Reckless Dare

by
P.G.Van & MV Kasi

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 Reckless Dare
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2022 by P.G.Van & MV Kasi

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events

and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a
fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or
actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying,
recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior
written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses
permitted by copyright law.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22
 CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 37

CHAPTER 38

CHAPTER 39

CHAPTER 40

CHAPTER 41

CHAPTER 42

AUTHORS’ NOTE

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 PROLOGUE

As soon as Ava stepped in, she caught sight of her tormentor’s familiar
tall figure standing by the lockers. What shocked her was that he was
shirtless.
“Whoa!” A guy inside the rugby locker room laughed. “Abhi, one of
your super fans has stalked you again.”
There was laughter from the team.
Ava was shocked and embarrassed. She wanted to run out. But by then
her tormentor’s eyes fell on her. His eyes flared, but there was no surprise
on his face. It was almost as if he was waiting for her.
“Wait for me outside,” his voice rumbled out the order. “I’ll join in a
few minutes.”
She thought he was speaking to her. She was about to turn away to step
out, but his voice barked out. “Not you, Harvard,” he said. “You stay.”
Biting her lip, she stood frozen while the rest of the rugby team cleared
out from the locker room, leaving her alone with her tormentor. He pulled
on his Viper’s team jersey while watching her.
A shudder passed through her and a voice in her head told her it was a
bad idea that she came. But she ignored the scared voice, telling herself that
she had to.
Her flight instinct got stronger with every step he took towards her. He
looked like a predator stalking his prey.
Her legs became weak and she took a few steps back, until her back
met with the cold metal of the lockers on the opposite side.
She started panicking as he got closer. He stopped in front of her, his
eyes lowered to hers with no emotion. She swallowed nervously.
 “Why did you follow me here?” His words rang in her ears.
At the close proximity, her plan suddenly seemed impulsive and
dangerous.
What was I thinking, cornering myself like this?
“I-I w-want to—” She had the same trouble again. She couldn’t get the
words out because he made her too nervous.
His dark, intense eyes remained fixed on her. “Are you here to tell me
that you are leaving?”
She shook her head no, her words completely stuck in her throat. And
to add to her state of nervousness, there was dark hatred along with another
emotion in his eyes that shook her to the core.
Her breath quickened and she suddenly started to feel claustrophobic.
The citrusy, musky cologne of his overwhelmed her senses.
Raising her hands, she placed them on his broad chest to push him
away. He sucked in a deep breath.
His eyes flashed dangerously and his chest rumbled when he let out an
angry growl. His handsome face darkened as though he was fighting to
control something.
“Don’t touch me,” he gritted.
She snatched her hands away.
“Don’t ever touch me,” he repeated.
Her eyes filled with unshed tears. “Tell me why do you hate me?” she
whispered.
His nostrils flared. “Leave,” he said, ignoring her question. “I already
gave you the last warning. If you don’t leave, your life will become a bigger
hell.”
With those words, he stepped away and left the locker room.
 She continued to stand against the lockers, shivering. She still didn’t
know why he hated her. Or even why her merest touch disgusted him.

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 CHAPTER 1

“Are you sure you want to go?”

Avantika Patel laughed as she adjusted her backpack. “We are at the
airport, Ma! My flight leaves in two hours.”
Ava’s mother sighed. “I know. But still, it’s worth a try.”
Ava shook her head and hugged her mother while her father smiled
indulgently and her younger sister looked on with amusement.
“Ava will be fine, Vanita,” her father said reassuringly. “Stop worrying
so much. She’s going to one of the best universities in the world. And it
wasn’t like she was staying home with us in these last two years.”
Ava smiled at her father’s words. She had been pursuing her medical
degree at Harvard when she got accepted to Simha University and decided
to transfer midway.
“It’s your fault!” Ava’s mother scolded her husband. “You shouldn’t
have filled her mind with stories of the university! Because of you, she’s
been dreaming about going there since she was a little girl.”
Ava’s mother was right. Attending Simha University was an aim for
many across the world. But for her, it was a dream she grew up with. She
had been quite disappointed when she wasn’t accepted into the university
the first time she had applied. She was told that she didn’t have the required
diverse experience to attend a premium university like Simha, which was
known to have produced world-class leaders from all areas.
But Ava continued to try by getting the wholesome experience they
needed. And when she reapplied and finally got the acceptance letter a
month ago, she jumped at the chance.
 Dear Miss Patel,

It is with great pleasure that I inform you of

your acceptance to Simha University.

Your persistence, along with remarkable

accomplishments and academic excellence,
convinced us to choose you among the 50,000
applications we received this year. We look forward
to the unique and extraordinary talent you will
contribute to the intellectual and extracurricular life
of our campus and beyond.

Should you decide to accept the offer, you will

be sent an enrollment kit along with instructions of
travel to the university.

Once again, I extend my pleasure on your

admission and welcome you to the Simha University
family.

Sincerely,
Neelima Raj
Director of Admissions

After Ava had accepted the offer, the enrollment kit was sent in the
priority mail. It consisted of several logistics, a flight pass, and a backpack
with the coveted Simha logo.
“Why can’t you graduate from Harvard medical school?” her mother
asked again. “You are among the top ten percentile in your class, and you
worked so hard all these years. So why do you want to risk it with a
change? Then, in a few years, you can join Papa and me at the hospital.”
 Ava’s parents were doctors who ran a hospital. Although she wanted to
be a doctor like them, her dreams didn’t include joining her parents’
hospital. Instead, she wanted to experience life outside her safe bubble.
But she didn’t know how to say that to her parents without coming off
as selfish and ungrateful. She loved them too much to hurt them in any way.
“Let her go, Ma,” Ava’s younger sister replied. “I’ll still be home to
bother you and Papa for four more years.”
Ava laughed at Preeti’s words. Her younger sister was quite a handful
who would keep their mother distracted enough not to worry about her
older daughter.
Ava hugged her sister. Despite the four year age gap, they grew up
close. Her younger sister was her best friend. Unlike Ava who took after
their father when it came to being reserved, Ava’s younger sister was like
their mother, outgoing and the life of the party.
“Only two more years, Ava,” her sister vowed. “And then, I’m going to
join you at Simha.”
Ava couldn’t wait even though she would be done graduating by then
and doing her residency.
“All right, ladies,” her father interrupted. “Ava will miss her flight if
we don’t let her go.”
Ava hugged her sister and mother one more time before kissing her
father on his cheek. She smiled at them. “I will call you as soon as I land.”
Ava’s mother still looked worried but she nodded. “Promise me,” her
mother said. “If you have even the slightest of problems, you’ll tell us and
return back immediately.”
Ava couldn’t possibly imagine a scenario that would make her give up
her dream and return home. “I promise, Ma.”

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 CHAPTER 2

“Welcome to Simha University. The current local time is eight a.m.,

and the weather is clear and sunny with a temperature of twenty-two
degrees centigrade.”
The small plane rattled a little as it landed at a private airport. Ava
looked out of the window in excitement while the pilot continued with his
announcement.
“Your check-in bags will be transported to the university and delivered
to your allocated housing. Please ensure that you collect your personal
items before you step out of the airline. On behalf of the Simha airline crew,
we hope you enjoy the rest of the academic year and hope to see you again
during the next break.”
The flight pass that Ava was given was for the airline carrying the
second year undergraduate students. Ava was one of the very few
passengers on the plane who wasn’t returning to the university after the
mid-year holidays. Most of the students must have joined Simha University
from the beginning of the undergraduate program. They had all known each
other for at least one and a half years. She could make it out from the
buzzing conversations they all had within their groups during the one-hour
flight.
Ava didn’t mind. There was enough time to form friendships.
Oh my God. I can’t believe I’m finally here.
Her dream to study at one of the most beautiful and reputed institutions
in the world was coming true. With excitement continuing to beat inside her
heart, she picked up the backpack, which was the only personal item she
carried, and followed the other students out of the small plane.
 She should be tired after close to twenty-four hours of travel with
multiple airport hops from San Francisco to India and then from the major
city airport to Simha University. But all she felt right then was excitement
to start the new chapter of her life.
She stepped out of the flight, and a blast of fresh, cool air hit her face.
Her breath caught inside her throat when she took in the clear sky and the
rolling green hills. She had seen the vast blue ocean along the foothills just
before the flight had landed.
It’s just like how Papa described it.
A place where land, sky, and water came together to form a stunning
view that took one's breath away.
“Are you a new student?” a girl’s voice asked from next to her.
Ava dragged her eyes away from the scenic beauty to look at a well-
dressed girl in front of her. The girl was accompanied by a group who were
also dressed in designer wear. Everyone looked as though they had stepped
out of some youth fashion magazine. Although there was a set uniform for
students outside the campus and over the weekends, the students were
allowed to wear casual clothes.
Unlike the group in front of her, Ava wore her favorite black hooded
jacket and slightly worn-out jeans. She didn’t particularly care much about
her appearance as long as she was comfortable. Her younger sister often
helped her with makeup and choosing the matching clothes and accessories
for social events. But now, Ava wished she had paid attention to picking the
right kind of clothes and learning to apply makeup.
“You can’t always remain with your nose buried in the books, Ava. Live
a little!”
Even though her sister was four years younger, Preeti was bossy and
often got her way. Ava smiled, fingering the beautiful hand-knit scarf that
made her almost drab appearance look slightly chic. Her younger sister
gifted it to her.
“Yes, I am new,” Ava replied.
The girl and the rest of the group looked at her curiously from top to
bottom, but didn’t prolong the conversation. Instead, they turned away from
her and began to converse among themselves.
Ava once again didn’t mind. But she hoped that she would somehow
find a way to fit into the crowd that attended Simha University.
“Miss Avantika Patel?”
An older woman dressed in a crisp suit with the Simha University logo
on her jacket approached her.
“Yes, I’m Avantika.” Ava wondered how the woman knew her name.
The woman smiled. “I’m Swetlana Kapur, the airport coordinator. We
receive notifications ahead of time whenever there are any new students to
be received at the airport. Your picture and the flight timings were sent to
us.”
Ava was glad because even though she was following behind the
students, she felt a little bit lost when they all began to disperse in various
directions in the private airport.
“Are there other new students apart from me?” she asked.
The woman nodded. “Yes, a few arrived in the earlier flights. But you
are the only one on this one.”
Ava hoped to connect with the rest of the transfer students soon.
“The campus buses are waiting outside and will leave in twenty
minutes,” the woman continued. “It is a forty five minute ride to the
university buildings. If you would like to freshen up before the buses leave,
you can use the lounge area. There are some refreshments to the right and
also a few restaurants if you want more options.”
 Ava smiled. “Thank you.”
She walked in the direction that the woman had pointed. The university
buildings were located on top of the hills, but no airlines were allowed to
fly across that zone as it would cause disturbance to the students and
ongoing classes. So, the private airport was quite busy. Along with at least a
dozen of the Simha University airlines, there were quite many private jets
and helicopters on the tarmac dropping off the students before taking off. It
was almost like a regular college drop off after a break. But instead of cars,
private jets and helicopters were used.
“Almost all of the kids at Simha University are too rich, too powerful
and too everything. Our Ava is a homebody. What if she has trouble fitting
in?”
Ava had overheard her mother expressing concern with her father on
that fact. But her father had assured her that although Simha University had
children of billionaire businessmen and world leaders attending the
university, the age-old institution gave utmost importance to molding the
characters of the students.
“Neela is currently the dean at Simha. I heard she runs a tight ship and
does not tolerate any entitled behavior.”
Although Neelima Raj was Ava’s father’s classmate and an old friend,
Ava’s father did not let that fact influence the outcome of the application
process. Ava was proud of her father’s strong integrity which she had
always drawn as her inspiration since childhood. She had applied to Simha
University purely on her own merit.
It might have taken her two attempts, but she was proud to accomplish
acceptance to the prestigious university. And like her father had said, Simha
University was unlike any college in the world. It was built with more than
just education in mind.
 “Oh wow,” Ava whispered.
She expected the lounge to be like the ones in normal airports with
fixed metal chairs. But the lounge was more like a five star luxury hotel
lobby with polished granite floors and gleaming furniture and fixtures. A
wide spread of refreshments were placed against a wall. There was hot food
along with packaged boxes with gourmet sandwiches and bottled drinks.
Ava was too tired and excited to eat right then. Instead, she went to the
other side of the lounge to freshen up.
Several girls were inside the restroom area. They were freshening up
their makeup and straightening their already perfect dresses. Ava splashed
cold water on her face before drying with a towel and reapplying her lip
balm. She pushed her hoodie back and adjusted her long ponytail.
She envied how pretty and perfectly put together the other girls looked.
But, once again, she wished she had paid attention and learned how to apply
makeup from her younger sister.
Maybe it’s not too late. I can learn from the friends I make here.
She smiled at that hopeful thought.
Ten more minutes remained for the buses to start. But she decided to
wait outside.
Following the exit signs, she went out and looked at the luxury buses
that had huge windows and a glass top. She got into one where a few
students were already seated inside. She heard the buzz of conversation.
She took a seat by the window and looked at the large screen in front of
her. A video with information about the three thousand six hundred acre
university and its history played on repeat. She had seen the videos a
million times on the website, but still, found it captivating.
She was quite immersed in the video that showed breathtaking views of
the campus when someone slid next to her. It was a girl.
 Ava smiled and was about to introduce herself, but she noticed that the
girl had wireless headphones on and was busy with her sleek phone. Not
wanting to disturb her, Ava turned away and continued to watch the video.
The bus filled up quickly and soon it began to move. Ava looked away
from the screen and instead watched the beautiful landscape through the
huge glass window.
The bus drove up the hill along winding roads overlooking lush green
valleys and gushing rivers. She was lost in the breathtaking waterfall when
she heard distant rumbles.
She knew it could not be a plane or any of the helicopters because they
could not fly over the campus buildings. Instead, she looked down the hill
over the curvy road and spotted a group of bikers in red and black jackets
riding up on the same route.
Her breath caught in her throat at the wild way those bikers drove on
the narrow roads. A slip of a wheel and they would fall down the valley,
injuring themselves or worse.
How reckless!
Sudden squeals and shrieks of joy began to emit from inside the bus,
and students began to throng towards the windows. Feeling confused, Ava
wondered what was happening.
“Oh my God! It’s them!” the girl next to her said excitedly, trying to
peer out of the window.
“Who?” Ava asked.
“The Simhas!”
Ava was confused. Aren’t all the students studying at the university
Simhas?
She didn’t get a chance to voice the question as the cheers and squeals
got louder. A part of her was amused by how the poised and distant nature
of the students vanished and they were behaving as though they spotted
their favorite celebrities.
She watched as the bikers rode closer to the bus. At one point the bikes
caught up with the bus as they drove up the hilly road.
“That’s Abhi!” one of the girls called out, pointing to the motorbike
riding just below where Ava’s window was. “Check out the Vipers jacket
with the Presidential logo on the back.” The guy was wearing a red and
gold jacket with the words Vipers and President written on it.
“That’s Ved and Rana right behind him.”
The girls took out a few more names.
“God, they all look so hot! I can’t wait to see them at the campus and
race again!”
Ava wondered what kind of races the girl was talking about. But amidst
the squeals and cries of excitement, she looked closely at the guy riding by
the window. The rest of the bikers were waving back and blowing kisses at
the excited girls. But the guy next to her was simply riding.
Even while he was seated on the bike, it was obvious the guy was quite
tall and broad. His long jean-covered legs showed off his lean muscles. She
couldn’t see his face as all the bikers wore helmets and aviator glasses. But
something about the guy, especially the reckless yet easy manner in which
he was riding the bike, made her want to know how he looked.
Suddenly, as though sensing her curious gaze, the guy turned. Maybe it
was her imagination, but she felt his intense gaze falling on her. First, her
breath caught in her throat, and then her cheeks heated because he kept
looking towards her window while she stared back at him.
The loud excited squeals continued as the girls called out the guys’
names. Ava was yanked out of the staring when a group of girls slid in
between her seat and waved at the guys from her window.
 Ava sat with her back plastered to the seat while the girls shouted
names and waved. The rest of the bikers blew a few more kisses before
racing ahead of the bus. The quiet biker watched her window for a few
more moments before he joined the other bikes. Once again he was at the
front leading the group.
Ava’s heart thudded as the bikes sped on recklessly and disappeared
from the view.
Abhi. The student council president.
For a moment, her curiosity made her want to look him up on Simha
University website.
But she decided against it.
I’m here to fulfill my dream. Not check out hot, reckless guys.
With that self-pep talk, she pushed away the strange encounter with the
student president and focused once again on living her dream.

