It was only the third day of college, and like everywhere, ragging was common. I leaned back in my chair like some self-proclaimed rebel, watching the freshers walk in nervously. That's when I saw her.
"Hey, pretty one," I called out, my tone playful, teasing. "What's your name?"
She froze, eyes darting to me. It was obvious she wasn't interested in talking. But I wasn't the type to give up so easily.
"What? Don't you respect your seniors?" I smirked. "Seems like I'll have to teach you a lesson."
I stood, strolling toward her with mock arrogance. And that's when I noticed — the way she clutched the hem of her baggy jeans, knuckles white, shoulders stiff. She was afraid. For a second, guilt pricked me, but before I could say anything—
"Oi, you!"
The real seniors walked in.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath, instantly snapping into obedience. I moved to stand beside her, pretending to be just another fresher caught in their radar.
They tugged my ear hard. "You think you're a big man, huh? Rebel? Complete our assignments by tomorrow."
I cursed inside. Great. There goes my reputation.
But then—
She smiled.
Just a little curve of her lips, hesitant and soft, but it was enough to light the whole dull room. Sunshine, slipping in through a crack in the clouds.
And in that moment, I knew — every ounce of humiliation, every ear-pulling and lecture… it was worth it.
I cursed the seniors under my breath for dumping their shitty assignment on me. Skipping class, I hid in the library with my earbuds in, scribbling down notes half-heartedly.
That's when a shadow fell across my desk.
I looked up — and there she was. The sunshine from earlier.
She smiled softly and slid into the chair opposite me. Then, extending her hand across the desk, she said, "Hi, I'm Anvi."
For a second, my brain short-circuited. Wooohhh… she spoke with me! I screamed inside. But on the outside? I kept my cool-guy mask firmly in place, pulling out my most casual grin.
"Viaan," I said, taking her hand. "You might already know. I'm… kind of popular around here."
She tilted her head, and instead of being impressed, she shook it with a tiny laugh.
That single shake hit me harder than gravity itself. In my head, I dramatically plummeted straight off the top floor of the college building. Dead. Gone. Finished.
But when I met her eyes again, she was still smiling — and just like that, I realized: this wasn't the kind of girl you impressed. This was the kind you fell for.
She reached over the desk and picked up the other assignment sheet lying beside me.
"Hey—no need," I said quickly, tugging at it half-heartedly. "I can manage it."
She didn't even look up. Pen already moving, her handwriting neat and steady. "It's okay," she murmured. "I can help."
"It's not your punishment, though. It's mine," I argued, trying to sound casual, but secretly touched.
She shot me a glance — calm, determined — and went back to writing. No room for argument.
I leaned back in my chair, earbuds dangling, watching her as she scribbled away like the world's most focused fresher. For someone who had been terrified earlier, she now looked so… sure of herself.
A smile tugged at my lips.
I slipped out one of my earbuds, hesitated for a second, then leaned across the desk and gently placed it near her ear.
She flinched, her shoulders jerking slightly.
"Oh—sorry!" I exclaimed quickly, pulling my hand back. "I just… wanted to share the song."
She glanced at me, then at the earbud still hanging between my fingers. For a heartbeat, I thought she'd reject it. But then, with the faintest smile, she took it carefully from me and slipped it into her ear.
We didn't talk after that. We just wrote — side by side, the faint hum of the music threading between us, filling the silence with something unspoken.
Before I knew it, the assignments were done. I gathered the sheets and stood.
"I'll go dump this on those sadistic seniors," I said with a grin.
She stacked her things neatly, pushing her chair in. "I should get back to my dorm."
"Wait," I called as she started walking away. "I'll drop you."
She turned, shaking her head firmly. "No need. Really."
And before I could argue, she gave me a small wave — a simple farewell — and walked off, leaving me standing there with the assignments in my hands and a strange warmth in my chest.
That night, after dinner, I returned to my room. The house was quiet, the city wrapped in night, but I couldn't stop replaying that one smile in my head.
Anvi.
Soft, gentle — just like her. I leaned back in my chair, grinning without even realizing. "Anvi Sunshine," I murmured. That's what I'd call her in my head.
God, I was turning into a lovesick fool. On the very first day we met.
Shaking my head at myself, I sat at my desk, opened my laptop, and typed her name into social media. Fingers drumming against the keys, heart racing like I was doing something forbidden. Let's see if my Sunshine has an account.
But no matter how many times I searched, nothing came up. No account, no posts, no trace of her.
I leaned back in my chair with a sigh, staring at the ceiling. So much for social media stalking, Viaan.
A strange disappointment settled in me — like I'd been handed a gift only to lose it again too soon. Still, I couldn't shake off the memory of her smile.
With a small grin tugging at my lips, I stretched out on my bed. "Tomorrow," I whispered to myself. "I'll find a way to know her more tomorrow."
And with that hope, I let sleep take over - me