Mera Dil Toda(You broke my heart)

The first day at St. Xavier's College was nothing short of chaotic. Students hurried across the sprawling campus with maps in their hands, parents offered last minute advice, seniors stood in groups laughing among themselves, and the morning air buzzed with excitement and nervous anticipation. Among the sea of unfamiliar faces walked Sakshi Sharma. She adjusted the strap of her backpack and took a deep breath. "A new beginning", she whispered to herself. Coming from a middle class family, gaining admission into one of the country's most prestigious colleges was a dream she had worked for since secondary school. Her parents had sacrificed countless comforts to make sure she received the best education they could not afford, and she carried those sacrifices with pride. She promised herself one thing before leaving home that morning. No distractions. No unnecessary friendships. And definitely no romance. She had come to build her future. Sakshi Sharma. A kind, wonderful and good human being. Innocent and Charming. Ethereally beautiful and Charming. She was indeed gorgeous. And she told herself no romance at all. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of campus... A black sports car roared through the college gates. Heads turned immediately. Some girls giggled. Others pulled out their phones. "He's here!" "It has to be him". "No way... That's Arnav Malhotra". The car stopped in front of the main building. She turned around and flung his hair. His dark hair. Sharp jawline. Confident smile. He looked around and put his sunglasses on. Arnav Malhotra looked around as though the entire college belonged to him. He wasn't just another freshman. His family owned one of the largest business empires in the city, and his reputation has already reached the campus before he did. Rich. Handsome. Fearless. And completely full of himself. He was proud and unapologetically arrogant. Too elegant but also too arrogant. He believed that everything belonged to him and be could get what he wants or do what he wants (which is actually very true) He jumped out of the car and slung his backpack over one shoulder before carefully tossing the car keys to his best friend. "Take care of her" he said lazily. His friend laughed. " You live that car more than people". "I do". The group burst into laughter as they walked towards the auditorium. Girls giggled. Some smiled shyly. Arnav noticed every single one of them. He flashed his signature smile without slowing down. Back inside the auditorium, the orientation program had already begun. Sakshi quietly slipped into an empty seat in the front. She opened her notebook and began writing down every important announcement. Hostel rules. Attendance policy. Library hours. Scholarship requirements. Everything mattered. A few rows behind her... Arnav walked in nearly fifteen minutes late. The dean paused mid-sentence. "Mr Malhotra", the elderly man said sternly. "Nice of you to join us". "I'm sorry Sir," Arnav replied with absolutely no hint of regret. "The traffic was terrible". His friends struggled not to laugh. Everyone knew that he had arrived late simply because he didn't care. The dean sighed. "Take your seat". Arnav scanned the hall. Only one seat remained empty. Right beside Sakshi. He walked over and dropped into the chair. Sakshi frowned slightly but continued writing. Arnav leaned over. "You actually take notes during orientation?" Without looking at him, she replied "Some of us came here to study". He smirked. "Ouch". She ignored him. For the next ten minutes, Arnav whispered jokes to his friends across the aisle, earning several warnings form professors. Sakshi finally had enough. "Could you please be quiet?" He turned towards her with an amused expression. "Excuse me?" "I said you're disturbing everyone". "You mean I'm disturbing you?" "Yes". He smiled wider. "That's adorable". She rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this". Before he could respond, the dean announced a short break. Students immediately poured outside. Arnav stretched his arms. "I don't even know your name". "And you don't need to ". "Now I'm curious". She packed her notebooks. "Stay curious". Without another word, she walked away. His friends appeared beside him. "Rejected already?" Arnav chuckled. "No girl has ever walked away from me first". "Forget her". He watched Sakshi disappear into the crowd. "No". His smile grew. "She's interesting". The rest of the day passed with introductions, department tours and registration. By afternoon, students gathered in the cafeteria. Sakshi sat alone, eating while reading through her timetable. She barely noticed someone approaching. "Mine if I sit here?" She looked up. Arnav. Again. "There are plenty of empty tables". "I know". "So why this one?" "Because you're here". She sighed. "You don't give up, do you?" "Never". Reluctantly, she returned to her lunch. Arnav rested his elbow on the table. "So..." "What?" "You still haven't told me your name". "Sakshi". He smiled. "There". "Was that so difficult?" She looked directly into his eyes. "Don't misunderstand". "I told you my name because I don't like repeating myself". He laughed. "I like you". " I didn't ask". "I know". "And I don't care". Before he could answer, one of the female admirers walked over. "Arnav!" She smiled brightly. "I've been looking everywhere for you". He greeted her casually. The girl glanced at Sakshi before wrapping her arm around Arnav's shoulder. "Come sit with us". Arnav looked back at Sakshi. She simply continued eating. Without waiting for his response, the girl pulled him away. As they walked off, Arnav glanced over his shoulder. Sakshi never looked up. For the first time in years... Someone wasn't impressed by him. And strangely... He couldn't stop thinking about her. Unaware the attention she had captured, Sakshi gathered her books and headed towards the library. She smiled softly to herself. College was exactly what she expected. Full of distractions. Especially arrogant boys who believed every girl would fall at their feet. She had no intentions of becoming one of them. Little did she know... The boy she had already dismissed would soon become the greatest joy__ and the deepest heartbreak__ of her life.