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 CHAPTER 3

“That’s it? That’s your entire luggage?” the woman at the front desk
asked.
“You are joking, right?” the girl standing next to Ava joined.
Ava looked at the two shocked faces in front of her. She was at the
student housing to enroll in allocated accommodation. After the buses
dropped the students, they all dispersed to their allocated housing. Since
Ava was new, she had to find out where her housing was being allocated.
“No, I’m not joking. This is my luggage.”
Ava just had one suitcase. Most of the students who collected their
luggage had at least four or even six oversized bags. Ava didn’t have much
to pack since college uniforms and accessories would be provided by the
university. The only things she had to bring along were casual clothes to
wear over the weekends and her night clothes.
A few pairs of jeans and a dozen t-shirts along with half a dozen night
clothes didn’t occupy much space. Most of her suitcase was filled with her
favorite books and photo frames of her family.
“Wow!” the girl next to her said. “You seem quite unique. One suitcase
is what most girls in the university use to pack their makeup in!”
Ava wasn’t certain whether or not the girl was complimenting or
making fun of her.
“I’m Nitya Shashidar,” the girl introduced herself. She had thick,
black-rimmed glasses that suited her round, delicate face. “I’m your
roommate. I was told you’d be arriving this morning.”
Ava smiled. “I’m Ava. Thank you for coming to receive me.”
 The girl nodded. “Pooja is our other roommate. She already left the
apartment. She wants to ensure she catches the attention of one of the
Simhas at the commencement event.”
Ava once again wondered what students meant by Simhas. Before she
could ask, Nitya turned. “Let’s get going. The Dean’s welcome speech will
begin in an hour. It’s in the main hall, which is a good twenty-minute walk.
Late comers are always frowned upon.”
Ava nodded and hurried behind Nitya. They took an elevator to the
second floor.
“I heard you are a second year medical student,” Nitya stated.
“Yes. And you?”
“I’m in my final year of Pharmacy. Just six more months to graduate.
But I’ll be pursuing a Masters and Ph.D. too at Simha.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Ava hoped to make good friends with Nitya, even if
the other girl would be her roommate only for six months. Ava knew
undergrad students had different housing units from the graduate and post-
graduate ones.
The elevator stopped, and they stepped out and walked through the
polished marble-floored corridor with huge paintings and artworks on the
walls. Ava was reminded once again of a luxury hotel.
Ava’s allocated apartment was located to the end overlooking a
beautiful garden with tall trees. The glass walls in the corridor ensured the
place was naturally lit with sunlight.
Nitya scanned her student ID card at the door and pushed it open
before leading them inside.
Ava stepped inside and stopped short. She couldn’t help but gape with
her mouth falling open. She was looking at the place that would be her
home for the next three years.
 “What happened?” Nitya asked.
Ava stared at the apartment with wonder. “I was expecting the place to
be… different.”
She was expecting a student dorm room with three beds in a large
room. But what she saw was an apartment with three separate bedrooms
and a living room with a small kitchen. The kitchen even had a stainless
steel refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, an automatic coffee machine, and
a small stovetop.
Nitya looked at her curiously. “The student rooms in Harvard aren’t
like this?” she asked.
Ava shook her head with a slight chuckle. “No. They aren’t.” They
were normal like most student dorms across the world. At most, students
could get a microwave to make instant noodles. However, everything at
Simha seemed to be larger than life.
“Your room is the one on the right. The leftmost one is Pooja’s.” The
door to the leftmost room was closed since the other roommate had already
left.
“The packages with your uniforms and accessories are placed inside
the closet. The rest would come when you are assigned to a house team.”
Ava knew she would be allocated to a university house team later that
morning which would decide the color of her university jackets and
sportswear. She knew there were four options to pick, but she didn’t
particularly favor one over the other. Anything would be fine. Not that she
would be participating much in the games. Studying took a lot of her time.
But she did want to participate in other events.
“I’ll go and get ready,” said Nitya. “Let’s meet in thirty minutes, and
we can go to the main hall together.”
Ava smiled. “Sure.”
 “Oh by the way. There’s a landline in your room in case you want to
make international calls. You can collect your cell phone along with your
ID card later today.”
Ava nodded. She knew regular cell phones weren’t allowed due to
security reasons. Instead, each student was assigned a cell phone.
With excitement brimming, Ava wheeled her suitcase towards the room
that Nitya had pointed to. She pushed open her bedroom door and once
again chuckled.
The room was larger than what she and her two roommates had in
Harvard. There was a queen-sized bed with plush bedding and nightstands.
A carved hardwood desk to the corner was inviting. She dragged her
suitcase into a walk-in closet. A dozen or so uniforms were hanging with
the tags and protective covers on.
Smiling, she continued to take in the rest of her bedroom. The walk-in
closet led to the bathroom, with a wicker basket placed on a marble
countertop with full-sized toiletries and the Simha logo. A stack of towels
with Simha monograms were placed in a cupboard.
Shaking her head, she stepped out of the closet and went back to the
room.
The landline was next to the bed. Picking it up, she called her sister’s
phone. It was early evening in San Francisco. Her parents would both be at
the hospital and would return later in the evening.
It took a couple of tries since she had never made international calls
before. Her heart thudded with excitement when the phone finally rang.
Her sister’s voice blasted from the phone. “Oh my God! You
reached? How is it?”
Ava laughed. “It’s better than what I imagined. I just got to my room…
or rather into my apartment. I’ll show you the place once I collect my cell
phone.”
“Can’t wait!” her sister said. “How are your roommates?”
Ava smiled. “I only met one. She is very nice and helpful. I’ll meet my
other roommate later.”
“Oh good. And the students? How are the students at Simha? Do they
wear clothes made of gold or currency notes?”
Ava laughed. “Haven’t seen anyone wearing those yet.”
“Have you spoken to any cute guys?”
“No. Not yet.”
An image of the reckless biker riding next to the bus flashed in her
mind. Ava shook her head. She knew if she mentioned the weird staring she
indulged with the guy, her sister wouldn’t end the call.
“I’ve got to go Pree,” Ava told her younger sister. “I have to get ready
for the commencement event. Tell Ma and Papa I’m fine. I’ll call back later
in the night.”
“Okay fine. You better call me and tell me everything!”
Laughing and promising to do just that, Ava ended the call.
Her gaze fell on the small balcony attached to the bedroom. Getting up
from the bed, she went to the sliding door before opening it and stepping
out.
A small gasp escaped her. A tall tree was right outside the balcony, and
beyond that was a lush garden with a water fountain at the center. And
around the water fountain, she could see several wooden benches that
would be perfect for outdoor studying.
Oh God. I’m seriously living my dream.

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 *****

“Are you sure you don’t want to take a shuttle?” Nitya asked.
Ava nodded with a smile. “I can walk.”
Although Ava had a long journey and the time lag would soon catch up
with her, she was excited to walk. The campus was so huge that most
professors and staff and even some students took shuttles to go to various
buildings. Luckily, she enjoyed walking. It was the only form of exercise
she got since she wasn’t good at sports and hadn’t found the time to indulge
in one.
“Most undergrad classes are in the nearby buildings,” Nitya said. “Oh.
Unless you are taking advanced courses. Then you’ll have to take one of the
shuttles to go to the graduate block which is up the hill.”
Ava was enrolled into a couple of advanced courses.
“That’s the main hall.” Nitya pointed to a large circular building with
tall marble columns. There was a huge flag with Simha logo which cannot
be missed even from a distance.
Ava knew it would be a while until she became familiar with the
campus.
“Oh no!” Nitya said while stopping short. “I totally forgot that I was
supposed to come with my friend Shivani. She called me this morning
asking me to wait so we could go together.”
“Do you want us to go back?” Ava asked.
Nitya shook her head. “No. I don’t want you to run late, just in case I
am. This event is important for you. Just follow the pathway and get into
the main hall. I’ll come with Shivani on the shuttle.”
Ava nodded.
 Nitya left, and Ava continued to follow the path to the main hall. The
weather was beautiful. There was a slight chill, but the uniform helped her
keep warm. The undergraduate uniform was a white colored shirt, maroon-
colored tie and a navy-blue jacket with the university logo. It was paired
with a dark gray and black checkered skirt that was a couple of inches
above the knee. And on the days when there were sports events or other
college events, she would have to wear the allocated house color jackets.
She noticed that the boys wore a similar uniform with dark gray pants
and longer ties. But a few of them, who were most likely part of the sports
teams, wore uniforms with jerseys in their house team colors.
Soon, she neared the circular white building. Deciding to follow a
couple of girls who were laughing and talking, she looked around the walls
of the main hall. There were several names written on it, along with the
year of graduation. Her heart filled with excitement, hoping her name
would be on those walls one day if she topped or excelled in her class.
She knew she would find her father’s name since he was the topper in
his batch.
“Hey, who are you?” a girl’s voice asked.
Ava dragged her eyes away from the walls of the main hall to look at
the two girls in the front.
“I’m Ava. I was told to attend the speech here at the main hall.”
One of the girls frowned. “This is the back entrance. Only the student
council and university staff are allowed.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” Ava had followed the two girls thinking they were
attending the event like her.
The girls shrugged and turned away to continue going inside the main
hall from the back entrance.
 Biting her lip, Ava rushed out, hoping she could find the correct route
to enter the main hall from the front entrance on time.
She hurried along the corridor and was about to open the large double
doors when someone stepped in at the same time. She couldn’t stop her
momentum and ended up crashing against the person. Her face met with a
broad, solid chest.
“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking, I—” She looked up and gasped.
The gasp wasn’t because her breath was knocked off her chest due to
the impact. It was because of the guy in front of her.
Tall, broad and with a stunningly handsome face, the guy looked
breathtaking. He was wearing the Simha sports uniform with a red-gold
jersey. Something about him seemed familiar. Although she knew it was
rude, she couldn’t help but stare at him.
He was looking at her too, with his dark, intense eyes. He didn’t say
anything, and neither did he move away.
She didn’t know how much time passed, but someone called out from
behind, making her jump.
“Abhi! Neela madam wants you inside.”
She jerked out of her trance. Feeling embarrassed, she tried to step
aside to let him pass. But he had taken a step in the same direction. So she
took another step in the opposite way, and the guy did the same. Her cheeks
heated at their weird dance.
The guy’s eyes flashed and then a small amused smile twisted on his
lips before he gripped her shoulders lightly to hold her still. He then stepped
around her before continuing on his way.
She bit her lip as her cheeks heated even more. She wasn’t the kind to
stare at guys or be completely flustered. Her sister always teased her about
not having serious crushes or flirting enough.
 But now, she wondered what her sister would think seeing her stare at
the stunningly handsome guy.
The guy was probably used to having girls stare at him with a face like
that.
She shook her head to push away the impact the guy had on her. She
took a step when something about the name nagged her. Abhi. She turned
slightly and watched the guy as he continued to stride away in long,
confident steps.
A small gasp escaped her again when she saw the back of his jersey.
The familiar logo and the words ‘Vipers’ and ‘President’ were on his broad
shoulders.
Oh my God!
It was him. The student council president. The reckless bike rider she
had stared at from the bus.

