DESTINY....together forever

Chapter 6

Srishti sat at a corner table of the dimly lit club, cradling a glass of water in her hands. The thumping bass reverberated through her, making it impossible to relax. She had let Olivia drag her here, despite knowing that clubbing wasn't her scene. A library or a quiet café with her journal was more her speed, but Olivia was relentless.

"Come on, Srishti! You've barely been here for a few days, and you already want to hole up with your books?" Olivia had whined earlier, already pulling her into a dress she'd lent her.

Reluctantly, Srishti had agreed, if only to avoid being the boring one.

Now, Olivia was nowhere to be found. She had dashed off into the crowd, promising Srishti, "I'll just be a minute!"—likely distracted by a cute guy or some upbeat track. Srishti sighed, feeling more out of place by the second.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and a familiar name appeared on the screen—Sahil.

Sahil:
"How's the adventure going? Have you finally turned into a party animal?"

Srishti smiled and quickly typed back.

Me:
"If by 'party animal' you mean sitting in a corner regretting my life choices, then yes."

She glanced around the club again, wondering where Olivia had vanished to. Just as she was about to text Sahil back, a tall figure stopped in front of her, blocking her view of the dance floor.

"Excuse me," a deep voice cut through the noise. Srishti looked up to see a man in his early 30s, with piercing blue eyes and an air of impatience. His height and broad shoulders gave him a commanding presence, even in the chaos of the club. His gaze was sharp, assessing her quickly as if she were another problem to solve.

"I'm looking for a friend," he said, leaning in slightly to be heard over the music. "Tall, red dress, name's Elle. Have you seen her?"

Srishti blinked, caught off guard by the directness. "Uh, no, sorry. I've been sitting here the whole time."

The man's expression tightened, as if annoyed by her answer. He looked around the club, clearly frustrated, before turning back to her. "Can you check the ladies' room? She might be there."

Srishti frowned. "I—no, I haven't seen anyone go in or out."

The man, didn't seem to appreciate her reluctance, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. Without another word, he nodded curtly and walked off into the crowd, leaving her with an unsettled feeling.

Shaking off the strange interaction, she returned to her phone.

Sahil:
"Still surviving?"

Me:
"Barely. Just had a weird encounter. This guy asked me to look for his friend in the bathroom, as if I work here."

Sahil:
"Sounds like a charmer."

Me:
"Oh, totally. The kind that just radiates bossiness."

She couldn't help but laugh softly to herself, glad that Sahil was there to help ease the awkwardness of the night. Just as she was about to text him back, Olivia finally reappeared, looking flushed from the dance floor and grinning widely.

"Sorry! Got caught up! Ready to go?"

Srishti stood, more than ready to leave the chaos behind.

***

The Morning After

Srishti's head was heavy with fatigue, not from drinking but from the noise, the late night that had left her worn out, and her periods which decided to grace her this morning. As she walked through the university campus the next morning, her focus was already slipping.

Olivia had bounced out of bed effortlessly, but Srishti still felt the exhaustion of the previous night. They parted ways as they entered different buildings, Olivia heading off to her finance classes while Srishti made her way to her Clinical Research orientation.

The lecture hall was massive, filled with students chatting excitedly about their first day. Srishti found a seat near the middle, rubbing her temples as she tried to shake off the remnants of the night before. The professor entered, launching into a speech about the course expectations, the practical work ahead, and the intensity of the program.

As the professor spoke, Srishti's phone buzzed in her pocket again.

Sahil:
"Good luck today, rockstar. You'll kill it."

She smiled, typing back a quick thanks, and slipped her phone away, trying to focus. Her headache was still pounding, making it hard to concentrate.

Just then, a shadow passed over her desk, and she glanced up—only to freeze.

It was him. The guy from the club.

The same tall man with the piercing blue eyes, now dressed in a crisp, casual shirt and jeans, standing just a few feet away. His expression was unreadable as he stared down at her, clearly recognizing her as well.

"You again?" he said, his tone flat. "Here to take notes this time, or are you still more interested in your phone?"

Srishti's mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?"

"I saw you texting. This course isn't something you can coast through," Chris said, his tone cool but condescending. "You might want to start paying attention if you're serious about this."

Her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and irritation. "I was paying attention."

"Really? Because from where I'm standing, you seem more interested in everything except what's happening up front," he said, nodding toward the professor.

Srishti clenched her jaw, too stunned to reply. Before she could find the words, he turned and walked away, his presence as overpowering as before.

She slumped back in her seat, thoroughly irritated. Who did he think he was, making assumptions about her? He didn't even know her, yet here he was, lecturing her like she was some irresponsible kid.

The rest of the orientation passed in a blur, with Srishti barely absorbing any of the information. Her head was pounding, both from the hangover of the night before and the unexpected confrontation with Chris.

As the lecture ended, she hurried out of the hall, hoping to avoid another run-in with him.

"Who does this guy think he is?" Srishti grumbled, as she met Olivia outside. "He acted like I was some distracted airhead, just because I wasn't paying attention for a second."

"Wait, what happened?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That guy from the club—the one looking for his friend? He's in my department, and apparently he thinks I'm a slacker now," Srishti explained, her voice full of irritation.

Olivia burst out laughing. "Wow. Talk about bad first impressions."

"Exactly. I swear, some people take themselves way too seriously."

Olivia smirked. "Well, it sounds like you two are off to a great start."

Srishti rolled her eyes but couldn't shake the feeling that this wouldn't be the last time that man and she would clash.

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