She wasn’t able to make sense of anything around her. Her eyes were darting continuously in every direction, trying to understand what was happening. But she couldn’t gather the courage to ask anyone anything. Everyone was a stranger, and she had already heard plenty about how seniors at college often rag juniors in humiliating ways. That fear had taken root deep inside her heart, making her extremely nervous. She had already made up her mind not to speak to anyone under any circumstances, especially not a senior. She was determined not to get noticed and attract any unwanted attention.

Looking around once again, she slowly lowered her head, trying to blend in and make herself as unnoticeable as possible, almost as if, by hiding her face, she could hide the fact that she was a freshman. The last thing she wanted was to end up in a ragging situation.

She continued walking cautiously, step by step, and guessed that the crowd moving ahead was probably heading toward the main event or function. It seemed like the safest option to follow the crowd rather than wander alone, lost. So, she kept walking with them.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks when she felt a hand placed firmly on her head. Startled, she immediately looked up to see a large palm hovering above her. She instinctively stepped aside, trying to see who it was. But as she tried to peek around the hand, the palm's owner leaned in from the other side to see her face. At that moment, neither of them could clearly see each other.

The group of boys standing beside him laughed, and one of them gently pulled the hand down from her face. Now, all of them were staring at her with amused expressions. The moment she looked at them, she realized the truth: they were her seniors. She was certain that they had come specifically to intimidate their juniors.

Fear rose in her chest like a wave, and without wasting a second, she turned around and began to walk away quickly. But just then, one of them grabbed her bag from behind, stopping her.

“Hey, Miss Junior…. Where do you think you’re running off to?” The tall boy said, holding on to her bag with a smirk. “If you think you can escape from here just like that, you’re sorely mistaken. Ragging is a tradition you must go through…. Come on, sweetheart…. I really love to know a lot about you.”

Her voice trembled with a mix of fear and anger as she tried to free herself.

“Ragging is a criminal offense,” she retorted, mustering some courage. “And if you're caught, you could face up to seven years in prison… and restrictions from college.”

Hearing this, he pulled her bag and turned her around to face him, staring directly into her eyes. His friends chuckled at her attempt to be brave. Two of them casually leaned their elbows on her shoulders from either side, adding to her discomfort. She glanced at the two boys beside her and then turned her gaze back to the person who seemed to be the leader. He looked furious, his eyes sharp and intense. But just as she prepared herself for some outburst, he surprised her. He stepped forward and extended his hand toward her.

“Hello, I’m Priyank Randhawa.”

“JHEEL MAHESHWARI...”

She looks at his hand, blinking her eyes several times, and says it immediately without shaking it. The moment she said her name, all of them burst into laughter.

“JHEEL… So, tell us—where do you usually flow?”

One of the group members teased Jheel by playing with the pun in her name. The group laughed even louder this time, their mocking tone evident. Jheel simply stood there, quietly observing their expressions. She tried once again to leave, but Priyank blocked her way, spreading both arms out wide.

“Listen, it’s simple,” he said smugly. “Every girl who wants to leave this spot to go inside for the welcome ceremony has to give me a kiss on both my cheeks. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT RULE TO ENTER IN THE HALL…. That’s the only way out. So give your token, go inside, enjoy the celebration… and we’ll meet again later with your entire class.”

Jheel looked at him in disbelief. Her eyes reflected her shock and disgust after listening to the story about the kiss. But he remained unaffected by her reaction. With a sly grin, he tilted his face toward her and tapped his cheek with his index finger, clearly expecting the kiss. She took a step back, crossing her arms.

“Do you think I’m handing out kisses like candy from a roadside stall?”

Her words wiped the smirk off Priyank’s face for a brief moment; not a single girl until now had denied him. He stared at her coldly, his gaze sharp enough to make anyone flinch. But Jheel didn’t wait to see what he’d say or do next; she turned and sprinted away before he gave her another stupid task in the name of ragging.

It was the first time that a girl had refused him in this manner. Every other junior had given in to the so-called “ritual” without resistance. Watching her run off like that, Priyank growled under his breath and turned to his friends.

“Bring that girl back to me… Everyone else gave one and one on both cheeks…. I want countless from her…”

His group immediately started chasing after her, their laughter now replaced with determination. Jheel, on the other hand, was running as fast as she could, weaving through the campus, not knowing where she was going. All she knew was that she had to escape.

Suddenly, a narrow pathway appeared on her left, which seemed very secure.

"Is the principal living here…?"

Without thinking twice, she bolted toward it. The boys behind her were still chasing her, but as they noticed where she was headed, they suddenly skidded to a halt and shouted after her.

“Hey! Crazy girl, stop! That area is restricted. Come back out… Now…”

“If Priyank’s elder brother finds out that his own brother is doing ragging… he’ll kill us all…”

“Somebody stop that girl…. She's headed straight into danger….”

Priyank, who was leisurely running behind them, sees them standing there, widens his eyes, looks towards the path, and then immediately glances at his friends. They all shake their heads. He quickly covers his face with both hands and speaks in a very worried tone.

"If Bhaiya comes to know that I was taking ragging for fun despite his denial, then he will really rag me in front of everyone…. Everybody run away from here quickly; that girl will be insulted badly by my angry brother, one hundred percent, and her restriction is certain."

