"Later, on the day of the practicals, Maya was already at campus, punctual as always. Meanwhile, Tara was still fast asleep in bed, unaware that she was running late."
"The day before, one of Tara's cousins had come over to stay. While Tara stepped into the kitchen to help her mom, her little brother — a mischievous 3-year-old — got his hands on her phone. He was just messing around: opening apps, closing tabs, even deleting a few pictures. And, of course, in the chaos, he also turned off her alarm. Not that he knew what he was doing… but yeah — that happened."
"When Tara came out of the kitchen, she found the little guy playing some random game on her phone. She just took it back with a smile, not thinking much, and went to sleep. The next morning? The alarm didn't ring and this little troublemaker hadn't just turned it off, he'd also put her phone on silent."
"Maya tried calling Tara not once, not twice, but three times—each one met with silence. Her phone was still on silent mode." Meanwhile, her mom, while taking the trash out, noticed Tara's shoes still by the door… and that's when it hit her — Tara was still home."
When her mom finally woke her up, Tara's eyes were puffy, barely open, as she struggled to snap out of sleep. What followed was a classic mom-style scolding — loud, sharp, and yes, a flying slipper may or may not have made an appearance. Half-awake and fully panicking, Tara shoved a slice of bread into her mouth while pulling on her clothes. She hopped on one leg, trying to get her socks and shoes on — the bread still clenched between her teeth — and didn't even bother fixing her hair. It was chaos.
Absolute chaos.
Tara was in such a mad rush, she was literally fixing her hair while running down the street. Her bag was swinging off one shoulder, shoes barely tied, and breath short as she tried to catch the second bus — the only hope left. But just as she reached the stop… the bus pulled away. Right before her eyes. Tara froze, panting, watching it disappear. She sighed in disbelief, lips parted, too stunned to even curse.
Meanwhile, at campus, Maya kept glancing at the gate, her usual calm cracking into worry. She tapped her foot, arms crossed, silently hoping Tara would come in any moment. But time kept ticking… and Tara was still nowhere in sight.
Just as Tara let out a tired sigh, a car horn broke the silence. She turned around, confused —
and the car stopped right beside her.
Someone rolled their car window down. It was Lav.
"Hey! I guess we're both late. Want a ride?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Alright then, hop in," he said with a smile.
Just as they entered the college, the security guards were closing the gate. Both of them started begging, "Please, let us through!"
And here comes our savior — Maya.
She had a video of one of the guards smoking in the principal's office — strictly prohibited. Holding up her phone, she said sweetly, but with clear sarcasm, "So… if you don't let them through now, you'll be fired."
The guards had no choice. With guilty looks, they stepped aside, letting Tara and Lav pass.
Tara thanked Lav for the ride, and Lav turned to Maya. "Thanks for letting us in."
Maya smiled and said in a low voice, "Well… thanks to you as well."
"Huh? Me? Why?" Lav asked, confused.
She rolled her eyes. "Well… for Tara."
"Oh, okay," he replied with a small smile.
While they were talking, Tara couldn't stop staring at Lav, her cheeks turning bright red. Maya noticed, sighed, and grabbed her wrist.
"Abbe oo heroine! You can stare later," she scolded playfully. "Mam, you really have a strong desire to miss the practical, don't you?"
They rushed off, hurrying to their classes.
Meanwhile, Lav chuckled as he looked at her. Her???
Well… it was Maya.
He had a tiny, mini crush on her — though he wasn't entirely sure of his feelings yet. Lav was a playboy, but with her, it felt different, genuine. Somehow, after seeing her, he had started talking less to other girls.
As they walked, Vedh — a very close friend of Lav's — appeared out of nowhere. Vedh was double-famous compared to Lav. He could pull any girl he wanted, yet he never tried.
"Wow, you all are so highly disciplined! Come on, stop walking like turtles!" Vedh called out, grinning.
Vedh had a sharp eye and a quick mind. He noticed the little things Lav didn't mention about Maya and immediately sensed something was off.
"Hey, Lav… what's up with you and her?" Vedh asked casually, a knowing smirk on his face.
Lav just waved him off, denying it with a laugh. "Nothing. Just friends, that's all."
But Vedh wasn't convinced.