Beginning

The story begins three years ago, with Vikram Kashyap a.k.a Wick, a final year college student, who is known for being a private but friendly with his close group of friends. Among them is Aryan a.k.a Nick, his batchmate, who is quite popular in the school and has many admirers. Karna, on the other hand, is the troublemaker, always bringing problems to the group. Despite their differences, they are all friends, with Annu being the closest to Vikram.

To get more information on characters please read characters part...

The sun cast golden rays over the college grounds. Inside a lavish flat, Vikram was sprawled across his bed, face buried in a pillow, snoring softly.

His phone buzzed loudly, and a familiar voice rang through the speaker.

"Vikram! Wake up, you idiot!"

Vikram groaned. "Annu... five more minutes."

"You have exactly five seconds before I come there and dump water on you. We have a ton of work to do!"

Vikram squinted at the time, then groaned louder. "What's so special about today?"

"The freshers are coming, dumbass! We have to report to Principal Sinha and arrange everything!"

Vikram sighed, rubbing his face. "Right. Can't wait to hear Sinha's motivational speech."

Shrugging on a hoodie, he trudged to the kitchen for coffee. A few minutes later, Aryan walked in, looking way too excited for this early in the morning.

"Let's go, man! New students, new opportunities." Aryan waggled his eyebrows.

Vikram rolled his eyes. "You mean new admirers for Mr. Popular?"

Aryan smirked. "Jealous?"

"Not in the slightest," Vikram shot back, downing his coffee.

They met up with the rest of their group and headed to Principal Sinha's office.

As expected, Sinha greeted them with a stern glare. "I hope you all take today seriously. The freshers look up to seniors for guidance."

Vikram leaned toward Aryan. "Guidance in what? Skipping class?"

Aryan stifled a laugh.

Sinha shot them a glare. "I already regret trusting you with responsibilities."

Vikram grinned. "Then why do you keep making the same mistake, sir?"

Sinha pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just... go. Before I change my mind and ban you all from the event."

They left the office, laughing.

"So, what's next?" Aryan asked.

"Canteen," Vikram said immediately. "I need food to survive this day."

They were halfway through their snacks when a junior approached them hesitantly.

"Uh... Kritika asked me to bring you to the library," the boy, Suyash, said nervously.

Vikram groaned. "Why can't she come here?"

Aryan clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's go before she declares war on you."

Vikram sighed but got up, following Aryan to the library.

The Library Encounter

Aryan let out an exaggerated sigh. "Of all places, why here? Does Kritika actually think we read?"

Wick: Vikram

Nick: Aryan

I'll use their both names simultaneously according circumstance.

Wick and Nick walked into the dimly lit library, scanning the aisles for Kritika. The scent of old books filled the air, and the quiet rustling of pages accompanied their footsteps. As Wick's eyes moved across the room, they landed on a girl sitting by the window, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the wooden desk.

Something about her presence made him pause. She was absorbed in a book, completely unaware of his gaze. He found himself drawn to her, an unfamiliar curiosity stirring within him.

Without thinking, he approached.

Without giving it much thought, he approached.

"Hey," he said, his tone casual but firm. "I'm Vikram Kashyap, third-year."

The girl lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes with quiet confidence. There was no hesitation, no nervousness-just an unreadable curiosity.

"I'm Shristi," she replied.

Wick raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her lack of reaction. Before he could say anything else, a familiar voice interrupted.

"Oh, so you two have already met?" Kritika's cheerful voice broke the silence as she walked up to them, smiling brightly. "That's perfect!."

Wick turned to face her, but Kritika was already directing her excitement toward Shristi.

"She's a new addition to our batch! Just transferred from another branch of the college," Kritika explained.

Surprised, Wick turned back to Shristi. "And you weren't going to tell me?"

Shristi met his gaze, her expression unreadable. "I was about to... but Kritika got ahead of me."

A slight smirk played at the corners of her lips, as if she found his reaction amusing. Wick narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her before Kritika shifted the conversation.

"I called you both here for a reason," Kritika said, her tone turning serious. "I was checking on the event arrangements."

Wick exhaled, shaking his head. "Relax. The others will handle it."

Kritika didn't seem convinced. "Annu, Dipanshu, and the rest have to be involved. You know how things go without them."

Wick exchanged a glance with Nick, who simply smirked.

Later that day...

"Forget all that," Nick said, leaning against a bookshelf. "When's the freshers' party? I'm getting impatient."

Wick's eyes suddenly sharpened. "Wait. The freshers should be having their orientation right now."

Without another word, he turned and rushed off.