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 CHAPTER 4

Ava’s hand shook with strange excitement as she stepped into the main
hall from the front entrance. Her shoulders tingled and she could still feel
the imprint of the guy’s long fingers where he had gripped them.
She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart before stepping into the
main corridor of the auditorium.
What’s wrong with me?
She was behaving as though she had never seen a handsome guy
before. Of course, she had seen plenty of good-looking guys and even had
them as friends and study partners during high school and at Harvard. Then
why was she reacting that way?
It wasn't just because of how gorgeous the guy was. It was also the way
he looked at her that made her thoughts go haywire.
Just a chemical reaction.
With that thought, she took another deep breath and entered the
auditorium in the main hall. It was u-shaped and massive, and it was nearly
filling up with students who were all enrolled in the undergraduate program
at Simha University. There was a big stage in the front where the
commencement speech would take place.
Ava looked around for a familiar face. Unfortunately, she knew it
would be impossible to spot her roommate in the crowd. And besides, Nitya
would want to stay close to her friends rather than babysit her new
roommate.
“Your ID please?”
The person at the checkpoint waited as Ava scrambled and reached for
her temporary ID card.
 “Oh, a new student,” the person said with a smile, looking at the ID
and scanning it. “Welcome to Simha University, Miss Patel. The new
students are seated at the front. You will be in row 1A. Your seat for the
event is at the stage level. Please follow the orange lane to the staff in the
gray suit.”
Ava smiled at the woman. “Thank you.”
All the students were settling into their spots while she made her way
to the lowest level, closest to the stage. Her seat was between two girls who
she knew must be new students.
She sat down and looked to her right to introduce herself. “Hello, I’m
Ava,” she greeted the girl to her right with a wide smile. “Avantika Patel
from second year Medicine.”
The girl turned. Ava noticed how put together the girl was even in a
uniform. And although the girl turned, she didn’t return the smile, and her
face was unreadable.
“Samantha.”
Before Ava could ask her which year and department Samantha studied
in, the girl turned away to look in the front at the stage.
Ava didn’t know whether to consider it as a snub. Deciding not to take
it personally, Ava turned to look at the girl on her left.
“Hi, I’m Ava.”
The other girl returned the smile. And like Ava, she looked pretty
excited and anxious.
“I’m Namrata.”
Before Ava could ask which year and department Namrata was
enrolled into, the lights began to dim. Ava’s heart raced with excitement as
the commencement event began.
 A petite woman clad in a crisp cotton sari walked to the center stage.
Although the woman was small, there was an air of command around her.
As a result, the entire auditorium fell exceptionally silent.
Ava knew she was looking at Neelima Raj, the university dean. The
woman who ran a prestigious university that was well-known to produce
quality leadership in business, politics, and science and in every other
industry.
“Good morning, everyone,” Neelima Raj spoke in a firm, authoritative
voice. “I’m going to keep the speech brief since I know all of you are
excited to be back at Simha, and you can’t wait to catch up with your
friends and plan parties for the rest of the year.”
There was good-natured laughter from the audience.
Neelima Raj smiled. “I would like to reiterate what Simha University
stands for. We not only put value on quality education, we also put focus on
quality character. Most of your parents might be millionaires or billionaires.
But at Simha University, you will be taught humility and modesty. The
years spent at Simha will mentor you to be empathetic leaders in the future.
Success comes in various measures. By graduating from any elite
university, you are ensured monetary success. But at Simha, along with
achieving monetary success, we teach you to make a positive impact on a
group of people and add value to society. That is considered a true success.
Always keep that in mind.”
There were claps. Ava joined the crowd in acknowledging what the
university dean conveyed. Although the speech was brief, Ava agreed with
each word that was said.
Neelima Raj nodded regally in acknowledgment. “The student council
has arranged a mid-year commencement event. Since we have a few new
students, it will be a welcome event too. I wish you all the best. Make
Simha proud.”
There were cheers.
Ava was excited about the welcome event. She hoped to make some
new friends. But even as she planned to meet her new classmates, her heart
raced with another thought.
The student council was putting the event together. Which meant the
president of the student council would also be there.

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 *****

The event was held in a large banquet hall right behind the main hall.
Ava saw the student council president right away. He was standing across
the large room where the event was held, surrounded by a group to whom
he was giving out instructions.
With her heart thudding, she went towards the student council group to
collect her allocated cell phone that was being dispatched to the new
students. Even though he was still talking, as though sensing her gaze, his
eyes fell on her and stayed locked on her face.
Her heart raced while her cheeks heated.
Feeling flustered, she dragged her eyes away from him before walking
away.
She couldn’t afford to be distracted. She had to concentrate on which
house team she would be allocated and make some new friendships.
There were four house teams—Vipers, Eagles, Panthers and Tigers.
Ava was allocated to the Eagles team, which had green and gold
colored jerseys and jackets to be worn during team events. She smiled and
introduced herself to the various members of the Eagles team. When
another transfer student came in to collect the Eagles’ house jacket, Ava
was excited. It was the girl she had met inside.
“Hello, Samantha.”
The girl once again threw her a cool look. “Hi.”
“Looks like we are both in the Eagles team.”
The other girl didn’t seem to care or be thrilled about that fact. “I guess
so.”
 The girl just grabbed the house jacket and left. Ava saw that she was
leaving the event hall.
Ava felt disappointed. But just when she thought she wouldn’t make
many friends on her first day, she saw two girls, one of whom she had
already met inside the main hall waving at her.
“Hi, Ava.”
Ava smiled at the friendly face. “Hi, Namrata.”
“Call me Nami,” the other girl said with a smile. “And this is my
cousin Ramya.”
“Are you allocated to the Eagles team too?” Ava asked.
Nami shook her head. “No. I’m on the Panthers team, and Ramya is on
the Vipers.”
As soon as the team Vipers was mentioned, Ava’s heart raced. She was
tempted to turn and see if the student president was still there. But she
didn’t dare to. Instead, she focused on making new friendships.
“Are you both first year students?” she asked the two girls.
Nami nodded. “Yes, we are both in the first year. I’m into Architecture
and Ramya is pursuing her Business degree. Ramya has been here, but I
transferred to Simha midyear. How about you?”
Ava smiled. “This is my first year at Simha, but not my first year of
college. I did my first year at Harvard Medical School.”
“Oh wow! That’s awesome.”
Ava smiled. “Thank you.”
They kept chatting when the students were called for lunch hosted by
various house teams. Ava waved goodbye to Nami and Ramya before
joining her house team.
Ava met and conversed lightly with a few more Eagle team members,
including the house captain. But strangely, most of the students had left the
event by mid afternoon.
Thinking everyone was tired after their trip from home, Ava returned to
her housing unit.
As soon as she stepped into her assigned apartment, Nitya greeted her
excitedly. However, Ava was taken aback when she saw Nitya and another
girl. They two were dressed as though they were about to step out to a
dance club.
“Ava! I was waiting for you and didn’t know how to reach you!
Anyway, you are right on time to get going.”
Ava had just received her cell phone at the welcome event.
“Go where?” she asked.
Nitya looked excited. “I hope you aren’t too tired after your journey.”
Ava smiled. “I’m not tired. But is there another event?”
Nitya let out a chuckle. “Yes, there is another event. The one that you’ll
enjoy.”
A tall, pretty and super thin girl interrupted Nitya. “I don’t think we
should take just about anyone to the party, Nitya.”
“Ava is our roommate, Pooja. I’m sure the hosts won’t mind.”
The girl Pooja fell quiet with a frown.
Ava smiled, realizing Pooja was her other roommate. “Nice to meet
you, Pooja. I didn’t get a chance to meet you earlier this morning.”
Pooja didn’t look too happy meeting her. “I hope you don’t keep us
waiting for hours. We plan to leave soon.”
Ava smiled, not wanting to take offense. She knew all students must be
eager to begin partying with their friends. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
Ava rushed into her bedroom and quickly freshened up before changing
into jeans and her favorite blue top along with a matching scarf. When she
once again stepped out of her bedroom, she had a minute to spare.
 Nitya looked surprised as she smiled. “Whoa! That was quick, Ava.
Awesome!”
The other girl’s eyes swept over Ava with a grimace. “Don’t you have
anything better to wear?” Pooja asked.
Ava’s heart sank. “Oh, aren’t jeans allowed? I can change into a party
dress.”
Nitya shook her head with a laugh. “Oh no. You are fine. In fact you
are more than fine and most likely one of the few girls wearing appropriate
attire for the occasion.”
Ava was surprised and intrigued. “Oh, where are we going?”
“You’ll see soon!” Nitya said with excitement as the three of them
stepped out of the apartment.
They took a shuttle from the housing unit to the garage stop. Ava was
shocked to see a huge building with a multi-story garage. It was almost the
size of the garage at an airport. Vehicles weren’t allowed inside the campus,
so students kept their cars and motorbikes inside the garage to be used for
events outside the campus.
Ava saw several cars stopping outside the garage picking up the
waiting students and driving by. Nitya indicated to an open-top car that
stopped in front of them.
“Let’s go, Ava!” she said, pulling her along. “Let’s party!”
Ava sat in the backseat and smiled. “Who is hosting the party?”
This time it was her other roommate who replied. “It is the welcome
back party hosted by the Simhas.”

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 *****

An hour later, the open-top car came to a stop.

