On a radiant, sun-drenched morning in Rishikesh, the city thrummed with life. The streets were filled with a blend of tourists eager to soak in the spiritual ambiance and locals going about their daily routines. The markets were a symphony of sights and sounds, with vendors calling out their wares and shoppers haggling over prices, all contributing to the vibrant mosaic of urban life.

In stark contrast to the bustling city, a young woman lay in a small, cluttered apartment, deeply engrossed in her slumber. The persistent beeping of her alarm clock filled the room, only to be met with her groggy hand hitting the snooze button repeatedly. The room was dim, with rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains, hinting at the day's vitality outside.

Her peaceful oblivion was abruptly shattered when her phone buzzed with a call from her parents. The moment she glimpsed their names on the screen, her sleepiness vanished. Panic and urgency propelled her out of bed. She darted to the washroom, splashing cold water on her face in a desperate attempt to fully wake up. With a towel hastily thrown over her shoulder, she rushed back to her bedside, her heart racing. Just as the call was on the brink of disconnecting, she grabbed the phone, pressing the answer button with a sigh of relief, bracing herself for the conversation that awaited.

After picking up the call, she saw her mother's face on the screen, her expression a mix of concern and mild exasperation.

"Good morning," she greeted, her voice still thick with sleep.

"Good morning? You were still sleeping?" her mother responded, her tone carrying a familiar taunt. "Don't you remember you have your viva today? You told me about it just last night. I knew you, sleepyhead. Now, go get ready fast and don't even think about skipping breakfast. You know how groggy and irritable you get on an empty stomach. You'll end up annoying everyone."

The girl sighed, nodding sheepishly. Her mother's words, though stern, were filled with care and concern. With a newfound sense of urgency, she began to shake off the remnants of sleep, mentally preparing herself for the important day ahead.

"Okay, take care of yourselves," she replied before bidding her mother goodbye and disconnecting the call. She sighed deeply, then moved towards her cupboard to select her outfit. With a towel in hand, she headed to the washroom for a quick shower. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was already 7:30. Panic surged through her as she hurried to get dressed. She chose a lavender short kurti, paired it with white jeans, and slipped on her sneakers. Grabbing her white coat, she quickly packed her bag with essentials: a water bottle, iPad, ear pods, phone, apartment keys, notebook, and pen.

She swiftly made herself a sandwich, eating it on the go as she dashed out of her apartment, locking the door behind her. With only 15 minutes remaining before her viva, she walked briskly, almost running, towards her college. The distance was a mere five-minute sprint.

Upon reaching the campus gates, she rushed towards her friend's block to pick her up. In her haste, she accidentally collided with someone and braced herself for a fall, tightly closing her eyes and dreading the inevitable embarrassment and potential stains on her white jeans. Moments passed, and she realized she hadn't hit the ground. Surprised, she wondered if she had somehow defied gravity. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into a pair of brown eyes that were watching her closely.

Panic set in as she quickly composed herself, stood up straight, and bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you," she murmured, avoiding eye contact as she excused herself and continued towards her friend's block.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard a deep, manly voice behind her. "Hey! Manav here. What about you?"

She turned back and, with a confident smile, responded, "Hi, Nitya here."

Nitya observed Manav for a moment. He stood tall, about 6'2", with a fit, athletic build. His veiny hands were exposed under the rolled-up sleeves of his white shirt, which was paired with blue jeans. His messy hair fell effortlessly across his forehead, adding to his rugged, handsome appearance.

For a brief moment, she found herself slightly flustered by his good looks, but she quickly snapped back to the urgency of her situation. "Nice to meet you, Manav," she said with a quick smile before glancing at her watch. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go. My viva is about to start."

Manav nodded, a friendly smile playing on his lips. "Good luck with your viva, Nitya."

"Thanks!" she replied, giving him a quick wave before hurrying off to find her friend, her heart still racing from the unexpected encounter.

