CH 32Freshers Night Chaos
The annual MBA Freshers' Gala was less of a college event and more of a luxury social war disguised as celebration.
By five in the evening-
the girls' hostel had turned into a full-scale beauty battlefield.
Hair straighteners hissed like weapons.
Makeup palettes covered every flat surface.
Perfume lingered heavily in the air.
Someone was crying over eyeliner.
Someone else was threatening murder because her curl had collapsed.
Meanwhile the boys' hostel smelled like expensive cologne, panic, and terrible decision-making.
The college group chats were already exploding.
?"brO ARJUN IS WEARING BLACK."?
?"Aadhira just posted a blurry story. We are FINISHED."?
?"Tonight campus history will be made."?
Because tonight had everything.
Dance performances.
Live music.
Mimicry battles.
Sports awards.
Mr. Miss Fresher.
Couple dance rounds.
And unfortunately for everyone's emotional stability-
Arjun Oberoi and Aadhira Malhotra attending the same event dressed in black.
Which honestly should've required security clearance.
---
At the Malhotra house-
chaos had already won.
"Aadhira, STOP MOVING."
"I can't breathe."
"That's shapewear."
"That's torture."
Her best friend ignored her while aggressively curling her hair.
Another friend handled makeup with military seriousness.
A third sat cross-legged on the bed eating chips and contributing absolutely nothing useful.
"I'm emotional support."
"You're sodium support," Aadhira shot back.
Her mother walked in holding diamond earrings.
"You're still not ready?"
"I'm mentally preparing."
"You've been mentally preparing for forty-five minutes."
"Because this college is dramatic."
"You are this college's drama."
Fair point.
Aadhira finally stood in front of the mirror.
And the room went quiet.
Black satin dress.
Soft silver heels.
Bare shoulders glowing beneath warm lights.
Loose curls cascading down her back.
Minimal makeup.
Tiny diamond pendant resting near her collarbone.
Elegant.
Sharp.
Dangerously beautiful.
Her best friend stared dramatically.
"Oh no."
"What?"
"You look like the female lead before the emotionally unavailable billionaire ruins her peace."
Aadhira threw a cushion directly at her face.
But then-
her smile faded slightly.
Because against her will...
a thought slipped quietly into her mind.
?What would Arjun think??
And somehow that irritated her immediately.
Why should his opinion matter?
Why had she spent twenty minutes choosing earrings after remembering he once absentmindedly said silver suited her better than gold?
Disgusting.
Absolutely disgusting behavior.
"You're staring at yourself like you're about to commit emotional crimes."
"I'm thinking about murder actually."
"Ah. So Arjun will be there."
Aadhira groaned and grabbed her clutch.
---
At the Oberoi mansion-
Arjun adjusted the cuff of his black suit while his younger cousin watched him with dangerous interest.
"So..."
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm asking."
"You're asking about Aadhira."
The cousin gasped dramatically.
"OH MY GOD HE SAID HER NAME WITHOUT INSULTING HER."
Arjun already looked exhausted.
His mother descended the staircase smiling knowingly.
"You clean up well."
"Thank you."
"You meeting someone special tonight?"
"No."
Too fast.
Way too fast.
The entire room noticed.
His cousin nearly collapsed laughing.
"brO IS COOKED."
Arjun ignored him.
But internally-
his thoughts had already betrayed him.
Would she wear black?
Would she leave her hair open?
Would she laugh loudly the second she entered?
Why did he know exactly what her laugh sounded like in crowded rooms now?
Deeply annoying.
He glanced at himself in the mirror.
Black tailored suit.
White shirt slightly open at the collar.
Expensive watch.
Rolled sleeves.
Effortless rich-boy energy.
The kind girls noticed instantly.
Normally he didn't care.
Tonight-
for the first time in years-
he found himself wondering whether one particular girl would notice.
And that realization genuinely irritated him.
---
The college ballroom looked unreal.
Crystal chandeliers reflected gold light across marble floors.
LED panels glowed behind the massive stage.
Music pulsed through the walls hard enough to vibrate beneath people's feet.
Luxury perfume mixed with cold air-conditioning and expensive fabric.
Students gathered near the entrance just to watch people arrive.
Every entry became an event.
The basketball boys entered first.
Cheering erupted immediately.
