Jheel hurried into the college washroom and stared at herself in the mirror. Making a face, she fought back her tears and mumbled under her breath,

“Why does this always happen to me? First, a group of seniors blocked my way, and then another senior dirtied me. I honestly feel like running away from here because I don't want to stay another minute. But the welcome ceremony is happening today. All the teachers and staff will be there, and they specifically said that attendance is mandatory. If I skip it, they might take some action against me. Thank God I always keep an extra pair of clothes with me. I’ll quickly change, and then I’ll figure out what to do next.”

Without wasting another second, Jheel pulled out her clothes and went into a stall to change. After slipping into a clean and tidy outfit, she stood in front of the mirror, fixed her hair quickly, and stepped outside. The first thing she did was look around carefully, scanning every corner to make sure no senior was loitering nearby. Once she was certain that everything was clear, she exhaled deeply, turned to the nearby janitor who was mopping the floor, and politely inquire,

“Uncle, where is the welcome ceremony happening? Please give me the most direct route… I really want to avoid running into any more seniors.”

The innocence in her voice brought a faint smile to the man’s face. He gently gave her the directions, and Jheel rushed through the corridors, finally reaching the hall. It was already crowded with students and staff. Looking around at the sea of people, she made a face and muttered to herself as her eyes searched for a place to sit.

“God, it really seems like You’ve decided not to be on my side today. First, I got delayed because I had to change clothes, and now all the seats in the back are full. Nobody likes sitting in the front rows because they’re right behind the teachers. Even though I didn't want to sit there, but what can I do now? I have no choice.”

She walked past a few seated professors, giving them a polite smile as a greeting, and finally took a seat in one of the front rows. Plopping her bag on her front, she exhaled deeply as if she had just returned from fighting a battle. Then, gently rubbing her stomach, she whispered under her breath,

“I’m sitting in the very front row, and I’m starving… How in the world am I supposed to eat anything now? No option… control”

With that, she sat silently, trying not to draw attention. Soon, the ceremony began, and various professors came up on stage one by one to give their speeches. Jheel listened half-heartedly, clearly uninterested. The speeches felt long and dull to her, mainly because her mind was completely occupied by her hunger and the awkward front seat she was stuck in. Then finally, the principal came forward and, with a warm smile, concluded her speech with an announcement.

“This college was founded by Swara Randhawa, who poured her heart into every aspect of it. Unfortunately, due to her declining health, she couldn’t be with us today to welcome you all, which she loves the most. However, for the past several years, her son has ensured that her absence is never felt. He has carried forward her vision with passion and commitment. So now, I would like to invite him on stage to formally welcome you all. Please give a warm round of applause to Mr. Taksh Randhawa…”

The hall echoed with applause. A young man began ascending the stage steps. Jheel was still staring blankly at the stage, uninterested, as all the teachers' speeches had already drained her attention. She was hungry and restless.

“Hello everyone…”

The moment his deep, masculine voice hit her ears, her head jerked up, and she looked straight at the stage. Her eyes widened so much they seemed ready to pop out of their sockets. She instinctively bit down on her fingernails, staring in utter disbelief.

“What exactly do you want from me, God? I mistook this guy for a senior and said all sorts of things to him. I was even planning to report him to the principal… Could someone please explain what is happening to me today? Please, someone help me escape from this mess."

He was giving his speech confidently on the stage, but to Jheel, it all sounded like background noise. She couldn’t hear a single word. All she wanted was for this ceremony to end so she could disappear from the hall as quickly as possible. But then, a group of girls sitting behind her started whispering excitedly.

“I only took admission to this college because of him… Just look at that personality—he looks amazing… And guess what? His brother studies here too. He’s the same senior who was going around kissing everyone…”

Jheel’s jaw dropped open. Her mouth hung in shock. It finally hit her—she had managed to mess with not just one, but both sons of the college’s founder. And here she was, seriously considering lodging a complaint against them. She shook her head slowly and buried her face in her hands, murmuring under her breath.

“You’re beyond saving, Jheel. I know exactly what’s going to happen now. As soon as they start calling students on stage to welcome them one by one, there will be an announcement.

“You’ve been expelled from college today itself.”

She is murmuring. Suddenly, the sound of clapping erupted in the hall again. Jheel looked around, realizing the speech must have ended. Not wanting to seem out of place, she began clapping along with everyone else. Soon, the principal began to announce each student's name one by one. The principal expected all of them to walk up on stage, greet a few teachers, and then receive a welcome rose. Taksh, who stood beside the principal, greeted each student with a warm smile.

Jheel didn’t want to go through that at all. Her eyes anxiously scanned the hall as she started thinking of ways to escape unnoticed. She slowly rose to her feet, lowering herself slightly to avoid drawing attention, and began inching toward the exit. Just as she was near the aisle, a teacher seated in the front row called out to her.

“What happened… Why are you crouching like that? What are you doing?”

Startled, Jheel looked toward the teacher. Then, she noticed all the teachers on stage, their gazes fixed directly on her, especially Taksh, whose smile remained intact, but his eyes were locked onto her, sharp and unreadable. Jheel quickly looked back at the seated teacher and offered a faint, nervous smile as she replied,

“Well… since the names are being called out alphabetically, mine will come soon. So I thought, why only touch the feet of the teachers on stage? You all are our respected teachers too.”

