3

The next morning, Tara woke up to the soft rays of sunlight peeking through her curtains, stretching lazily and then letting out a contented sigh. It was a fresh start to a new chapter. Today was going to be a good day. She had decided to dress up a little more than usual, just because she could—and because it was the beginning of Welcome Week.

She slipped out of bed and went straight to the bathroom to freshen up. After a quick shower, she took her time pampering herself—applying a simple moisturizer, brushing through her caramel-highlighted hair, letting the soft, layered waves fall gently just beneath her chest. She finished with a little basic makeup: a dash of kohl along her waterline, a touch of mascara to open up her eyes, and just enough to feel polished without being overdone. It had been a while since she'd put in this much effort, but today felt different. She was ready to embrace this new phase of life.

Tara stood in front of the mirror, checking herself one last time before she moved on to the outfit. She pulled on a pair of black stockings that clung to her legs comfortably, a sleek black skirt that fell at just under her thigh, and a fitted top that highlighted her figure without being too revealing. She topped it all off with a cozy oversized sweater, the soft material draping effortlessly over her shoulders. She glanced at the clock—perfect timing.

Sliding into a pair of chic black boots, she grabbed her mug of chai, letting the warm steam rise to her face as she took a sip. The familiar taste grounded her, reminding her of home, of the stability she was trying to find in the midst of the changes.

After grabbing her bag, she double-checked to make sure everything was in place—her phone, her keys—and then left her studio, locking the door behind her. The familiar walk to the building's reception area felt oddly comforting. When she arrived, she saw Aisha and Aria coming down the lift from their own studios, both dressed stylishly for the day.

"Heyyy!" Tara called, waving as she approached them.

Aisha looked up and grinned. "Welcome back to the land of the living, behens!"

Aria laughed, slinging her arm around Tara's shoulders. "Are we ready to take on Welcome Week or what?"

Tara smirked. "Yeah, yeah, I'm ready. I was just making sure I'm not overdoing it with the outfit. But this is definitely a good way to start things off."

Aisha and Aria nodded in agreement. "You look amazing," Aisha said, smiling at her with genuine admiration.

"Same to you," Tara replied, giving both her friends an appreciative glance. Aria wore a pretty flowy dress with a denim jacket, and Aisha had on a stylish skirt and a chic blouse. They looked like they were about to take on the world.

"Let's go!" Aria urged, excited as ever. She was always the first one to get the energy going.

The three of them headed out toward campus, chatting and laughing as they walked. The crisp air of Oxford felt refreshing, and Tara couldn't help but smile at the thought of being back on campus. There was something about the energy of the city—the cobblestone streets, the historical buildings, the hum of students everywhere—that made her feel alive again.

When they reached the campus quad, there were a bunch of activities and booths set up for Welcome Week. The girls wandered around, checking out all the options, chatting with other students, and laughing at some of the cheesy promotional material that people were handing out. It felt lighthearted, fun—like a fresh start.

They were standing in front of one of the activity booths when a group of guys approached them. The guy at the front had a friendly smile and a relaxed demeanor.

"Hey, are you guys third years too?" he asked, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Yeah, we are," Aria replied, tilting her head and looking at him. "How come we've never seen you around?"

Aisha chimed in with a teasing grin. "Probably because of our different classes and courses," she said, winking.

The guy laughed, shaking his head. "Fair enough, I guess we've just never crossed paths before." He motioned to his friends. "I'm Rohan, and this is Aakash."

The guys introduced themselves, and the girls immediately felt at ease with them. After some casual introductions, the group decided to head to the nearby café to grab coffee and catch up.

The conversation flowed easily as they all walked together. They found a corner booth at the café, where they ordered coffee and started chatting about their experiences at uni so far, the courses they'd taken, and all the fun events that were lined up for the week. It felt like old friends, even though they had just met. The chemistry was natural.

