Whispers of desires

chapter 7 - Echoes of victory

Chapter 7: Echoes of Victory

The sun shone brightly over the college campus, casting long, crisp shadows across the grounds as students gathered anxiously near the announcement boards. Today was the day the results of the exams were to be announced, and the air hummed with nervous energy. Everyone was eager to see who had topped the university this time, with rumors already circulating about who would claim the prestigious first rank.

Yuvika, however, felt a strange calm wash over her as she stood a little distance from the crowd, waiting for the results to be posted. She had worked hard for this, and while the anticipation was there, her mind kept drifting back to that strange connection she had felt with Advik during the exams. Ever since then, the unspoken tension between them had lingered like a storm brewing on the horizon, waiting to break.

She took a deep breath, trying to push those thoughts aside. Today wasn’t about him. It was about her, her hard work, and everything she had sacrificed for this moment.

The crowd started to stir as one of the teachers walked over to the board, a large sheet of paper clutched in their hand. As they pinned the results to the board, the students rushed forward, jostling for a view.

Meera grabbed Yuvika’s arm, pulling her closer to the crowd. “Come on, Yuvika! Let’s see where you are!”

Yuvika allowed herself to be pulled forward, her heart pounding a little faster now. She wasn’t usually one to feel nervous, but something about this day felt different.

As they neared the board, Yuvika could see the list of names appearing at the top of the page. Her eyes scanned the names quickly, her breath catching when she saw it.

1. Yuvika Sharma – 98.5%

Her heart skipped a beat. She had done it. She had topped the entire university. A wave of relief and pride swept through her, a soft smile forming on her lips as she stared at her name in disbelief. All those late-night study sessions, the sacrifices, the determination—it had all been worth it.

“Yuvika! You did it! You’re number one!” Meera exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

Yuvika laughed, her nerves melting away as the reality of her achievement began to sink in. “I can’t believe it,” she murmured, her eyes still fixed on the board.

But as her gaze drifted downward, she saw something that made her pause.

2. Advik Mehra – 98.0%

Only ten marks separated them. For a brief moment, a pang of guilt tugged at her. She had beaten him—just barely. She wondered how he would take the news. Advik had always been aloof, never showing much emotion, but she knew that he was fiercely competitive, even if he didn’t always let it show.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of whispers around her.

“Did you hear? There’s some mix-up with the results.”

“Yeah, someone’s saying Advik’s score was tampered with…”

“What? No way, he’s always at the top.”

Yuvika’s heart dropped as she caught snippets of conversation from the crowd. Tampered with? She felt a knot forming in her stomach. Her eyes immediately went back to Advik’s name on the board, and she wondered if the rumors were true.

Suddenly, there was a commotion near the entrance of the hall. A group of students were gathered around, talking loudly and pointing in different directions. Yuvika strained to see what was happening, and that’s when she spotted him.