The engine purred as Arjun turned the key, the familiar hum filling the quiet morning. His car wasn't flashy, but it had served him faithfully through countless small adventures, and today it was carrying him toward a new one. Beside him, Raghav was already busy stuffing the last of his mother's parathas into his mouth.
"Seriously, Raghu?" Arjun shot him a sideways glance, smirking. "You couldn't wait until we hit the highway?"
Raghav looked at him with his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel. "If I don't eat them now, my mom will think I starved on the way," he said after swallowing, wiping his hands on a napkin. "You'll thank me later when you get hungry."
Arjun chuckled, shifting gears as the car rolled through the narrow lanes of their town, the early sun spilling orange light across the rooftops. "I don't know if I'll thank you or curse you when the car starts smelling like fried onions."
Raghav leaned back, grinning, as though this was a road trip for fun and not the first step into an entirely new life. That was his nature—simple, easygoing, capable of making any place feel like home. Arjun envied that sometimes. His own mind rarely rested, constantly running ahead to possibilities, challenges, unknowns. Outwardly, he seemed carefree; inside, he was always calculating.
The marketplace they passed was only half awake, shutters creaking open, dogs wandering lazily across the road. Arjun pressed the accelerator, the car picking up speed smoothly. "So, college boys now," he said lightly, glancing at Raghav. "State University, huh? Can you believe it?"
Raghav smiled, but there was nervousness in it. "Not really. Feels like yesterday we were sneaking out of school to play cricket behind the classrooms."
"That's because it was practically yesterday," Arjun teased. "We're still the same guys. Only difference is now they expect us to act like adults."
Raghav frowned, his eyes thoughtful. "You think it'll be tough? The studies, the competition, living away from home?"
Arjun kept his gaze on the road. "Tough? Sure. But nothing worth having is ever easy. Besides—" he smirked—"you've got me. We'll manage."
That reassurance seemed to settle Raghav, who nodded and turned back to the passing fields. The air outside smelled of soil and dew, fresh from the morning. Arjun rolled the window down, letting the breeze run through his hair.
For a while, neither spoke. It was the kind of silence that came only between people who didn't need to fill every moment with words. Raghav hummed a tune under his breath, fiddling with his phone, while Arjun's mind raced ahead to the university campus, the faces he would meet, the challenges waiting there. Standing at the edge of the unknown gave him a thrill—he liked that feeling.
"Arjun," Raghav said suddenly, breaking the silence, "do you think we'll find good friends there? I mean… real ones?"
Arjun raised a brow. "Why not? It's a university. Thousands of people. We'll find our kind."
Raghav hesitated. "Yeah, but… people aren't always real. In school, everyone knew everyone. In college, it'll be different. Some will act like friends but…" He trailed off.
Arjun understood. He had seen enough of the world to know people wore masks. But he wasn't concerned. "Friends will come and go. Some will be fake, some true. But you—" he glanced at Raghav with a half-smile—"you're my brother. That doesn't change."
Raghav's expression softened, then broke into a grin. "I know. Just wanted to hear you say it."
Arjun rolled his eyes, though his words had been genuine.
The road widened as they merged onto the highway. Trucks thundered past, buses rattled by, horns blaring. Arjun weaved through the traffic with easy skill, relishing the challenge. Driving gave him a sense of command, as though he wasn't just steering a vehicle but his own path forward.
"Careful, hero," Raghav muttered when Arjun overtook a lorry a little too close.
"Relax," Arjun said, smirking. "You're in safe hands. I could drive this thing with my eyes closed."
"Please don't." Raghav's reply was immediate, half-joking, half-serious.
Arjun laughed, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the faint music from the radio. Hours slipped away like that—snacks shared, school stories retold, playful arguments about cricket heroes. The road stretched endlessly, and the car became their little world, carrying them closer to what lay ahead.
By noon, the first outlines of the city shimmered on the horizon. Tall buildings rose in the distance, the air buzzing with noise and heat. Arjun's chest tightened with excitement. This was it—the place where their lives would take a new turn.
Raghav sat up straighter, staring wide-eyed at the skyline. "It's huge," he whispered, awe written across his face.
Arjun grinned, eyes gleaming. "Get used to it, brother. This is home now."