Nick blinked, then burst into laughter. "You didn't run that fast when we were caught bunking class with the teachers chasing us!"

Wick, not stopping, shouted back. "Kritika was about to leave. I had to catch her."

Nick shook his head with a smirk. "Yeah, sure."

---

Orientation Room: Shristi Faces the Ragging

The orientation hall buzzed with nervous energy as freshers sat in neat rows, their eyes darting toward the seniors standing at the front. Among them, a girl named Aditi smirked, enjoying the power that came with her position.

She scanned the room, her gaze landing on a particular student. "You. Name?"

Shristi, standing among the freshers, met Aditi's stare with unwavering calm.

"Shristi. Third-year."

Aditi's eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. "I just asked for your name, not your life history."

Some students chuckled, but Shristi remained unaffected.

Aditi tilted her head. "You're new here. Different from the rest. What's your story?"

Shristi's voice remained even. "Transferred from another branch. Personal reasons."

Aditi stepped closer, as if testing her. "Well, transfer or not, if this is your first year here, you'll be treated like a fresher for a while."

Shristi didn't flinch.

Before things could escalate, a voice called out.

"Aditi!"

She turned, rolling her eyes. "What now?"

A senior named Vishank motioned for her to come over. With a sigh, Aditi left, and another senior, Hina, took her place.

"Alright, let's continue," Hina announced.

Just then, Vishal entered, his presence demanding attention.

"Wick has requested three individuals to be escorted out. Vaibhav, Bhumi, and Shristi," he declared.

Hina frowned. "Why them?"

Vishal didn't hesitate. "Wick's orders. No questions."

Hina debated for a moment but eventually gestured for the three to go. As they walked out, she turned back to the remaining freshers.

"As for the rest of you, stay put."

---

Wick's Command to Vishal

Later, as Vishal met Wick, he delivered his report.

Wick's expression was unreadable. "Is the task done?"

Vishal nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Wick's gaze darkened slightly. "Now, go with Vishank or anyone else you can. Spread the word across the college-no one touches Shristi. No one even stares at her."

Vishal swallowed hard.

"And... Vaibhav and Bhumi?" he asked hesitantly.

Wick's jaw tightened. "Bhumi is my sister. Imagine what would happen if something happened to her."

Vishal paled slightly. "Y-Y-Yes, Sir."

"And Vaibhav?"

Wick's tone was colder now. "Do what you've been told."

Vishal nodded quickly and left.

A few steps away, Nick had been watching the exchange with amused interest. Crossing his arms, he approached.

"I get why you saved Bhumi," Nick said. "But Shristi and Vaibhav?"

Wick remained quiet for a moment before responding. "Shristi is Bhumi's roommate. And Vaibhav... we've checked his background. He'll probably join us soon."

Nick smirked, eyes gleaming with mischief. "That's all? No other reason?"

Wick's gaze remained unreadable. "For now, that's the only reason."

Nick chuckled. "Uh-huh. Sure."

With nothing more to say, they turned their attention back to the event preparations.

---

Hostel Night: Shristi, Bhumi, and Khushi

Later that night, in the girls' hostel room, Bhumi, Shristi, and Khushi settled in after an eventful day.

Shristi leaned back against the bed, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Why did Wick save me and Vaibhav from the ragging?"

Bhumi hesitated before sighing. "Because he's my cousin."

Khushi sat up straight, eyes wide. "Wait. Wick Kashyap is your cousin?"

Bhumi nodded. "Distant cousin. Not immediate."

Shristi scoffed. "Well, he's annoying. He went around warning people to stay away from me."

Khushi giggled. "Sounds like someone's possessive."

Bhumi sighed. "That's Wick for you. He's vague about his family, constantly boasts about his fights, and is overprotective."

Khushi ponders why Vikram saved Bhumi but questions why he saved Shristi from the ragging. Shristi explains that she isn't a fresher and that she was already introduced to Kritika earlier in the library. Eventually, they decide to call it a night as they have a function to go for the next day.

Meanwhile, Nick arrived at a nearby room where preparations for the freshers' party were in full swing. He found Kritika overseeing the arrangements with the help of Dipanshu and Annu. Nick quickly joined in, offering creative ideas and bringing energy to the scene with his lively personality.

Deep, however, stood off to the side, quietly observing the interactions between the seniors. Though he wasn't much of a party person, he always made an effort to support his friends. He noticed Vikram, who was standing a bit farther away, silently watching everything unfold.

They worked late into the night, and by the time the preparations were complete, they were all exhausted.

With that, the conversation ended, though all three knew tomorrow's freshers' party would bring more surprises.

To be continued...