“My God,” Ava whispered.
Nitya laughed. “You know, each time I see a new student react to our
well-kept secret, I keep thinking I need to record the reaction.”
Ava couldn’t hide her shock at what she saw. The party was being held
away from the main campus on a huge dirt ground. The place was lit up
with several large bonfires to one side. There was food and drinks being
served while loud music blared from speakers.
Even though there must be at least over a hundred students at the party,
most of them weren’t near the food or bonfires. They were standing in large
groups, holding beer cans and cheering loudly.
Ava stared at the dozens of bikers racing around the dirt road, leaving
visible tracks and a cloud of dust. Most of them were balancing their
motorbikes on one wheel while racing through. Some of the stunts were
downright shocking.
“What if one of them falls and gets hurt?” Ava asked.
Nitya looked amused. “The hospital is nearby. And we have a few in-
house medical students too, including you.”
Ava had never seen anything like it. The bikers were quite reckless
while they continued to do daredevil stunts and race around the huge dirt
ground.
Nitya laughed. “I’m glad you are only seeing them during the party and
not while they actually race. I’m sure you’ll get a heart attack when they
race across the mountains.”
 Ava recalled seeing a group earlier that morning while they sped by the
university bus. They had been quite reckless. And the student president was
a part of it, too.
Her heart raced as she searched for a biker with a red and gold jersey
jacket. Barely a couple of moments later, she found him. He was wearing a
dark helmet that completely covered his face, but she recognized him from
the tall, broad shape and smooth way he was handling the bike while racing
at the center with a group of bikers. Each time he revved up and spun the
bike around, the back of his jersey showed the words ‘president’ and
‘vipers’.
She didn’t know how long she was staring at him, but she was yanked
out of her fascination when her phone began vibrating in her pocket.
Knowing it must be from her parents, she dragged her eyes away from the
student president.
“I’ll be near the food,” she told Nitya as she stepped away.
Nitya nodded and stayed along with the rest of the students cheering
the reckless bikers.
Ava had to walk quite a distance to drown out the bikes’ noise. She
went past the food and bonfires and went towards the dark shadows before
answering the call. She knew it would be her father.
Her father usually woke up early and left for the hospital by seven in
the morning. He must have been calling from the hospital before he made
his usual rounds.
“Ava, how are you, sweetheart?”
Her father’s voice made her happy. “I’m doing great, Papa.”
“I’m so glad to hear that.” She could imagine her father smiling. “How
do you like it there?”
 Ava smiled. “I still haven’t explored the campus, Papa. But whatever I
saw so far is just like how you told me it would be. Larger than life and
simply amazing!”
Her father laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure. Being at Simha is always quite the
experience. I hope you love it.”
Ava did love it so far.
“By the way,” her father continued. “Your mom wanted to have the
video call later this morning, but I told her you’ll be busy meeting new
friends.”
Ava turned to look at the ongoing party and smiled. “Yeah, I’m at a
party outside campus. I’ll call Ma and Preeti in the morning.”
“Sure, sweetheart. I’ll talk to you later too. Enjoy your party.”
“Thanks, Papa. Love you.”
When the call ended, she hugged the phone to her chest. She was
happy and excited. Once again, she realized she was living the dream she
had since she was a little girl.
She was about to turn and join the party when a bike came towards her
and stopped right in front of her. She froze, half-worried the biker would
accidentally run over her. But the bike engine stopped and the lights of the
bike were dimmed.
Her heart began racing as she stared at the familiar red and gold jacket.
A moment later, the biker took out his helmet, revealing his face in the dim
light.
Oh my God.
“You are not supposed to wander off the party,” he said.
It was the student council president. It was the first time she was
hearing his voice, and it was so deep and smooth that it made her stomach
flutter.
 Fighting a blush, she replied to him. “I was talking to my father on the
phone. I had to come here because it was too loud with the bikes.”
There was a brief pause.
Suddenly her face began to burn when she realized that her words
could be interpreted as an accusation towards the bikers. “N-no. What I
meant was—” She broke off when he shook his head with a soft laugh.
“It’s okay. I know we are loud.”
Ava bit her lip feeling too flustered by the gorgeous guy in front of her.
What was it about him that she was always tempted to stare? He made her
tongue-tied as well.
“You must be new here at Simha,” he said. “I haven’t seen you before
today.”
Relaxing a little, she smiled. “Yes. I’m a second year transfer student.”
“Which department?”
A slight blush covered her cheeks at his prodding. “Medicine.”
His mouth twisted with a small smile. “I guess we’ll have to invite you
to all of our parties then. We get bruised up quite a bit here.”
Her blush intensified. “I don’t mind helping.”
He stared at her blushing face with a look that had her heart racing
even faster.
“I’m Abhi,” he said, introducing himself.
She already knew that, but she didn’t say it aloud. “I’m Ava,” she said.
“Ava,” he repeated in a deep tone that continued to flutter her stomach
even harder. “Are you free next weekend, Ava?”
She was shocked by his question. “Yes,” she managed to say instead of
asking why.
His mouth curved slightly. “Good. Keep it free.”
 Before she could say something, a group of bikers drove towards them,
stopping a few feet away.
“Abhi!” one of the guys shouted. “Come on! Batra and co just
challenged us on the spins!”
Ava watched as Abhi paused for a moment while looking at her. But
the next moment, he kickstarted his bike.
“I’ll catch you later, Ava. Don’t leave the party early.”
With those words, he placed back his helmet before racing back
towards the dirt road along with the small group of bikers.
Ava’s heart fluttered.
Was he just being polite? Or does he want me to wait until we speak
again?
She didn’t know. But she hoped she could wait long enough to find out.

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 CHAPTER 5

“Bro, if you eye bang that new girl any harder, you’ll make Rana and
me uncles at nineteen.”
“Shut up, Ved.” Abhi was leaning against his bike with a beer bottle in
his hand when his cousins Ved and Rana joined him.
The party was going on in full swing at a distance. Loud music was
nearly drowned by loud cheering while dozens of students participated in
the beer bong game. Girls and the guys lined up to have beer poured
through funnels connected to pipes into their mouths.
But Abhi’s eyes were locked on the new transfer student. Ava. She was
standing with her roommate holding the same bottle of beer in her hands
from the past hour. She was yet to sip from it.
“Who is she?” Rana asked.
“Not sure,” Ved replied. “But she is definitely the only girl our discreet
cousin has openly eye fucked.”
“Intriguing,” said Rana.
“Yup. All the more intriguing why he isn’t talking to her again after we
interrupted him to kick Batra and Co’s asses during racing.”
Abhi didn’t respond while his cousins teased him.
He wanted to talk to Ava once again, but he deliberately held back. He
didn’t trust the strong pull he felt towards a girl he saw just that morning.
Something about her drew him instantly. When he saw her at the bus
window, he couldn’t take his eyes off her face. He thought he had imagined
the instant pull, but when he came across her again in the main hall, the pull
only got stronger.
 It wasn’t just because she was pretty. Simha was filled with many
beautiful and breathtaking females, but none of them had the simplicity and
openness he saw in her.
Ava.
He suddenly felt a burning need inside to know about her.
He turned to his cousins. “End the beer bong. Everyone’s drunk
enough.” They usually stopped alcohol a few hours before the party ended,
so the students could get sober enough to drive back to the campus.
“I want you to start another game,” he added.
Ved looked excited. “Ooh. And what’s that, bro? The kissing game?”
Rana shook his head. “Most of them are drunk right now. The kissing
will lead to complaints from housing unit wardens.”
Heavy partying often led to wardens finding guys sneaking out of girls’
housing units where the opposite sex wasn’t allowed. Although Abhi didn’t
like to moral police, he did draw the line at the number of complaints
received right at the beginning of the mid-year session. And things would
get even trickier if the college management found out that the hook-ups
were the result of the party hosted by the student council president.
“The new game is for the newbies to introduce themselves,” he said.
There was momentary silence before his cousin Ved began laughing.
“Your wish is our command, Mr. President, sir.”
Abhi watched as his two cousins went to the ongoing party. They broke
up the beer bong game, but not before Ved indulged in it and kissed a few
girls to keep them from getting upset about stopping the game midway.
“All right, guys,” Rana announced. “Time to sober up. On public
demand, since we have a few new faces, we are going to have
introductions.”
 There were frowns and boos since the game wasn’t as interesting as
simply getting drunk and partying with friends.
“But during those introductions, we want the newbies to not only give
us information about themselves, but they also have to pick someone to go
on a date with.”
There were loud cheers and hoots.
Abhi’s mouth twisted at the creative take of his cousin to keep the
drunk students entertained. He was sure the students would be excited to go
on a date with the new faces.
His eyes were once again drawn to Ava who was smiling listening to
the rules of the game. And when she heard the last part, he saw her eyes
widen slightly. And then she looked towards him.
When their eyes met, she began blushing before quickly looking away.
Is she thinking of picking me for the date?
He hoped she would.
With a never before strange anticipation coursing through him, he
watched as the game began. His two cousins once again stood next to him.
Only a dozen or so new students were at the party. The ones that began
their introductions were the bolder ones.
They all shared several facts about themselves. Who their family was
and what they were worth. Some of them even threw in the stock exchange
rate.
One of the girls threw in a sultry gaze towards him. “And the guy I
want to pick for my date is any of the Simhas.” She pointed at him and his
cousins.
“Anytime, sweetheart!” Ved shouted, sending the girl a flying kiss.
There were loud hoots and cheers.
 Most of the new girls said the same thing about wanting to pick one of
the Simhas for a date. Abhi knew it was because of the Simha family and
the wealth and power that came along with it. None of those girls really
knew or cared about the real person behind the Simha name.
Somehow, he sensed Ava would be different.
It surprised him that he formed that impression about her when he
didn’t know much about her. But somehow, he just felt it as a gut instinct.
Finally, it was Ava’s turn to speak. There was a strange electric-charged
atmosphere when she stepped forward while people waited for her to speak.
Or maybe it was something only he felt.
Her cheeks were slightly reddened because of everyone’s attention on
her. But she cleared her voice and let out a small laugh.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Avantika Patel, but my friends call me Ava. I’m
in second year Medicine.”
Ved nudged Abhi from the side. “Bro, she’s going to be a doctor.
Grandpa will be thrilled.”
“Grandma too,” Rana added.
Abhi ignored his cousins as Ava continued on.
She smiled with a soft, dreamy look. “I transferred from Harvard to
attend the university that I had always dreamt of going to ever since I was a
little girl. My dad attended Simha, and I want to make him proud by
graduating from Simha Medical, just like he did.”
Something about the detail she was providing nagged Abhi.
Avantika Patel.
That name rang a loud bell and the fact that her father was a doctor
who attended Simha University.
“I’m from San Francisco, California. My parents are both doctors and I
have a younger sister who hopes to join Simha too one day.”
 Abhi’s heart began racing.
“Ved,” he gritted. “Look her up on the student portal.”.
Ved laughed. “Why, bro? She’s already giving out the information.
Have patience.”
Abhi didn’t want to wait. “Pull up her family photo.”
Ved frowned, but noticing the dark tone, his cousin pulled out his
phone and looked up Avantika Patel’s student records. And then, tied it to
the information available on the internet.
An image popped up.
“Fuck.” Rana let out a soft curse.
“Double fuck,” Ved added.
Abhi didn’t say anything. His eyes were trained on the cell phone
screen with Avantika Patel’s family picture.
It was her. There is no doubt about it.
All the soft feelings he had felt towards her before began disappearing.
Raw anger began filling instead.
The reason for the biggest sorrow in his life was now standing only a
few feet away from him. And seeing her flash her innocent smile made him
want to break something.
Anger boiled over.
“I want her gone,” he gritted.
Ved nodded. “I’ll ask someone to take her away.”
“No. Not from the fucking party. I want her gone.” He threw a cold
glare towards her. “From Simha University.”

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 CHAPTER 6

“Whom do you want to go on a date with!” someone shouted.

Ava tried hard not to blush when she got to the last part of the
introduction game. Her eyes automatically fell on him. There were other
people around him, but her eyes were drawn just to him.
He hadn’t approached her again. He was either busy talking to his
friends or simply standing away from the crowd, observing everyone.
But she felt every moment of his charged gaze on her.
“The student council president,” she replied, her cheeks heating. “I
want to go on a date with Abhi.”
There were hoots shouting that Abhi made yet another score.
Blushing, she walked back to the group she was with all evening. Nitya
was grinning while Pooja, for some reason, glared at her.
“I thought you would say one of the Simhas too,” Nitya said with a
laugh. “I’m glad you pointed specifically to Abhi.”
Pooja glared. “She’s just like everyone who wants to be a part of the
Simha family too.”
Ava was confused. “What do you mean by the Simha family? Who are
they?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know!”
Pooja’s anger made Ava even more confused. “I really don’t. Who are
they?”
Nitya and the rest of the girls in the group stared at her like she was a
strange species.
“Oh my God, Ava. Don’t you really know who Abhi is?” Nitya asked
in shock and excitement.
 “No.”
“He’s Abhiram Simha. And his cousins Ved and Rana are Simhas too.
They belong to the Simha family that built this university. All the girls want
to date any of the Simhas because most of them aim to have it as their last
name in the future.”
Ava was shocked. She hadn’t known who the student president was.
She was simply drawn to him from the first sight.
“Oh.”
Nitya laughed. “Yes, oh indeed.”
Ava’s cheeks heated as she recalled all the instances she heard girls
referring to the Simhas. She had assumed it meant all the students in the
university. But the girls were actually talking about the three guys
belonging to the Simha family. Even the party she was attending was hosted
by the Simhas and not the university.
Abhiram Simha.
She now knew the name of the guy she had been crushing on since
morning.

