UNIVERSITY ARC
I couldn't get that photo out of my head.
It wasn't a dream. It was real. That woman in Raksha's photo—her mother—was the same person who stood between me and death years ago. That moment I always thought was a nightmare… was someone else's reality.
The way Raksha smiled and quickly brushed it off… that wasn't normal. That was someone protecting something broken. She had been hiding it all beneath those loud, childish jokes and that wild energy.
When we came back to the hostel, I said nothing, but just walked upstairs.
Sky was still dark, and the sun was waiting to rise.
I leaned on the railing of the balcony, watching the early sunlight kiss the tops of the hostel gates. Down below, she was still there—half-asleep but alert, one hand resting on the hilt of her sword like it was second nature. She hadn't slept. Again.
She studied all day. Guarded me all night. And still somehow managed to top the class.
I couldn't take it anymore—the guilt, the respect, the helplessness of not knowing how to comfort someone who didn't ask for comfort.
She deserved more than duty and darkness. She deserved something normal.
"Maybe… a treat?"
Yeah.
For the grades. For the sleepless nights. For guarding me like it was the only thing she ever knew.
And maybe… for smiling even when she wanted to cry. I know it won't be enough, but that's what I can do, for now.
...…
Later that afternoon, after college, I finally gathered the courage to speak to her. Not as someone observing her… but as someone acknowledging her.
No one in the hostel knew who she was here. Not even the guards. Maybe my mother had made some arrangements, or maybe… she was just that good.
I approached her carefully. She was leaning against a tree, arms behind her head, chewing on a blade of grass like she had nothing in the world to worry about.
"Hey," I said, standing a few feet away.
She blinked, then looked up at me with a yawn. "Oh look! The royal prince finally descended from his golden castle."
"Yeah," I muttered, ignoring her jab. "I… I was thinking."
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't hurt yourself."
I rolled mine. "I mean it. About you. You're working hard. You're… doing a lot. And, uh—congrats on topping the class."
She raised an eyebrow. "You trying to flirt with me or poison me with kindness?"
I sighed. "I'm serious."
She blinked again, the usual teasing fire in her eyes dimming just a bit. "...okay, that's new."
I sat down beside her, careful to keep a little distance. "I thought maybe I could treat you. Just once. Somewhere normal. Normal food. Normal people. No swords involved."
She looked at me like I'd just proposed a duel with a spoon. "You… want to take me out?"
"For food," I clarified, deadpan.
Raksha stared at me for a moment, then grinned, looking at all the corners childishly. "What's the catch? Is this a secret mission? Am I being lured into a trap?"
I gave her a look. "Do you always do this when someone tries to do something nice for you?"
She shrugged playfully. "Only when they're being weird about it."
But then… for the briefest second… her smile faded. Just a flicker.
And I saw it again—that shadow behind the sparkle. A girl who wanted normal so badly, she buried it under sarcasm.
I think my mother knew exactly what she was doing, right?
"Let's go somewhere quiet," I said, standing up. "We'll sneak past the back road. No one will see."
Raksha stood too, brushing grass off her clothes. "You do know I'm technically not a student here, right?"
"Doesn't matter," I said. "You've earned this more than most people here."
She tilted her head at me, eyes unreadable for a moment. Then smirked. "Fine. But I'm ordering dessert first."
....
We had just reached the edge of the backyard lawn—right near the side gate—when I heard it.
"Ayyooooo! RAKSHITHA!??"
I froze.
No. No no no. That was Ramu's voice.
I turned slowly, like a man about to face judgment day—and there they were.
Ramu, Keshava, and Suresh, holding a suspiciously large packet of chips, soda cans, and that look—the "caught you red-handed" look.
Raksha blinked, puzzled for a second.
Then Suresh burst out, "Bro. I can't even lie. I thought she was way out of your league."
Keshava clutched Ramu's arm. "Is she holding him hostage? Blink twice if you're in danger!"
Ramu raised both eyebrows. "Explain. Now! What is she doing here? At the boys' hostel? With you? At night?"
"Yeah," Keshava added. "And how did she get past the warden's radar? There's, like, twenty cameras!"
Raksha leaned slightly closer and said in a low voice, "Twenty-two. But only seven work. The rest are dummies."
They stared at her. Then at me.
"Dude…" Ramu whispered. "She's not a girlfriend. She's a spy."
Raksha folded her arms with a smug grin. "Wrong. I'm the top student in your class, remember?"
Suresh raised a finger. "Wait wait wait. Are you two… dating?"
I opened my mouth to deny it, but before I could speak, Raksha tilted her head.
"With him? Hah! Do I look like I've lost a bet?"
I blinked. "...Thanks?"
Ramu wiped a fake tear. "You were always the chosen one, Manoj. But we didn't know it meant this."
I sighed and faced them. "She… helped me with something really serious. And I owed her a thank you. That's all."
I wasn't lying. I just couldn't tell them the whole truth.
He gave a slow, dramatic nod. "Hmm. Helped with something serious… then sneaking to the hostel… I see how this works."
Raksha suddenly turned and smacked her palm on Ramu's forehead. "Too many movies. Reset your brain."
"Abuse!" Ramu yelped, backing away. "I'm filing a complaint! Manoj's secret ninja girlfriend just hit me!"
"She's not—" I started.
Raksha cut in with a bright smile. "Aw, stop being jealous, Ramu. You want another hit too?"
"NO THANK YOU."
Suresh leaned toward Ramu and whispered (loudly), "Bro, I think she's cooler than all of us."
Keshava nodded seriously, staring at me. "She's already the alpha of our group."
I buried my face in my hands. "Can we please just go eat?"
Raksha patted my shoulder. "You heard the man. Let's go, squad."
So… the small, quiet treat I planned?
Yeah. It turned into a mini parade. With jokes, chaos, and probably a dozen rumors blooming behind us.
But somehow, with Raksha walking beside me, and my three idiots bickering ahead… it felt like the most normal thing I'd experienced in a long time.