The shrill buzz of Aaryan's alarm broke the silence just before dawn. He sat up quickly, adrenaline already running. Today wasn't just any day—it was the beginning of his college life. His first class. His first real step toward something greater.
Across the room, Manish groaned and rolled over, dragging the blanket over his head.
"You're really getting up this early?" Manish mumbled.
"First class starts at eight. I want to be early," Aaryan replied, stretching.
"You're *one of those* students," Manish muttered sleepily, a teasing smirk on his face.
Aaryan chuckled, dressed quickly, and grabbed his notebook. He gave one last glance at the modest dorm room before stepping out into the crisp morning air.
---
The Bangalore Institute of Technology campus shimmered in soft sunlight. Trees lining the pathways swayed gently in the breeze, and the academic buildings looked both grand and inviting in the early light.
Students were pouring in now—some yawning with sleep still clinging to their eyes, others already deep in conversation. Aaryan weaved through them, feeling both isolated and connected at once.
He checked his schedule and found his destination: **Block A, Room 108 — Advanced Theoretical Mechanics 101**.
---
The classroom was larger than expected. A tiered lecture hall with semi-circular seating and high windows that allowed rays of golden light to pour in. A few students were already seated, heads down, reviewing notes.
Aaryan chose a seat in the second row. Not right in front, but close enough to listen carefully. He placed his old notebook on the desk and waited.
Moments later, the door opened, and a tall, gray-haired man walked in, wearing a black Nehru jacket over a crisp white kurta. The room fell silent immediately.
"Good morning," the man said. His voice was smooth but firm. "I'm Professor Devashish Mehra. Welcome to your first step into the real world."
There were no introductions, no ice-breakers, no wasting time. Professor Mehra turned to the board and wrote one line:
**"If gravity on Bluestar shifted by 0.5 m/s², what technological sectors would collapse first—and why?"**
Aaryan blinked. A diagnostic question? On the first day?
The professor turned back to the class. "Anyone?"
The silence stretched uncomfortably.
Aaryan felt something stir in him. A memory of reading old Bluestar physics case studies, theoretical fail-safes built into mag-lev transports and automated irrigation systems. He raised his hand.
Professor Mehra's eyes locked on him. "Yes?"
Aaryan stood. His voice was steady.
"Well… gravitational variance of that magnitude would impact pressure-sensitive infrastructures first. High-speed transport using hover tech would destabilize. Next would be water flow regulation systems—particularly in the northern flood zones. And satellite balancing systems using low-altitude drones would become misaligned."
The professor didn't respond immediately. Then, with a small nod, he said, "Good. Sit down."
There was a shift in the room. Respect. Curiosity. A few students looked at Aaryan differently.
Then the door opened.
She walked in—late, but composed. Her steps were graceful, heels clicking softly against the tile. Her uniform was neat, her ponytail high. She carried herself with elegance that was effortless.
"I apologize, sir," she said smoothly. "Orientation ran long."
Professor Mehra simply gestured toward the seats. "Take your place."
She walked down the row and slid into the seat beside Aaryan, completely unbothered. Aaryan glanced at her just once.
Ishika Rajvanshi !
He had heard the name before. Daughter of the Rajvanshi Group—the leading medical-tech conglomerate in North Bluestar. Top scorer in pre-university. Rumored to be both a genius and a bit of an enigma.
She didn't look at him, not yet. She simply opened her tablet and began taking notes.