Chapter 2: The World They Live In
501 Words
The morning air was crisp at St. Peter’s College, the sun casting golden streaks across the campus. The Literature Block, where Ayisha and Anjali had their classes, buzzed with students exchanging notes, gossip, and laughter. The college was a world of its own, where friendships were made, rivalries brewed, and secrets remained buried under layers of pretense.
Ayisha and Anjali entered their classroom, settling into their usual seats near the window.
“Did you finish the assignment?” Ayisha asked as she pulled out her book.
their own worlds. Neha, Ayisha’s childhood friend, whispered excitedly about some college gossip. Rohan, the quiet poet, stared out the window, lost in thought. Sneha, the topper, was already buried in her notes.
But somewhere across the campus, in a completely different classroom, Daksh sat among his own crowd—his world far removed from Ayisha and Anjali’s.
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Daksh, a senior and the undisputed leader of his group, occupied a seat in the Business Studies Block. Unlike the Literature students, his class was filled with future entrepreneurs, corporate heirs, and students driven by ambition rather than poetry.
His friends—Rishi, Aravind, Wikki, Niveda, and Ritika—were more than just classmates. They were a pack, bound by their status and attitude.
“Party at my place tonight?” Wikki asked, leaning back in his chair.
Aravind smirked. “Like you even have to ask. Daksh, you in?”
Daksh tapped his pen on the desk absentmindedly. “Yeah, whatever.”
Ritika, who had been scrolling through her phone, suddenly perked up. “Did you hear? The Literature department has some fresh drama brewing.”
Daksh barely glanced at her. “Since when do we care about those nerds?”
Niveda raised a brow. “It’s not about caring. It’s about knowing. There’s this girl—Ayisha. She’s always with that other one... what’s her name?”
“Anjali,” Ritika supplied.
Rishi grinned. “She’s the black one, right? doesn’t care what people think?”
Aravind shrugged. “Never really noticed her. But she’s not like the usual quiet girls, that’s for sure.”
Daksh didn’t join the conversation. He never spoke about her. He never even acknowledged her presence.
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Anjali, unaware of the discussions happening across campus, focused on her own world.
During lunch, she and Ayisha sat in their usual spot under a large banyan tree. Students milled around them, some laughing, some studying, some lost in their own thoughts.
Ayisha took a bite of her sandwich. “You don’t talk much about your life outside college.”
Anjali smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
Ayisha frowned. “That’s not true. I just... I don’t want to pressure you. But if you ever feel like talking, I’m here.”
Anjali looked at her friend, feeling a strange warmth in her heart. If only Ayisha knew. If only anyone knew.
But no one did.
And she intended to keep it that way.
- Writer
