKOON

Ch-9: Cute guys

Author's POV:~

"Oh my God! How was your day?" My sister's cheerful voice echoed through the room as I settled back in.

Tanya had ventured out with her batchmates for a party and had yet to return, leaving me feeling a pang of homesickness that led me to dial my sister's number. I missed her dearly, especially after two weeks of not catching up due to our busy schedules.

"My day was good," I chuckled. "What about you? You seem tired."

"Yeah, stupid jet lag," she complained. "It's been two days since I came back, but my body still feels exhausted. I've been sleepy all the time."

"You've been under a lot of stress with your exams, plus the travel right after. It's natural for your body to take some time to adjust," I reassured her.

"True, I guess it'll take a few days," she sighed.

"Tell me about the cute guys in college," Preeti, my mischievous sister, demanded with a grin. "I heard there are many new admissions this semester."

"I'm sure there are," I replied, trying to suppress thoughts of Rudransh, whose face lingered in my mind despite never seeing it behind his mask.

Deciding not to divulge any details about him to my sister, knowing her inability to keep secrets from our parents, I replied neutrally, "I haven't had the chance to look around yet."

"Come on! You need to make the most of your college days!" Preeti urged, but our mother interrupted, scolding her for harassing me.

Laughing, I seized the opportunity to chat with my mother, who inquired about my well-being and offered to send me things from home.

"Mumma, Trinity University's food is amazing, and I'm doing fine," I assured her, though I could sense her lingering worry about me being halfway across the globe.

It isn't as if I had never stayed away from home. We shifted to New York ,when I was 13 , where I completed my high school and then I moved to New Jersey for my further studies. But again, New Jersey was hardly an hour away from New York. Trinity has been a premium university which was known to have produced world-class leaders from all areas. Attending Trinity University was an aim for many across the world. But for me, it was a dream I grew up with. My father had also been a student of Trinity and when I finally received the acceptance letter from the university my excitement knew no bounds. 

"When are the holidays?" she asked, and I explained that they weren't anytime soon, but we had recently spent time together.

"If you feel homesick, just come back home. You can take classes online from New York," she suggested, her concern palpable.

"I'm fine, Mumma," I reassured her, though I longed for my father's presence during our conversation. He would have shared my excitement about Trinity University, but he was busy at his law firm, as usual.

"I've got to go, Mumma. I have assignments to catch up on," I said, trying to hide my homesickness.

"Take care, baby. Call me whenever you need me," she said warmly, and I bid her goodbye before ending the call.

Putting my phone away, I gazed out of my bedroom window, feeling a mixture of emotions swirling within me.

Author POV:~

The events of the entire day raced through her mind, but her thoughts lingered on the interaction with Rudransh.

After they had introduced themselves, they engaged in small talk throughout the event. She mentioned that she was there to support her best friend and, due to oversleeping, ended up arriving late and sitting in the back row. He chuckled in response, saying, "But I guess it worked out for the best. If you had sat in the front rows, you might have been bored. At least here, you have someone to talk to."

She had laughed at his comment then, but truthfully, she did enjoy herself. The people in the front rows were too absorbed in the performances to converse, and she typically struggled to initiate conversations with strangers unless accompanied by friends.

This event was no exception. Rahul and Sania had a planned date, taking advantage of the rare half-day at college, while Dev was out of town for a few days. With Tanya having her performance that day, she felt obligated to attend but was grateful to have someone to chat with this time.

The ease and relaxation she felt while talking to Rudransh surprised her, considering she usually felt awkward around people she barely knew. She was only truly herself around close friends and family, yet with him, she felt no such discomfort.

Now, she found herself eagerly anticipating their next encounter at college.