Siya’s POV

I was late. Rushing through the corridors, I finally reached my hostel room. My roommate was already inside the bathroom. I’d never shared a room before, and though I was mentally prepared to adjust, a tiny part of me hoped she’d be someone understanding.

My thoughts were interrupted as the bathroom door creaked open and a girl stepped out, towel in hand and a warm smile on her face.

“Hey! I’m Swati, your roommate. Nice to meet you,” she said brightly.

That one smile was enough to dissolve the cloud of worries I had walked in with. I instantly felt at ease and returned her smile with an equally wide one.

“Hi, I’m Siya.”

She offered me the choice of beds, and I shyly asked, “Would you mind if I take the one near the window?”

“Not at all,” she replied instantly. She was sweet. I already liked her.

I quickly freshened up, changed into a pink kurta and a pair of blue jeans, and stepped out of the bathroom to find Swati waiting patiently for me.

“Let’s go?” she asked, flashing another cheerful smile. I nodded, grateful for her easygoing vibe.

We locked our room and began looking for the auditorium, but the campus was massive—intimidating, even. The winding paths and towering buildings made it feel like we were walking in circles.

Just then, a boy about our age approached us and asked, “Are you both from the Aeronautics department?”

I nodded.

“Me too,” he said, chuckling sheepishly. “But seems like I’m lost.”

“I think we should go together so that we don’t get lost again,” I suggested, and both Swati and the boy agreed.

As we walked and looked for directions, he introduced himself. His name was Raghav, and he was from Pune. The conversation flowed easily. He had a relaxed, friendly vibe that balanced out our collective nervous energy.

Eventually, we reached the auditorium just as the orientation had already begun. We slid into our seats as quietly as possible, trying not to draw attention. After sitting through a string of monotonous speeches, the session finally ended.

“I say we hit the canteen first,” Raghav suggested, stretching his arms. “I’m starving.”

“Same,” Swati and I chorused.

At the canteen, we chatted while waiting for our food. We found out Swati was from Mumbai too, and that sparked a whole conversation about the best spots in the city.

Naturally, it led to a friendly debate: Mumbai vs. Pune.

Swati and I ganged up on him, passionately defending our beloved city. Raghav raised his hands in surrender, laughing.

“Okay, okay! I’m hungry, yaar. No energy to argue with two people right now.”

Just as we were leaving the canteen, I saw him again.

The airport guy.

My breath caught for a second. What was he doing here? Was he a student too? Of course he was… why else would he be here?

He looked at me, and our eyes met—briefly, barely for two seconds—before he looked away. Maybe he didn’t recognize me. Maybe he had a terrible memory.

Or maybe… he did remember and just didn’t care.

I shook off the thought and reminded myself that I had a room to organize.

“I’m glad I made two new friends on orientation day itself,” Raghav said with a grin. “Once our regular lectures start, we should go out and explore the city.”

“Yes, it’ll be so much fun!” Swati added excitedly.

Raghav checked his watch. “Alright, I’ll go see if my roommate’s arrived. Bye, girls!”

We waved him off and headed back to our room. As we began arranging our things, our casual chatter drifted from academics to family, from hostel food to our favourite childhood memories in Mumbai.

By the time we were done, I realized how effortlessly we clicked. It felt like I’d known her for years.

“So, ready to spend the next four years with an amazing roommate?” I asked with a playful grin, flipping my hair dramatically.

Swati chuckled. “I am more than ready—and I’m sure the next four years are going to be fun with you by my side.”

And in that moment, I just knew—we were going to become best friends.

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