They all turned pale. Everyone in college knew: when Taksh was angry, silence followed… and rules changed. All of them immediately disappear from there as if they were not chasing anyone, but unaware of this, Jheel is running inside because she has an idea that maybe a teacher or the principal must be there, but those people must be following her. This fear is constantly bothering her because he is an old student and she is new, so it may happen that no teacher listens to her. She kept running while looking back. And just then, she collided violently with someone.

The impact was so sudden and forceful that she stumbled and nearly fell. The man she’d bumped into suddenly turned furious. He straightened himself instantly, brushing off his clothes as if disgusted by the touch. He wasn’t just any guy. His face exuded authority, and his presence exuded an altogether different level of intensity.

Taksh had long become used to girls making all sorts of excuses to get close to him. And it wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy attention. If someone offered pleasure, he never really said no. In fact, he considered it a kind of insult not to take what was so eagerly offered to him. He knew full well how far girls were willing to go for him.

However, despite all the lustful attention, he had set a strict boundary for himself. He had never allowed things to go beyond oral pleasure. That was his line—his limit.

But this college… this campus… was different. It wasn’t just an institution to him. It was his mother’s dream. She had lovingly built this dream with her own hands, step by step, vision by vision. And for that reason, he kept himself distanced from any scandal or interaction that could invite gossip or bring dishonor to the college name. He never mingled too closely with any girl here. He didn't want stories or whispers to drag his name into the spotlight. He valued discipline.

Today, a girl not only entered the most forbidden zone of the campus, which was completely off-limits to students, but also dared to fall onto him, almost like a scripted seduction. And that was the last straw.

He immediately turned to look at the girl who had just bumped into him. She was staring at her hands and clothes, now smeared with wet mud. As soon as she sensed someone’s gaze on her, she quickly lifted her face. And the moment he saw her face, his eyes widened in complete disbelief.

It was her.

She was the girl he had been searching for over the past three days. He had roamed the city without a name or a clue, hoping to encounter her once more. And now, here she was, standing right in front of him. He said nothing. He said nothing, unable to believe that the girl he had searched for day and night was finally right in front of him. The frustration of the past few days now vanished in an instant. But today she is in front of him, and her innocence is attracting him even more. He just kept staring at her, completely captivated.

Jheel looked at him closely, confused at first, then alarmed. She quickly stood up and spoke sharply.

“Do you guys go anywhere to do ragging? … I’m going to report all of you to the principal, ma’am, and the director, sir, too. Then this whole kiss drama of the welcome ceremony will finally end.”

Her words snapped him out of his daze for a brief moment, but one phrase echoed in his mind louder than anything else: Kiss drama. A sudden, burning possessiveness surged within him. His eyes darkened as he glared at her.

“Kiss? What kiss?” he thundered, eyes narrowing. “Who the hell have you been kissing?”

His voice thundered through the silence, so loud and aggressive that Jheel flinched in fear. She immediately turned to run, but before she could get far, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back, forcing her to stand in front of him. He looked straight into her eyes and spoke in a low, intense voice.

“I won’t lose you again…”

Jheel had no idea what he was talking about. She struggled to free her hand, her confusion growing with every second. However, he appeared lost, in a state of trance, as if he was ensnared by a strange spell, hypnotized by her presence.

Her eyes darted around for help, and that’s when she spotted a running water pipe lying on the ground nearby. Quickly reacting, she bent down, grabbed the pipe, and turned it toward him. As he stepped forward again, she opened the valve, splashing water directly onto him. In an attempt to block the water, he reached for the pipe, which made it spray back toward her as well. Within seconds, she was drenched.

Jheel shrieked angrily.

“What kind of welcome party is this? … Is this how you welcome students here?”

Taksh snatched the pipe from her hands and threw it away. By now, she was soaking wet. Her shirt clung tightly to her body, and the water highlighted every curve. His eyes involuntarily trailed over her, scanning her from head to toe with silent intensity.

Jheel could feel his gaze. She recognized those eyes instantly. Furious, she crossed both arms over her chest and yelled at him.

“You shameless creep…. I will report all of you…. You’ll all be thrown out of college….”

Taksh stared at her, and a sudden realization crossed his mind. Judging by her words, it seemed she’d mistaken him for just another senior like the others. A faint smile curved his lips. Still calm, he spoke in a composed tone.

“I’d love to hear every single one of your complaints. Go on… make my day.”

But Jheel had no intention of staying anywhere near him. Without another word, she shoved him aside and tried to storm off. But he quickly holds her wrist to stop her, but She bites him. Hard. For a second, pain shot through his hand but deeper than that, something else stirred. She wasn’t just beautiful. She is fire…. His fireball.

Taksh watched her go, still smiling. He slowly pulled out his phone and dialed the college office. When the clerk answered, he spoke authoritatively.

“I need the full details of every new student who’s joined this year. Send it to my office right after the welcome celebration. I’ll personally go through every record.”

His eyes remained fixed on Jheel as she ran away, her furious glances shooting daggers at him every time she turned around. But he just stood there, watching her with a smirk that refused to fade. And then, softly under his breath, he murmured.

“Finally… My angel is here.”