“Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.”— Benjamin Disraeli

“SUCK it,” Sidharth's rough and dominating voice echoes, making her stomach flip.

Sana held Sidharth’s gaze, refusing to back down. She reached out, grabbed the lollipop from Payel’s hand, and popped it into her mouth without a second thought.

Almost immediately, the heat from the spices hit her like a freight train. It was intense, burning her tongue and throat, but she refused to let it show.

Her eyes watered, and she started to cough, tears rolling down her cheeks. But she kept sucking, determined to prove to Sidharth that she wasn’t weak.

"I won’t let you win, Sidharth. Even if I have to go through any pain," she thought, holding his gaze.

Sidharth watched her closely, his expression unreadable. Despite the calm mask he wore, inside, he was conflicted. He hadn’t expected her to actually go through with it, especially not with the defiance she was showing. Seeing her tears and hearing her cough made him uncomfortable in a way he couldn’t quite explain, but he kept his face impassive.

“Sana, are you okay?” Julia asked, her voice comes heavy. Seeing her best friend suffering her eyes filled with tears. “Is it too spicy?”

Sana shook her head negatively, when her mouth and throat was burning for the spicy lollipop.

It was made with ghost pepper, one of the spiciest chills in the world. But she can’t show her weakness to the world especially to the man standing in front of her, in all black looking like a Devil. He was watching her like a hawk with his intense gaze.

“Hey! You,” Sidharth called out to Julia, not taking his eyes off Sana. “Your turn. Do the belly dance.”

“I’m do…doing it, right? Let her go.” Sana protested.

“Mind your business, girl.” he drawled. “Kartik.”

“Yes, boss.” Kartik tossed the shimmy belt at her feet, the jingling sound it made echoing in the tense silence.

Julia looked at the belt, her face pale. She couldn’t dance to save her life, and the idea of performing in front of this crowd made her stomach turn.

“Julia, do…don’t do it,” Sana said from her side.

But before Julia could even think of protesting, Sidharth’s voice cut through the air like a knife. “Do it, or I will make sure you don’t live here in peace,” he threatened, his voice low and menacing. “You won’t graduate. I will make sure you fail in every subject.”

It wasn’t a normal threaten but a real promise. He won’t hesitate before doing it. Julia understood that.

“Julia, don’t listen to him,” Sana choked out between coughs, her voice thick with the effects of the lollipop and her growing anger. “No one can do this. This college doesn’t belong to him.”

“It does,” Kartik spoke up, making them gasp in shock. “His father is one of the trustees of this college. The same goes for me.”

Sana looked at Sidharth, who nodded with an evil smirk on his face.

“Do it, Julia,” Sidharth ordered, keeping his eyes on Sana.

“Julia, no. We will complain against them. The principal won’t be biased. We all are students. We have equal rights to the college,” Sana tried to assure her, her voice breathless.

But Julia knew she had no choice. Reluctantly, she picked up the shimmy belt and tied it around her waist, her hands trembling. Sidharth’s friends were already snickering, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“Go on, Julia,” Sidharth urged, his tone almost mocking now. “Show us what you’ve got.”

Julia took a deep breath to control herself from crying and began to move, her hips awkwardly swaying from side to side. It was clear she had no idea what she was doing, and her movements were stiff and uncoordinated.

The laughter from Sidharth’s friends grew louder, their mocking jeers echoing across the courtyard. “Come on, Julia. Shimmy, shimmy!”

But Sidharth wasn’t laughing. His focus was entirely on Sana, who was still struggling with the lollipop.

Her face was flushed, her eyes red, but she didn’t stop. Her defiance was clear in every movement, in every tear that fell from her eyes. She was furious, and he could see it in the way her fists clenched at her sides.

“Stop!” Sidharth’s voice boomed in the air, making Julia finally stop. Her face was beet red from embarrassment, her eyes moist with tears.

“What a great show!” Sidharth’s friends burst into raucous applause, their laughter ringing in the air.

But Sidharth’s gaze remained fixed on Sana, who was now finishing the lollipop. She pulled it from her mouth and, without a word, tossed the stick onto the ground. Then, with a glare that could cut through steel, she grabbed Julia’s hand and started to drag her away, towards the canteen to eat something to ease the burning of her mouth and throat.

“Funny girl,” he chuckled, clearly entertained by her boldness.

“Well, that was interesting,” Kartik commented, clapping Sidharth on the shoulder.

Sidharth didn’t respond, his gaze still lingering on the spot where Sana was standing. She was something else, and for the first time in a long while, he found himself intrigued by a girl. But he wasn’t about to show that. Not yet.

He walked to them, blocking their way and standing tall in front of them. Sana got irritated by his behaviour while Julia looked at him in fear.

“Now, what do you want?” Sana asked boldly, but her voice came out breathless.

“You’re going to be fun,” he said, stepping back slightly. “Welcome to St. Merry, Sana D’Souza. I’m Sidharth Vyas, by the way. Remember the name—you’ll be hearing it a lot.”

With that, he turned on his heel, his gang following him as he walked away, but not before throwing her one last, lingering look over his shoulder.