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 *****

The party continued on and the crowd began dancing to the thumping
music. Ava was glad the alcohol was cleared up because she was worried
about everyone getting back to the campus safely.
She joined the dance, but she found something odd.
Students were dancing together and most of them as pairs. Even the
new students got asked and danced as pairs. At some point, she realized she
was the only girl who was not dancing with anyone.
Each time a guy asked her for a dance, he was pulled away by someone
immediately. She didn’t particularly care that she was dancing alone, but it
just felt odd that her partners were gone, almost as though it was forbidden
to dance with her.
She smiled at the next guy who came to her, but once again he was
pulled away. The guy’s face paled when someone whispered something in
his ear. Throwing her a strange look, he walked away to dance with some
other girl.
The strange nagging feeling about something being off grew inside
her.
Shaking the feeling off, she stepped away from the dance. She walked
past the swaying bodies, the loud cheers and hoots, and the blaring music.
She went in search of water.
The water bottles were kept at a distance and she walked towards them.
While she walked, she saw several couples sitting by the bonfire and
kissing passionately.
Her cheeks heated and she smiled, looking away from the couples. She
finally reached the beverage area and picked a water bottle.
 Taking several sips, she finished the bottle realizing how thirsty she
was. She was about to reach for another one when she saw a shadow
approaching.
She turned and froze when she saw who it was. Her heart began to
thud, and her cheeks started to heat like they always did whenever she felt
his eyes on her.
She smiled tentatively at him, feeling a little awkward now that she
said publicly that she would like to go on a date with him.
Is he here to ask me about the date?
She recalled that he had asked if her weekend was free even before the
game. Was he asking her out then?
Feeling excited and nervous, she waited.
His eyes were trained on her but he did not return her smile.
“Hi…Abhi,” she greeted, trying to keep a steady voice.
He didn’t respond. The strong pull along with awareness once again
buzzed between them, making her shiver lightly.
Pushing away the awareness, she continued to smile. “This is a great
party.”
His eyes flashed. “You weren’t invited.”
She was taken aback by his words. She blinked, wondering if she
misheard him.
“I-I came with my roommate Nitya. She said I could come, and you
wouldn’t mind.”
She wondered once again if she was reading too much into everything
in her nervous and hyper-aware state. But she could see cold anger on
Abhiram Simha’s face.
“You are wrong,” he said in a coldly dark tone. “I do mind your
presence here.”
 There was no mistaking his anger this time. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know.
I won’t come next time.” She was confused and also shaken.
He took a step closer. “There is no next time. You don’t belong here at
Simha. You should leave.”
It took her a moment to understand his meaning. And a few more
moments to recover from the shock. “L-leave Simha University?”
“Yes… Go back to Harvard or wherever the hell you want to go next.”
The cold anger made her stomach tremble.
“L-look, Abhi. I-I don’t know what happened, but I’m sorry if I
offended you—”
“Your very existence offends me.”
She sucked in her breath. His words made it sound like he hated her.
As she processed his words, she wondered if it was the same guy she
had been crushing on and the one who had her heart race. He was still
stunningly handsome. But there was now dark ruthlessness and menace to
his demeanor.
What changed?
He was making her heart race, but in anxiousness rather than with
excitement. Suppressing a shiver, she tried to reason with him. “You… you
asked me not to leave early. I thought—”
He took another intimidating step closer to her, making her step back
and almost lose her footing on the dirt road. His dark menacing expression
did not falter.
“You thought wrong,” he gritted. “I want you gone.”
Shock ran through her and she stayed silent, while her heart thudded
hard. She didn’t know what was happening.
Suddenly, a thought hit her. The one that might make sense of their
current interaction.
 This must be a joke. It has to be a prank played on a new student.
She let out a nervous laugh. “That’s enough, Abhi,” she said. “I’m not
falling for this prank. I know about pranks played on the new students at
universities.”
He fell silent for a long moment and she was so sure he was going to
let out a laugh and tell her he was joking. But he maintained his grim
expression, his eyes threatening to sear her.
“This is not a fucking joke.”
Once again, she was shocked. And she was lost for words. Unable to
process it and in no state of mind to continue to face him, she decided to put
an end to the strange encounter that was making her anxious and scared.
Even if Abhiram Simha wasn’t joking, and he really hated her, the only
option left right then was to walk away from him. There was no point
arguing with him. He was still technically a stranger.
Without another word, she stepped away from him and walked back to
the dancing area.
She felt his burning glare on the back of her, but she didn’t turn or look
at him again. His words were extremely hurtful and shocking, but she told
herself not to let them get to her.
She had misunderstood Abhiram Simha’s initial words as interest in
her. She thought his searing stare was because he felt the strong pull and
chemistry between them.
But she was wrong. Very wrong.
He hated her and wanted her gone.

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 CHAPTER 7

Ava woke up to the sound of an alarm. Blinking open her bleary eyes,
she saw that it was seven in the morning.
Despite her comfortable bed, she was barely able to sleep due to jet lag
and also because of the restless dreams she had based on what happened at
the party the previous night. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
Maybe it was just a bad dream.
With a slight shake of head, she pushed away the thoughts of the party
from her mind and dragged herself out of bed and made her way into the
bathroom. She had to focus on planning her first day at Simha.
There were a ton of things to do and plan.
It’s going to be fine. I have everything planned.
Trying to control her nervous excitement, she continued to get ready
for her first day of classes. She took a quick shower and put on her uniform.
She then tied her hair into a simple ponytail so it wouldn’t get in her way
during classes.
Her time table was already loaded into her cell phone. But she checked
it once again to see if she had saved it along with the Simha University
campus map. The interactive map icon was saved on her screen. It would
ensure she didn’t get lost and be late to any of her classes.
When everything seemed fine, she stepped out of her bedroom.
Nitya was awake and in the kitchen making coffee. “Good morning,
Ava,” she greeted. “Are you heading out to classes already? We have a
couple of hours before they begin.”
Ava smiled. “I wanted to look around the campus a bit before the
classes start.”
 Nitya nodded in understanding. “Have coffee before you step out. I’m
sure you must be still quite tired.”
Ava wasn’t tired. She was excited about her first day. Even though
some of the excitement was of the nervous kind.
Nitya poured her a steaming cup of coffee and handed it to her.
“Thank you.” The coffee was strong and aromatic. The very smell of it
woke up all her senses.
Normally, she added plenty of milk and sugar into her coffee. But that
day, she was too anxious to care. She simply needed the caffeine shot.
“Did you enjoy yourself at the party last night?” Nitya asked with a
smile. “I couldn’t talk to you last night as I was too drunk.”
Ava smiled. “Yes, it was fun.” Most of it was fun, except for the last
confusing confrontation.
Maybe I can ask her later this evening about the pranks played on new
students.
Deciding to bring up the topic later, she finished her coffee and got up.
“Thanks for the coffee, Nitya. I’ll see you later.”
Nitya waved. “Have an awesome first day!”
Ava smiled and stepped out of the apartment.
As soon as she exited the housing unit, she took a deep inhale of the
fresh morning air. It was stunningly beautiful outside with tall, green trees
and vivid-colored flowering bushes and paved pathways.
The weather was slightly chilly, but she decided that a brisk walk
would warm her up easily.
She saw students walking towards the cafeterias placed around the
campus. She wanted to walk into one to grab breakfast, but she wasn’t
hungry. She was too anxious and excited to have breakfast. She decided to
grab a heavy lunch later.
 A sudden burst of laughter drew her attention to a group of guys as
they passed by. Her heart leaped when she saw that they were wearing Red
and gold Viper jerseys. Immediately, her eyes searched the faces in the
group, and when she didn’t see the one she expected, she looked away.
She shook her head.
Focus on your first day!
Pulling out her phone, she looked at her schedule once again along
with the map.
Her first class was Pharmaceutical Sciences which was in the
Pharmacy building that was nearly a twenty minute walk. Although there
were shuttles running, she decided to walk.
She reached the huge building and stared at it in awe. The building was
over a hundred years old and retained its colonial architecture. She had read
the history of the building and department. Some of the best pharmaceutical
companies were owned by the alumni who had graduated out of the Simha
Pharmaceutical department.
Pharmaceutical sciences was a familiar subject to her as she had taken
it at Harvard. But she knew the curriculum and research would be much
harder and in-depth at Simha University. And the professor teaching the
course was nominated for a Nobel prize which made it all the more
intimidating and exciting.
Smiling, she went inside the building where her first class would be
held. It was relatively empty because she was quite early. But she wanted to
check out the locker assigned to her where she could keep her text books
and notes.
She let out a laugh when she saw that access to lecture halls at Simha
were once again different from the other universities. Student IDs had to be
scanned to access any of the lecture halls. That way the management kept a
track of time.
She stood in the corridor by a wall, checking her phone to look up the
room number of the lecture hall when she heard a familiar, deep voice.
“What are you doing here?”
Her heart began to thud as she felt a presence in front of her.
Slowly, she looked up, only to suck in a deep breath. Abhiram Simha
was standing a few feet away from her. It was as though her mind had
conjured him by thinking about him a few minutes ago. He was wearing his
usual red and gold house team jersey.
From such close proximity, he once again looked larger than life,
especially with a grim look on his handsome face.
“H-Hi,” she greeted. “I’m taking pharmaceutical sciences.”
His gorgeous face hardened when he took a step towards her.
“I didn’t ask you about your bloody classes. I’m asking what the hell
are you still doing here. Why haven’t you left the campus?”
Her heart thudded. She felt a sizzle of uneasiness along with the
awareness. In her mind, she had blocked out the last hour of the previous
night’s party. She didn’t want to believe that the guy she had been crushing
on spoke to her rudely and wanted her gone.
Looking at his handsome face and feeling the intense awareness, her
mind only thought of him as the guy who asked her to keep her weekend
free and to not leave his party early.
“Abhi, I don’t know why—”
“Quiet,” he snapped. “Answer my damn question first. Why haven’t
you left?”
She sucked in another deep breath, only for her senses to be filled with
his cologne.
 Oh God.
Her mind was racing with confused feelings. On one hand, she was still
strongly drawn to him, but on the other hand, her mind sent warning signals
to run away from him.
The warning signals grew stronger when he stepped even closer. She
took a step back until her back hit the wall of the corridor. He was so close
that she could see his thick dark lashes while his eyes blazed with anger.
“Why haven’t you left?” he gritted out.
He was scaring her.
“I-I am not leaving. S-stop joking like this. It’s not f-funny.”
There was a scary pause while he looked into her eyes. Slowly, his
mouth twisted, causing her stomach to tremble.
“You still think it’s a joke?” he asked. “I guess you need a lesson in
reality, Harvard. And I’m going to give it to you.”
With those chilling words, he stepped back and walked away from her.
A long breath she didn’t know she was holding, escaped her. She saw his
broad back as he walked along the corridor and scanned his phone at the
double doors before disappearing from her view.
Her heart thumped hard.
What just happened?
Her heart continued to race in fear and confusion.
Why is he doing this? And when will he stop?
She hoped the trick he was playing on her would end soon. If not, she
would have to talk to him and ask him to cut it out.
Shaking off her confusion, she once again focused on her classes that
were going to start soon. Students began pouring in.
She followed them through the corridor, pulling in the excitement of
attending her first class at Simha. The group of students stopped and she
had to wait in line while students scanned their phones at the double doors
to enter the lecture hall area.
She didn’t know she could use her phone to gain access. She would
have to get it synced up soon so she didn’t need to carry her physical ID
card.
She reached for her card that she had clipped on the waistband of her
skirt, but she couldn't find it.
Her heart nearly stopped.
Oh my God. Did I forget my ID card in my room?
She knew she didn’t. She had used her ID card in the elevator at the
housing unit.
Then where was it?
She frantically searched around her waist to see if she clipped it on the
other side. But she couldn’t find it.
“Hey, step out of the way if you aren’t going to pass.” The student
behind her sounded impatient.
She stepped out of the short line, letting the other students pass while
she searched her uniform pockets. But she couldn’t find the card anywhere.
Did it fall on the ground somewhere?
She looked around helplessly, unable to believe she had lost her ID
card.
The class would begin in a few minutes. She couldn’t believe that
despite her planning, things went wrong and she did not have access.
She decided to go behind the next student who entered the double
doors. She would be marked as absent for the class, but she didn't want to
miss her first class at Simha.
The student was scanning his phone ID on the card reader.
 “Hello,” she said urgently. “I’m having trouble with my access. Can
you let me into the class, please?”
The guy shook his head. “Both of us will get kicked out of the class if I
do that. You should get your ID fixed with the security team.”
Relief swept over her.
“W-where is the security team located?” she asked.
“In the basement.”
Thanking the guy, she rushed towards the basement area. Missing a few
minutes of the class was better than not attending the entire class.
She hurried down the steps and went toward the room marked as
security.
She sent a silent prayer when she saw a few people inside and no other
students.
“I need help with my access, please!”
She almost cried in relief when the security team activated her access
on the phone and also issued her another ID card.
“Thank you so much!” she told them before rushing out.
By the time she scanned through the double doors and got to the lecture
hall, the class was in progress. The room was big, with a stadium-like
seating. There were three huge well-lit smart screens covering the entire
wall in the front.
Ava felt all eyes shifting towards her as she hovered near the entrance.
The professor stopped talking and turned in her direction too. The older
woman did not look happy.
Ava smiled nervously. “Hello, Dr. Rajpal. I’m Avantika Patel. Sorry,
I’m late. I had a problem with my access and I—”
The professor cut her off. “Ms. Patel, you are late. And because of your
tardiness the focus of the class is broken. I don’t know where you studied
before, but at Simha we do not tolerate tardiness.”
Ava’s heart sank. “I… I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“There’s no time for excuses. You have thirty seconds to settle down.”
The professor turned back to the class and continued with the lecture.
Feeling dejected, she tried to find a place. There weren't any in the first
few rows. Unclear where to sit, she just made her way up to the back row
and stopped short when she saw an empty seat. It was the only empty seat.
She settled into the chair.
Shaken and out of breath due to the mad rush of the last few minutes,
she tried really hard not to cry. Barely an hour into her college life at Simha
and she felt overwhelmed.
Keep calm.
She closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths. When she felt
slightly calmer, she opened them again, only for her calmness to completely
vanish.
Her eyes fell on an object on her desk and she almost let out a shriek.
Right in front of her eyes was her old ID card. One word was written on it
with a black marker.
LEAVE.
With her heart thudding, she slowly raised her eyes and looked around.
Abhiram Simha was sitting on the aisle next to her on the right.
Oh God.
“Miss Patel, can you please join the class assignment?”
Ava yanked her eyes away from him to look at the professor in the
front.
The professor was pointing to something on the smart screen. “Abhi,
can you get Miss Patel up to speed so she can join the assignment.”
“Sure, Dr. Rajpal,” Abhiram Simha’s deep voice replied.
 Ava’s heart thudded as he walked the short distance towards her. He
tapped on the screen on her desk. Although she kept her eyes on the screen
in the front, she could sense his dark gaze on her. He was once again close
enough for her to smell his cologne. She tried to shrink back on her seat, but
she couldn’t escape his presence.
“Do you still think I’m joking, Harvard?” he asked, his dark voice
settling into her stomach.
She trembled in shock even when he returned back to his seat.

