Dil ki Dilli

College Chaos

After breakfast, I slung my backpack over my shoulder, feeling the familiar weight of the day ahead. As I reached the door, Kabir remained at the table, buried in his textbooks, prepping for his 12th-grade board exams. His focus had been unwavering lately, and I knew how stressed he was, though he’d never admit it.

"Bye, Mummy! Bye, Dadi!" I called, turning back to see their warm smiles. Mummy was clearing the dishes, while Dadi sat sipping her chai, her eyes filled with affection.

"Beta, make sure Kabir studies," Mummy reminded him, even as he waved me off.

"I’ll study, Mummy," Kabir replied, rolling his eyes with a teasing grin as I stepped out.

I caught the metro to my college, Delhi University’s North Campus. The familiar rumble of the metro soothed me, the rhythmic swaying as the city flew by beyond the windows. When I stepped out, the energy of the campus instantly enveloped me—the chaotic, vibrant life of Delhi in full swing. Street vendors lined the walkways, their stalls overflowing with books, jewellery, and clothes, while students hurried past, caught up in their worlds.

Outside our favourite little café, I spotted my best friend, Sanjana "Sanju" Gupta, standing with her arms crossed and her trademark grin. "Hey, girl!" Sanju greeted me, pulling me into a tight hug. She smelled of vanilla and the jasmine oil she always wore, a comforting blend of familiarity.

"How’s it going?" she asked as we stepped inside and ordered our coffees.

"Just the usual," I replied, stirring my cup. "Family drama, college deadlines, keeping up with Instagram."

"Ah, the holy trifecta," Sanju said with a sympathetic nod. "Anything new for Delhi Diaries?"

"I’m planning a feature on Chandni Chowk's street food," I said, taking a sip of the hot brew, the rich aroma filling my senses.

Sanju’s eyes lit up. "Yum! Take me with you! I haven’t had a proper jalebi in ages."

I laughed. "Consider it done."

We chatted for a while longer, discussing everything from our classes to our weekend plans. Sanju had always been the one person who could make even the most mundane conversations feel like a grand adventure. There was something so effortlessly light about her presence, the way she saw the world as if it was always on the brink of magic.

Eventually, the time came for us to head to our respective classes. I had a packed schedule ahead—a project submission, a lecture I couldn’t skip, and a meeting with my professor that I wasn’t particularly looking forward to. As I walked through the campus, the golden sunlight filtering through the leafy trees, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment. Life, with all its chaos, felt beautifully in place. My family, my city, my friends… everything had fallen into a rhythm, a delicate balance that felt almost too perfect.

But in the back of my mind, a flicker of something stirred—something I couldn’t quite name. That feeling you get when the winds of change are about to blow through your life, the kind that shakes everything you know and forces you to see the world differently. I shrugged it off, convincing myself it was nothing.

Little did I know, I was standing at the edge of something completely unexpected—something that would turn my world upside down in ways I hadn’t imagined. But for now, all I could do was smile at the thought of jalebis and street food adventures, unaware that everything was about to change.