His eyes widened when Sana flipped him off.

Sidharth’s friends howled with laughter, but he just stood there, watching her leave with a strange mix of emotions swirling inside him. He was impressed, no doubt about it, but there was something more—a curiosity, a pull he couldn’t quite place.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said finally, turning back to his bike.

His friends followed, but his mind was still on the fiery girl with the doe eyes and the sharp tongue.

Sana D’Souza was going to be in trouble, and he couldn’t wait to see how it all played out.

Sana’s heart was pounding in her chest, but she didn’t let it show. She kept her expression neutral, even as Julia grabbed her arm.

“Oh my God, Sana, what was that?” Julia whispered, her voice a mix of fear and excitement. “Do you know who that was? That’s Sidharth Vyas. He’s like the king of the college, the biggest bully, and he just…”

“He’s just another guy with too much ego,” Sana interrupted, shaking her head. “I’m not going to let him get to me. Come on, let’s go.”

Julia looked at her, wide-eyed. “You’re amazing, Sana. I can’t believe You just stood up to him like that. You are my inspiration.”

Sana gave her a small smile, though her heart was still racing. “I’m not about to let some arrogant guy ruin my first day. Let’s go find our class.”

“Yes.” Julia agreed.

As they walked deeper into the campus, Sana could still feel the weight of Sidharth’s gaze, even though he was long gone. She knew she had made an impression, but she wasn’t sure if it was the kind she wanted. One thing was certain, though: her time at St. Merry College was going to be anything but ordinary.

“Goodbye, Sana,”

“Goodbye, Julia,” Sana waved goodbye to Julia outside her classroom, feeling a pang of regret that they wouldn’t be in the same classes.

While Sana was pursuing her BBA, Julia was in the Physics program, just a floor away. But even that small distance felt far too great on their first day.

Taking a deep breath, Sana stepped into her classroom and scanned the room for a seat. She noticed a girl with a kind face sitting alone on the first bench. Deciding she looked approachable, Sana walked over and took a seat beside her.

“Hi, I’m Sana D’Souza,” she introduced herself with a warm smile.

The girl turned toward her, her own smile brightening. “Hey, I’m Siya Shukla. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Siya,” Sana replied, feeling a sense of ease around her. “Is today your first day too?”

Siya nodded, her excitement evident. “Yes! I’m a bit nervous, though. But it’s good to have a friendly face around. Are you nervous too?”

“A little,” Sana admitted, “but it’s better now that I’ve made a friend.”

They both shared a smile, and it felt like the beginning of a promising friendship. Just then, the classroom door opened again, and a tall guy walked in. He seemed a bit older than the rest of the students, and his confident stride drew everyone’s attention.

“Ram!” Siya called out, waving him over. “Over here!”

Ram Thakur, Siya’s childhood best friend, made his way to their bench. Sana noticed how his presence seemed to calm Siya immediately. He smiled warmly at Siya before glancing at Sana.

“And you must be Siya’s new friend,” he said, extending a hand to Sana. “I’m Ram Thakur, Siya’s personal bodyguard for the day.”

Sana shook his hand, chuckling at his joke. “Sana D’Souza. Nice to meet you, Ram.”

Ram leaned slightly toward Siya, his tone teasing. “I see you’ve already made a new friend. I don’t have to worry about you getting lost on your first day, then?”

Siya rolled her eyes playfully. “Please, Ram, I can handle myself. But thanks for checking on me.”

“Just doing my job, otherwise you over protective Dad will kill me,” Ram replied with a nervous grin.

“I won’t let that happen, don’t worry,” Siya assured him, making him smile.

Ram turned back to Sana. “If you ever need anything around here, feel free to ask. I know this place pretty well.”

“Thanks, Ram. I’ll keep that in mind,” Sana said, already feeling a sense of camaraderie with him.

As they chatted, another guy entered the classroom and walked directly to the bench next to theirs. He was tall, with sharp features and a confident air about him. He gave Siya a quick nod before sitting down beside her.

“Hey, Butterfly,” he greeted, his voice husky making Siya blush.

“Hi, Superhero,” Siya replied with a different smile—softer, more affectionate.

Sana quickly realized this must be Siya’s boyfriend. She remembered, as Siya had mentioned about him during their introductions.

Ram rolled his eyes and thought to leave from there, “Okay, Siya, I’ll take a leave then,”

Siya looked at him with a smile, “Sure, bye.”

“Bye,” Ram left the place giving a last glance at Siya.

Siya’s boyfriend glanced over at Sana, giving her a polite nod. “I’m Sidharth Kapoor. Siya’s boyfriend and it looks like we’re classmates too.”

"Look at this. Even his name is Sidharth but he’s so different from that Sidharth Vyas. Fucking Idiot." Sana thought cursing him.

Sana smiled back. “Sana D’Souza. Nice to meet you.”

Siya’s eyes sparkled as she looked between them. “Looks like we have a good group forming already.”

Sana nodded, though her thoughts briefly drifted to Julia. She missed her already, wishing she were here to share this experience.

