Hyderabad city

The sun was shining brightly as the day started. Roads were now filled with vehicles.

Saranya was driving her scooty, fully focused on the road in front of her.

She stopped her vehicle as the red signal showed up.

Soon, the signal turned green, but she didn't drive ahead as an old lady was still crossing the footpath. Horns blared from behind, but she didn't move for a full two minutes, allowing the lady to cross safely.

"Miss, can you move or step aside?" A masculine voice called from behind. She turned back, looking for the source of the voice, and her gaze fell upon a black Mercedes parked behind her. The man inside was glaring at her through the half-open tinted window of the car.

She quickly pulled her scooty to the side, making way for the car. The black Mercedes zoomed past her, and she couldn't help but notice the man behind the wheel. He looked stern and annoyed. 

Arriving at the college, Saranya headed towards her friends, who were waiting for her in the campus. There were still a few minutes left before their first lecture began. They sat on the empty chairs placed in the campus interior, chit-chatting for a while. All of a sudden, their attention shifted towards a group of students—their seniors—who were ragging the first-year students.

"Look at them, picking on the freshers again," Tara remarked, frowning.

"It's so unfair," Sia added. "They should have better things to do."

Saranya watched the scene unfold, feeling anger. "I hate it when they do this," she said.

 "We should do something," says Varun.

"But what can we do? They'll just target us next," Kritika pointed out.

“We can’t just sit here and watch out. I am gonna complain about them” Saranya added.

"But a lot of students have done that before," Kritika replied. "Even actions have been taken against many of them, but they always get away because of Vikram. He's the son of one of the college trustees."

Saranya clenched her fists. "Isko toh mein batati hoon aaj," she said, getting up from her seat. The others stood up too, ready to back her up.

(I will see him today.)

They marched over to where the seniors were gathered, Vikram at the center, laughing and enjoying their bullying.

"Hey, Vikram!" Saranya called out, her voice loud and clear.

Vikram turned, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, well, isn’t it Saranya and her gang?" he said mockingly.

"What brings you here? Come to join the fun?"

"No, we've come to put an end to it," She replied, her tone unwavering. 

Vikram's smirk faded slightly. "Oh really? And what do you plan to do about it? Run to the authorities? Go ahead. We've seen how that works out."

“I can deal with you myself.” Saranya shot back.

His eyes narrowed. "You think you can scare me with that?"

"Of course I can do more that."

"Oh, then show me what you can do?" Vikram taunted. "Everyone look here, Miss Saranya Oberoi is going to show us something today." He stepped forward, trying to intimidate her, but in the next second, a hard punch landed on his jaw.

"See the show now," Saranya shot back.

Before she could do anything else, Varun and Rudra stepped forward.

"Hey, calm down, Sara. We can't deal with it like this," Sia added.

Vikram's eyes fumed with anger as he stepped forward while students gathered around. Rudra tried to stop him.

"How dare you touch me?" Vikram shouted.

"Like this," Saranya replied as she removed her shoe and threw it at his face. His nose began to bleed, causing others to laugh. Everyone quickly shut their mouths when he glared at them.

"You..." Vikram started, but before he could do anything else, someone interrupted.

A man in his early forties stood there.

The atmosphere grew tense as the students realized who had arrived.

Mr. Rao, the man, began, "What's happening here?" His voice was stern.

The students fell silent, and Vikram, clutching his nose, tried to speak up. "Sir, she attacked me!"

Mr. Rao stared at Saranya and scolded her without even letting her speak, "Miss Saranya Oberoi, what kind of behavior is this? Have you received too few suspensions that now you even want more?"

 "But sir, he did wrong first," Kritika said, trying to defend her.

"Even if he did something wrong, she should complain first. Violence is never a solution to problems," Mr. Rao retorted.

"But sir, he was bullying the students," Saranya couldn't hold back now.

Mr. Rao looked at the students, but no one spoke up. Everyone knew what kind of influence Vikram had in the college. Saranya had no power, and one request from Vikram to his father could get her suspended, putting anyone who spoke against Vikram in trouble as well.

"Why is everyone silent? Wasn't he bullying you?" Varun asked the students, who just looked down in response.

Saranya was dumbfounded, totally dumbfounded.

