A few months had passed, and life had gone back to its usual rhythm.  For Harman and Abhi, It was the final year of their college life, and though things appeared to be normal, something still lingered  — unspoken, subtle,an unknown feeling.

Abhi and Harman continued their usual banter, their easy comfort in each other's presence unchanged. Abhi, ever the joker, made sure to keep Harman laughing, lightening the mood whenever he could. But life, in its own mysterious way, had begun to shift around them — as it often does, and neither of them could see it coming.

Harman’s room still held memories of a past she couldn’t quite shake off — a ball, a jersey, the picture she had clicked with Shubman, with bright smiles on the match day, still hung in her lobby — a constant reminder of the day that changed her heart in ways she wasn’t ready to acknowledge.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Morning Delhi

As usual, the morning started with the same playful teasing. Abhi and Harman were in the middle of their typical banter, heading towards college. Abhi, being Abhi, never missed a chance to tease her.

"Yaar Harman, you know that senior from that other university? The one who beat up that poor guy just because he proposed to you?" Abhi smirked, knowing exactly how to get a rise out of her.

Harman rolled her eyes, her voice mock-indignant, "Oh please! I don’t care about all that drama. People are just weird sometimes."

Abhi laughed, "You don’t care, but that boy sure got a good lesson in respecting boundaries!"

"You're insufferable," Harman shot back, though a smile tugged at her lips.

Later, Harman teased him right back. "By the way, Abhi, when are you finally going to propose to that girl , aashi from the fest? I saw the way you were looking at her."

Abhi's face immediately flushed, and he quickly tried to hide his embarrassment. "What are you talking about? She’s just a friend!"

"Yeah, right," Harman smirked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "A friend, huh? So you’re saying you don’t like her at all?"

Abhi avoided eye contact, his hands nervously adjusting his bag. "I... I don’t know. It’s complicated, okay?"

Harman, sensing his discomfort, couldn’t help but tease him a little more. "I think you should go for it, Abhi. Life’s too short for second guessing."

Abhi shot her a side glance. "I’ll think about it. But don’t expect me to take any advice from you, Miss ‘No One Can Make Her Heart Race.'"

"Shut up," she grinned, nudging him playfully.

---------------------------------------

At College -

It was a special day. Their last day of college before exams would begin, and soon after, the annual fest and farewell. soon after they'd receive news about their internships — though they had no clue where they would end up, it was all left to luck.

As they entered college, their phones buzzed simultaneously. Harman checked hers first, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw the message.

"Ugh, siddharth sir ," she groaned. "He’s sent the list of guests for the upcoming fest. We have to go through it, and then meet with the director."

Abhi glanced over her shoulder at the list on her phone. "Hmm... Chief guests, yeah, okay. Wait, what?!"

Harman’s heart stopped as she saw the name on the list. "Shubman Gill."

It felt like time had frozen for a moment. Her breath caught in her throat. The same name, the same person who had unknowingly taken over her heart, the same person she had tried to push out of her mind.

Abhi noticed the change in her demeanor immediately. "Bro? What’s wrong?"

She was silent for a moment, her fingers trembling slightly as she scrolled through the list again. "I... I didn’t expect him to be here. Not now. Not after everything."

Abhi could sense the unease in her, and without missing a beat, he reassured her, "Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s just a fest, darling. We’ll keep it professional. No need to stress."

Harman nodded, but her mind was miles away. Destiny... she thought to herself. Why is it playing with me?

She could feel the familiar tug in her chest, the ache of wanting something she couldn’t have. It was like life had thrown her another curveball. And once again, she was completely oblivious to the game destiny was playing — and how it was about to change her life in ways she couldn’t yet imagine.

___________________________________________

Mumbai - Shubman's Apartment

Shubman lay casually on his bed, one arm resting behind his head, staring at the ceiling. His apartment felt quiet, but there was something in the air today — a sense of anticipation he couldn’t quite shake off. Ishan, his teammate and best friend, lounged beside him on the couch, scrolling through his phone.

"You know, Shubman," Ishan began, unable to hide the teasing grin on his face, "that catch ... I think it might’ve taken your heart too. Kab se dekh raha hoon, tu kuch gehri soch mein hai."

Shubman groaned, rolling his eyes. "Yaar, Ishu, stop. I’m not in the mood for your love guru act today."

But Ishan wasn’t letting it go. "Bhai, yeh jo dil mein tumne usse jagah di hai na, it’s not going away easily. Tum khud ko samjho ya destiny ko, ek hi cheez hai — tum dono ko milna zaroori tha."

Shubman just chuckled, dismissing his friend’s playful jabs. "Kismat pe chhodo, Ishan. Aise sab kuch thodi na hota hai."

Ishan leaned closer, raising an eyebrow. "Arey, par tu  Kismat ko thoda push toh de na, contact karne ki koshish toh karta!"

Shubman raised his hand, shaking his head. "Na, na, don't want to have false hope. Agar kismat mein hoga toh hum milenge."

Ishan threw up his hands in mock frustration. "Yeh teri kismat waale line na sunke toh mera dimag kaat jaayega, bhai! Tu toh bas darpook hai — scared kitten!"

Shubman smirked. "Mujhe yeh sab nahi chahiye abhi, samajh gaya. Main bas apni game pe focus karna chahta hoon."

But just as he finished speaking, a new email notification popped up on his phone. He glanced at it, his expression softening when he saw the subject line: Invitation to be Chief Guest at the AIIMS Fest.

His heart skipped a beat. AIIMS? The name brought back memories of the time they spent there, and something about this fest felt... different. Maybe it was just the thought of seeing her again. Maybe it was more than that.

A smile spread across Shubman’s face as he read the email, the offer making him pause. He wasn’t fond of events or public speaking, but this felt like something worth considering.

Ishan leaned over, his curiosity piqued. "Kya hua? Kya hai esa email mein?"

Shubman’s smile widened as he replied, "Kuch aise hi... Looks like I’ve been invited as the chief guest for the AIIMS fest."

Ishan’s eyes widened. "Arre waah! Tere ko milna tha toh yeh waqt hai. Kismat ki baat hai bro! Yeh chance mat chhodiyo."

Shubman looked at his phone, his thoughts already racing. This wasn’t just a fest for him. It was a chance to meet her again, to see if the feelings were real, or if it was just some dream that faded with time.

His fingers brushed the phone screen as he considered the offer.

This time, I’m not letting her go.

Ishan noticed the change in Shubman’s expression, the genuine smile that spread across his face. He raised an eyebrow. "Arre yaar, lagta hai koi mohabbat wali spark hai tere mein. Kya keh rahe ho?"

Shubman just chuckled, leaning back on the bed. "Kuch nahi. Bas soch raha hoon... maybe this is my chance to see where this leads."

Ishan couldn’t help but laugh. " Dekh yaar, destiny ne tere liye plan banaya hai... toh apne destiny ka peecha karo, bro."

Shubman sat up, a content smile crossing his lips. "Hope toh bas yeh hai... ki kuch achha ho. Shayad yeh humari kismat ho."

I'm coming ms cute!!!

--------------------

Will They Meet? Are They Meant To Be?

The uncertainty hung in the air. Shubman couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was changing, something was pulling him towards her.

And destiny? It always has a way of aligning things just when you least expect it.

************************************

************************************************************

************************************************

Upcoming parts. Are gonna be interesting

Do vote and comment guyz 🙏