The Boy Who Had Always Been There
The first morning of college did not feel like the beginning of a new life. It felt like a morning that had started too quickly.
Ananya had been standing in front of the mirror for nearly fifteen minutes, trying to decide whether her hair looked better tied up or left open. She had changed her earrings twice already and was now wondering if anyone would even notice the difference. Her college bag was packed and waiting on the bed, but she kept checking it anyway, making sure she had everything she might need. Her phone, charger, wallet, college ID, and water bottle were all there. She checked once more before finally deciding that she was ready.
"Ananya!"
Her mother's voice came from downstairs.
"I'm coming!"
"You've been saying that for ten minutes."
"I know. I'm actually coming now."
She picked up her bag and hurried downstairs, only to find her mother waiting near the door with her lunch box and another water bottle in her hands.
"Take these. And don't come back in the afternoon saying you forgot to eat."
Ananya smiled as she took them. "I won't."
Her mother looked at her for a moment, then adjusted the strap of her bag. "Are you nervous?"
"A little."
"That's normal. It's your first day."
"I know, but everyone keeps talking about college like it's going to change my entire life."
Her mother laughed softly. "Maybe it will. But you don't have to figure everything out on the first day."
Ananya nodded, though she wasn't completely convinced. She had spent the last few weeks hearing about new friends, new experiences, new responsibilities, and all the things that supposedly came with growing up. Until now, college had felt like something far away. Suddenly, it was standing right in front of her.
Her mother handed her the lunch box. "Just go, enjoy yourself, and remember to eat."
"Okay."
"And call me when you reach."
"I will."
Ananya stepped outside, taking a deep breath as she closed the gate behind her. The street looked exactly as it always did. The same houses, the same morning traffic, and the same familiar faces going about their routines. Nothing around her seemed different, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she was stepping into something completely new.
Her phone vibrated in her hand before she had even reached the end of the street.
She already knew who it was.
Aarav: Where are you?
Another message arrived before she could reply.
Aarav: Still getting ready?
Then came another.
Aarav: I know you.
Ananya smiled despite herself and typed back that she was on her way. His response appeared almost immediately, asking whether that meant she was actually leaving now. She told him yes, only to receive another reminder that orientation started at nine and that he would leave without her if she wasn't there by 8:45.
She shook her head as she put the phone away. Aarav had always been like that. He could annoy her within seconds and somehow still be the person she wanted around when she was nervous.
Aarav had been part of her life for as long as she could remember. Their families were close, their houses were nearby, and they had grown up together. There were photographs of them from almost every stage of their childhood—birthday parties, school functions, family trips, and random afternoons when neither of them had anything better to do. They had fought over stupid things, teased each other endlessly, and somehow always ended up together again.
He knew her habits without asking. He knew which foods she hated, what made her angry, when she was nervous and when she was pretending not to be. Sometimes, she felt that he knew her better than she knew herself.
And she knew him just as well.
At least, she thought she did.
By the time Ananya reached the college gates, her confidence had disappeared somewhere along the way. Students were everywhere. Some were standing in groups and talking as if they had known one another for years, while others were walking around with their phones in their hands, trying to find their classrooms. A few were already taking pictures near the entrance.
Ananya stood there for a moment, taking it all in.
"Are you planning to stand here until graduation?"
She turned at the familiar voice and found Aarav standing a few feet behind her. His backpack was hanging over one shoulder, and he looked far too relaxed for someone who was supposed to be starting college on the same day.
"You're late," she told him.
He glanced at his watch and smiled. "I'm early."
"Not according to me."
"According to every clock in the world, I'm early."
Ananya gave him an annoyed look. "I hate you."
He didn't even hesitate. "No, you don't."
The confidence in his answer made her want to argue, but instead she found herself smiling.
She asked why he had come outside when he could have waited inside. Aarav simply told her that he had been waiting but hadn't seen her, so he came looking for her. Then, as usual, he reminded her that she got lost easily. When she denied it, he brought up the time she had walked into the wrong parking section at the mall.
"It looked the same," she argued.
"Exactly," he said, laughing.
It was such a normal conversation that some of the nervousness in her chest finally disappeared. Walking beside him made the huge campus seem slightly less intimidating. She didn't have to worry about what she was supposed to say or whether she looked nervous. Aarav was there, and somehow that was enough.
The orientation lasted longer than Ananya expected. There were speeches about attendance, examinations, college rules, and activities, and by the time they reached the middle of it, she was struggling to stay interested. Aarav seemed to have given up completely. When she glanced at his notebook, she found him drawing instead of taking notes.
She leaned towards him and whispered that he was going to get them both into trouble. He insisted that he was taking notes, but when she looked again, the page contained a terrible drawing of one of their professors.
She tried not to laugh, but Aarav noticed anyway.
"You still laugh at the same things," he whispered.
"Because you're still stupid," she replied, trying to look serious.
He smiled and went back to his drawing.
It was a small thing, but moments like that were exactly why being around him had always felt easy. Aarav didn't need to make an effort to make her comfortable. He simply existed beside her, and somehow everything felt normal.
