The Heart's Unexpected Twist

•||CHAPTER 21||•

The morning sun rose like a silent promise, casting long rays of golden light over the sleepy city. For Sahil, today wasn't just another day; it was a new beginning, a first step into a future that felt both familiar and uncertain. As he packed his bag, the weight of his memories lingered alongside the textbooks and notes. This wasn't his first day at college-not really. He had done his diploma here, walked these same hallways, and yet, everything felt different. Now, as a B.Tech student in Computer Science, the path ahead seemed both broader and heavier, lined with the quiet hum of responsibility.

Meanwhile, Shruti, miles away, was beginning her own academic journey. Though hers was different-a triple majors degree in Literature, Sociology, and Psychology pursued through distance learning-she was just as invested in it. The texts she read, the assignments she completed, they pulled her deeper into understanding the world around her, weaving knowledge through the layers of art, society, and the human mind. Despite the distance, both of their lives were intertwined, spinning along the same axis of learning, growth, and discovery.

That morning, as Sahil stood at the bus stop waiting for his ride to college, he pulled out his phone, his fingers already hovering over Shruti's name. He texted her, the familiar ease of their routine settling in:

"Hey, I'm at the bus stop. Ready for my first day?".A few moments passed, and then her reply came through, her words light, but brimming with excitement. "Of course! I can't wait to hear how it goes. Don't forget to tell me everything!"

He smiled at the screen, knowing that no matter how the day unfolded, Shruti would be there, a steady anchor amidst the change.

When Sahil finally boarded the bus, he sat by the window, the scenery slipping by in a blur of motion. The city was waking up around him, but his mind was elsewhere. Almost instinctively, he video-called Shruti. The phone rang once, twice, and then her face appeared, her eyes bright and curious.

"Hey," she greeted, her voice warm like a blanket on a cold morning."Hey," he responded, the sound of her voice instantly calming the nervous energy that had been swirling in his chest. "I just got on the bus."

She smiled, a small laugh slipping through. "You're all set, huh? First day of B.Tech-how does it feel?"

"Honestly?" he paused, looking out the window as if searching for the right words. "It feels like I've been here before, but everything's different. Like the same road, but the destination has changed."

Shruti nodded, understanding more than she let on. "That makes sense. You've walked these paths during your diploma, but now... now it's something else. A different kind of journey."

Sahil's lips curled into a small smile. "Yeah, exactly. It's like a tapestry of memories refreshed, but with a new weight to it."

As they talked, the minutes passed quickly. The bus wove through the city streets, the distance between them closing through their conversation. Shruti asked about the campus, whether it looked the same, whether the buildings felt familiar, and Sahil answered, his voice light with a mixture of nostalgia and anticipation. When the bus finally pulled up to the college gates, Sahil had to hang up.

"Okay, I've reached. Wish me luck," he said, his heart beating a little faster as the realisation of the day ahead sank in. "Good luck," she said softly, her eyes steady on the screen. "You'll be amazing."

As the call ended, Sahil stepped off the bus, the college stretching out before him like a landscape of memories. He took a deep breath and walked forward, the weight of the past mingling with the promise of the future.

The day unfolded in a blur of introductions and new faces. He met his classmates, the tentative conversations evolving into jokes and laughter. There was something comforting in the familiarity of it all, and yet, the challenge ahead was clear. This wasn't like his diploma days. The stakes were higher, the horizon further, but the excitement of learning something new, something that would shape his future, was undeniable.

By the time lunch rolled around, Sahil found himself standing at the entrance of the cafeteria. The sight of it brought back a rush of memories-countless lunches shared with friends during his diploma days, the warmth of camaraderie, the easy banter. Now, stepping inside, there was a mix of nostalgia and responsibility. It was the same place, but he wasn't the same person. He wasn't just a student anymore-he was someone who had a direction, a path, and the future stretched before him like an open road.

Later, as the sun began its descent, casting a soft glow over the campus, Sahil boarded the bus home. His mind buzzed with the events of the day-the new friends he had made, the excitement of his classes, the sense of being part of something bigger than himself. As the bus pulled away from the college, he called Shruti again.

"How was it?" she asked the moment she answered, her voice laced with curiosity and excitement.

"It was good," he said, his voice lighter now, the weight of the morning's nerves gone. "I made a few new friends, and the classes were really interesting. But you know what? Walking into the cafeteria felt strange-like stepping into an old memory but seeing it from a new angle."

Shruti laughed softly. "I knew you'd say that. It's like coming full circle but with a different purpose now."

Sahil nodded, though she couldn't see him. "Exactly. It's like everything I did before led to this, but now... now it feels more real, more important."

They talked about his day, about Shruti's own classes and how distance learning was treating her. Their conversation slipped into the comfortable rhythm they always found with each other, their voices filling the spaces between them like a familiar song.

But as the day came to a close and their call ended, there was a quiet thought that lingered in Sahil's mind. Something about this new beginning felt mysterious, like the opening pages of a story that had yet to be fully understood. He couldn't place it-whether it was the nostalgia of returning to his old college or the sense of stepping into a new phase of life-but the feeling remained, an unspoken truth hanging just out of reach, waiting to reveal itself.

Perhaps, like the roads he travelled today, there was more to his journey than he could yet see. And as the bus rolled through the twilight, Sahil wondered what lay ahead, just beyond the horizon.