I Love you… I fell for you like a madman the very first time I saw you.”

The words struck the college field like a bolt of lightning on a quiet morning.

Faisal Rahman—captain of the National College football team, jersey number ten—stood there with beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. In his hand, he held a bright red rose. Around them, nearly two hundred pairs of eyes were fixed on the scene, buzzing with anticipation.

The moment the girl heard those words, something inside her snapped.

Her fingers tightened around her notebook, the pages crumpling under the pressure. The word “love”—she couldn’t stand it. Not even a little. That single word carried memories she wished she could erase forever.

Her mother’s muffled cries in the afternoon…

Sleepless nights filled with silent tears…

And her father’s empty pillow—cold, untouched.

To her, “love” didn’t mean warmth.

It smelled like betrayal.

But within seconds, she composed herself.

A cold, unreadable mask settled over her face. Step by step, she walked toward Faisal. The entire field fell into pin-drop silence, as if even the wind had stopped to watch.

Faisal’s grip tightened slightly around the rose as she approached.

Then—

She took it.

A wave of whispers spread instantly.

“Did she just accept it?”

“Is she saying yes?”

But she hadn’t taken the flower to accept his love.

Smack.

In the very next moment, she tore the petals one by one and threw them straight at his face. The red petals clung to his sweat-drenched jersey, his hair, his stunned expression.

Faisal froze.

His eyes widened in disbelief as the girl turned around and started walking away.

Then she stopped just for a second, her voice loud and sharp enough for everyone to hear—

“Don’t ever come to me again with this ‘love’ nonsense. I’m not the kind of girl who gets sold for a goal and a rose.”

The field went completely silent.

This was Faisal Rahman—the most popular guy in college. The one girls waited hours just to watch during practice. And yet, he had just been humiliated in front of everyone.

For a few seconds, he didn’t move.

A strange ringing filled his ears.

A girl who looked so calm… so composed… had just shattered his pride in seconds. It didn’t make sense.

Before he could process it, a voice came from behind—

“Hey, Faisal! Why are you standing like an idiot? Let’s go—if we’re late for strategy class, coach is going to chew us alive!”

Faisal turned.

It was his vice-captain, Deep.

Faisal’s jaw tightened.

“Who is she?”

Deep smirked, patting his back lightly.

“New admission. Arpita Banerjee. Just transferred from Gopalganj. Today’s her first day. Heard she topped the admission test. Total ice queen.”

A slow, crooked smile appeared on Faisal’s lips.

He brushed a petal off his cheek and said quietly—

“Love at first sight… huh?”

Then his eyes darkened slightly.

“But what she did to me… no one says no to Faisal Rahman.”

Deep raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“Don’t tell me… you’re actually falling for her?”

Faisal didn’t answer immediately.

His gaze remained fixed on the empty spot where Arpita had been standing just moments ago.

Then, in a low, controlled voice, he said—

“It’s not just that… I need her.”

A pause.

“That ‘no’—that was the first one I’ve ever heard in my life.”

He exhaled slowly, determination settling into his expression.

“Find out everything about her, Deep. I want to know why she hates me… why she hates the word ‘love’ so much.”

Meanwhile, in another part of the city…

Brishti was still buried under her blanket, fast asleep.

After staying up all night watching a documentary on Lionel Messi, she was completely knocked out. The TV still played goal highlights in the background.

Today was her first day at college too—

But she couldn’t care less.

She had only enrolled because her father insisted.

Suddenly, her phone started ringing.

And ringing.

And ringing.

At the same time, across town, Rupa stood frozen in her living room as she saw guests sitting on the sofa—the groom’s family. Her mother, hands trembling, served them tea.

Panic shot through her.

She immediately called Brishti.

After twenty-one rings, a sleepy voice finally answered—

“What is it… I’m sleeping…”

Rupa didn’t waste a second.

“I broke up with Rahul last night—and today they came to see me! Mom is fixing my marriage! Do something, Brishti! You said you’d help me!”

Brishti yawned lazily.

“Relax… this marriage isn’t happening. Not over my dead body.”

“I’m serious! Stop joking!”

“Okay, okay…” she sighed, sitting up slowly.

“Give me the details. Name, job, weaknesses. If we’re making a plan, we do it properly.”

But one question lingered over the entire college like dark clouds gathering before a storm—

Why does Arpita hate the word love so much?

What had love done to her?

And what will happen when the boldest boy in college decides that the one girl who hates him the most… is the one he can’t live without?

To be continued…