"Detention for 2 hours, Miss Saranya," Mr. Rao declared.

"And all of you, go back to your lecture halls if you don't want to get detention too," Mr. Rao said, and everyone dispersed, heading towards their respective places. Her friends gave her pitying looks, but Saranya told them to go back to the lecture hall. She herself went towards the corridor to receive her punishment but not before glaring at Vikram.

For the whole two hours, he stood in the corridor. Everyone passing by gave her looks, which she met with eye rolls. When the time was finally up, she sat down on an empty chair in the campus, massaging her sore legs.

Despite her exhaustion, it was time for the accountancy lecture, and she was determined to attend. She needed to see who their new professor was.

She stood up and walked toward the lecture hall. Standing at the door, she glanced inside and immediately recognized the tall man at the front. It was the same man she had seen earlier today on the road in the black Mercedes.

She asked for permission to enter, and their new professor~Veer Singhania's eyes met hers. There was a flicker of recognition in his expression, as if he remembered seeing her earlier the morning itself.

Breaking the silence, he spoke firmly, "You may enter, but remember, I don't tolerate tardiness. Since it's your first time, I'll allow you to come in."

She nodded and walked into the lecture hall, taking a seat beside Sia. 

"Good morning, everyone," he began, his voice steady and authoritative. "This is Veer Singhania, and I will be your new accountancy professor."

He continued, "As for me, I have a teaching experience of seven years. If you want to know more about my background in education, you can look it up on the internet." His voice was calm but authoritative, making it clear that he meant business.

 "As you may know, Professor Kavya Verma has resigned, and I will be taking over her classes. I expect punctuality and dedication from each of you.”

 “Now, let's start today's lecture by revisiting the topics of financial accounting."

"But Mr. Singhania, let us give our introductions first," Nitya suggested.

Professor Veer responded curtly, "No need to waste time beating around the bush. I will eventually get to know each of you based on your performance in studies."

Saranya bit her lip to stifle a laugh, amused by how swiftly he had shut down Nitya's attempt to take control. 

Then he began teaching, and the lecture went smoothly without any disturbances. Saranya, who was unable to focus on the class, glanced around herself and noticed how the girls' attention was fixed on his back as he turned towards the digital board.

"He is handsome, right?" Sia whispered.

Varun, who had heard her, turned his head back to look at her and gave her an annoyed look. 

A girl sitting behind Saranya said something causing a little disturbance in the hall. 

Veer turned towards the students and looked at Saranya, where the source of the sound seemed to have come from.

Saranya's eyes widened, and she quickly sat up straight, trying to appear attentive. Veer's strict gaze lingered on her for a while.

"Miss, if you can't pay attention to the class, at least don't disturb others by talking. First, you don't have a sense of punctuality. You were five minutes late on my first lecture itself and now when I am lecturing, you are not concentrating. If you don't want to attend the lecture, you can skip it," he said strictly.

"I didn't get late on purpose. It's just... It's..." She hesitated, unsure how to explain without making herself look bad.

"She didn't get late on purpose. It's just that she got detention for 2 hours," Shreya interjected, only to receive a glare from Saranya.

"Miss, don't interrupt. Answer me only when I am talking to you," Veer said, his tone firm.

He then turned his attention back to Saranya. "And you better be careful next time; otherwise, I might give you detention too."

She bit her lip, trying to keep her frustration in check and nodded slightly, avoiding further confrontation, and focused on the lesson, determined not to draw any more attention to herself. The rest of the lecture continued without any further disruptions, and the students silently took notes, aware of Veer's strict demeanor.

…………………………………………………………

Night time,

A month ago, I came back from Cambridge because my grandmother forced me.

It had been so many years since I was living in Cambridge, but my grandmother wished for me to stay in Hyderabad. I had to leave the university there and return.

As soon as I arrived, I got an offer from the chancellor of Scalar College to become a professor.

Scalar College of Education, a prestigious institution, seemed like a good option for me. After thinking it over, I decided to join there.

Today was my first day at this new college and I was determined to give it a good start.

I sat inside my black Mercedes and drove towards the campus.

On the way, I stopped my car at a red signal but When it turned green, the girl ahead of me didn't move her vehicle.

