First Day
The morning fog hung low over Gangtok as Ravi stood outside the college gate, staring at the crowd of unfamiliar faces.
He checked his phone again.
8:47 Am
“Perfect,” he muttered. “First day and I'm already lost.”
“Ravi!”
He turned to see Maya running toward him, her bag hanging from one shoulder
“You're late.”
Ravi looked at his phone. “I have thirteen minutes.”
“Until class.”
“Exactly.”
“Exactly what?”
“Exactly enough time.”
Maya stared at him for a second before handing him a coffee.
“Here.”
He smiled. “You do care.”
“I regret buying it already.”
They walked toward the main building, arguing about which staircase led to the second floor.
They were halfway up when Maya suddenly stopped.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“My classroom changed.”
Ravi looked at her phone. “How do you manage to get lost in a college you've been attending for five days?”
“I've been here five days?”
“Unfortunately.”
Before Maya could hit him, someone bumped into Ravi from behind.
His coffee flew out of his hand.
“Damn!”
The cup landed on the floor.
Ravi turned sharply.
“Seriously?”
A boy stood behind him, holding several books. One of them had fallen.
“Sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn't see you.”
Ravi looked at the ruined coffee, then at him.
“You didn't see a whole person?
The boy frowned. “I said sorry.”
Maya stepped between them.
“Ravi.”
“What?”
“It's your first day. Please don't start a fight before breakfast.”
“I'm not starting anything.”
The boy picked up his book.
“Good.”
He walked away.
Ravi watched him go.
“Who was that?”
Maya shrugged. “No idea.”
A voice came from the other side of the hallway.
“Shibo!
The boy stopped.
Raghavi approached him, slightly out of breath.
“There you are. I've been looking everywhere.”
Shibo glanced back toward Ravi.
“Your friend?”
Raghavi looked at Ravi.
“Oh. That's Maya's friend.”
“Ravi,” Maya corrected.
“Right. Ravi.”
Ravi nodded.
“Shibo.”
There was an awkward pause.
Then Shibo looked at the empty coffee cup on the floor.
“I'm still sorry.”
Ravi sighed.
“Fine.”
Shibo smiled slightly. “Good.”
“Don't smile. You owe me a coffee.”
“That seems fair.”
Maya looked at Raghavi.
“Is he always like this?”
Raghavi smiled. “Pretty much.”
“Great.”
The bell rang.
Everyone started moving toward the classrooms.
Then a professor hurried into the hallway, looking irritated.
“Who left these files outside the office?”
Nobody answered.
He picked up a stack of papers and looked around.
“These are confidential. If anyone has touched them, come to my office immediately.”
The hallway went quiet.
Ravi glanced at Maya.
Maya glanced at Raghavi.
Shibo looked uncomfortable.
Nobody said anything.
The professor walked away with the files.
Ravi quietly said, “Well…”
Maya sighed.
“First day.”
Shibo nodded.
“Already a disaster.”
Raghavi laughed.
“Maybe we should just go to class before something else happens.”
They walked together toward the classroom.
None of them knew it yet, but that small incident would be the first thing they would all remember about the day they met.
And, eventually, they would realize—
it wasn't as simple as it seemed.
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