The girl smirked. "I think this is the start of a great friendship. Name's Tiya Agarwal."
Chahat eyed her for a moment before shaking her hand. "Chahat."
Tiya leaned in slightly, eyeing her luggage. "You're new, huh? Just arrived in the city?"
Chahat nodded. "Yeah. First day in Shimla, first day in college."
Tiya grinned. "Quite an entrance. So, where are you headed?"
"The admin office. I need to confirm my admission."
Tiya gestured for her to follow. "Come on, I'll take you there."
As they walked, Tiya glanced at her curiously. "So, where are you from?"
"Mumbai."
Tiya's eyes widened. "Oho, Mumbai—the city of dreams! What about your family?"
Chahat hesitated for a moment before answering. "I... don't have one. I grew up in an orphanage."
Tiya's teasing demeanor faded slightly. "Oh... sorry."
"It's okay," Chahat replied with a small smile.
Tiya quickly regained her usual energy. "Well then, consider me your first friend here. Come on, let's get you settled in."
As they walked together toward the admin office, Chahat felt something shift inside her. A new chapter of her life had begun.
Shimla had already thrown its first challenge her way.
And she was ready for whatever came next.
As they reached the office, Tiya turned to Chahat and said, "I'll be waiting outside."
Chahat nodded and went inside to complete the process. A while later, when she stepped out, she found Tiya waiting for her.
"Everything is settled," Chahat informed her with a relieved smile.
Together, as freshers, they walked towards their classroom. By the time they arrived, other students had also begun to enter. Among them was a cheerful and strikingly handsome boy who casually took a seat next to Tiya.
"What's up, Tiya?" he asked with an easy smile. "How was your day?"
Tiya was about to respond when her gaze landed on a girl entering the class—dressed in branded clothes and high heels. Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "I think it was going well… but now I'm not so sure."
Before the boy could respond, another voice interrupted.
"Hey, what are seniors doing in our class?" one of the juniors questioned.
Just then, a commanding yet warm voice echoed through the room.
"Good morning, students."
The class immediately fell silent as a woman stepped forward and introduced herself as their teacher.
"I know some of you must be wondering why seniors are sitting in your class," she said with a smile. "Well, if you see them as seniors, they are your seniors. But if you see them as friends, they can be your friends. They might even become your mentors. To make that happen, you all need to get to know each other."