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 *****

She wasn’t late to the next two classes. But she felt confused and
shaken.
How did my ID card land on the desk?
Did he deliberately take it or did he find it somewhere?
Why is he tormenting me?
Luckily, Abhiram Simha wasn’t in her other two classes which were
pathology and community medicine.
But still, she had kept looking to see if he was hovering anywhere. He
didn’t seem the kind to hover though. He was more likely to openly
intimidate her.
Why is he doing this to me?
She was still finding it hard to believe it was anything but pretense. It
must be some kind of pranks that senior students often indulge in with new
students.
Yes. That must be it.
She bit her lip, only half convinced about it being an elaborate prank on
Abhiram Simha’s part. But she needed something to cling on to.
She walked towards the cafeteria. Having skipped breakfast, she was
quite hungry.
The main cafeteria wasn’t that hard to find since all she had to do was
follow the students.
The dining hall was huge and spread over a single storey building
consisting of half-open and half closed spaces. Like everything else in the
Simha University, it was over the top luxurious too.
 The tables were covered with tablecloth and students used real plates
and silverware instead of the plastic or disposable ones. She saw groups of
students seated together at various tables.
She wondered if she should have called and joined Nitya. But she
didn’t want to impose on her roommate. She followed a group of students
into the area where food was being served. Luckily, there were trays like
normal cafeterias. Picking up on, she stood in the line.
She was shocked and slightly amused seeing the menu or rather
multiple menus. There was food from across most of the cuisines in the
world. A short burst of laughter escaped her when she saw lobster as that
day’s special item.
Shaking her head, she stood in the line for a quick soup and salad meal.
It only took her a few minutes because the bubbling soups were kept ready
along with the salads.
She shook her head with a smile when she spotted lobster in the soup
as well. Definitely not the kind of soup one could get in other university
cafeterias either. Even the salad was freshly made with generous amounts of
nuts and exotic seasoning.
Her stomach rumbled as she carried her tray with her delicious
smelling lunch to the main hall to find a seat.
“Ava!”
She looked around when she heard someone calling her name.
“Ava! Over here!”
Ava’s eyes fell on the girl waving and calling her. It was Pooja, her
roommate. Ava was surprised. She didn’t think Pooja cared enough to invite
her to join for lunch.
Feeling glad at the friendly invitation, Ava headed towards Pooja. Her
roommate was seated with a big group. It would be awkward since
everyone was new, but Ava decided to relax and build a few friendships.
She was halfway through the distance when her legs suddenly faltered.
Her eyes fell on the broad shoulders of the guy sitting on the next table
from across Pooja. It was a red and gold jersey. Ava’s heart thudded. A few
more steps closer and her stomach sank and fluttered hard when she read
the words ‘Vipers’ and ‘President’.
Oh God. It is him.
How can it be possible?
It was too much of a coincidence. Once again her gut instinct warned
her.
She wanted to stop, change direction and run. But she didn’t want to.
She wanted to make friends, and the chances of Abhiram Simha bothering
her again were low.
He was sitting with his cousins and friends having his lunch.
Biting her lip and taking a deep breath, she continued to go towards
Pooja. She was about to pass by his table when something came in between
her feet.
She tripped.
The tray went crashing down breaking the soup bowl and spilling the
contents on the sparkling clean marble floor.
Ava was stunned. She turned and her eyes met with the dark, intense
ones watching her.
“You tripped me!” she accused.
He didn’t say anything. But Pooja jumped right in.
“Don’t be silly,” Pooja said. “Why would Abhi trip you?”
Ava shook her head. “No. He put his leg deliberately in my way and I
fell.”
 Pooja laughed. “Why would he deliberately trip you? And I doubt if he
has such long legs. You tripped.”
Ava bit her lip and looked at him and then at where she was standing.
She couldn’t make a scene even though she felt he was the one to trip her.
She had clearly felt something coming in her way.
“You should watch where you are going,” he said in a casual tone.
Feeling embarrassed, Ava stood helplessly as a cleaning crew came in.
She felt bad as someone else had to pick up the mess she made. She helped
the crew by picking up the pieces of the broken soup bowl even though the
crew insisted it wasn’t required.
Luckily, she tripped in a way that the hot soup did not spill on her. She
would have been seriously hurt and would have also needed a change of
clothes.
Ava felt the heat of someone’s gaze on her back while she assisted the
crew. She knew it was his but she didn’t look back.
By the time the cleaning was done and the crew left, she only had a few
minutes. She went back to the food area and picked up a sandwich. When
she returned to the dining area, she didn’t join Pooja’s group. She sat at a
table far away from Abhiram Simha.
While she bit into her sandwich, she could still feel his gaze on her.
Was Pooja right?
Maybe I just imagined that he deliberately tripped me.
“Abhi!” someone yelled from across the dining hall.
Ava watched as a group of guys dressed in Vipers jerseys came in
holding a rugby ball. They threw the ball towards him but the ball fell away.
It fell right at the spot where she had tripped.
Ava’s heart thudded when he looked right at her. And then, with a small
twist of his lips, he extended his long leg to pull the ball easily towards him.
Picking it up, he spun the ball on the tip of his finger while keeping his gaze
locked on his.
The slightest doubt of whether or not he had deliberately tripped her
vanished.
Abhiram Simha wasn’t pranking. He was determined to drive her out
of the university.
Never in a million years did she think she would be the target for the
most popular boy in college.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 8

“Oh my God! How was your first day!” Ava’s sister’s cheerful voice
demanded.
Ava had just returned to her apartment. Her roommates weren’t back
yet. Feeling homesick, she called her sister.
“My first day was good.”
Her sister immediately sensed something. “What’s wrong?” she
demanded. “Why don’t you seem excited?”
Ava tried not to let her thoughts show. “I’m just tired, Pree. It’s the jet
lag. I’m still getting used to the time difference.”
Preeti relaxed a little. “Oh yeah. I guess it’ll take a few days.”
“Yeah.”
“Tell me about the cute guys in college,” Preeti demanded with a
mischievous smile. “I’m sure there are many.”
Ava bit her lip as Abhiram Simha’s face flashed in her mind. He could
hardly be termed cute. The guy was devastatingly good looking and she had
been drawn to him immediately. But thanks to what transpired between
them, she now found him terrifying.
He was no longer her crush. He was her tormentor.
“I haven’t gotten the chance to look around yet,” she replied in a
neutral tone.
Her sister sighed dramatically. “Oh come on! Not again! Remember,
you won’t get back college days again. You need to make the most of it!”
Ava smiled. “Okay, Grandma.”
Before her sister could prolong the topic, Ava’s mother intervened.
“Stop harassing your sister, Preeti,” Ava’s mother scolded.
 Ava laughed as she saw her mother in a short tussle with her younger
daughter. She managed to grab the phone.
“How are you, my baby?” Ava’s mother asked.
Ava knew her mother must be getting ready to go to the hospital.
“I’m fine, Ma. I was just telling Pree that I’m yet to get used to the time
zone.”
Her mother frowned. “I guess it will take a week or so. Are you taking
your vitamin C supplements? Is the food good there? Do you want me to
ship you something from here?”
This time Ava burst out with a genuine laugh. “Ma, Papa wasn’t joking
when he said Simha University is known for its food. We get everything
here and it’s all sourced locally too.”
“That’s good I suppose.”
Ava knew her mother wasn’t still happy that her oldest daughter flew
halfway across the world.
“When are the holidays?” her mother demanded.
Ava shook her head. “Today is my first day of classes, Ma. Holidays
will be after five or six months around June.”
“Fine. If you feel homesick, just get back home. You can take classes
online from San Francisco too.”
“I’m fine, Ma.”
Ava wished her father was there during the call. She missed her dad’s
excited face asking and reminiscing about Simha University. But he would
be at the hospital until much later in the night. He was free only during the
weekends which he strictly spent with his family. Unless of course there
was a medical emergency.
“I’ve got to go, Ma. I have to catch up with my assignments.”
 Her mother nodded. “Take care, baby. Call me whenever you need me.
Don’t worry about timing.”
Ava’s eyes prickled as a pang of homesickness hit her, but she
controlled her tears.
She put on a smile. “I will, Ma. Bye.”
She waved goodbye to her sister before ending the call. Putting her
phone away, she stared outside her bedroom window.
For some reason Abhiram Simha disliked her and wanted her gone. She
had no idea why.
Since she wasn’t the kind to confront anyone or get into arguments or
fights, she decided to avoid him at any cost.

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 *****

She successfully managed to avoid her tormentor for two days.

Avoiding certain routes, keeping out of the sports stadiums and
changing her meal timings was how she didn’t see Abhiram Simha again.
She also found out that Abhiram Simha was an honors student pursuing a
dual Bachelor’s degree in both Pharmacy and Business Administration.
Luckily, she and her tormentor only had one class together, pharmaceutical
sciences and it was on Mondays and Fridays. Which meant she still had a
day left before she had to see him again.
I’m just going to ignore him during class.
Pushing away thoughts of him, she focused on the task at hand—to
explore options of various extracurricular activities. She was headed to the
performance arts and music building.
Simha University was very particular about students being well-
rounded when it came to education. They didn’t care if a student was
studying to be a doctor, engineering or business major, but they wanted
good exposure to extracurricular activities. A part of grades would depend
on how well she participated in them.
Drama club appealed to her the most. She didn’t want to pick sports.
Although she played tennis and was decent at swimming, it wasn’t at a
competitive level. Drama was something she enjoyed. She had been a part
of drama clubs in school and had participated in many plays. It was the only
time she shed her introvertness and became whatever characters she
played.
Opening the interactive campus maps, she checked to see the entrance
of the huge performance and arts building. It was on the other side.
 She was admiring the architecture of the building while walking to the
front side. Even when she reached the front side, she couldn’t take her eyes
off the beautiful carvings and sculptures on the top of the building.
But her attention was grabbed away when she heard a familiar deep
voice.
“Hey, Harvard. Come here.”
Her back stiffened and her nerves strummed with a strange fear. She
pretended not to hear him and continued to look at the building.
Just ignore him!
She considered walking past the building.
“Harvard, I know you can hear me. But I can be louder.” He let out a
dark laugh and added, “Grab me the megaphone, Ved.”
Why is he here? And what is he up to?
She saw a few students who were passing by looking at her with
interest. Before her tormentor drew unwanted attention to her, she looked
towards him. He was standing by the steps with a small group of guys. He
was once again wearing his Vipers sports jersey and the rest of the group
were also in their sports jerseys.
Why weren’t they all at a sports stadium? What were they doing near
performance arts and music building?
“Come here, Harvard.”
She wanted to ignore her tormentor’s command. But she didn’t want
him to take it as a challenge. She dragged her feet to where he was and
looked at him in silence.
“Why didn’t you come right away?” His voice held authority.
It shocked her once again how different he sounded from when he
spoke to her the first time and asked her if she was free over the weekend.
His voice was still deep and smooth, but now, it held menace.
 “I-I didn’t h-hear you.”
Where did the stutter come from?
She was shocked that her voice was coming out in a stutter. She used to
have the problem during childhood. She had overcome it eventually. But it
only came back when she was too stressed.
“Liar,” he said. “Don’t ever lie to me. Understood?”
She only nodded, chanting to herself to keep calm. But Abhiram Simha
was relentless.
He straightened from the steps and came towards her. He stopped only
when he was barely a foot away from her. His musky cologne filled her
senses as she took in a shaky breath.
“Didn’t I ask you to leave you the last time? Did you think hiding from
me would make me forget about your presence here?”
She remained quiet and didn’t respond.
“Answer me. Use your words,” he demanded.
There was a chuckle. “You need to teach her to use her mouth, Abhi,”
one of the guys said from behind him.
The words felt crude and the guys around burst into laughter. Her face
burned with embarrassment. Her tormentor watched her but didn’t say
anything. He only put up a hand a moment later that stopped the chuckles of
the other guys.
Her tormentor’s eyes then fell on her mouth, making her lips tremble.
Whether it was fear or awareness, she didn’t know, but she tried desperately
to stop it. She was sure her tormentor could see as well. She bit her bottom
lip, trying hard to control the trembling, so she wouldn’t show him her
weakness. But all it did was make his eyes flash.
There was a dark look on his face.
Her breath caught in her throat at the dark anger she saw in his eyes.
 “Don’t,” he snapped.
“W-what?” She was confused.
His nostrils flared and his jaw was clenched as though he was
controlling himself. She didn’t understand why he was so angry.
“Leave,” he ordered. “Get out of here.”
She didn’t know whether the order was for her to leave the place or to
leave the university. Not wanting to ask him, she hurried away.
She more or less ran as though the devil was chasing her.

