Love Across Time and Trials

A small-town girl, Anvi, had just completed her schooling and was about to join a prestigious university for her bachelor’s degree. Initially, she struggled to decide what she wanted to pursue, but after appearing for a few entrance exams, she chose to build her career in the Arts. She worked hard to get into the university she had once only dreamed of. It all felt surreal—she was finally ready to chase her dreams, live life to the fullest, and do everything she had always wanted. It was her turn to make her aspirations come true, to break societal barriers, and to fly free.

In an era when families often restricted their daughters’ independence, Anvi was fortunate to have a supportive one. Her parents encouraged her to study hard and build her identity so she would never have to depend on anyone else.

The story begins in 2014, when she first stepped out of her home and moved to a completely new city—Varanasi. She immediately grew fond of the city, which echoed with chants of Mahadev and Maa Durga. Amid the daily bustle, the city offered her a sense of peace and solace. Her college was scheduled to begin on 1st August 2014, but due to ticket availability issues, she arrived almost a week late. Somehow, she settled into her hostel room, excited about visiting her classroom, meeting new people, making friends, and exploring a new phase of life.

On her first day of college, however, misfortune struck—she got stuck in traffic and reached nearly twenty minutes late. Anvi was a highly self-aware person who often overthought even the smallest situations. Being late on her very first day made her extremely anxious about how she would enter the class. Gathering all her courage, she checked the timetable on the notice board and realized she had to rush to Lecture Theatre 2 (LT 2). She asked a few people for directions and ran as fast as she could. With her short height and hurried steps, she looked like a child of twelve or thirteen searching for her way.

Eventually, she found the classroom. From a distance, she could hear the teacher’s voice, which only heightened her fear of being scolded on the very first day. Still, she chose not to miss any more time and stepped inside.

“May I come in, Ma’am?” she asked, her voice trembling with nervousness.

Her subjects included English, German, and Archaeology. It was a German language class.

As she sought permission, the teacher looked her up and down, as though she was an alien. After a pause, she said, “Is this the time you should be entering a class?”

Already overwhelmed, Anvi immediately regretted attending that day. Still, she replied, “Sorry, Ma’am. I was stuck in traffic, that’s why I got late. It won’t happen again.”

The teacher continued, “I haven’t seen you around. Is this your first day?”

In her mind, Anvi thought, Yes, my first day. I imagined it would be exciting and beautiful, but it has turned into a disaster.

She answered softly, “Yes, Ma’am.”

The teacher sighed. “How irresponsible can someone be? First, you arrive seven days late, and now that you finally decide to grace us with your presence, you’re twenty minutes late. Wonderful.”

At that moment, Anvi felt on the verge of breaking down. Being extremely image-conscious, she thought, My reputation is ruined already. All she could manage to say was, “Sorry.”

Deep down, she knew something like this could happen—and it had.

Just then, a voice came from the back of the classroom. “Leave it, Ma’am. I’m sure she didn’t do it intentionally. Something urgent might have come up.”

Anvi couldn’t tell who it was, but the voice left a lasting impression on her. Too embarrassed to look up, she kept her gaze lowered. To her surprise, the teacher accepted the explanation and told her not to repeat it again, then asked her to find a seat.

Relieved, Anvi nodded and walked inside. The room was filled with students, and for a moment she wondered where she would even sit. She walked past three rows, but no one offered her a seat. Finally, a girl sitting in the fifth row made space for her.

“Thanks,” Anvi said as she sat down.

“What’s your name?” the girl asked.

“Anvi Singh,” she replied. “And yours?”

“Anjali Agrawal,” the girl said.

Anvi was relieved that at least one person had welcomed her, silently judging those who hadn’t made space.

“What is she teaching?” Anvi asked.

“Counting,” Anjali replied. “We’ve completed the German alphabet and numbers up to 50. Today we’re going beyond that.”

She handed Anvi a book and pointed to the portion covered in class.

Just then, the bell rang. The first lecture had finally ended. The teacher assigned homework and asked everyone to complete it by the next day. The class stood up together and said, “Thank you, Ma’am.”

After class, Anvi checked her timetable and realized her next lecture was after two hours. She wondered how she would spend the time.

She asked Anjali about herself.

“I’m from Rajasthan,” Anjali said. “I took a drop year after school to prepare for medical entrance exams, but later realized it wasn’t for me. That’s how I ended up here. What about you?”

Anvi replied, “I’m from Uttar Pradesh. I’ve always wanted to learn a new language, and this university is one of the best for languages, so that’s why I came here. But you can see how my first day went—traumatic, isn’t it?”

Anjali laughed. “Don’t worry. The teacher isn’t that bad. You’ll settle in slowly. Just don’t be late again.”