Heart Vs Headlines

Mission Headphone Guy

The first day of college was a whirlwind. Jia stood at the entrance of the sprawling campus, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and anxiety. The bustling crowd of students, the towering buildings, and the distant chatter all seemed like a dream. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, but as she walked, her mind drifted back to the small town she had left behind.

She remembered the countless arguments with her parents, the way they insisted that they could not send her to a college miles away, that too for journalism. The marriage proposals had come one after another, with her parents eager to see her settle down if she was not willing to do engineering. But Jia had other dreams, dreams of becoming a journalist, of seeing the world and writing stories that mattered.

"I want to go to study delhi," she had said firmly one night, standing her ground for the first time in her life."No, Jia. You're a girl. Your place is here, with your family," her father had replied, his voice cold and unyielding."I'm speaking for myself for the first time," she had continued, her voice trembling but resolute. "I cannot will not step back." Her mother had tried to convince her "We will not let you go, Jia. It's too dangerous out there."

But the fire in Jia's heart couldn't be extinguished. "I have to do this," she whispered to herself, her eyes filling with tears as she walked through the campus. "And now, I'm finally here."Wiping away the tears, Jia focused on the present. She had made it to college, and nothing could stop her now.

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The first few hours passed in a blur. Jia found herself surrounded by strangers, but one professor stood out to her Nisha Ma'am. From the moment Nisha Ma'am began to speak, Jia was captivated. Her passion for journalism was evident, and the way she guided the students with such care and wisdom made Jia feel like she had found a mentor.As Nisha Ma'am spoke about the power of stories and the responsibility of a journalist, Jia felt a spark of inspiration light up inside her. "This is where I'm meant to be," she thought, her heart swelling with determination.

Despite being an introvert, Jia forced herself to open up a little, knowing that she needed to build connections if she wanted to survive this new chapter of her life. Before she knew it, she had befriended three girls: Sajal, Avni, and Naina. They were kind, funny, and easy to talk to, and Jia found herself growing closer to them with each passing day and soon they four formed a special bond.

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One afternoon, as they sat together during lunch, the conversation turned to love interests. Sajal was recounting a story about a boy she liked when Jia's mind wandered to the headphone guy. She had noticed him more than once around the college in the corridors, outside the class, in the lawn area. He always had his headphones on, baggy jeans and loose t-shirts, and there was something about him that drew Jia's attention.

"Where are you lost?" Naina asked, snapping Jia out of her thoughts.

"Nothing," Jia replied quickly, but the blush creeping up her cheeks betrayed her.

Sajal's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Are you thinking about the headphone guy?"

Jia's blush deepened, and she looked down at her plate. "Maybe..."

"See! I told you," Sajal exclaimed. "You like him, don't you?"

Jia bit her lip, trying to hide her smile. "Guys, I want to know his name."

"Let's find out!" Avni said enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

They quickly formed a plan, dubbing themselves "Mission Headphone Guy." Their first task was to scour the Instagram page of AdSpark, the college society Jia knew he was a part of. Jia spent hours scrolling through their followers and following lists, hoping to find a profile picture that matched the guy she couldn't stop thinking about. But no luck.