Tanya was about to snap at him, but in the next heartbeat, the boy lunged forward and kissed her.
When he kissed her, Tanya froze in shock. Her eyes widened in horror. She didn't hesitate for a single second. Gathering every ounce of her strength, she shoved the boy away from her.
The boy stumbled backward.
And in the very next moment—
Tanya's hand swung through the air and connected with his cheek with full force.
CRACK.
The slap was loud enough for people nearby to hear. The boy's face whipped to the side, his head bowed from the impact.
Flashback,
( DAV College, Jaipur
— Famous for its Arts stream, the campus was always buzzing with life and energy.
In a corner of the college, a group of students stood huddled together. Laughter, loud chatter, and a hint of mischief hung thick in the air.
One boy spoke up with a loud laugh, "Today is the first day for the freshers. It's going to be fun… let's see what kind of 'characters' have joined the college this year."
Another boy shrugged his shoulders. "How is it going to be fun? Ragging isn't even allowed in this college anymore."
Before he could even finish his sentence, another boy cut him off, laughing loudly.
"Who says ragging isn't allowed? Who says so?" He glanced around at his friends and added with a smirk, "Everything is allowed… as long as the teachers don't find out."
The entire group erupted into laughter at his words.
Just then, a girl chimed in, "It's easy for you to say. You're the college topper. No one ever dares to file a complaint against you."
The boy replied with effortless arrogance, "Is it my fault if no one complains against me?"
Suddenly, another boy stepped forward.
"Alright then, let's play a game—Truth or Dare?"
The boy smiled.
"Truth and dare all that doesn't apply to me," the boy declared arrogantly.
"I'll take a Dare. Give me whatever you've got."
A mischievous glint sparked in the other boy's eyes.
"Alright... the first girl who enters the college today wearing white—you have to kiss her."
Without a moment's hesitation, the boy replied, "That's it? That's child's play for me. Just watch."
Every pair of eyes in the group turned toward the main college gate, waiting.
A few seconds later—
A car pulled up at the entrance. A girl stepped out of the car wearing a simple white salwar-kameez. The boys in the group looked at each other and began to snicker.
"Aarav, looks like your kiss is locked in with this 'Behenji' type girl today!" one of them mocked.
The group erupted in a loud roar of laughter.
But Aarav—
He wasn't laughing.
He couldn't take his eyes off the girl.
As the girl began walking slowly into the college campus, Aarav started moving too—following her at the same steady pace.
Other students nearby started watching and whispering.. )
Present moment,
The moment Aarav kissed her, Tanya landed a stinging slap across his face. For a moment, the area around them went quiet.. Every eye was pinned on the two of them.
Breaking the tension, one of Aarav's friends began mockingly reciting a famous movie line:
"I'm not afraid of slaps, sir… it's love that scares me."
"Oho… look at that attitude!" another boy joined in, singing in a dramatic, filmy style:
"Oh, leave my path alone,
Good heavens, I'm so afraid,
From your words and your ways,
A storm of kicks and punches plays..."
"My crazy heart says don't let it sleep,
Lest I make a mistake I can't keep,
Kiss me… don't kiss me… don't kiss me, ..."
The group erupted into boisterous laughter. One of the boys turned to a girl in the group.
"Piya, why don't you give us a performance too?"
Piya smirked. "Oh… is that how it is? Just wait… I'll give you a song." She began to hum mockingly:
"The big shock hit so hard today,
Yes, it hit…
The kiss turned into a slap's price to pay,
Yes, a price…"
"This is sadness, thirsty for a life,
Better to apologize than face this strife,
A kiss should bring joy, not a heavy toll,
Yes, a toll..."
As Piya finished her song, the roar of laughter grew even louder.
On the other side stood Tanya. She felt as though she wasn't standing in a place of higher learning, but rather in the middle of a pack of mad people . She said nothing. Without even glancing back at the boy, she silently turned and walked away.
The boy remained standing there, exactly as Tanya had left him. As soon as she was gone, his friends swarmed around him, the air thick with jokes and taunts.
Piya said with mock pity, "So, Mr. Most Popular Boy in College just got slapped by a 'Behenji' type girl. My heart bleeds for you."
The laughter intensified.
Yes—
That boy was none other than Aarav Rajput.
The brother of Pakhi Rajput. The son of Atul and Arti Rajput.
Meanwhile, Tanya reached the watchman. She calmly asked for the location of her class and, without looking at anyone, continued on her way.
Back in the courtyard, the jokes from his friends made him more angry. His expression hardened.
"Until today..." Aarav hissed through gritted teeth. "Until today, no one has ever dared to lay a hand on me."
"And this girl..."
"She slapped Aarav Rajput."
He sounded angry and embarrassed.
"I will take my revenge," he said in a cold, level tone. "After all, she struck Aarav Rajput." Piya stared at him firmly.
"This is your own fault, Aarav. If you do something like that to a girl, what do you expect?
Did you think she would perform a prayer for you instead of slapping you?"
Her tone turned serious. "Look, there are two types of girls in this college. The first type—those who would die for you. They crave even a single glance from you. And the second type..."She paused for effect.
"The ones who don't care whether you exist in this college or not. Whether you look at them or not, they won't even give you the time of day. That girl..." Piya gestured toward the direction Tanya had gone, "...belongs to that second category."
A twisted smirk appeared on Aarav's lips. "Fine," he said softly. "Let's do one more test. Now we'll find out for sure."
With that final, cold remark Aarav walked away.....
Singapore Airport,
Within a short time, Pakhi was back at the exact spot where she had first stepped into this city just a few days ago. The same airport, the same hustle and bustle—but this time, everything felt different now, and all she wanted was to leave.
Pakhi stood at the check-in counter, feeling nervous. The officer took her passport, examined it for a few seconds, and then looked up.
"Your ID, please."
Hearing those words, Pakhi's heart sank.
Her ID… it was gone.
Trying to compose herself, Pakhi pretended to search through her purse. Once, then twice. Her fingers were trembling.
After a few seconds, she looked up and said, "Sorry, sir… I think I misplaced my ID somewhere…"
The officer's expression hardened. "Sorry, ma'am. We can't allow you to proceed without a valid ID."
She started to panic.. "But sir, I'll miss my flight… I have a photo of it on my phone…"
The officer shook his head firmly. "Sorry, ma'am. I can't allow you through with that."
Pakhi didn't know what to do; her mind had gone numb. She was about to say something more when two police officers suddenly approached and stood beside her.
"Are you Miss Pakhi Rajput?"
Pakhi gasped, startled. "Yes…" she whispered.
The moment she said "yes," one officer snatched the passport from her hand. In the very next heartbeat—
Click.
The cold steel of handcuffs locked around her wrist.