When Eyes Meet

Episode 02

“Good morning, sir,” the crowd replied together.

“I am Mr. Rajeev Menon, the manager of Srishti Institute of Media and Design. Firstly, congratulations to each one of you for becoming part of this institution.”

Applause filled the hall.

Mr. Rajeev smiled proudly before continuing.

“As many of you already know, Srishti is considered one of the top institutions in the state for media, design, and communication studies. And this year is especially important for us…”

He paused dramatically.

“Because this institution has officially completed ten successful years.”

The auditorium erupted into applause again.

“For the past decade,” he continued, “students from this campus have built successful careers across the country. Some became filmmakers, journalists, designers, entrepreneurs… and many even returned here as mentors.”

Sakshi listened carefully, impressed by the confidence in his voice.

“This institution is not just about marks,” Mr. Rajeev said. “It is about discovering who you are and who you wish to become.”

Those words stayed in Sakshi’s mind.

Discovering who you are.

For some strange reason, she suddenly remembered the boy from her dream again.

And at that exact moment—

Someone entered through the auditorium doors.

The sound of footsteps echoed softly behind her.

The person who entered the auditorium was him.

Sakshi’s breath caught instantly.

It felt as though time itself had stopped for a moment.

The man from her dream.

The same sharp eyes.

The same calm expression.

Even the way he pushed back, his slightly wet hair looked exactly the same.

Her fingers tightened around the edge of her notebook.

“No way…” she whispered under her breath.

The man walked confidently down the aisle while students turned to look at him curiously. Dressed in a black shirt with folded sleeves and dark grey trousers, he carried himself with effortless calm.

But Sakshi couldn’t hear anything around her anymore.

Not the manager’s speech.

Not the chatter.

Nothing.

All she could hear was the echo of his voice from the dream.

“Will you stay beside me forever?”

Her heart started beating wildly.

The man walked toward the front row near the stage, where a few faculty members were seated. One of the teachers smiled at seeing him.

“You’re late again, Adit,” another professor teased quietly.

Adit chuckled lightly before taking his seat.

Sakshi froze completely.

Adit.

Even his name was the same.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“This has to be a joke…”

She immediately looked away, trying to calm herself down.

It was just a dream.

Dreams weren’t real.

But then why did he look exactly the same?

As if sensing someone staring at him, Adit suddenly lifted his gaze.

Their eyes met.

For one dangerous second.

Sakshi forgot how to breathe.

The auditorium lights reflected softly in his dark eyes, and something about the way he looked at her made her chest tighten strangely — almost as if he recognized her too.

Then—

“Sakshi?”

She blinked suddenly.

The girl sitting beside her frowned slightly. “Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

Sakshi forced an awkward laugh.

“No… no, I’m fine.”

But she wasn’t fine at all.

Because the man sitting in front near the faculty section wasn’t just any stranger anymore.

He was the same man who had proposed to her in her dream only a few hours ago.

And somehow…

Reality felt even more unreal than the dream itself.

Within a few minutes, the manager’s speech came to an end.

The auditorium filled with applause once again as Mr. Rajeev stepped away from the microphone.

“Now,” he announced with a smile, “I would like to invite our faculty members to say a few words to our new students.”

One by one, the professors walked onto the stage.

Some introduced their departments warmly while others cracked jokes to make the freshers feel comfortable. The atmosphere slowly became lighter, filled with laughter and excitement.

But Sakshi barely focused on any of it.

Her attention kept drifting toward Adit.

Even when he sat silently among the faculty members, something about his presence pulled her eyes back towards him again and again.

Finally, after a few more introductions, the host smiled toward the faculty row.

“And now, I’d like to invite Professor Adit Varma from the Media Studies Department.”

The moment his name was announced, Sakshi’s heartbeat skipped.

Adit stood up calmly and walked toward the stage.

The auditorium suddenly felt quieter.

He adjusted the microphone slightly before looking at the students with an easy smile.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning, sir,” the students replied together.

“To be honest,” Adit began casually, “most of you probably came here nervous.”

A few students laughed immediately.

“And some of you are already wondering whether joining this institution was the right decision.”

More laughter spread across the hall.

Adit smiled knowingly before continuing.

“But trust me when I say this…”

His voice softened slightly.

“You are very lucky to be here.”

Sakshi looked up at him instantly.

“This institution doesn’t just teach subjects. It changes people. It gives you memories, friendships, opportunities… and sometimes,” he paused with a faint smile, “it gives you moments that completely change your life.”

For some strange reason, his eyes briefly drifted toward Sakshi while saying that last sentence.

Her breath caught again.

“You all earned your place here,” he continued. “So don’t be afraid to make mistakes, ask questions, or dream big.”

The students applauded loudly.

Another professor came forward afterward and said warmly, “Many students dream of getting admission here, and today all of you are sitting in those seats. That, in itself, is something to be proud of.”

One after another, the faculty members encouraged the students, speaking about opportunities, creativity, campus life, and future success.

But Sakshi remembered only one voice.

One face.

One name.

Adit.

And no matter how hard she tried convincing herself otherwise…

She couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t their first meeting.

The induction program finally came to an end with loud applause filling the auditorium.