Her words brought soft smiles to the faces of all the teachers. Wasting no time, Jheel began touching the feet of the seated teachers one by one, inching closer and closer to the exit with each bow. She smiled faintly to herself, realizing she was just moments away from escaping. But the moment she touched the feet of the last teacher seated near the exit, an announcement rang out from the stage—

"Jheel Maheshwari…"

She froze.

With a sharp inhale, she straightened up, closed her eyes, and gulped nervously. Then, like a robot on autopilot, she turned toward the stage. Her feet moved slowly, as if weighed down by dread. Taksh’s intense gaze never left her. She glanced at him once, then quickly looked at the teachers, all smiling, waiting for her. Since she had already greeted the seated teachers by touching their feet, she now bowed and touched the feet of those standing on the stage.

Finally, she reached the principal, touched her feet respectfully, and received a rose.

“Welcome, Jheel…” the principal said warmly.

Jheel managed a polite smile and glanced toward Taksh, who was still staring directly at her. As she bent down to touch his feet—since he was also a professor in the college—he unexpectedly reached out, gently holding her hand and pulling her into a handshake instead.

“Welcome,” he said with a charming smile.

(Welcome to my life, my little rabbit.)

Though he didn’t say the second sentence out loud, his eyes whispered it loud and clear. The moment stretched oddly. Jheel could hear her heart thudding in her chest. And then it happened—her stomach growled audibly, a sharp, embarrassing reminder of how hungry she was. The sound was unmistakable; Taksh had definitely heard it.

Flustered beyond words, Jheel bit her lip and instinctively tightened her grip on his hand. It was an excruciatingly embarrassing moment. But Taksh, without flinching, softly smiled and squeezed her hand with warmth, then leaned a bit closer and said,

“Lunch is ready…”

She looked at him in shock. His words somehow made her feel even more embarrassed. She couldn’t bring herself to respond. Slowly, she tried to pull her hand away, but he had still not let go. Only when he seemed to realize the context of the moment—surrounded by people—did he release her hand.

Jheel rushed down the steps and quickly returned to her seat. Her heart pounded in her chest. Everything that had happened on stage felt like an emotional overload. Even though it was a brief exchange, it felt as though the world had zoomed in on her. Thankfully, no one else seemed to notice—no one except Taksh.

She sat down and looked ahead, and there he was, still standing on stage, still watching her, his gaze unwavering. For a second, her breath caught in her throat. She whispered to herself in disbelief,

“Jheel, you’ve really messed up this time. They’re definitely going to throw you out of college now. You’re finished. They’ll come up with some excuse… I just know it.”

After a while, the event came to an end, and everyone made their way to the dining area for lunch. Students eagerly began eating and chatting. Jheel quietly picked up her plate and sat down, but her appetite had already disappeared. The anxiety was eating her alive. What would she do if she truly faced expulsion? She was in a completely unfamiliar city, all alone. She murmured softly to herself,

“Graduates always manage to find small jobs. I can’t go back home. I’ll have to stay here. No big deal… Mumbai is such a huge city. There has to be something here for me.”

She looked down at her plate, sighed, and then smiled at herself.

“You really are crazy. You’re stressing about something that hasn’t even happened yet. And here you are, ignoring such delicious food sitting right in front of you. Come on… enjoy what’s in front of you. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

She scooped a spoonful of food, took a bite, and instantly closed her eyes to savor the flavor. A small smile crept across her face as her tongue ran across her lips.

“Wow…”

Across the hall, standing in a corner, was Taksh. He was surrounded by other teachers, engaged in conversation. But his eyes were still on Jheel. He was closely observing her every move. He observed her as she consumed food. He observed her smile. And as he saw her lick her lips with that innocent delight, his own lips curved into a smirk. He slowly ran his tongue across his lower lip, took in a breath, and whispered to himself.

“I really want to suck those petals…”

~~~~

Taksh held a file in his hands, his eyes carefully scanning through the details.

“Jheel Maheshwari… Father: Late Tribhuvan Maheshwari, Mother: Late Indira Maheshwari… She’s a scholarship student…”

He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.

“That means… She has no one in this world. Her parents are no longer alive. Maybe there are some distant relatives, but she’s surviving here on a scholarship…”

His gaze dropped to the address section of the file. The moment he read it, his expression changed completely—his eyes turned cold and sharp.

“Chawl… She’s living in a chawl. That means… She's struggling financially. But not anymore... Not while I’m here. From now on, you won’t face a single problem, Rabbit…”

He gently closed the file and leaned back, shutting his eyes for a moment. Unbiddenly, the image of her softly licking her lips after savoring her food surfaced in his mind, her eyes closed, completely unaware of the storm she was stirring in him.

A crooked smile played on his lips as he slowly drew his lower lip between his teeth, tasting the very thought of her.

“Soon… I’ll kiss you so deeply that you’ll forget how to breathe… I’m waiting for that day.”