Then came the MBA girls' group.
Louder cheering.
Then suddenly-
the atmosphere shifted.
Because Aadhira walked in.
Not dramatically.
Not slow motion.
But somehow the room still reacted like it was.
Conversations paused.
Heads turned instinctively.
Someone genuinely stopped mid-sentence.
A boy near the entrance whispered weakly:
"Bro... what the hell."
Aadhira laughed softly at something her friend said while tucking one curl behind her ear.
And across the ballroom-
Arjun looked up.
Then completely forgot what his friend was saying.
Everything blurred strangely for a second.
Lights.
Music.
Crowd noise.
Nothing registered properly anymore.
Because she looked-
God.
The black dress hugged her perfectly.
The silver pendant caught the chandelier light every time she moved.
And her smile-
that smile was dangerous.
His jaw tightened unconsciously.
His friend followed his gaze.
Then immediately smirked.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The face."
"What face?"
"The 'I'm about to ruin my mental stability over one woman' face."
Arjun looked away instantly.
"Shut up."
Too late.
Three boys had already approached Aadhira within thirty seconds.
And suddenly something sharp twisted unpleasantly inside his chest.
Jealousy.
Fast.
Possessive.
Irrational.
Meanwhile-
Aadhira finally spotted him across the room.
And for one deeply unfortunate second-
her breath caught.
Because black looked criminal on him.
The rolled sleeves.
The sharp jawline.
The calm expression.
The way he stood with effortless confidence while the crowd naturally shifted around him.
He looked expensive.
Arrogant.
Dangerously attractive.
And the fact she noticed irritated her immediately.
Then a girl touched Arjun's arm while laughing at something he said.
Aadhira's expression changed before she could stop it.
Tiny shift.
Barely visible.
But enough for her best friend to gasp dramatically beside her.
"OHHHHH possessive behavior."
"I am not possessive."
"You just looked at that girl like you were calculating her blood type."
"Shut up."
---
The second Aadhira walked toward Arjun-
their friends descended like vultures.
"DISASTER COUPLE ALERT."
"MOM AND DAD ARE REUNITING."
"Someone play enemy-to-lovers edits immediately."
A junior screamed from the back:
"MA'AM PLEASE CONTROL YOUR HUSBAND."
Aadhira inhaled air wrong.
Arjun closed his eyes briefly like a man reconsidering existence.
The crowd started laughing harder.
Then someone shoved a mic into Arjun's hand.
"SPEECH."
He sighed heavily.
"I'd like to formally apologize to the college for surviving the forty-eight-hour competition with her."
The crowd erupted.
Aadhira snatched the mic instantly.
"And I'd like to apologize to his future therapist."
Literal screaming followed.
Phones immediately appeared.
Someone yelled:
"THEY FIGHT LIKE DIVORCED BILLIONAIRES."
Another added:
"NO THEY FLIRT LIKE DIVORCED BILLIONAIRES."
Both shouted simultaneously:
"SHUT UP."
Which only made the crowd louder.
And annoyingly-
they were standing too close now.
Close enough for Aadhira to catch the clean woody scent of his cologne.
Close enough for Arjun to notice the faint vanilla perfume on her skin.
Close enough for both to become hyperaware of each other's breathing.
Neither acknowledged it.
Which somehow made it worse.
---
The talent performances began.
Some sang beautifully.
Some danced impressively.
Some permanently destroyed their reputations.
Then came mimicry round.
Which immediately became dangerous.
Because one junior performed a PERFECT imitation of Arjun and Aadhira arguing.
Fake Arjun adjusted imaginary cuffs coldly.
"Control your volume."
Fake Aadhira flipped imaginary hair dramatically.
"Control your personality."
The hall COLLAPSED laughing.
Even professors looked entertained.
Then the mimic copied Arjun silently staring while Aadhira continued ranting aggressively.
Which was unfortunately accurate.
Aadhira looked personally betrayed.
Arjun smirked beside her.
A real smirk.
Rare enough to become an event itself.
Girls nearby visibly lost composure.
One whispered:
"HE SMILED."
Another clutched her friend dramatically.
"Someone check my pulse."
Aadhira stared at them.
Why was that annoying her?
Then the mimic announced loudly:
"And now presenting the future Oberoi-Malhotra merger!"