But as she looked around at her new friends, she felt a little more at ease. With Siya and Ram’s friendliness, and Sidharth’s calm presence, Sana felt like this new chapter might not be so daunting after all.

They all settled into their seats, chatting lightly as they waited for class to begin. It wasn’t long before Sana felt the tension from earlier start to fade, replaced with the comfort of knowing she wasn’t alone in this new journey.

On the other side, Sidharth leaned back against the old stone wall of St. Merry College, his arms crossed over his chest, and his gaze fixed on the courtyard where his friends were busy ragging the new students. His mind, however, wasn’t fully in the game. It was still stuck on the fierce, doe-eyed girl who had just stormed out of there with her friend.

Sana D’Souza.

He couldn’t shake the image of her fiery defiance, the way she had locked eyes with him and refused to back down, even when the heat from that hellish lollipop had her coughing and tearing up.

She had guts, no doubt about it, and something about that both intrigued and annoyed him.

“You zoned out, bro?” Kartik’s voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

Sidharth glanced over at his friend, who was busy making some poor first-year student balance on one leg while holding a stack of books in each hand. Karan and Ranveer were laughing, egging the guy on, while Payel leaned against the wall, smirking.

“Just thinking,” Sidharth replied, his tone nonchalant.

“About that girl?” Akhil chimed in, nudging him with his elbow. “You were staring pretty hard back there, man.”

“Who, the spicy lollipop chick?” Surya added with a grin. “Gotta admit, she’s got balls. Didn’t even flinch when she took it.”

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Payel interjected, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Didn’t think you’d let a girl get to you, Sid.”

Sidharth shot her a glare, but it lacked any real heat. He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts. “She’s just another student,” he said, but even to his own ears, it sounded half-hearted.

“Sure, sure,” Kartik drawled, not buying it for a second. “But we all saw the way she looked at you, like she wanted to rip your head off.”

Karan chuckled. “Maybe she’s into that kind of thing. You know, the whole ‘I hate you but I don’t’ vibe.”

Sidharth rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t deny that there was something about Sana that had gotten under his skin. Her attitude, her beauty, her stubbornness—it all mixed into a cocktail that was both infuriating and intriguing.

“Let’s see how long she can keep up that attitude,” Sidharth said, his voice low, almost to himself. “I have a feeling she’s going to be more trouble than she’s worth.”

“Trouble’s your middle name, bro,” Ranveer quipped, slapping him on the back. “You live for this shit.”

Sidharth didn’t respond, instead letting his gaze drift back to the courtyard where the next batch of freshers was gathering, looking nervous as they approached his group. He wasn’t in the mood for this today, but he also didn’t want to let his friends down. This was their thing, after all—asserting dominance, reminding everyone who ruled the college.

As the new students shuffled forward, Kartik grinned wickedly. “Alright, let’s see what this lot’s made of. Akhil, you got something for them?”

Akhil nodded and stepped forward, addressing the group. “Welcome to St. Merry. You’re going to be put through some paces today, and whether you like it or not, you’re going to play along. Otherwise, things could get… unpleasant.”

The nervous first-years exchanged worried glances, but no one dared to speak up.

Sidharth watched as his friends began assigning tasks, his mind still half-occupied.

His thoughts kept drifting back to Sana—her boldness, her unwillingness to bow down to him.

It wasn’t often that someone challenged him like that. Most people either feared him or wanted to get on his good side. But Sana

She didn’t seem to give a damn about either.

“Sidharth, you good?” Karan’s voice broke through again, this time more concerned.

“Yeah,” Sidharth replied, snapping out of his reverie. “Just thinking about how boring this is getting. Let’s wrap this up.”

“Alright, let’s see what you got,” Surya said, eyeing the fresher with a gleam in his eye. “Show us some moves.”

As the next round of tasks began, Sidharth tried to focus, but it was no use. Every time he tried to push thoughts of Sana out of his mind, they came rushing back, filling his head with images of her. He was consumed by her thoughts, and it was starting to piss him off.

He didn’t like being obsessed with anyone, especially not someone who seemed to enjoy pissing him off as much as she did. But there was something about her that he couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard he tried.

And that, more than anything, frustrated him.

As the ragging continued, Sidharth forced himself to pay attention, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Sana. He didn’t know what it was about her that got under his skin, but he was determined to figure it out. One way or another.

But for now, he had other things to deal with. He had a reputation to maintain, and he wasn’t about to let some girl—no matter how fierce or beautiful—get in the way of that.

“Let’s finish up here,” he finally said, his voice brooking no argument. “I’m done for the day.”

His friends exchanged glances, sensing that something was up, but they didn’t press him. They knew better than to push Sidharth when he was in one of his moods.

As they wrapped up the ragging, Sidharth’s thoughts were still on Sana. He couldn’t shake her from his mind, no matter how hard he tried. And as he walked away from the courtyard, his friends trailing behind him, he knew one thing for sure.

This wasn’t the last time he’d be crossing paths with Sana D’Souza.

Not by a long shot.

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