CAMPUS TOUR

Like every other morning, I woke up and instinctively reached for my phone. As usual, it was on silent mode. I preferred it that way. The constant pings of notifications and ringtones irritated me, their high frequency disturbing both my ears and my mind. But today, for the first time, I regretted this habit.

A wave of shock ran through me as I noticed a few unread messages from a number I had saved just yesterday—Priya. My fingers froze for a moment before I quickly unlocked my phone and opened WhatsApp.

"Hi, are you awake? Good morning!"

The messages had arrived at 5 AM. I glanced at the clock—7 AM. A two-hour delay. Our college classes started at 8 AM, and like every other guy in the hostel, I had exactly an hour to get ready. Breakfast was always optional, depending on time and hunger.

I took a deep breath and replied:

"Hey, I just woke up and saw your messages. Good morning!"

I expected her to see it later, probably during a free lecture. But I was wrong. Within two minutes, my phone buzzed again.

"Oh, you wake up very late . I was thinking… can we go for a campus tour today? I haven't explored it properly yet."

I read the message again. What? She wanted to explore the campus with me? My brain struggled to process this sudden invitation.

Before I could fully grasp the situation, another message popped up:

"I think you're busy today. We can do it another day?"

Busy? No one in this college is as free as me and Ganpat. Without wasting a second, I typed:

"No, no! I'm completely free today. When do you want to go?"

She started typing. I waited, heart pounding slightly.

"Okay, then let's meet after lunch at the college canteen."

I typed back a quick "Okay", but as soon as I hit send, reality struck me. I was already late for college. Only 15 minutes left! But spending 8 years in a hostel had taught me one valuable skill—getting ready at lightning speed.

Within minutes, I rushed to college, took my seat in the classroom, and, as usual, kept to myself. As an introvert, I never initiated conversations. I just waited for people to come to me.

But today was different. Today, I had something to look forward to.

---

The Campus Tour

Classes ended, lunch was over, and now… the moment I had been eagerly waiting for had arrived.

I practically ran to the canteen and waited. My eyes scanned the area every few seconds, anticipation building up inside me.

And then I saw her.

She walked in wearing a light blue T-shirt and black pajamas—not something extraordinary, but today, they seemed special. I found myself staring at her without realizing she was coming straight toward me.

"Hello? Where are you?" She smiled, snapping me out of my daze.

"Uh… nothing, I'm right here." I replied, realizing she was just one step away.

"Shall we go?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah. So… where do we start?"

She thought for a moment.

"Well, we've already seen the canteen, mess, hostels, and the main college building. I think we should go towards the sports ground."

"Okay." I nodded, and we started walking.

The silence between us stretched for a moment until she broke it.

"By the way, what sport do you play?"

"Badminton. And you?" I answered.

She raised an eyebrow. "Badminton? I play it too! But I rarely see guys choosing badminton. Don't you play cricket like everyone else?"

I hesitated. Did I say something wrong? But I quickly replied,

"I like badminton… and cricket too. Do you watch cricket? Who's your favorite male and female cricketer?"

She smiled, and for a second, I forgot everything else. "I don't watch much cricket, but I like MS Dhoni and Smriti Mandhana. What about you?"

My excitement surged. "Dhoni and Mandhana are my favorites too! That's crazy—we have so much in common!"

Most girls I had met picked their favorite cricketers based on looks. But Priya actually knew cricket. This was rare.

As we reached the sports ground, we talked about random things—college life, favorite subjects, hostel food (which we both agreed was terrible). The conversation flowed easily, making me feel at ease.

She suddenly turned towards me. "If you don't mind… can we come here sometime and play badminton together?"

I blinked. Mind it? This was the last thing I would ever mind!

"Of course! Why not?" I said quickly, trying not to sound too eager.

After visiting the remaining parts of the campus, the tour finally ended. The sun had started to set, casting a warm golden glow over the buildings.

"Okay then, see you tomorrow!" she said, flashing a smile before leaving.

I stood there for a moment, watching her walk away, then realized—dinner had already started.

Without wasting a second, I ran towards the hostel.

That night, lying in bed, I replayed the entire day in my head. The texts. The tour. The conversations. Her smile.

For the first time in a long time, I felt something different. Something new.

And maybe, just maybe, something had changed today.