Spotlights landed directly on them.
The crowd SCREAMED.
Someone started fake wedding music.
Aadhira covered her face in horror.
Arjun laughed softly beside her.
And somehow that made things infinitely worse because-
his laugh was warm.
Real.
Unfiltered.
And suddenly everyone noticed he only seemed genuinely relaxed around her.
That realization hit both of them a little too hard.
---
By the time the title rounds started-
the crowd had fully accepted Arjun and Aadhira as tonight's entertainment.
Naturally-
Aadhira got nominated instantly.
And somehow the audience bullied Arjun into joining the honorary round too.
The host looked delighted.
"Tonight's most requested pair."
"WE DIDN'T REQUEST THIS," Arjun said immediately.
The audience booed dramatically.
Question round began.
"Aadhira, your greatest strength?"
She smiled sweetly.
"Patience."
The crowd exploded because everyone knew she argued with Arjun almost daily.
"Arjun, biggest weakness?"
Without hesitation:
"Noise."
Aadhira turned slowly.
"You absolute snake."
He looked at her calmly.
"You asked."
"I actually didn't."
Rapid fire started next.
"Who annoys you most on campus?"
Both pointed at each other instantly.
The audience nearly died laughing.
But then-
the cheering softened slightly.
Because people started noticing something else too.
The way they looked at each other.
Too instinctive.
Too aware.
Too personal.
Like every reaction existed specifically for the other person.
And suddenly their rivalry didn't feel funny anymore.
It felt intimate.
---
Then the lights dimmed.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Gold lighting softened into deep amber.
Slow music vibrated through the ballroom.
Couples moved toward the dance floor gradually.
The crowd energy shifted from chaotic to electric.
Aadhira immediately tried escaping toward the mocktail counter.
A senior stopped her politely.
"Dance?"
She hesitated.
Then smiled politely.
"Okay."
Across the ballroom-
Arjun saw the guy's hand settle on her waist.
And something dark tightened painfully inside his chest.
Immediate.
Possessive.
Violent enough to surprise him.
His friend looked delighted.
"OHHHHHH."
"Stop."
"You're jealous."
"I'm observing."
"You're observing homicide."
Meanwhile-
Aadhira tried focusing on the dance.
But across the room-
girls kept approaching Arjun.
Laughing too loudly.
Touching his arm.
Standing too close.
And suddenly she hated all of them irrationally.
What was wrong with her?
The senior leaned closer to say something near her ear.
Aadhira laughed politely.
And that was enough.
Arjun crossed the ballroom directly toward them.
No hesitation.
No permission.
No self-control whatsoever.
The crowd noticed immediately.
People started screaming before he even reached them.
Then smoothly-
he stepped between them and pulled Aadhira toward himself.
The hall LOST ITS MIND.
Phones flew upward instantly.
The senior blinked in stunned confusion.
Aadhira stared up at Arjun breathlessly.
"What are you doing?"
"You looked uncomfortable."
"I was literally smiling."
"You're welcome."
"You're insane."
"Possible."
"KISS! KISS! KISS!"
The chant erupted instantly.
Aadhira wanted death immediately.
Arjun looked one second away from fighting the audience.
Then-
his hand settled carefully against her waist.
And both froze.
Because now she was close.
Very close.
Close enough for his cologne to cloud her thoughts.
Close enough for her perfume to distract him completely.
Close enough to hear each other breathing beneath the music.
The dance slowed.
His fingers tightened slightly against her waist.
Not enough to hurt.
Just enough to steady her.
Just enough to make her heartbeat completely betray her.
And Arjun noticed.
God, he noticed.
His eyes dropped briefly to her lips before immediately returning upward.
That tiny movement nearly destroyed her remaining sanity.
"You're staring again," she whispered.
"You're distracting again."
"That sounds personal."
"You became personal weeks ago."
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
Because he meant it.
She could hear it in his voice.
And suddenly the music, lights, crowd-
everything faded strangely.
His thumb brushed softly against the fabric at her waist.
Tiny movement.
Accidental.
But it lingered.
And Aadhira's breath caught instantly.
Arjun noticed that too.
Which somehow affected him worse.
Their foreheads almost touched once during a turn.
Neither stepped back quickly enough.
The crowd absolutely lost control.
"THE TENSION IS PAYING RENT HERE."
