Aryan Mestri stood nervously outside St. Xavier College ,his father's words echo in his mind .
" Aryan ,you'll excel here . Make me proud."
His father's encouragement bolstered his confidence.
As Aryan entered the campus ,he was struck by the lush greenery and modern architecture .
" Wow , this place is amazing."
He took a deep breath ,ready to start his new journey.
Aryan strolled through the college garden , mesmerized by the vibrant flowers and serene atmosphere. Lost in thought , he bumps into someone.
Strong hands grasped his arms , steadying him. Aryan's gaze met piercing blue eyes and chiseled features. He felt his heart skip a beat.
As they parted ,the stranger asked ," Hello ,are you okay ??"
Aryan nodded,still dazed . " Yeah ,I'm fine . You're also ...fine looking ." He mentally face-palmed ." Did I just said that out loud ??"
Clearing his throat , Aryan tried to recover," I mean, I'm fine ."
The stranger chuckled ," What's your name?"
"Aryan ," he replied.
" I'm River," the boy said with a disarming smile .
Aryan's pride kicked in ," You should apologise."
River raised an eyebrow . " For what??"
" You bumped into me ." Aryan pointed out.
River grinned mischievously , " Not at all . I'm not apologizing. Are you??"
Aryan's competitive streak surfaced , " Never ."
River winked and walked away saying," then by ,Aru ."
Aryan called after him , exasperated, " My name Aryan , you idiot !! "
River's laughter echoed as he disappeared into the college building
, leaving Aryan both annoyed and intrigued.
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Aryan stepped into his classroom , taking deep breaths to claim his nerves . Surrounded by unfamiliar faces , he felt pang of anxiety . English wasn't his first language , and the confident chatter of his classmates intimidated him .
" Can I really do this??" he wondered.
But then, his inner voice kicked in, " You can do it ,Aryan . You've prepared well. Just be yourself ."
With renewed determination , Aryan took his seat and began to unpack his belongings .
As he glanced around , he saw River . River seated across the room ,caught Aryan's gaze and smiled at him. He swiftly gathered his belongings and made his way to Aryan's desk .
" Mind if I join you ??" River asked already taking the seat beside Aryan.
Aryan raised an eyebrow , " Why did you come here ??"
River's eyes sparkled . " Just to annoy you ."
Aryan rolled his eyes . " Stop it ."
River leaned in , his voice low and playful. " You look even more cute when you are angry ."
Aryan's cheeks flushed, and he tried to maintain a stern expression," Don't distract me , during class."
River chuckled," Can't help it ,. You're to entertaining.
Mrs . D'Souza cleared her throat , drawing the class's attention . " Now, let's discuss Newton's laws...."
Aryan and River concentrate on the lecture and starts to take notes .
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It was recess, Aryan headed to cafeteria. He spotted a vacant seat near Riya, Samson (who went by Sam),and Ashish. " Mind if I join you ??" he asked.
They welcomed him with warm smiles.
Riya asked," Well, did you enjoyed the classes ??"
Then, her expression turned mischievous ," Actually,I wanted to ask, are you two boyfriends??"
Aryan's eyebrows shot up in surprise," Who ??"
Sam chimed in, " Don't act fool. You and River??"
Aryan shook his head, recounting the encounter ," We met in the garden. He bumped into me and didn't even apologize and then sat next to me in class, annoying me ."
Ashish observed ," but you seem to enjoy his company."
Aryan protested ," Enjoy ? Never ! And I don't even like...guys. He paused , hiding his secret.
Unbeknownst to his new friends, Aryan had realized his attraction to men at 14 . Only his sister, Aria ,knew. His parents remained unknown.
Riya's curiosity lingered ," So , what's the deal with you and River?"
Aryan shrugged. " Just an annoying encounter. Let's drop it ."
Sam teased ," We'll keep an eye on you two . Maybe there's more to story ."
Aryan's face warmed, hoping his secret remained concealed.
Just then ,River appeared," Mind if I join ??"
The group welcomed River , oblivious to Aryan's internal turmoil .
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Aryan's classes finally ended and he settled into his car . His sister Aria's call broke the silence.
" Hello,so now you remember me ?" Aryan laughed .
Aria replied," Today was a long day; I didn't have a time time to call you."
Aryan smiled ," It's okay , I'm just returning to room from classes."
Aria asked," So , how was the day?"
Aryan shrugged. " Well ,not bad. Just a guy called River made me angry ."
He briefed her on their encounter.
Aria teased ," So is he hot ?"
Aryan chuckled," Aria ,stop it."
Aria persisted ," When are you going to have a cute boyfriend? You're always studying, occasionally partying...."
Aryan interrupted , " Stop ,Aria . You know what's on my mind ."
Aria sighed ." I know, you love Dad and don't want to hurt him by telling him you are gay or you are getting a boyfriend. But, what about you ??"
Aryan swiftly ended the call. " Bye , I'll call you later."
He arrived at his room , finding the room unlocked." I think my new roommate has arrived. Let's see who it is."
Entering the other room ,he found no one. Moving to his room ,he was taken aback .
A shirtless man stood , unpacking bags . Aryan's gaze locked on stranger's physique.
" So , you're my new roommate." Aryan said, trying to sound claim. " Hi ,but this is my room. The other one's yours .
The man turned around revealing River's familiar smile .
" You!!" Aryan exclaimed,shock etched on his face.