By lunchtime, they had managed to get lost twice before finding the canteen. They ordered food and found a table near the window. Ananya had barely started eating when Aarav reached across and stole one of her fries.
She immediately moved the plate away from him and complained that he should get his own food. He laughed and reminded her that sharing was caring before taking another fry anyway. They had probably had the same argument countless times, but neither of them seemed tired of it.
While they were talking, Ananya suddenly caught herself looking at him.
Aarav noticed.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"I'm not."
"You were."
"I was thinking."
"About me?"
She rolled her eyes and told him not to flatter himself, but he only smiled as though he had already won the argument. She looked back at her food, surprised by the warmth that had suddenly reached her cheeks.
Before she could think about it, someone approached their table.
"You're Ananya, right?"
She looked up and found a girl smiling at her. She introduced herself as Meera, and Ananya welcomed her to sit with them. They started talking about their course, the orientation, and how confusing the campus was.
After a few minutes, Meera looked between Ananya and Aarav with a curious expression.
"You two came together?"
Ananya nodded. "Yeah."
"Boyfriend?"
The answer came out before she even thought about it.
"No!"
Meera raised her eyebrows.
Ananya realized how quickly she had responded and immediately added that Aarav was her friend.
"Best friend," Aarav corrected casually.
Meera smiled. "That's sweet."
Ananya immediately disagreed, insisting that there was nothing sweet about him. Aarav looked offended, which only made Meera laugh. It was the first time Ananya had spoken to her properly, but something about Meera felt easy, and by the end of lunch, Ananya was glad she had met her.
The rest of the afternoon passed faster than she expected. They found their classrooms, met a few more students, and tried to remember the complicated route between the different buildings. By the time they finally reached the entrance, Ananya was exhausted.
Aarav looked at her and told her she had survived her first day. She laughed and said barely, and he reminded her that being alive was enough for a first day.
They walked towards his bike, and he handed her the spare helmet.
Ananya put it on and tried to fasten the strap, but it slipped from her fingers.
Aarav watched her for a few seconds before asking whether she still didn't know how to do it.
"I do," she insisted.
He laughed. "No, you don't."
She tried again, but the strap refused to cooperate.
"Fine," she finally said.
Aarav stepped closer and took the strap from her hands. "Stay still."
Ananya stopped arguing.
He adjusted the helmet carefully, his fingers brushing lightly against her cheek as he fixed the strap. It was such a small thing that it shouldn't have mattered, but for some reason, Ananya suddenly became aware of how close he was.
For a second, she forgot what she was supposed to say.
Aarav finished fastening the strap and stepped back.
"There."
"Thanks."
He looked at her for a moment. "You okay?"
"Yeah."
"You look weird."
Ananya immediately frowned. "I do not."
"You do."
"Just drive."
A small smile appeared on his face. "Yes, ma'am."
She climbed onto the bike, hoping he hadn't noticed how strangely quiet she had become.
The ride home was familiar. She had sat behind Aarav countless times before, but that evening she found herself thinking about the moment outside the college. She tried to convince herself that it had meant nothing. He had only helped her with the helmet. He had done things like that before.
Still, she couldn't completely stop thinking about it.
When they reached her house, she got down and handed him the helmet. Before she walked inside, Aarav reminded her not to overthink the day.
Ananya laughed and asked how he knew she was going to overthink it.
"Because I know you," he said simply.
She smiled at him and waved before walking through the gate.
That night, when her mother asked how college had been, Ananya simply said it was good. She didn't mention how nervous she had been that morning or how strange it had felt to see so many unfamiliar faces. She didn't mention Meera either or the fact that she had almost gotten lost more than once.
And she definitely didn't mention the helmet.
There was nothing to mention.
She changed, got into bed, and checked her timetable again. She had already looked at it several times, but somehow she still felt like she was going to forget something important.
Her phone buzzed.
It was Aarav.
Reached home?
She smiled and replied that she had.
He asked whether she had survived, and she told him barely. He called her dramatic, she told him she was tired, and he ordered her to sleep. When she called him bossy, he replied that she listened anyway.
Ananya stared at the message for a moment before smiling.
That was Aarav.
He had always been there. He was the person she could call without thinking, the person she could fight with over the smallest things and still talk to five minutes later. He was familiar in a way no one else was.
Her best friend.
She placed her phone beside her and turned off the light.
But when she closed her eyes, her mind returned to the afternoon.
The college gate. The ride home. Aarav standing in front of her, fixing the helmet strap.
She opened her eyes again.
Why was she thinking about that?
It wasn't anything special. He had helped her with something as simple as a helmet. Maybe the first day had just made everything feel different. Maybe she was tired. Maybe she was imagining something that wasn't there.
Ananya turned onto her side and pulled the blanket closer. Aarav was her best friend. That was what he had always been. She closed her eyes again, trying to let the thought settle. For years, Aarav had simply been the boy who had always been there. She had never questioned what that meant before.
Maybe tomorrow, everything would feel normal again.