Soon, Nitya spotted her friend Anu standing near her block. She sprinted towards her, and they exchanged a quick hug. Without wasting any time, Nitya grabbed Anu's hand and started pulling her along, her sense of urgency heightened by the earlier encounter.

"Why are you late today?" Anu asked, slightly annoyed as she tried to keep up with Nitya's brisk pace.

"Long story," Nitya replied, her breath coming in short bursts. "I overslept, got a call from my mom, and then I bumped into someone on my way here."

Anu raised an eyebrow. "Bumped into someone? Who?"

"Just some guy named Manav. No time to explain now, we need to hurry!" Nitya said, glancing at her watch again.

With that, the two friends picked up their pace, racing against the clock to make it to the viva on time.

As they entered the viva hall, Nitya and Anu were two minutes late and breathing heavily from their hurried run. The professor conducting the viva shot them a stern glance but refrained from commenting. Instead, he looked at his watch and gestured for them to sit and wait for their turn. They joined the other students, quickly pulling out their notes for some last-minute revision.

Finally, Nitya's turn arrived. She stood up, feeling a wave of nervousness wash over her. As she approached the professor, he sensed her anxiety and offered a reassuring smile to ease her nerves. This small gesture gave her a bit of confidence. She took a deep breath and answered his questions confidently, despite her heart racing. On the surface, she appeared brave and composed, but inside, she was acutely aware of the importance of this moment. Coming from a middle-class family where no one had become a doctor, she had worked incredibly hard to reach this point, driven by her dream to join the medical profession.

As her viva concluded, she felt a mix of relief and lingering self-criticism about her nervousness. She stepped out of the hall and waited for Anu, scrolling through her phone to distract herself. She was annoyed with how nervous she had been despite knowing it wasn't a big deal.

Just then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she found herself face-to-face with Manav again. "Hey," he said with a friendly smile. "How did it go?"

With confusion on her face and an awkward smile, Nitya caught her breath. "It went good," she replied, her smile becoming more genuine. "The professor was kind enough to let us in and didn't scold us, even though we were two minutes late."

Manav's eyes twinkled with amusement. "That's good to hear. I was worried you might be in trouble for being late."

Nitya nodded, feeling a bit more relaxed. "Yeah, it could have been worse. I was really nervous, but the professor was quite understanding."

Manav chuckled. "Professors can surprise you sometimes. By the way, what are you studying?"

"Medicine," Nitya replid, her pride evident despite her earlier nerves. "Today was a big deal for me."

Manav nodded appreciatively. "That's impressive. I'm sure you did great. Anyway, I just wanted to wish you luck again. Maybe we'll bump into each other again."

Nitya smiled. "Thanks, Manav. It was nice meeting you. And yeah, maybe we will."

With that, Manav waved and walked away, leaving Nitya to reflect on their unexpected encounters. Just as she was about to return to her phone, Anu emerged from the viva hall, her expression a mix of relief and excitement. "How did it go?" Nitya asked.

"Better than I expected!" Anu exclaimed. "And who was that guy you were talking to?"

Nitya shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "Just someone I bumped into earlier. Literally."

Shrugging off thoughts of Manav, Nitya and Anu headed to the canteen. As they entered, they saw their friends waving to them from a corner table. The duo made their way over to where Amit, Ajinkya, Saanvi, and Vaibhav were sitting. All of them were in the same college and batch, sharing countless memories and the challenges of their medical studies.

"Hey, how did the viva go?" Saanvi asked as soon as they joined the group.

Nitya smiled and took a seat. "It went well. The professor was kind enough to let us in even though we were a bit late."

"Yeah, he didn't even scold us," Anu added, grabbing a chair beside Nitya.

"That's a relief," Amit said, leaning back in his chair. "We were all worried about making a good impression.

Ajinkya nodded. "And how about the questions? Were they tough?"

Nitya shrugged. "They were manageable. I was nervous, but once I started answering, it wasn't so bad."

"That's our Nitya!" Vaibhav said, giving her a thumbs-up. "Always prepared."

