College Clash Arc : Episode 01

Time: 12:10 PM | Place: PG College Bathroom

Dhruv leaned heavily against the cold, grimy wall of the bathroom stall, his fingers trembling as he scrolled through his call log. He had called Bansee five, maybe six times, and every single one had gone unanswered. His brow furrowed in frustration, a scowl creeping across his face.

"What’s wrong with you?" he muttered, his thoughts spiraling into anger. "Are you too ashamed to face me after what I said yesterday? All I did was tell you the truth. You’ve been lying to me for months, and you thought I wouldn’t notice. You thought I’d just forgive and forget forever?"

With a deep breath, he dialed her number again. He let it ring, his heart pounding harder with every unanswered second, but this time she didn’t even let it reach voicemail. She cut the call.

The sharp, repetitive tone from his phone echoed in the small, cold bathroom. Dhruv slammed his fist into the side of the stall, the sound reverberating off the walls.

“Is that how it is now? Blocking me, huh?” He chuckled darkly to himself, but there was nothing funny about it. His fingers moved swiftly across his phone screen, typing a message full of venom and frustration.

*"Oi, what do you think I’m doing here? Calling you like an idiot while you keep hanging up? Why aren’t you responding?"*

He hit send. Nothing. The message didn’t go through. His confusion melted into realization. She had blocked him.

"She blocked me? You pathetic little coward," Dhruv hissed, his grip tightening around the phone. "You always know how to push my buttons, don’t you? Fine, play your little game. But don’t come crying later."

His anger swirled in his chest, turning his thoughts darker by the second. With a final sneer, Dhruv stormed out of the bathroom, his mind already calculating his next move.

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Time: 12:15 PM | Place: PG College Canteen

Dhruv walked into the canteen, the buzz of casual conversations washing over him like white noise. He barely noticed it. His focus was singular—sharp, like a blade. He was hunting for her. Bansee.

"Hey, Dhruv!" a voice called out. Dave, one of his classmates, waved him over from a corner table. "Where’ve you been, man?"

Dhruv slid into the seat across from him, still simmering with frustration. “Bathroom. Have you seen Bansee?”

Dave raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, she was in class earlier. I think she left a little while ago. What’s up? You look pissed."

"Pissed?" Dhruv forced a laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Do I look pissed?"

“Obviously,” Dave said, leaning back in his chair. “What happened this time?”

“The usual,” Dhruv muttered, rubbing his temple as though trying to massage the tension away. “Same crap, different day.”

Dave gave him a knowing nod. “She’s pulling her tricks again, huh? What’s her angle this time?”

“The dumbest one yet.” Dhruv’s jaw clenched. “She blocks my calls after I called her out yesterday. Typical. Now she wants to play the victim, as if I’m the bad guy.”

Dave shook his head. “You need to get out of this, man. She’s toying with you.”

Dhruv let out a sharp breath, checking the time on his phone. "We’ve got twenty minutes. I need coffee. You want one?"

Dave nodded. "Sure, let’s go."

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Time: 12:25 PM | Place: Canteen, Back Table

A few minutes later, they were seated at the far end of the canteen, their steaming cups of coffee between them. Dhruv took a long sip, trying to calm the storm brewing inside him. But it wasn’t working. Bansee’s face kept flashing in his mind, her laughter, her manipulation, the lies she spun so effortlessly.

“You know she’s using you, right?” Dave said, breaking the silence.

Dhruv glanced up from his coffee, his expression sharp. “What?”

“I said, she’s using you.”

Dhruv nodded slowly, staring into the black liquid swirling in his cup. "Yeah. I know."

“So why are you letting her?” Dave pressed, his voice more serious now. “Why aren’t you doing something about it?”

Dhruv stared down at the cup, lost in thought. “It’s complicated.”

Dave scoffed. “It’s not that complicated, Dhruv. You’re smart enough to see what she’s doing.”

Dhruv leaned back, letting out a slow breath. “The semester’s almost over. Everything’s going to change soon anyway. Bansee told me months ago that she doesn’t take any of this seriously. She was planning to end it before graduation—said she’d leave everything behind and disappear. At the time, I thought she was bluffing, you know? Trying to get a rise out of me.”

“But now?” Dave asked.

“Now I see it was all planned,” Dhruv said bitterly. “She’s setting it up to walk away clean. No mess, no strings. She made it look like I was the one who wasn’t serious. It’s perfect for her.”

Dave took a sip of his coffee, eyes narrowing. “So you’ve been preparing yourself for this, huh? You knew it was coming.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t make it easier,” Dhruv admitted, his voice low, almost defeated. “She played her cards perfectly, and now she’s got the upper hand. The worst part is, she’s going to act like she’s the victim, like she’s the one who was hurt.”

Dave shook his head, clearly frustrated for his friend. “You can’t keep letting her get away with this. You’re better than that.”

Dhruv chuckled darkly, the bitterness evident in every word. “Yeah, I know. But it’s like quicksand. The more I struggle, the deeper I sink.”

They sat in silence for a moment, the chatter of the canteen fading into the background. Dhruv’s mind was racing, but it was like a hamster wheel—no matter how much he turned it over, the result was the same. Bansee had played him, and she had played him well.

Dave set his coffee down, his expression serious. “Dhruv, listen to me. You need to let this go. Walk away before it messes you up even more.”

“I can’t,” Dhruv said quietly. “Not yet.”

“And why the hell not?”

Dhruv looked up, his eyes filled with something darker. "Because I’m not done playing this game. Bansee thinks she’s won. She thinks I’m just going to sit back and watch her walk away unscathed. But she’s wrong. Dead wrong."

Dave raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Dhruv’s lips curled into a wicked smile, his voice chilling. “I’m going to let her think she’s in control. Let her think she’s got me wrapped around her finger. And then, when the time is right, I’ll tear it all down. She’s going to learn what happens when you underestimate me.”

Dave’s eyes widened slightly, a nervous laugh escaping him. “Dhruv, you’re scaring me, man.”

Dhruv leaned in, his voice a low growl. “Good. You should be scared. Because when I’m done, she won’t know what hit her.”

With that, Dhruv stood up, draining the last of his coffee before tossing the cup into the trash. Without another word, he walked out of the canteen, leaving Dave sitting there, unsure whether to be impressed or terrified.

One thing was clear: Dhruv wasn’t going to let this slide.

And Bansee was in for a rude awakening.

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