Deepak burst into the classroom like a whirlwind, his backpack swinging wildly as he maneuvered through the narrow aisles. His hair was tousled, and a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. He slid into the seat beside Pradeep, who was leisurely sketching a cartoon of a tired-looking student in the margins of his notebook.
"Bro," Deepak hissed, nudging Pradeep's arm. "Do you remember that club application thing?"
Pradeep looked up, one eyebrow raised. "What thing?"
"The mandatory one. Every student has to be in a club, or we don't get internal activity credits. The deadline's today. I lost my form."
Pradeep blinked, processing the information. "Wait, what? No one told me this."
"Because no one tells you anything! You don't even check your messages!" Deepak said, exasperated. "I asked around this morning—Tech Club is full, Sports Club is overflowing, and Fine Arts has a waitlist longer than the cafeteria line."
Pradeep scratched his head. "So what do we do?"
"We find any club with empty seats and hope they'll let us in before the deadline," Deepak said, already pulling out his phone. "We've got, like, a few hours. I'm not risking extra coursework just because I didn't draw enough stick figures in Fine Arts."
Their teacher, Ms. Arpita, a young woman with short hair and a sharp gaze, paused mid-sentence as Deepak's voice rose above the classroom murmur.
"Is there a problem, gentlemen?"
Pradeep sat up straighter. "No, ma'am."
Deepak raised both hands innocently. "No problem. Just urgently realizing we love extracurricular activities."
A few chuckles rippled across the room.
Ms. Arpita arched a brow but moved on. "Good. Then you'll be thrilled to know there's a new club orientation starting tomorrow. Don't forget—participation counts toward your final assessment."
Deepak visibly paled. "Final assessment?!"
Pradeep leaned back, whispering, "Great. So now I need to care about this?"
Lunch Break Chaos
By the time the bell rang, half the class buzzed about club placements. Students darted between corridors like it was a treasure hunt, rumors of limited seats spreading like wildfire.
Pradeep and Deepak dashed toward the admin building, nearly crashing into a senior girl pinning up a poster.
"Last call for club applications!" she called out. "Deadline 3 p.m. today. If your form isn't in, you don't qualify this semester!"
Deepak grabbed Pradeep's arm. "Run."
They sprinted into the admin office, where chaos reigned. A long line of anxious students wound through the room, some frantically scribbling names, others arguing over availability. A whiteboard propped near the entrance listed club names and the number of seats left:
Tech & Strategy Club: FULL
Fine Arts Club: FULL
Music Band: 1 spot left
Drama Club: 2 spots left
Martial Arts Club: 3 spots left
Debate & Literature Club: 4 spots left
Deepak grimaced. "Okay, pick your poison."
Pradeep read the list again, tapping his pen against his lip. "What's Debate & Literature? Sounds... safe."
"You're joking," Deepak groaned. "We'll be stuck writing essays and fake-arguing about global warming."
Pradeep gave a small smirk. "Better than getting punched in the face during martial arts. Or worse—singing in front of people."
"Fair."
They both scribbled their names under Debate & Literature Club and handed in their forms with minutes to spare.
Meanwhile...
At the far end of the corridor, Anaya exited the same building with Nisha, both holding their submitted forms.
"Finally done," she said, letting out a breath.
"You picked Debate & Literature, right?" Nisha asked.
"Yeah. It just... felt right."
Nisha nodded approvingly. "Quiet, thoughtful, non-violent. Unlike literally every other club."
Anaya chuckled. "Exactly. I'd rather argue with metaphors than fists."
They turned the corner, talking about orientation schedules and who might be in their club.
The Collision
"Hey, sorry!" Deepak called out as he accidentally bumped into Anaya while turning sharply.
She steadied herself. "No worries."
For a second, her eyes met Pradeep's.
It was brief. But in that moment, something shifted.
There was a flicker of recognition. Not dramatic, not cinematic—but subtle. A pause. A breath. The strange familiarity of someone who almost matters before they truly do.
He looked surprised. Maybe a little uncertain. She offered a polite smile, then turned to walk away with Nisha.
"Wasn't that the girl from the fresher's party?" Deepak asked, nudging him.
Pradeep didn't answer. His gaze lingered a moment longer before he followed.
Anaya, meanwhile, felt something odd flutter in her chest. A sense of a page turning—softly, silently.
Later That Day
Back in their classroom, Deepak leaned across the desk.
"So, bro, you going to actually participate or just sit in the back and doodle during meetings?"
"I haven't decided," Pradeep replied. "Might just be a silent member. Observe the chaos."
"You? Silent?" Deepak laughed. "Right. Like that's ever happened."
Pradeep shrugged. "Why not? I'm just there to fulfill the credit, not save the club."
But part of him knew that wasn't entirely true. Part of him was curious—about the club, about who else would be there, and about the girl whose eyes had locked with his for barely a second.
Same Time, Different Place
In her dorm room, Anaya replayed the encounter in her mind.
"Who was that guy?" she muttered, chewing on the end of her pen.
Nisha looked up from her bed. "Which guy?"
"The one who bumped into Deepak. Tall. Calm. Didn't say much."
"You mean the guy who helped during the fresher's party?" Nisha asked. "I think his name came up once. Pradeep or something."
Anaya nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's him."
A pause.
"He's in our club now," Nisha added casually.
Anaya blinked. "Wait, really?"
"Yep. Saw his name on the list when we were leaving."
Anaya stared at the ceiling, letting that fact settle.
"Interesting," she murmured.
Evening
In the boys' hostel, Deepak tossed a tennis ball against the wall while Pradeep lay on his bed, a book open but unread.
"You know," Deepak began, catching the ball with one hand, "you might actually enjoy this club."
Pradeep looked over. "Because of the essays and debates?"
"No, because of the people. Clubs are where things happen. Stuff you don't expect."
"Like mandatory speeches?"
"No. Like stories that begin when two random students bump into each other in a hallway," Deepak said with a grin.
Pradeep didn't reply. He just returned to staring at the ceiling, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
The Next Morning
The classroom was buzzing again as students filed in for the new day. A large printed schedule was pinned to the board near the front:
Club Orientation Begins: Room 207 – 10:30 a.m.
Debate & Literature Club Induction – 11:15 a.m.
Pradeep read the notice as Deepak stuffed snacks into his backpack.
"You ready?" Deepak asked.
"For what?"
"For club chaos."
Pradeep chuckled. "Always."
As they walked out, Anaya entered the hallway from the opposite side. This time, there was no bump. Just a glance. An acknowledgment.
And somehow, both noticed.
Something had begun.
Not loudly.
Not all at once.
But enough to change the rhythm of the day.
---
To be continued...