God knows what she was doing. One thing I knew for sure was that she was wasting my time, and I hate that. For me, each and every second of a day is precious. I hate unpunctual people. Punctuality is the first rule of my life, and I have been following it since childhood.

Upon arriving at the college, I was introduced to the other professors, both male and female, all older than me as expected. My first lecture was with the second-year accountancy students, and it went smoothly. I was glad that no one was disruptive there.

The second lecture was with the third-year students.

As I entered the lecture hall with Mr. Devesh Rathee, he gave a brief introduction about me to the students.

When he left, a knock on the door caught my attention. There she stood, the girl from the morning as I recognised her immediately and she was late . Late to attend the lecture, but I let her enter as I didn't want to punish anyone on my first day.

I introduced myself again and continued with the lecture. However, a sound disturbed me, and there she was again, creating a disturbance. She definitely seemed like someone who wanted to get scolded.

I indulge myself in teaching and once again my gaze fell on that girl and I noticed that she didn't seem to be focusing on the lecture. She was talking and causing a disruption. When I confronted her, she tried to defend herself, but her excuses didn't matter to me. Rules are rules. If she didn't understand the importance of punctuality and discipline, she would have to learn the hard way.

As the day ended, I reflected on my first day. It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated, but it wasn't smooth either. I hoped that in time, the students would learn to respect the rules and understand the importance of punctuality and discipline. For now, I just needed to ensure that I remained firm and consistent in enforcing these values.

My thoughts were disrupted by a knock on the door. I walked over and opened it to find Sushmika Aunty standing there. She stays with my grandmother most of the time. Her husband passed away a few years ago and her daughter is studying abroad, if I remember correctly. That's why she stays with my grandmother, and I'm happy that Dadi has someone to keep her company.

She told me that my grandmother was calling for me downstairs. I assured her I would be there in no time. As she left, I headed downstairs to the living room.

There, I found my grandmother, seated comfortably on the couch, with a warm smile on her face. Sushmika Aunty was sitting beside her, engaged in their usual chat. 

"Veer, beta, come sit with us," my grandmother beckoned.

I walked over and took a seat next to her. "Yes, Dadi, you called for me?"

"How was your first day at the new college?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"It went well, Dadi," I replied, not wanting to trouble her with the minor hiccups of the day. "The students seem good, and the staff is welcoming."

"That's wonderful to hear," she said, patting my hand. 

There was a moment of silence between us, then she began talking. "Veer, I have something important to discuss with you."

I nodded, urging her to continue.

"Actually, it's about your marriage."

And that was it—I lost it.

Anger surged through me.

I closed my eyes and clenched my fists. "Dadi, let's not talk about this."

"Why not talk about this? It's your age to get married now, to settle down with a family. How long are you going to run away from this topic?"

"I don't want to settle down. I just don't want to marry," I declared.

"But life doesn't work like this, beta. You have to move on from some things, and I want my grandson to have a happy family, to have someone he can rely on."

"Dadi, I've told you before, I don't want to get married. I've seen what happens when marriages fail. I don't want to go through that."

"But Veer, not every marriage is doomed to fail. You can't let the past dictate your future. You deserve happiness, and having a family can bring so much joy into your life."

"I appreciate your concern, Dadi, but my mind is made up. I'm focused on my career and taking care of you. That's enough for me."

She sighed, her eyes filled with concern, "I just want to see you happy, Veer. I want to know that when I'm gone, you'll have someone by your side."

"You don't need to worry about me, Dadi. I'm perfectly fine on my own."

There was a heavy silence as she looked at me, her expression a mix of sadness and resignation. "Alright, beta. I won't push you anymore tonight. But please, think about what I've said. Promise me that."

"I promise, Dadi," I said, even though I knew my decision wouldn't change.

We sat there for a while longer, the tension gradually easing. Eventually, I excused myself and went back to my room, my mind swirling with thoughts. I knew my grandmother meant well, but she didn't understand the depth of my fear and reluctance. The scars of my parents' failed marriage ran deep, and I wasn't ready to take that risk.

As I lay in bed, I tried to push the conversation from my mind, focusing instead on the day ahead. But Dadi's words lingered, a reminder of the future she envisioned for me—a future I wasn't sure I could ever embrace.