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 *****

She continued to try and hide from the devil. And it was getting
exhausting.
Classes and assignments kept her sane. She somehow managed to
finish her first week catching up with all of her assignments. The course
work was hard but she was enjoying the subjects. The one she enjoyed and
found challenging the most was pharmaceutical sciences. In spite of her
tormentor being in the same class, the subject fascinated her.
She felt his dark presence always next to her, but she stuck to her
promise of ignoring him.
But she couldn’t always ignore him. He snuck into her dreams or rather
her darkest nightmares. Even her nightmares tended to get oddly confusing
where she was terrified yet drawn to her tormentor.
Stop thinking so much about him.
She hated that even though she managed to avoid him, he still haunted
her thoughts.
Shaking her head, she focused on the task at hand. She was at the
library right then, finishing up her last assignment. Although she spent most
of her time holed up in her bedroom, she also spent a significant amount of
time in the library. It had become her solace where she blended with the rest
of the students. She unconsciously pulled her black hoodie lower on her
head.
“What are you wearing for your date tonight?” one of the students
asked her friend.
The girls were seated at the next table.
 “Oh. I’m thinking of wearing my green minidress.” The girl giggled. “I
think Rahul will be happy with it. Easy access to you know what.”
There was laughter.
Ava’s cheeks heated and a smile broke on her face.
It was Friday evening and she knew students let down their hair during
weekends. It was a much-needed break from intense courses and
assignments that kept them busy during the week. She wished she could
explore the beautiful beaches and scenic spots that Simha was famous for.
But she didn’t dare to step out anytime soon.
The library was bustling with students eager to get started on their
weekend plans.
She looked up at the large antique clock on the library wall and saw
that it was close to six thirty pm. She was almost done and just had to
submit her work for the assignment.
Suddenly the energy around her shifted. From eagerness, she sensed an
excitement among the female students. She looked around, only for her to
be shocked. Abhiram Simha was walking into the library with a group of
guys.
Her first instinct was to freeze. But with her heart thudding, she
dragged herself up and quickly walked away to disappear into one of the
nearby aisles.
She could still hear and see him from the aisle.
“Hi, Abhi!” a group of girls greeted him eagerly.
Her breath caught in her throat as he nodded at the girls who greeted
him. But his dark eyes were looking around as though seeking someone.
She turned away and went deeper into the aisle, flattening against a
bookshelf.
Oh God.
 Maybe I’m being paranoid.
Why would the most popular guy waste his time trying to find the new
girl just to terrorize her? She was sure he had better things to do like going
on dates with one of the fan girls or simply hanging out with his friends.
She bit her lip, half convinced she was just being paranoid.
Barely two minutes later, her fears came true. She saw his larger-than-
life dark presence at the beginning of the aisle. Even as she hoped he was
simply passing by, he turned inside.
His dark eyes fell on her.
Her heart nearly burst out of her chest as he walked down the library
aisle, his eyes never leaving hers. There was nothing she could think of
doing as her body and mind froze like she had seen the devil. She should be
looking away and ignoring him, but the fear of what might happen made
her keep her eyes glued to him.
He came to a stop right in front of her. His eyes took in the black
hoodie she had on. Since it was after classes, she wore her favorite hoodie
to remain nearly invisible. It covered her hair, keeping her somewhat
anonymous. But now that her tormentor had seen her in it, she doubted she
could remain invisible anymore.
“I ordered you to leave a week ago, Harvard. But you are still here.”
His voice was low and even, which she found even more menacing.
“What part of leave did you not understand?”
“I-I can’t leave,” she stuttered as she sucked in air. Her palms turned
sweaty when he held his intimidating stance, glaring at her. “I’m h-here to
study. My f-father—”
He cut her off before she could finish her sentence.
“You don’t deserve to be at Simha.”
 She wanted to ask him why but she could not talk as her voice was
stuck in her throat. He was scaring her and his presence overwhelmed her.
Shockingly, her mind and body were still at war when it came to him. She
was frightened of him, but she had to fight the awareness she still felt
towards him.
I have to escape.
She turned to walk away, hoping he wouldn’t follow her and make a
scene. There must be dozens of other distractions and weekend plans for
him to get to.
She had barely taken a step when she was stopped. She let out a gasp
when the back of her hoodie was caught and she was dragged back and
pushed against the bookshelf once again.
Her tormentor pressed his palms on the bookshelf on either side of her
head, trapping her. He then bent his head until their faces were only inches
apart.
“Don’t think you can run away from me, Harvard. I will hunt you down
no matter where you are.” His eyes swept over her hoodie in contempt.
“Your cheap hoodie will not protect you from me.”
She let out a gasp and her fingers curled into her jacket protectively.
Her hoodie was gifted to her by her father. It was from her father’s college
days. “D-do not c-call my h-hoodie cheap. Ii…it was my f-father’s.”
His mouth twisted cruelly. “Then it is both cheap and old, Harvard.
And if you don’t want anything to happen to it, like burning into ashes, you
should do as I say and leave.”
She was shocked at his cruelty, threatening to destroy something that
was dear to her.
“Y-ou are a monster,” she whispered.
 He smiled darkly. “Yes, I am. And if you don’t leave, you’ll see how
big of a monster I am.”
Before she could say anything else, he stepped away. Giving her a
sweeping look, he left.
She saw him joining the group of guys waiting for him at the corner of
the aisle. None of the guys looked like they would come to her help. Even
the students who passed by only looked at her with curiosity. They probably
thought she and her tormentor were having an intimate conversation.
Oh God.
She took in a shuddering breath.
When will he stop? Why does he want me gone?
Was it because she didn’t come from a privileged background like most
of the students at Simha? Abhiram Simha came from a privileged family.
Did he think anyone who wasn’t like him, didn’t belong at Simha?
Her heart sank at the thought. How could she have judged him so
wrongly?
She had been instantly drawn to him. And when she found out he was
the student president, she thought he had the leadership qualities and the
ability to treat everyone equally.
But he is just a privileged snob.
She shook her head again.
Ignore him and he will get bored of tormenting you and leave you
alone.
With that thought, she put her focus back on her studies. She was there
because graduating from Simha was her dream. Everything else was
secondary.
She spent the next hour making sure her assignment was complete and
submitted on time.
 And once she was done, she returned to her housing unit.
She hadn’t spent a lot of time interacting with her roommates. There
was so much to do on the campus and outside it that most students spent a
lot of time outside the housing areas. They only returned for sleep. She
spoke to Nitya during mornings when they spent time together while having
coffee. But her roommate Pooja didn’t get up that early. The other girl had a
very different schedule for classes and she was barely seen at the housing
during the week.
Did Pooja hang out with Abhiram Simha and co.?
She shook her head once again, warding off thoughts of her tormentor.
Her stomach fluttered with nervousness recalling their most recent
encounter. She was still shaken by the effect he had on her and his threats.
Taking a deep breath, she got into the elevator of her housing. She
could hear faint sounds of laughter and shouting while the elevator passed
by the two floors. When it stopped on the third floor, she got out. The
sounds of laughter got louder. The students were most likely letting down
their hair to enjoy the weekend after a grueling week.
Taking out her phone, she scanned her ID at her unit before pushing the
door open. To her surprise, the living room was full. She spotted Nitya and
everyone else was strangers. The group looked in her direction curiously.
“Oh hi, Ava!” Nitya waved at her vigorously. “Guys, this is Ava, my
roommate.”
There was a generic ‘hi’ from the group.
Ava smiled back. “Hello.”
Although she was tired and upset, seeing Nitya and the group made her
relax somewhat.
She knew her tormentor wouldn’t show up at her housing as boys
weren’t allowed to visit. It was only because of that rule, she had the
confidence that her housing unit would be her safe haven.
She made her way to the small kitchen area and saw the food bag with
her name on it. She opened the containers and placed them on a plate. The
food was still steaming hot as it was carefully packed in a reusable insulated
bag. She opened the fridge and grabbed a container of yogurt.
She was planning to take her dinner into her room when Nitya came
into the kitchen.
“Ava, join us,” Nitya invited. “We have ordered in for tonight.”
Most of the students ate either in the dining halls located across the
campus or at restaurants close to the college town where the professors and
staff lived with their families. Ava heard that the food was amazing and so
was the ambience near the college town. But so far, she didn’t dare to
explore.
“Oh. I don’t want to intrude,” Ava told her roommate.
“Don’t be silly. You won’t be intruding. We are shameless enough to
make you uncomfortable with our conversation.”
Ava laughed knowing what kind of conversation happened between
college girls. “I think I won’t be shocked. I have a sister who speaks just
like that with me even though she is four years younger than me.”
Nitya smiled. “How was your first week at Simha? Have you gotten
over your jet lag yet?”
Ava had been using the pretext of jetlag to stay in her room during
evenings.
“It’s better now,” she replied.
“Good. You should get out more often and meet with the students from
your department.”
Nitya was right. There were quite many second year medicine students
who took the same classes as her. Most of them appeared to be introverts
like her since they didn’t communicate much among each other during
classes. But Ava was sure if she spoke to some of them, they could form
study groups in the library.
Once again her heart leaped at the thought of the library and what had
transpired in there a while ago.
Loud laughter from the living room distracted her.
“Come on,” said Nitya. “Let’s join the others.”
Nodding, Ava went along and took a spot on the corner of the couch
which was vacant. Most of the girls in the group were seated on the
carpeted floor with pizza slices in their hands. There were cans of soft
drinks next to them as alcohol wasn’t allowed inside the campus buildings.
Smiling, Ava tried to follow the topic of discussion.
“I seriously don’t mind the age gap,” one of the girls said with a big
grin. “I would jump at the chance of being with any of the Simha guys. And
not just because their parents have oodles of money and influence. It is
purely for carnal reasons too. I want those hot genes in my progeny.”
There was a burst of laughter and agreements.
“Yeah, especially the oldest one,” another girl joined. “Hubba hubba.
Abhiram Simha seems to get hotter and hotter each year. I literally had to
fan myself when he passed by with his entourage at the dining hall.”
Ava’s heart leaped listening to her tormentor’s name.
“Whoa!” Nitya said with a laugh. “Don’t say that in front of my
roommate Pooja. She is determined to land Abhi as her boyfriend.”
“Which girl at Simha doesn’t think that?” someone asked cheekily.
“Doesn’t mean he would show interest in her. I doubt he or his cousins
would tie themselves to anyone in particular when they have the entire
female population falling all over for their attention.”
 “Yup. I heard about Ved and Rana being caught in compromising
positions. But for some reason Abhi is never caught publicly. Although
several girls have bragged about making out and being with him.”
One of the girls turned to look at Ava. “I remember seeing you talking
to Abhi during the party. He seemed to have followed you. What
happened?”
Ava’s cheeks heated at the question and the sudden attention when all
the girls in the group looked at her with curious glances
“Nothing,” she said.
Nitya’s eyes brightened. “Ooh, I didn’t know that. Why didn’t you tell
me!” Nitya demanded.
Ava’s cheeks heated all the more. “It was nothing. He was warning me
about not wandering away in the dark and we… uh… spoke about the
university.”
“Oh.” The girls looked disappointed that nothing happened.
“Come on, Ava!” one of the girls shouted. “How could you wander into
the dark and be close to Abhiram Simha and do nothing!”
There was laughter once again. Ava’s cheeks heated.
Ava was tempted to blurt out about how the guy everyone was crushing
over was tormenting her. But she held back. She didn’t want to come off as
a tattle tale. It was something she would have to deal with herself.
“You should text him,” a girl advised with a grin.
Ava was shocked. “What?”
“Yeah! Since you already said you want to go on a date with him
during the game, you could use that as a reason to text him. In fact, why
don’t you text him now asking him about the date?”
Ava’s heart thudded. That was the last thing she would do. Text her
tormentor and ask him for a date. He would probably throw her off a cliff or
a mountain and call it an accident. He hated her.
“I… uh… can’t. My parents are expecting me to video call them in a
while. Maybe some other time.”
Once again there were disappointed faces.
Nitya grinned. “Good call, Ava. If Pooja finds out you asked out Abhi,
she would throw an epic tantrum. I prefer a peaceful atmosphere until I
graduate this year.”
Ava nodded with a small smile. Pooja was welcome to have Abhiram
Simha as her boyfriend or whatever. In fact, Ava hoped Pooja would
succeed in catching his attention.
Then he would be distracted enough to stop tormenting me.
The rest of the evening was spent discussing boys, professors and
upcoming events and parties. Although Ava enjoyed their group’s company,
she excused herself after an hour. She was still too shaken about what
happened through the week with her tormentor.
She called and spoke to her sister briefly before settling in for a
relatively early night. It was only nine thirty, but she needed the sleep to
hopefully regain her strength to face the coming week.
Or rather, she needed strength to face her tormentor again.