"brOTHER THIS ISN'T ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS THIS IS FOREPLAY."
Arjun ignored all of them.
Which terrified him slightly.
Because right now-
all he could focus on was her.
The warmth of her skin beneath his hand.
The way her breathing changed whenever he moved closer.
The fact she kept staring at his mouth before immediately looking away.
And suddenly-
for the first time-
Arjun Oberoi felt nervous.
Not during presentations.
Not during competitions.
Not during negotiations.
But here.
With her.
And Aadhira realized it too.
Which somehow shook her more than his confidence ever had.
---
Then suddenly-
her heel twisted.
Aadhira stumbled forward with a sharp gasp.
Straight into his chest.
Arjun caught her instantly.
One arm around her waist.
The other gripping her hand tightly.
The crowd SCREAMED so loudly even the DJ looked distracted.
Their faces were inches apart now.
Neither moved.
Neither breathed properly.
Aadhira could literally feel his heartbeat beneath his shirt.
Strong.
Fast.
Too fast.
And Arjun-
for once-
looked genuinely affected.
No arrogance.
No teasing.
Just raw distraction.
By her.
Then quietly-
almost unconsciously-
his hand slid slightly higher against her back to steady her.
Protective.
Careful.
Soft.
That softness nearly ruined her.
Because Arjun being possessive was one thing.
Arjun being gentle?
That was dangerous.
His eyes searched her face quickly.
"You okay?"
Low voice.
Concerned voice.
Real concern.
And suddenly Aadhira forgot every sarcastic response she had ever learned.
"Yeah," she whispered.
But her voice came out smaller than intended.
His expression softened immediately.
And several girls nearby looked ready to declare war.
Which unexpectedly pleased Aadhira far too much.
---
Naturally-
their friends ruined everything.
One boy screamed:
"brO IF YOU DON'T KISS HER I WILL."
The entire ballroom erupted.
Aadhira jumped backward instantly.
Arjun shut his eyes briefly like a disappointed man losing a battle with fate.
Another friend yelled:
"SOMEONE BOOK THE WEDDING VENUE."
The DJ actually started playing wedding music.
Now people were crying laughing.
Aadhira pointed accusingly at Arjun.
"This is your fault."
"How?"
"Your existence irritates me."
"And yet you keep coming back."
Silence.
Tiny silence.
But this one felt different.
He looked at her too steadily after saying it.
And for the first time-
Aadhira didn't know how to joke her way out of that feeling in her chest.
Because somewhere between all the fighting and teasing-
Arjun had become familiar.
Comfortable.
Important.
And that realization scared her slightly.
---
An hour later-
Aadhira escaped to the terrace for air.
Cold wind brushed against her skin.
Below, city lights blurred beautifully beneath the night sky.
Muted music echoed faintly from downstairs.
For the first time all evening-
everything felt quiet.
She exhaled slowly.
Then footsteps approached behind her.
She didn't even need to turn around.
Arjun.
Of course.
Neither spoke immediately.
The silence between them felt strangely softer now.
Then finally-
he held out one silver heel.
"You forgot this downstairs."
Aadhira blinked slowly.
"You carried my heel around?"
"You were limping."
Simple answer.
Soft answer.
And somehow that affected her more than flirting ever could.
The cold breeze moved through her curls gently.
Arjun watched the strands brush against her cheek.
Then before thinking-
he reached out and tucked one curl behind her ear.
Both froze instantly.
Because that wasn't sarcastic.
Wasn't accidental.
Wasn't rivalry.
That was something else entirely.
Arjun pulled his hand back slowly.
Too late.
The moment had already happened.
Aadhira looked up at him quietly.
And for one terrifying second-
neither looked away.
The city lights reflected softly in her eyes.
And Arjun completely lost the ability to think.
Because suddenly it hit him all at once.
This wasn't harmless anymore.
Not the teasing.
Not the jealousy.
Not the way his mood shifted depending on her presence.
Somewhere between the arguments, competitions, chaos, and laughter-
Aadhira Malhotra had become the first person capable of unsettling Arjun Oberoi completely.
And judging by the way her breathing changed whenever he moved closer-
she was starting to realize it too.
Which meant one very dangerous thing.
This rivalry was no longer becoming attraction.
It was becoming obsession.