Incompatible Love Story

It was a bright Monday morning, and Ira woke up earlier than usual. It was her first day at college today. After spending 14 years in an army school flooded with rules, she was finally going to breathe fresh air. Ira had religiously worked hard during her boards to get admission into the prestigious Fergusson College of Pune. It was like a dream come true for her, a reward for all her sleepless nights. She quickly dressed, packed her bag, had breakfast, and was ready to leave. Before stepping out and starting her new journey, like any other Maharashtrian household, she prayed, "Ganpati Baapa, please sagla changla hou de (God, may good things happen to me)." As she reached the bus stop, she plugged in her earphones and impatiently waited for the bus to arrive. She didn't want to be late on the very first day. Within a few minutes, the bus arrived and she left.

She got off at the Fergusson College bus stop and stood at the gate of her new college, gazing around with elation. Although she had been there quite a few times during the admission process with her mom, this day was different. As she passed through the avenue, millions of thoughts crossed her mind. On her way, she passed through the cricket field, filled with students cheering for the team. She decided to make a quick visit as she had some time on her hands.

It was the last over. 24 to win from 6 balls. And Ferguson's most trusted and popular batsman was in the crease. The whole crowd was chanting, "ARJUN... ARJUN..." Arjun was the best on the team. He held his bat with extreme passion and was set to take the team to victory. He smashed the ball beyond the boundaries, making it look like a cakewalk.

Ira curiously inquired about this guy to the girls standing just beside her: "Who is he?"

"Are you a fresher?"

"Yes! Today's my first day."

"That's why! He's Arjun Kothavale... the heartthrob of FC!!"

"Ohh."

"Yes indeed, he's handsome, good at sports, charming...an all-in-one package," Ira thought to herself.

She then noticed Arjun packing his kit and quickly making his way out while the other players celebrated the victory.

"Cute but weird," she said to herself and made her way towards the class. A college with such a big campus made it difficult for her to find her class, but after some struggles, she finally managed to find it. Ira quickly spotted a bench and made herself comfortable. She was happy as there were no rules for seating arrangements like in her previous Army school. She was glowing with happiness from just being there and was waiting for the class to start. After some time, Professor Patil waked in. He told everyone to be present in the assembly hall because the principal wanted to address the students.

All the students stood chatting in the assembly hall while Ira remained silent and observant. The principal arrived and began by introducing herself and the staff. It seemed to be quite a boring session until the heartthrob of the college came and stood beside Ira. He wore blue denim paired with a white T-shirt and classy sneakers. What eye candy! Ira couldn't help but gaze at him with adoration!

Arjun had always been like this. He rarely made any new friends or initiated conversations. He barely had two friends: Nishant and Prashant, who were out of town for studies. So currently, he had no friends at all, just people he was being nice too. All that occupied his mind was cricket and cars. His cricket kit was always kept clean and tidy, so was his car. Arjun belonged to the leisure-class of Pune. He never bragged about it, though his lifestyle said it all. He was nicely dressed at all times, with a slight mysterious smile on his face. He spoke to a few boys in college as well as smiled at girls who gave him complements.

Ira kept gazing at Arjun until it made him comfortable. This wasn’t the first time anything like this had happened with Arjun. He quietly made a move without a reaction. After a while, classes began and Ira sat on the same bench she had chosen earlier. She was embarrassed by the untimely incident. Ira was probably gonna run off if she ever encountered Arjun around college again. After a few minutes, she heard someone say, "Sir, can I come in?"

"Yes. But don’t ever be late again!"

Ira immediately turned her face towards the door and saw Arjun entering the class.

He seemed a bit confused as he couldn’t find himself a bench. The professor instantly asked him to sit on the first bench, just ahead of Ira. Not just butterflies but the whole damn zoo seemed to be dancing inside Ira. She somehow managed to not show it on her face. She wanted to wrap him around with a gift paper the moment she caught all the other girls starring at him, so she could open him up in private. By the time she was done mulling over all her new eloping plans with Arjun, the class was over. She thought about initiating a conversation.

"Hey, I’m Ira, Ira Jhoshi."

"Arjun."

"I’m so glad to be here, this has always be my dream college."

"Okay."

Arjun packed his bag and left.