Ring, ring.
I woke up to the sound of an alarm. I stopped it and got out of bed.
After completing my daily routine, I got ready for college.
It seemed like a normal day, just like always. Nothing unusual was supposed to happen—or so I thought.
I took my bike from the garage and headed to college. It was a half-hour ride from my house. My college, Dios Saint College, was an international institution where students from London and India studied together.
When I reached the college, I parked my bike and walked toward the entrance gate. A guard checked my ID and let me in.
Inside the gate was a huge pathway shaped like a cross. Alongside all four sides of the pathway were parks, and in the center stood a magnificent flower fountain. The left path led to the Mathematics classes, while the right led to the Biology classes—where I needed to go.
I was about to turn right when I noticed three girls talking and laughing together in the southwest park. All three were beautiful, but the one standing in the middle was breathtaking. She looked like a goddess.
Her beauty was indescribable. My face turned red, and I couldn't stop staring at her. My breath caught in my chest, and my heart raced.
Was this love at first sight? It felt like something straight out of a movie or TV show.
"Hey," the girl on the left called out, waving her hand at me.
Gasp! I caught my breath.
I was utterly confused about how to respond. Nervousness washed over me as I struggled to find words. I was shy and introverted.
"Hey, come over here," the girl on the right said with a slight smile.
I was already confused about what to reply, and now they were calling me over! Only one thought came to mind:
[Always show confidence.]
That was a line I remembered from a video titled How to Make New Friends Easily.
With my blushing face, I gathered all the confidence I could muster, walked over to them, and said, "Hi."
"Why were you staring at us?" the girl on the right asked, drawing my attention away from the goddess in the middle.
I had used up all my confidence just to greet them. How was I supposed to answer that without sounding like a creep?
"I-I wasn't looking at you," I stammered, my Indian accent thickened by nervousness.
"Then where were you looking?" the girl on the left asked, smirking.
It became clear they were teasing me. The blush on my face started to fade as I remembered another line from that video:
[Always compliment them—with a twist.]
At the time, I had thought the advice was pointless and unrealistic, but I decided to give it a shot.
"I was looking at a moon in the daytime," I said, glancing at the girl in the middle.
"A moon? Are you insane? Where's this moon you're talking about?"
The girls on either side bombarded me with questions, but the one in the middle just locked eyes with me.
The intensity between us was so strong that neither of us blinked.
"I'm still looking at it," I said softly, with a small smile.
A sudden silence fell over the group. Even the wind seemed louder in that moment. Then...
"Hahaha." The girl in the middle laughed, her voice soft and sweet.
"Huh?!" The girl on the left looked shocked.
"Are you flirting?" the girl on the right asked, confused.
I couldn't believe it—I had confessed to a girl. As the realization hit me, my face turned as red as a cherry.
Tang, tang, tang!
The bell for the first class rang.
The girls on the sides murmured to each other as they headed to class, but the one in the middle stayed behind.
"You're funny," she said softly, extending her hand for a handshake. "I'm Holly."
"I'm Ritik," I replied, taking her hand.
Her touch was so soft and gentle that I could feel every neuron in my hand reacting to it.
"Let's go," she said with a laugh, pulling me toward her class by the hand.
Without a second thought, I followed her.