Wild Falcon Desire

Tuesday Evening

Keyan shut down his computer, feeling the weight of the day's work lift off his shoulders. The project had taken longer than expected, but it was finally done. He leaned back into the couch in the shared apartment, his mind drifting to the girl he had seen around campus. She was different something about her had stuck with him.

Aryan, his roommate, walked in, tossing his bag onto a chair. "Done with work, bro?" he asked, dropping into the couch beside Keyan.

"Yeah," Keyan replied, stretching his arms over his head. "Finally."

Aryan grinned, noticing the far-off look in Keyan's eyes. "So, what's the deal with that girl? The one who's been on your mind lately?"

Keyan raised an eyebrow, trying to play it cool. "What girl?"

"Don't pretend you don't know," Aryan teased. "The one you keep seeing around campus. Admit it, bro you're falling for her."

Keyan chuckled, shaking his head. "No, it's not like that. I don't even know her name. I just want to impress her, maybe become friends, and see where it goes from there. Plus," he added with a sly grin, "it wouldn't hurt to make someone else jealous along the way."

Aryan leaned back, folding his arms. "Oh, so you're playing the long game, huh? But how do you even plan to get close to her? You don't know her name, her friends nothing."

Keyan's mind drifted to a previous incident involving Sumit, a fresher he had seen hanging around the girl and her friend. He hadn't liked the way Sumit seemed so comfortable around her, and the thought had been bothering him ever since.

"I'm pretty sure that guy Sumit is a fresher," Keyan mused aloud. "Maybe we can get to know more about the girl from him."

Aryan's eyes lit up with mischief. "Dekh bro, two girls one for you, one for me."

Keyan smirked, shaking his head. "No way. I'm checking both out first, then I'll decide who's going to be my girlfriend."

Aryan laughed, giving Keyan a playful nudge. "Fine, bro. You can have both at first, but remember, one's got to come my way eventually."

Keyan chuckled, but his mind was already working. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. The person on the other end picked up after a couple of rings.

"Hey," Keyan said casually, "you remember that fresher, Sumit? I need his number. It's a bit urgent."

There was a pause before the voice on the other end replied, "Why? Did that kid do something? Just say the word, and I'll handle him."

Keyan kept his tone light, but there was a hint of seriousness. "Nothing serious. I just need his number."

The person on the other end went silent for a moment, the wheels clearly turning. Sumit's in trouble, they thought. The poor guy's crossed paths with Keyan Kapoor. He's done for.

"Alright," the voice said after a beat, "I'll arrange it and send you the number."

"How long will it take?" Keyan asked, impatience edging into his voice.

"Twenty minutes, tops," came the reply.

Keyan hung up, staring at the clock. He could feel the tension building as he waited, his thoughts circling around the mysterious girl and how Sumit might provide some answers.

Twenty minutes later, when the call still hadn't come through, Keyan's patience wore thin. He dialed the number again, his voice sharp with frustration. "Where's the number?"

The person on the other end stammered, "Just about to send it now."

True to their word, the number appeared on Keyan's phone within seconds. As he saved it, he could almost sense the panic the poor guy was probably in.

On the other side, the person who had just sent Sumit's number immediately dialed the fresher.

"Hello?" Sumit answered, his voice casual.

"Bro," the voice on the other end said, panic evident, "what the hell did you do to piss off Keyan Kapoor? The guy just asked for your number, and now you're in deep trouble. You're finished, man!

"Sumit's heart skipped a beat, his casual demeanor evaporating. "W-What? Why would Keyan Kapoor want my number?"

"I don't know, man, but you better brace yourself. No one messes with him and comes out unscathed. Just...good luck. You're gonna need it."

Sumit hung up, his hands trembling slightly as the reality of his situation sank in. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. And there was no escaping it now.

A few minutes later, Keyan dialed Sumit's number. The fresher picked up immediately, a note of fear and respect in his voice.

"Hello?" Sumit said, his voice tentative.

"Hey," Keyan began, his tone authoritative, "it's Keyan Kapoor, your super senior."

"Hn Bhai... Hnn Bhai..." Sumit responded, his voice thick with respect, trying his best to not make a mistake.

Keyan didn't waste any time. "This morning, I saw you talking to two girls. Who are they? One of them your girlfriend?"

Sumit quickly denied it. "No, bro. We're just classmates."

Keyan leaned back, processing this information. "When did they join college?"

"One of them joined through lateral entry about two months ago, and the other's been here since the beginning," Sumit answered, trying to stay calm.

"What branch are they in?" Keyan asked, his voice steady.

"CSE branch, 2nd year," Sumit replied.

Keyan's tone grew more pointed. "And you? What's your branch?"

"ETC," Sumit said.

Keyan's voice took on a sarcastic edge. "So, what? You guys have combined classes or something?"

Sumit was quick to clarify. "No, bro."

Keyan pressed further, "Then why were you talking to them?"

Sumit hesitated slightly before answering. "Riya is my friend from before."

Keyan paused for a moment, then asked the question that had been on his mind. "What are their names?"

"Riya and Sanna," Sumit replied, his tone respectful.

"Okay, okay," Keyan muttered, thinking to himself. So, Riya and Sanna... But which one is the girl I'm interested in? I can't just ask directly...He needed a way to get closer to them without making it obvious. An idea started forming in his mind.
"Alright," Keyan said, his tone decisive. "Tomorrow, tell them I want to talk to them. And let your other classmates know too there's going to be a little chat with the seniors.

"Sumit's voice was cautious but obedient. "Okay, brother."

Keyan hung up the call, a satisfied look on his face. Aryan, who had been listening intently, couldn't hold back his laughter.

"God, you're moving fast, man!" Aryan teased, shaking his head in disbelief.

Keyan flashed a grin. "I'm a senior, Aryan. Might as well use that to my advantage."

Aryan chuckled, leaning back into the couch. "And when Keyan Kapoor wants something, he gets it. No matter what."

"Exactly," Keyan said with a nod, his thoughts already planning the next move. He wasn't sure yet which girl had caught his interest, but one thing was certain he was going to find out. And once he did, nothing would stop him from getting closer to her....