The sun was high, the sky impossibly blue, and the clock ticked slowly inside the lecture hall — but none of the students were there to notice.

Because somewhere down the main road of Mumbai, a group of bikes zipped past in a burst of laughter, wind, and wild energy.

Zoya sat behind Akif, arms wrapped tightly around his waist, the edges of her dupatta fluttering behind them like a flag of rebellion. Aarfa was giggling wildly on Ayaan’s bike ahead of them, teasing him about his driving every two seconds.

Behind them were three other bikes, each with their own pair — friends from Aarfa’s group, all equally done with classes for the day.

“We’re officially criminals,” Aarfa shouted into the wind.

“We’ve bunked before!” Ayaan yelled back.

“Yeah, but this time we’re doing it in style!” she replied, throwing her hands in the air.

Zoya laughed, tightening her grip around Akif as the bike took a turn. He looked back just for a second and smirked.

“You okay back there?”

She nodded, cheek pressed against his back. “I’m with you, na? I’ll always be okay.”

His fingers squeezed hers gently on the handlebar.

---

The zoo was huge and mostly empty, with just enough people to make the group feel like they weren’t sneaking into a private world. Trees lined the path, and sounds of animals echoed faintly in the distance.

One couple took a selfie with every animal. Another kept arguing about the difference between a cheetah and a leopard. Aarfa kept trying to make monkey faces at every enclosure, while Ayaan pretended to be deeply offended by her behavior.

“You’re embarrassing me!” he said dramatically.

“Embarrassing? You think this is embarrassing? Wait till I show you my flamingo walk!” Aarfa flipped her ponytail and began to strut like a confused bird.

The group exploded in laughter.

Zoya leaned against Akif’s arm, breathless. “I swear she’s from another planet.”

“I like that she makes you laugh,” he replied, brushing a strand of hair off her forehead.

The group soon settled near the lake inside the zoo for snacks. Everyone sat in their pairs — legs crossed, heads on shoulders, arms interlinked. The energy was loud, carefree, warm.

One guy had brought speakers, and now soft music floated through the trees.

Aarfa danced barefoot on the grass. Ayaan joined her, holding her hand like they were at a wedding.

Zoya rolled her eyes playfully. “They’re going to be insufferable after marriage.”

Akif chuckled. “And us?”

She blinked. “We... we’ll be chaos. Quiet chaos.”

“I like the sound of that.”

They watched a group of monkeys swinging in the trees above, chattering nonstop. One tossed a mango peel directly onto a boy’s head, and everyone burst into another round of laughter.

Hours passed like seconds.

When it was finally time to leave, the group took one last group picture near the lion’s enclosure. Zoya stood in front of Akif, his hands casually resting on her shoulders.

She looked up at him.

He looked down at her.

And in that moment, surrounded by laughter, teasing, and friends who felt like family — Zoya thought, This is what freedom feels like.

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