Time passed, and May 16, 1990, arrived. For the first time in months, life had slowed down for Adil Ali. Aashiqui had officially entered post-production. The shooting had ended, dubbing work was almost complete, and Mahesh Bhatt had already announced the release date. The film would release on July 23, 1990, which happened to be Adil's eighteenth birthday as well. There were still more than two months left before the release, and promotional activities will began soon. For now, he finally had some time to breathe.
Because of his hectic shooting schedule and the pressure of balancing studies with acting, Adil had taken leave after his examinations. During that time, the new academic session had already started. When the results were announced, nobody was surprised to see his name at the top once again. Even after months of filming, he had secured first place in the class.
Professor Menon had jokingly remarked that cameras and scripts had apparently failed to distract Adil Ali from his books.
Meanwhile, life in twelfth standard had already begun. New books had been distributed, lectures had started, and students had settled into their usual groups. More importantly, during Adil's absence, a new transfer student had joined the class.
On the morning of May 16, Adil finally returned to D. G. Ruparel College. The moment he entered the classroom, a loud voice echoed from the back. "Everyone stand up! Here comes our future superstar!"
The entire class burst into laughter. Sameer Malhotra, his closest friend since school days, stood up dramatically and started clapping. Several boys joined him immediately. "Our hero has returned!" One said. "Don't forget us after becoming famous!" Another added. Third one asked. "When is your movie releasing?"
Even some girls laughed along with the boys. Adil simply shook his head helplessly and smiled. "You all have too much free time." Adil said while sitting on his seat.
His arrival naturally attracted the attention of the entire class. Including a girl sitting quietly near the windows.
Aishwarya Rai raised her head along with everyone else. She had already heard the name several times over the past week. Teachers had mentioned him. Some girls had talked about him. Even during lunch breaks, someone or another had brought up stories about Adil Ali. Yet she had never actually seen him. Now she understood why everyone remembered him.
Tall, athletic, and unusually handsome, he carried himself with a calm confidence. But what surprised her wasn't his appearance. It was his calm composure. He simply greeted everyone and walked toward his seat like any ordinary student.
One of the girls sitting beside Aishwarya said. "That's Adil."
"The one Professor Menon mentioned yesterday?" Aishwarya asked. The girl nodded and replied. "The same one. He always comes first. He even acted in a the serial Fauji and he just finished shooting a movie. He is good in everything, sports, debates, singing. He is like a legend in our class. And he is the most handsome person i have seen." She looked like a fanatic. Aishwarya just shook her head at her. Seeing her, another girl giggled and added. "Yes, Almost all the girls in iur college wants him."
The girls laughed among themselves while Aishwarya smiled politely. Honestly, she had expected someone arrogant after hearing so much about him. Instead, he seemed surprisingly normal.
Meanwhile, Adil had just placed his books on his desk when Sameer leaned closer and whispered. "By the way, while you were busy becoming a hero, we got ourselves a new transfer student."
"Hmm?" Adil asked absent-mindedly. Sameer pointed casually. "There. Near the windows." Adil followed his gaze. And paused. He was stunned seeing the person.
For the first time since entering the classroom, genuine surprise appeared on his face. The girl has a beautiful face, Long dark hair, Blue-green eyes, Delicate features and a graceful beauty that already stood out effortlessly.
Adil blinked once.Then again, as to confirm. Because, he knew that person.
'Aishwarya Rai.'
The future Miss World and the future actress. The dream girl of millions.The woman who, in his previous life, had been admired by an entire generation. And right now, she was sitting in his classroom.
For a brief moment, Adil found himself amused by fate. In his previous life, he had only seen her through magazines and television screens. Yet here she was, seventeen years old, sitting quietly and taking notes like any other student.
Sameer noticed his expression and grinned. "Pretty, isn't she?" Adil smiled slightly. "Yeah." Sameer raised an eyebrow and teased, "Interesting. The great Adil Ali is complimenting a girl's looks. Should I assume our star has finally fallen in love?" Adil just shook his head and said, "You just need a point." Sameer continued his chatter but Adil just ignored him.
Adil knew, his reaction wasn't one of romance. It was curiosity. After all, he already knew what kind of fame awaited her in the future. He couldn't help wondering what she had been like before the world knew her name.
Soon, Professor Menon entered the class and lectures resumed. During physics class, the professor asked a difficult question. Aishwarya raised her hand confidently. At the same time, Adil raised his own. Professor Menon smiled. "Very good. It seems Mr. Ali finally has some competition."
The class laughed. Neither Adil nor Aishwarya thought much about it. They simply answered and returned to their notebooks.
During lunch break, Aishwarya sat with a few girls in the canteen. Nearby, some boys clearly tried their best to attract attention without directly approaching her. One suddenly started speaking loudly about cricket records. Another began discussing international politics with unusual confidence. A third somehow managed to mention that his father owned two businesses.
The girls sitting beside Aishwarya struggled to suppress their laughter. "Boys are unbelievable," one of them whispered.
Meanwhile, Adil sat with Sameer and their group at another table. They were busy arguing about something. Occasionally, Aishwarya's eyes wandered toward their table. Not because of his looks. Not because of the stories people told. Simply because she was curious.
The teachers spoke highly of him. His classmates admired him. Yet he behaved like any ordinary boy.
And occasionally, Adil would also notice the new girl sitting with her friends. Not because of attraction. Not because of love at first sight.
Simply because even after knowing who she would become, it still felt strange seeing Aishwarya Rai before the world knew her. Life truly had a strange sense of humor. Neither of them had spoken. Neither knew the other. They had simply noticed each other's existence.
Life went on. Outside the classroom, Mumbai continued to move at its usual pace. Somewhere in the city, posters of Aashiqui were slowly being prepared. In a little over two months, on July 23, 1990, Adil Ali's life would change forever.
But on that ordinary afternoon, he was simply a student returning to class after months away. And Aishwarya Rai was simply the new girl in twelfth standard.
Nothing more. At least, for now.