The morning sun streamed through the curtains, bathing the dorm in a soft golden glow. The atmosphere was peaceful—until it wasn't.
"Shumaila, you better stop avoiding us and spill!"
Sneha's dramatic voice rang out as she plopped down on the bed next to Shumaila, who groaned and buried her face in the pillow.
Akansha crossed her arms. "You've been avoiding this conversation since last night."
Shumaila sighed, muffling into the pillow, "What conversation?"
"The one where Hamza had you pinned against a wall, whispering God-knows-what in your ear, while you turned into a whole tomato."
Shumaila shot up, face already heating up again. "I WAS NOT—"
Komal, sitting across from them, smirked. "You so were."
Akansha nodded. "We all saw it, babe."
Sneha leaned forward, wiggling her brows. "So? Did he finally kiss you?"
Shumaila threw a pillow at her. "Oh my God, can you guys let it go?!"
"Absolutely not," Akansha deadpanned.
Shumaila groaned. "He asked if he could, but you all interrupted!"
The girls gasped in genuine horror.
Sneha clutched her chest. "WE COCKBLOCKED?!"
Komal fell back laughing. "I knew we should've waited a few minutes longer!"
Shumaila shook her head, biting back a smile. "Whatever, I'm over it."
Akansha raised a brow. "Sure, sure."
Before Shumaila could throw another pillow at them, Komal cleared her throat. "Anyway, I have a news."
The girls turned to her, sensing something important.
She took a deep breath before casually dropping, "Siddarth and I are going on our first date today."
For a moment, silence. Then—
"OH MY GOD!"
Shumaila screamed. Sneha tackled Komal in an excited hug. Akansha smirked knowingly.
"I mean, we all knew this was coming, but finally!" Akansha grinned.
Sneha gasped. "WAIT. We need to get you ready!"
"Guys, it's not that serious—" Komal tried, but it was useless.
"You don't get to decide that," Akansha interrupted.
Shumaila grinned. "You're in our hands now."
...
Meanwhile, at the Siddarth's and Aaravs's dorm, Siddarth stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his watch for the tenth time.
Hamza and Rudra sat on the couch, watching him like he was a science experiment.
"You're acting like it's the most important day of your life," Rudra teased.
Siddarth glared at him. "It's our first date."
"And? You guys have been fake dating for months, then actually dating for months as well!" Hamza smirked. "What's different now?"
Siddarth sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It just feels different, okay?"
Hamza scoffed. "Just don't mess it up, Romeo."
Siddarth shot him a glare before grabbing his keys. "You guys are the worst."
Rudra grinned. "We know. Now go sweep your girl off her feet."
...
Komal's Outfit, A fitted lavender dress that hugged her perfectly, stopping mid-thigh, paired with delicate silver jewelry and soft curls.
When she stepped out of the dorm, Siddarth almost forgot how to breathe.
"Wow," he murmured before quickly recovering with a smirk. "You should've warned me you'd look this good."
Komal smirked back. "And ruin the surprise?"
Siddarth chuckled, offering his hand. "Shall we?"
The restaurant was perfect—rooftop seating, fairy lights, a quiet ambiance.
Komal looked around, then raised a brow at Siddarth. "So, we're doing the whole romantic cliché thing?"
He smirked, pouring her a drink. "Babe, we are the romantic cliché."
Komal laughed, shaking her head.
Dinner passed in a blur of conversation, teasing, and too many stolen glances to count.
Afterward, they took a quiet stroll along a small park nearby. Siddarth gently intertwined their fingers, rubbing his thumb over her skin.
"It's kinda crazy, isn't it?" he murmured.
Komal tilted her head. "What is?"
"This." He gestured between them. "How we started off pretending, but now... it's so real."
Komal smiled, squeezing his hand. "I don't regret a thing."
Siddarth stopped walking and turned to face her. His fingers brushed against her cheek.
"Me neither."
His eyes flickered to her lips for just a second. Komal noticed.
He leaned in slightly—hesitant, waiting.
Komal's heart pounded. Then, before she could overthink, she closed the gap herself, pressing her lips against his.
The kiss was slow, soft, lingering.
When they finally pulled away, Siddarth exhaled a soft laugh. "So, I take that as a yes?"
Komal rolled her eyes. "You think too much."
...
The next morning, Komal thought she could sneak into the dorm unnoticed.
She was wrong.
Shumaila, Akansha, and Sneha were perched like undercover FBI agents, each trying to out-smirk the other, their eyes sparkling with enough mischief to light up a room. They sat there, waiting as if they were about to crack the case of the missing snacks, confidence radiating from them like they were about to summon an army of giggles at any moment. Sneha grinned, "So... how was your first official date?"
Komal sighed. "I hate you all."
Akansha leaned forward. "Did he kiss you?"
Komal hesitated.
Shumaila gasped dramatically. "OH. MY. GOD!"
And just like that, chaos erupted.