Yeh Dil ♥️ - Love Like This

9

The shrill ring of the bell pierced the monotonous drone of the lecture, a welcome sound that shattered the students' forced concentration.  Anjali, with a sigh of relief, gathered her belongings, muttering a quick apology to the professor for her earlier chalk-induced slumber.  She shot a playful glare at Kunj and Rohit, who were still struggling to contain their laughter, before disappearing towards the library.

"Alright, let's grab some lunch," Kunj declared, stretching his arms over his head.  "I'm starving."

Rohit nodded, following Kunj out of the classroom.  The canteen buzzed with activity as students milled about, trays laden with food in hand.  Kunj expertly navigated the crowd, finally securing a table in a corner.

"Stay here, I'll go grab the food," Kunj said, his stomach growling in agreement.  "Anything in particular?"

Rohit scanned the menu, settling on a simple sandwich.  "Just a grilled cheese will do, thanks."

Kunj winked and disappeared into the line, leaving Rohit alone with his thoughts.  His mind, however, wasn't on the upcoming lunch but on the encounter with Rudra earlier in class.  The way his gaze had lingered, the knowing smirk – it all sent a shiver down Rohit's spine.  He couldn't explain this unexpected reaction, this strange mix of annoyance and…something else he couldn't quite define.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted near the food counter.  A tray clattered to the floor, its contents splattering across the polished linoleum.  Rohit's gaze snapped towards the source of the noise.  Kunj stood there, his face a mask of apology, facing a fuming figure – Rudra.

"What the hell, man!" Rudra roared, his voice laced with fury.  He grabbed Kunj's collar, his knuckles turning white.  A surge of adrenaline shot through Rohit.  He couldn't just stand there and watch.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Rohit yelled, pushing his way through the crowd.  He reached them just as Rudra was about to land a punch on Kunj.

"It was an accident," Rohit interjected, his voice surprisingly steady despite the tremor in his legs.  "He didn't mean to do it."

Rudra's gaze narrowed, his anger momentarily sidetracked by the unexpected intervention.  He scoffed, his hold on Kunj loosening slightly.  "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

"He's my friend," Rohit replied, his jaw jutting out defiantly.  "And you're being a jerk."

The tension in the air crackled, a fight brewing amidst the clatter of cutlery and startled gasps.  Before Rudra could retort, another figure shoved him roughly aside.  It was Yuvraj, his eyes blazing with a fury that mirrored Rudra's.

"Don't you dare touch them," Yuvraj growled, his voice a low rumble.  He swung a punch, catching Rudra's friend square on the jaw.  The guy crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

The sight of his friend going down sent Rudra into a rage.  He lunged at Yuvraj, throwing a wild punch.  Yuvraj easily dodged it, retaliating with a swift uppercut that sent blood spraying from Rudra's nose.

A chaotic brawl erupted.  Rudra's friends, fueled by a combination of loyalty and misplaced machismo, joined the fray.  Chairs toppled over, shouts filled the air, and fists flew like angry bees.  Kunj, momentarily stunned, was pulled to his feet by a worried Rohit.

"What's going on?" Rohit shouted over the din, adrenaline coursing through his veins.  He was scared, yes, but there was also a strange…protectiveness towards Rudra, a feeling he couldn't explain.

"They're enemies," Kunj yelled back, his voice strained.  "Rudra and Yuvraj…they used to be best friends, but something happened freshman year. Now they can't stand each other."

Rohit stared at the tangled mess of bodies, his heart pounding in his chest.  Why was Yuvraj helping them? And why did such a small incident escalate into a full-blown brawl?  The answers seemed lost in the chaos, but one thing was clear – he couldn't just stand there and watch.
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The air crackled with tension as Rudra glared daggers at Yuvraj.  "What the hell was that for, Yuvraj?" Rudra snarled, blood trickling down his chin from a split lip.  His voice was rough, laced with both anger and a hint of confusion.

"You know damn well why," Yuvraj retorted, his own voice tight with barely controlled fury.  His knuckles were white, a testament to the strength he'd used in his punch.

"It was none of your concern!" Rudra roared, his anger flaring anew.  "He was at fault i was about to let go him!"  He gestured towards Kunj, who stood slightly behind Rohit, both of them wide-eyed and pale in the face.

"Maybe not," Yuvraj conceded, his eyes narrowing.  "But you were about to deck him anyway. Seems like your temper hasn't mellowed one bit, Rudra."

"At least I don't pick fights over spilled food," Rudra shot back, his voice laced with a bitter challenge.

Suddenly, a booming voice cut through their bickering.  "Enough!"  Principal Verma, a stern man with a bushy mustache, stood glaring down at them.  "What is the meaning of this?"

The sight of the principal instantly dampened their bravado.  Both Rudra and Yuvraj mumbled apologies, looking sheepish under his stern gaze.

Principal Verma surveyed the scene, his gaze flickering to the overturned chairs and scattered food.  "This is not the first time this has happened, Mr. Khurana, Mr. Singh," he said, his voice dripping with disappointment.  "And every time it's the same story – a minor incident escalating into a brawl."

Rudra and Yuvraj exchanged a sheepish glance.  There was a history between them, a fractured friendship that seemed to fester just beneath the surface, ready to erupt at the slightest provocation.

The principal sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.  "Detention for both of you, the entire week.  And you will personally oversee the cleanup of this mess.  Consider it a lesson in anger management."

Rudra and Yuvraj grumbled their assent, their bravado completely deflated.  They were escorted out of the canteen by a pair of security guards, leaving behind a trail of destruction and a lingering sense of unresolved tension.

Meanwhile, Rohit and Kunj, shaken but unharmed, watched them go.  Relief washed over Rohit, the adrenaline slowly draining from his system.  He had never seen such a violent scene, and the sight of Rudra, bloodied but defiant, lingered in his mind.

"Come on," Kunj said, clapping him on the back.  "Let's get out of here.  We don't need to get caught up in this mess."

Rohit nodded, following Kunj out of the canteen.  As they walked away, he couldn't help but steal a glance back at the chaos they left behind.

  A single question echoed in his mind: why did he feel a strange sense of…concern for the college's resident bad boy?

The answer, like the truth behind Rudra and Yuvraj's fractured friendship, remained shrouded in mystery.