The college corridors held a faint warmth that afternoon. The wind was still, but Aarav's mind was stirring with thoughts. The poster work was nearly finished. His rhythm with Priya had become natural now—full of laughter, teasing, and a bit of flirty banter. But Aarav knew he had more on his plate—he had a mission: to change himself, understand stocks, and build a better future.
One day, while everyone was in class, Priya quietly walked over to Aarav. She held a thin, blue folder in her hands.
Priya (smiling softly):
"Here… you said you wanted to understand the basics of stocks and the market, right? I got this from my dad's office."
Aarav was slightly taken aback, then looked at the folder. It read "VKV Stock Management – Internal Learning Kit." He instantly realized—this wasn't some casual reading material. Priya had personally arranged this for him from her father's workplace.
Aarav (smiling slightly):
"Thanks, Priya… but you didn't tell your dad about me, right?"
Priya (with a mischievous grin):
"Nope! Didn't mention anything. I just asked him for some general knowledge material. This was something he had prepared for junior interns—I figured it might be useful for you."
Aarav's eyes now held both respect and curiosity.
Aarav:
"What company does your dad work for? I mean… this looks pretty professional."
Priya (smiling proudly):
"He runs VKV Stock Management. They handle stock warehousing and distribution for several major businessmen across Chhattisgarh."
Aarav (astonished):
"Wait… so you come from an industrial background?"
Priya (nodding gently):
"Hmm… and my mom's a senior cardiologist at AIIMS."
For a moment, Aarav went quiet. He had never seen Priya in this light before. There was a new depth to her now—she wasn't just the girl he was working on a poster with. She came from a world of knowledge, influence, and prestige.
Aarav (softly):
"You never mentioned any of this…"
Priya (with a light, teasing smile):
"You never asked."
Her playful but slightly pointed response left Aarav reflecting. Another question popped into his mind.
Aarav:
"What about your friends—Bhavya, Meera, and Megha? Are they from similar backgrounds too?"
Priya (chuckling):
"Why don't you ask them yourself?"
Later during the lunch break, all the girls were in the canteen. Aarav casually joined in and started a conversation.
Aarav (laughing):
"You all are pretty royal, huh? Priya shows up with stock documents, and now if you girls also turn out to be linked with major companies, I might just faint!"
Bhavya (laughing confidently):
"Too late for that! My dad owns RP Sharma Textile Company. Our fabrics are supplied all over Raipur."
Meera (with pride):
"And my dad's a renowned criminal lawyer in Chhattisgarh. He handles high-profile cases."
Megha (quiet but with a firm tone):
"My dad runs a major CA firm. And mom? She's the HOD of Commerce at Shri Shantinath College."
Aarav's smile slowly faded as he listened. He had always seen these girls as simple, casual college friends—fun, approachable, and laid-back. But now, their real backgrounds were unfolding in front of him, and they were nothing short of impressive.
Aarav (to himself, softly):
"I just thought of them as regular friends… but they're practically queens in their own worlds."
But he wasn't disheartened. In fact, a quiet spark lit up inside him—a resolve, a determination. He wanted to rise, to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. No matter his background, he wasn't going to let it define him.
Meera (looking into Aarav's eyes teasingly):
"So Aarav, feeling a little intimidated?"
Aarav (playfully):
"Not really… just wondering, is there room for a middle-class guy among all these elite people?"
Bhavya (with a cheeky grin):
"Well, you've already entered… now let's see if you can keep up."
They all burst into laughter. But behind that laughter, something was shifting inside Aarav—a new desire to grow, to earn self-respect, and to prove himself.
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