The morning sun stretched lazily across the horizon, dyeing the quiet neighborhood in a warm golden hue. Birds chirped as if rehearsing their daily symphony—only to be rudely interrupted by the distant, feral roar of two motorcycles slicing through the calm like knives through silk.
Arian Ahmed stood just outside the gate of his home, adjusting the sleeves of his freshly ironed shirt, exuding the calm dignity of someone far too mature for the company he kept.
That dignity was nearly obliterated a moment later.
Two bikes stormed into view, engines howling in protest as their riders raced neck and neck down the narrow street like adrenaline-starved maniacs. Arian barely had time to blink before he dove to the side, narrowly evading what would have been a dramatic and painfully ironic end to his university life.
A screech of brakes. A trail of dust.
Victory was declared by the first rider, a wild grin plastered across his face. Rummat Rahman, with his hair wind-tossed and sunglasses askew, pumped a triumphant fist into the air.
"I win, you loser!" he yelled over his shoulder, half standing on his bike. "Again!"
Behind him, the second bike skidded to a halt—slightly less gracefully. Sahil growled in frustration, and the passenger clinging to him like a terrified baby koala peeled his hands from Sahil's hoodie with visible tremors.
"You made me lose!" Sahil barked at the poor soul behind him.
"I wasn't the one driving!" Nayeem protested, his voice trembling. "I told you to slow down at least ten times…"
"You told me to slow down after the race started, nerd!"
Arian, brushing imaginary dust from his shirt, sighed as he approached the group. His expression bore the weary patience of a man used to this brand of idiocy.
"When will you guys finally grow up?" he asked, his voice calm but edged with exasperation.
Rummat tossed a careless grin over his shoulder. "Not today, old man."
Despite himself, Arian smiled. "You're barely older than me."
"But I'm twice the legend."
Sahil kicked his stand and slumped off his bike, still grumbling. Nayeem, white as chalk, looked like he had just seen the gates of the afterlife. His legs trembled as he dismounted with the grace of a newborn deer.
"I think... my soul left my body halfway through that last turn," he whispered, eyes still wide.
"Then tell your soul not to come back," Sahil muttered. "You jinxed me."
Ignoring the chaos, Rummat patted the seat behind him. "Come on, Ari. Hop on. Let's race to campus!"
Arian's smile vanished. "If you idiots are planning another race, I'm walking."
Rummat snorted. "Relax, man. I'm just joking."
Arian narrowed his eyes. "You don't joke. You plot."
"Just sit tight, old man," Rummat chuckled as Arian reluctantly climbed on behind him.
The engine revved to life again with a savage purr.
"Decrease the speed, you idiot!" Arian snapped, clutching the sides tightly.
Rummat laughed like a lunatic. "Too late. Now you're part of the madness. Buckle up and enjoy the wind!"
Sahil peeled out behind them, yelling something incoherent about vengeance and gear shifts. Nayeem barely managed to climb back on, muttering a terrified prayer under his breath.
By the time they hit the main road, Nayeem looked one sharp turn away from fainting.
Rummat pushed open the office door with his usual swagger, his bag slung over one shoulder and a victorious smirk hanging off his face.
Arian leaned against the corridor wall, arms crossed. "So? What did the principal say?"
"All good," Rummat replied, stretching his arms. "Talked about Rumana's transfer, just like you suggested."
At that, Arian's mind drifted.
The rooftop was quiet, lit by the dim glow of distant city lights. Three boys sat around a plastic table with cold drinks in hand—Rummat, Arian, and Sahil.
"My sister's college is too damn far," Rummat grumbled, swirling his straw. "She has to stay in that depressing hostel. No proper food, weird roommates, and she's struggling."
"She shouldn't have to go through all that," Sahil nodded.
Arian's eyes lit up. He leaned forward. "Then why not transfer her here?"
Rummat raised a brow. "To our college? It's co-ed, man."
"Yeah, and?" Arian replied, shrugging. "She's got all of us here. She won't face any problems. We'll look after her. Even I'm here."
Then, with a sly grin, he added, "Your sister is... well, our sister too—uh, I mean their sister."
He paused in his mind.
Not mine.
Definitely not mine.
Sahil laughed and raised his bottle. "Honestly, he's got a point."
Rummat stayed silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right…"
[Back to Present]
Arian blinked, snapping back to reality.
He smiled faintly. "You actually did it."
"Yeah," Rummat grinned. "If she gets admitted, no more hostel nightmares. And hey, she'll be under our protection."
Arian looked away, hiding the warmth in his eyes.
Not ours... mine.
As the buzz of conversation faded behind him, Arian leaned against the campus railing, his thoughts drifting far from the present. Rummat's words about Rumana's transfer had stirred something deep—something long buried beneath years of silence.
His memory slipped into the past, like pages of a book softly fluttering open.
[Flashback – Six Years Ago]
They had been in Class 10 then—laughing near the school grounds after a practice session for the annual event. The air was thick with teenage banter and the scent of dust and blooming marigolds.
And then she appeared.
Rummat strolled over, a lanky girl trailing behind him—hair tied in tidy braids, schoolbag hugging her shoulders.
"Hey, this is my little sister," he'd said casually, waving a hand behind him.
She nodded shyly, clutching her books like a shield. Her eyes barely met theirs, flickering nervously from face to face.
Arian hadn't paid much attention—at first. Just a friend's kid sister.
But then she smiled.
It was a small, uncertain thing… soft and fleeting. And yet, in that brief moment, something shifted.
He couldn't explain it—how the noise around him dulled, how the world seemed to shrink to the curve of her lips and the light in her eyes. She was just in 7th grade. Still a child, really. But something delicate inside him had quietly awakened.
From that day on, something had changed. Every time she passed by with her friends or talk with her or play with her, he get mesmerized by her. Her uniform slightly oversized, her hair neatly tied back, Arian's attention would drift toward her, no matter what he was doing. Arian would glance up every time. It became involuntary.
[Back to Present]
Arian blinked slowly, returning to the now. The campus noise rolled back into his awareness, yet everything felt a little quieter inside him.
He smiled faintly.
Six years. From shy glances to silent longing. From being just "Rummat's little sister" to something far more complicated.
They were both adults now. The distance wasn't what it once was.
But somehow, she still felt just as far.
Life really does circle back, he thought.
But does it ever catch up?