Tara felt herself laughing freely as the group bantered back and forth, the tension from the past few months dissipating with every shared joke and easy conversation. She glanced at her friends—Aisha was grinning, and Aria looked completely at home with the new people. It felt good to be surrounded by such good energy, to know that life was moving forward, and that, maybe, there was a lot of fun waiting for her this year.

"I think this is going to be a great year," Tara said, smiling at her friends as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Agreed," Aria said, raising her cup in a small toast. "Here's to third year, new beginnings, and new memories."

The group clinked their cups together, the laughter and chatter continuing as the morning went on. Tara couldn't help but feel that maybe this was just the start of a new adventure.

~•~

The evening had fallen, and the streets of Oxford were quiet, the energy from the day's Welcome Week festivities starting to fade into the night. The air was crisp, and Tara, Aisha, and Aria walked home, their tired feet dragging with every step.

"Oh God, this was a tiring day," Tara sighed, looking at her friends. "I'm so ready to crash tonight."

"Same here," Aisha agreed, rubbing her eyes in exhaustion. "This whole welcome week thing is so fun, but exhausting!"

Aria laughed and nodded. "I don't know how we even managed to walk this much after all that chaos."

As the three of them continued on their way, they noticed that Rohan and Aakash, the guys from earlier, were walking in the same direction.

"Hey, guys!" Tara called out, slowing her pace to match theirs.

Rohan looked over with a grin, raising his hand. "Hey! We're walking the same way, huh?"

Aisha raised her eyebrows, glancing at Aria. "No way, we stay at UniStudent accommodation too," she said, a little surprised.

Aakash laughed, nodding. "Yeah, we're in the same area. It's a nice place, right?"

"Wait, you guys too?" Rohan asked, looking genuinely surprised. "Flats?"

Aria smiled. "Nah, we've got our own studios. What about you guys?"

Aakash shrugged nonchalantly. "We're in a flat."

Tara raised an eyebrow. "I see," she said thoughtfully. "So, there's four of you in a flat, right? Who are your other two roommates?"

Rohan grinned, nodding. "Yeah, there's Samar, he is still unpacking, and the last roommate hasn't shown up yet."

"Oh, cool," Tara responded, trying to keep her voice casual. "So, you've got some space for the fourth then. Sounds pretty chill."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, each of them ready to get some rest after the long day. When they reached the accommodation, the group stopped in front of their building.

"Well, it was nice running into you guys," Aisha said, giving a small wave. "See you around."

"Yeah, see you at uni tomorrow!" Aria added.

"Take care!" Rohan and Aakash chimed in together, both giving a friendly wave before turning to head inside their building.

As Tara entered the lobby, she felt the weight of the day settling on her shoulders. She was tired, but there was something else tugging at her chest. Maybe it was just the exhaustion, or maybe it was something more—either way, she was glad to be home.

She unlocked the door to her studio, slipping inside, and immediately went to change into more comfortable clothes. She slid out of her boots and put on her favorite oversized hoodie and sweatpants. The warmth of her cozy space made her feel at ease as she locked the door behind her. It was good to be home.

Tara threw herself onto the bed, settling back against the pillows. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand, scrolling aimlessly through social media. Her eyes drifted across her notifications, but something made her stop.

Her last text thread with Aryan appeared on the screen. It was from almost a year ago, the one where she had broken up with him. She hadn't looked at it in ages, but now—right now—it felt like the screen was pulling her in.

She hesitated before tapping it open, the memories rushing back. She had never deleted the conversation, even though she knew she should have.

The blue tick on his last message—he had seen it. He hadn't replied. Her chest tightened just for a second, but she quickly shook her head, feeling the familiar surge of frustration.

Why haven't you deleted this chat yet, Tara? her mind whispered.

But she immediately brushed the thought aside, pushing it down. She wasn't going back there, not now—not ever. She had already moved on. It was time to let go.

"Forget it," she muttered to herself, tossing her phone aside. She pulled the covers up around her and closed her eyes, her mind heavy but determined.

She had made peace with it.

And as she drifted off to sleep, she decided it was the end of the road. For real this time.

💜