They all laughed, the tension of the morning melting away. As they chatted and enjoyed their time together, the worries of their viva seemed to fade into the background. The canteen buzzed with the chatter of other students, creating a comforting backdrop of camaraderie and shared experiences.

As they were chatting, Nitya found herself engrossed in a lively conversation with Vaibhav, who was flexing his sense of humor. His jokes and witty remarks had her laughing heartily, momentarily forgetting the stress of the viva. Amidst the laughter and camaraderie, Nitya suddenly felt a pair of eyes piercing through the lively atmosphere, focused intently on her.

She glanced around subtly, trying to identify the source of the gaze. Her eyes scanned the canteen, moving past clusters of students, until they landed on a familiar figure. Manav was sitting at a table across the room, his eyes fixed on her. The realization sent a jolt through her, a mix of surprise and curiosity. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Manav offered a slight, acknowledging nod and a small smile.

Caught off guard, Nitya quickly looked away, feeling a strange mix of emotions. She tried to refocus on the conversation with her friends, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Manav. Who was he, and why did he seem so interested in her? Shaking off the distraction, she laughed at another one of Vaibhav's jokes, but the encounter lingered in the back of her mind.

Manav watched Nitya laughing with her friends, her smile radiant and infectious. The way she looked so charming and beautiful while engaged in the conversation made his heart flutter. However, seeing her engrossed in talk with Vaibhav, laughing at his jokes, stirred a different set of emotions within him. A pang of sadness and a hint of jealousy gnawed at him, making him feel a bit upset.

He couldn't help but wonder about their relationship. Were they just friends, or was there something more between them? The ease with which they interacted made him feel like an outsider, yearning for a connection that seemed out of reach at the moment.

Trying to shake off the unsettling feelings, Manav forced himself to look away and focus on the conversation at his own table. But despite his best efforts, his thoughts kept drifting back to Nitya, her laughter echoing in his mind.

After some time, Nitya bid her friends farewell, giving each of them a hug before heading back to her apartment. Anu reminded her to call once she got home. "Don't forget to call me when you get home safely," Anu said, squeezing Nitya's hand.

"I will, don't worry," Nitya assured her with a smile.

As Nitya walked across the campus towards the gate, Manav, who was also heading home, saw her talking with Anu. His heart raced at the sight of her. Seeing her walk alone towards the gate, he felt a sudden urge to catch up with her.

Gathering his courage, he rushed towards her. "Nitya, wait up!" he called out as he closed the distance between them.

Nitya turned around, surprised to see Manav hurrying towards her. "Oh, hi Manav," she greeted him, a bit taken aback but smiling nonetheless. "Heading home too?"

"Yeah," Manav replied, catching his breath. "I saw you and thought I'd walk with you, if that's okay."

"Sure," Nitya said, falling into step beside him. "So, how was your day?"

Manav chuckled. "Eventful. Bumping into you twice definitely made it more interesting."

Nitya laughed. "I guess it was meant to be. Thanks for the save earlier, by the way."

"No problem at all," Manav said, his tone light but his heart pounding.

Nitya asked "How about you? What are you studying?"

Manav smiled. "Actually, I'm a doctor too. I'm in my final year of residency, so I'm your senior."

Nitya's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That's amazing. No wonder you seemed so confident earlier."

Manav laughed. "I guess experience helps. But I remember how nerve-wracking those early days can be. You're doing great."

They continued to chat as they walked, the initial awkwardness fading away. As they reached the gate and were about to part ways, Manav hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Hey, Nitya, would you like to grab a coffee sometime? I mean, if you're not too busy."

Nitya looked at him, surprised but pleasantly so. "I'd like that, Manav. How about tomorrow afternoon?"

"Tomorrow afternoon sounds perfect," Manav replied, a broad smile spreading across his face. "I'll see you then."

"See you," Nitya said, waving as she headed towards her apartment, feeling a pleasant flutter in her chest. As she walked away, Manav watched her for a moment, his own heart lighter than it had been all day.

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