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 *****

The next morning, Ava had begun to set up her room. She put up some
family pictures on the wall and placed several knick knacks on her study
desk and on her nightstand. She already felt surrounded by the warmth of
her family.
She stared at the picture frame of her sister and her during a dance
recital when they were twelve and sixteen years old. She smiled at
memories. She was about to hang another picture on the wall when she
received notification on her phone. Her breakfast had arrived.
She still had a few more pictures to hang, but she decided to take a
break.
Pooja and Nitya had breakfast outside in the campus cafeterias. So, she
knew they wouldn’t be interested in sharing hers. So, she decided to brew
coffee for them while she ate breakfast.
She stepped out of her room and noticed that Nitya and Pooja were
inside their rooms. She could hear Nitya talking on the phone, but Pooja’s
room was quiet.
She let out a sigh, hoping Pooja would warm up towards her.
Somehow, she sensed that her roommate disliked her. Despite attempting to
speak with her many times, Pooja froze her out.
Maybe Abhiram Simha asked Pooja to avoid me.
As soon as she thought of her tormentor, she immediately shook her
head.
Don’t think of him!
She was determined to have a peaceful weekend. And thoughts of her
tormentor would agitate her.
 Taking a deep breath, she waited for the coffee to brew. She was about
to pick out a breakfast plate when she heard some noises. She frowned,
wondering what it was. It was coming from one of the bedrooms and it
sounded like someone was in distress.
She went closer and realized it was a gagging noise and it was coming
from Pooja’s room.
“Pooja? Are you okay?” she asked from outside the bedroom.
There was no response but the gagging noises continued.
Feeling concerned, and hoping to help her roommate, she opened the
door and stepped into Pooja’s room. The sounds got louder as she walked
towards the bathroom.
“Pooja? Are you all right? I—”
She was taken aback at the sight. Pooja was kneeling in front of the
toilet and throwing up. But what was shocking was that Pooja was sticking
her finger into her throat and deliberately inducing the vomit.
Pooja suddenly stopped throwing up and turned towards her. “Get out!”
she shouted.
Ava was taken aback. “I-I thought you weren’t feeling well and wanted
to help.”
“I don’t need your help! I know what I’m doing! Get out!”
Even though Ava felt concerned, she stepped away from her roommate
and went out of the room.
My God. She needs help.
Ava knew anorexia was a sickness. Pooja was deliberately inducing
vomit to remain thin. It explained why Pooja’s eyes seemed sunken and
cheekbones were too hollow. Even though deliberately throwing up kept a
person thin, it came with a severe cost. Anorexic people often suffered
severely due to lack of nutrition or worse.
 I can’t just let it go without telling her the risks.
She felt helpless. Knowing she could not approach Pooja directly, she
knocked on Nitya’s bedroom door.
“Come in!” a cheerful voice said from inside.
Taking a deep breath, Ava stepped into Nitya’s room.
“Hi. Am I disturbing you?”
Nitya shook her head. “Oh no. It’s fine. I just got off a call with Suraj.”
Ava knew Suraj was Nitya’s childhood friend and soon-to-be fiancé.
Nitya was on calls most of the time with him during late evenings.
“What’s up?” Nitya asked.
Ava took a deep breath. She knew Pooja would want her to stay out of
her business, but she had to try. “It’s about Pooja. I… just saw her
deliberately trying to throw up.”
Nitya didn’t look shocked. She let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah I have
known about that for a while.”
Ava was surprised.
“It’s no use speaking to her, Ava. I tried many times, but she wouldn’t
listen.”
“But she will fall ill if she doesn’t stop.”
“I know. But she thinks if she doesn’t maintain what she thinks is a
slim figure, Abhi won’t look at her.”
Ava’s heart jerked listening to her tormentor’s name.
Nitya shook her head. “It’s not like he looks at her now, but she is
obsessed with him. Her family owns pharmaceutical industries. Not as big
in scale as Simha Pharmaceuticals, but she thinks because Abhi’s and her
families are into the same business, they are a match made in heaven. It’s
really silly of her to think that way.”
Ava didn’t know what to say.
 She didn’t know her tormentor’s family owned a pharmaceutical
company. But now that she did, she realized why he chose that field along
with pursuing a business degree.
Ugh. I don’t care.
She mentally shook her head, once again pushing thoughts of her
tormentor away. She was more concerned about her roommate.
“Can you speak with Pooja again?” she asked Nitya. “Just tell her it
can be dangerous to forcibly throw up.”
Nitya nodded. “I’ll try.”
Ava still felt uneasy about her other roommate’s condition, but there
was nothing she could do unless the other girl asked for her help.
“Did you brew coffee?” Nitya asked, sniffing the air.
Ava nodded. “Yeah.”
“Awesome! I’m ready for another cup!”
Pushing away the uneasiness about Pooja, Ava smiled and followed
Nitya into the kitchen.

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 *****

The rest of the weekend sped by quickly and soon it was Monday
morning.
After having spent the entire weekend setting up her room with family
pictures and knickknacks and also spending a few hours at the garden
outside the housing unit, Ava felt refreshed.
The clock showed that it was only five a.m., but she couldn’t go back
to sleep. She decided to get an early head start.
She usually practiced yoga in the mornings to help her focus. But after
more or less being holed up in her room most of the weekend, she wanted
to explore the campus. She decided to check out the gym and practice yoga
there along with a cardio workout.
Changing into her workout clothes, and grabbing a water bottle, she set
out to the gym that was located mid campus. She breathed in the fresh air.
The sun was yet to rise and the campus was quiet yet breathtakingly
beautiful in the soft moonlight light.
It was slightly chilly, but the brisk walk helped her to warm up.
The gym facility was huge from the outside. She walked past the
automated glass doors after scanning her ID on her phone. There was no
one at the front desk or anywhere in sight. She knew the place would be
bustling soon once the students woke up.
She took the stairs to the second door as the map indicated there was a
yoga studio right next to cardio workouts. She planned to do yoga for half
an hour followed by another thirty minute of cardio.
A small smile played on her lips as she walked toward the back of the
large facility, a new found confidence building up inside her. She was still
figuring out ways to adjust into what was her new life, the one she had
dreamed about for a while.
She just needed to get into her groove and stay focused on her
coursework and hopefully make some meaningful, lasting friendships.
Scanning her ID once again, she stepped into the empty yoga studio and
shed her sweatshirt. She was wearing a tank top and yoga pants. The
temperature inside was kept warm. There were sanitized yoga mats at the
corner. She grabbed one.
The place was quite big and offered excellent privacy and ambience.
She also took in the subtle floral scent like someone had burnt an incense
stick in there.
The scent reminded her of home, especially the days when they had a
traditional ceremony. She missed her family terribly more than she had
when she was in Harvard.
She let out a sigh, pushing away the tightness in her chest.
Even though she had been talking to them regularly, it wasn’t the same
as having them close enough to hug. And she badly needed a hug.
She couldn’t let stress get to her. There was still a lot to do. She had
coursework planning with her counselor, the internship that she needed to
apply to gain the experience and the still pending extracurricular activity
selection that was mandatory at the university.
Taking in a deep breath, she slowly closed her eyes to push away all
her thoughts. She always meditated before she got into a yoga routine to
settle in. Every breath she took she felt calmer.
When she felt calm enough, she opened her eyes and began her routine
yoga exercises.
Thirty minutes later, when her mind and body felt refreshed, she stood
up to get an intense cardio workout.
 She smiled, feeling much lighter. She walked out of the yoga studio
and went to the cardio workstation that was at the center of the three storey
building.
She was heading to the treadmills when her steps suddenly faltered.
There were sounds of people exercising. Her heart nearly stopped and
began to race when she saw a shirtless guy picking up weights next to a
treadmill.
He was facing the other way, but she somehow recognized the broad
back.
A loud gasp escaped her mouth in response to his presence.
Oh God! What is he doing here!
She wanted to turn and run back but the devil had turned at the sound
of her gasp and already seen her. She froze when their eyes met. He
carefully put the heavy weights aside before he began walking towards her.
Oh God.
She continued to stand there frozen while his long legs ate up the
distance between them.
“W-what are you doing here?” she asked when he was barely a couple
of feet away. “D-did you follow me here?” She was surprised she found her
voice.
He looked at her for a long moment.
She knew her question was ridiculous since it was obvious he had been
working out for a while. He was sweating. Without his shirt, the well-
defined lean muscles made him all the more intimidating. She felt
hypnotized by the thin gold chain he wore around his neck with a small
pendant in the shape of a lionhead. It resembled the Simha University logo.
Her eyes flew up when he took a step closer and immediately, her
senses filled up with the citrusy, musky smell of him. She held her breath.
 “Eight days and you haven’t left still, Harvard,” he said in a soft,
menacing tone.
Her stomach dropped. “I-I don’t want to leave,” she said.
His dark, intense eyes flashed. “You don’t have a choice. Either you
leave on your own or I will make your life unbearable. Whatever happened
so far would be child’s play compared to what I would do to get you to
leave.”
The dark anger in his eyes made her tremble and made her take a step
back.
“Why?” she whispered. “W-why do I have to leave?”
“Because. I said so.”
That’s not a good enough reason.
She wanted to say those words aloud, but her throat froze and she
couldn’t move.
Her eyes remained locked with his. He was easily a foot taller than her,
so her head remained raised. If anyone were to look at them from far, they
would look like a couple sharing an intimate moment.
But it was far from it.
She drew in just enough strength to speak. “W-why do you hate me?”
she asked, swallowing a sob. “W-what did I do to you?”
Something flashed in his eyes listening to her small, escaped sob. His
face seemed to have softened ever so slightly. But soon it was gone and his
face hardened again.
“Leave,” he said, not bothering to answer her. “Don’t make your life
harder. I meant every word of what I said earlier.”
His eyes swept over her, taking in her tank top and yoga pants before
falling back to her face again. His jaw clenched hard. Then without another
word or a glance in her direction, he turned and went back to the area where
he and his teammates were working out.
She stayed rooted to the spot shivering all over from the hatred and
anger she saw in his eyes.
Why does he hate me? What did I do?
Her mind continued to think of possible reasons, but she couldn’t think
of any. The loud sound of someone dropping a heavy weight on the gym
floor broke her out of her trance.
She blinked a few times. And then gathering courage, she pushed away
from the wall to pick up her jacket which had fallen on the floor. Clutching
it to her heaving chest along with her water bottle and towel, she ran out of
the gym on shaky legs.
Her second week of Simha didn’t bode well.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 9

Abhi was standing by his rugby locker looking through the playbook.
He was the only one there at that time of the morning. As the captain of the
team, he always arrived an hour early to prep for that day’s practice. The
championship games were only a couple of months away and they needed to
win this year as well.
He had just showered and pulled on a pair of shorts with only a towel
draped over his shoulders. He was so immersed in reviewing the playbook
that he didn’t hear the footsteps until he felt a presence. His neck began to
prickle and he turned to see who it was.
It was her. His nemesis, standing only a foot away, watching him with
her big, innocent eyes.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Harvard?” he demanded. “And
why haven’t you left?”
She looked at him with fear in her eyes and trembling lips. He knew she
was terrified of him. But all he felt towards her was anger. He wanted to
drag her close and crush her lips hard against his mouth until she cried out
for mercy.
“Get out from here,” he ordered, clenching his palms into fists.
But instead of being more terrified and running away from him as
always, she moved a step closer until she was only inches away from him.
Her chin tilted up to look into his eyes.
“Tell me what can I do for you to stop hating me,” she said. “I’ll do
anything.”
The word anything sent a shudder through him. He had been drawn to
her from the moment he saw her at the bus window. And since then, even
though he discovered her identity, he couldn’t stop himself from wanting
her.
She probably knew that.
“I don’t want anything from you,” he gritted.
“Liar,” she whispered. “I know you want me. I know you watch me all
the time. You desire me.”
He clenched his fists harder knowing it was the truth.
He hated himself because he desired her. He hated that he found her
more intoxicating than anything in the world. He hated that despite who she
was, he constantly craved her.
Her lips curved slightly. “You can have me,” she said in a seductive
voice. She then placed a palm on his bare chest, the soft touch sending
another shudder through him.
“No,” he clenched his jaw.
He stood still, unable to get himself to stop her from touching him. She
held him under a spell.
“I remember the way you looked at me the first time we met,” she
continued in the same tone. You couldn’t take your eyes off me…” her words
trailed off as she went up on her toes to run her lips along his jawline. “I
know you have been dreaming about me since that day, and every night.”
His breaths turned heavier and her touch was making him lose control.
He did dream of her, every fucking night. But he didn’t want her to know
that.
He continued to clench his fists to stop from reaching for her like he
badly wanted to.
“Come on, Abhi,” she whispered seductively. “Kiss me. Touch me.
Take what you want.”
“Stop,” he gritted.
 But she didn’t listen. She pushed herself against him until his hard
arousal rubbed against her soft body.
She let out a soft laugh. “Your mouth might be lying, but your body is
speaking the truth. You want me.”
She rubbed her soft stomach against his hardness.
He gritted his teeth harder. Unable to control the desire coursing
through his body like a raging storm, he held her hips to stop her. But
instead of pushing her away, his body had a mind of its own and made him
drag her even closer.
He then bent his head and crushed her lips underneath his.
She moaned loudly in half pleasure and in half pain because his kiss
was rough and angry.
A shudder ran through him making him lose control over his desire. He
wanted more than to just kiss her. He wanted to strip her and taste every
inch of her soft skin. He wanted to throw her on the floor and open her legs
and taste her sweet core before pushing deep into her while she cried out
his name.
His hand yanked on her ponytail until her head tilted back even more
and he could deepen their kiss.
But suddenly, she placed her palms on his chest and pushed him away.
Their chests rose and fell as they drew in breaths. He wanted to drag her
back, but she kept her distance.
He watched her as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand with
a seductive yet innocent smile.
“I know what you need,” she said. “And what will make you forgive
me.”
Keeping her gaze locked onto his, she slowly went down on her knees
in front of him. And then she licked her soft, pink lips before reaching out to
his sports shorts.
Abhi’s eyes shot open in darkness.
The sound of his heavy breathing combined with the sound of an alarm
ringing next to him.
“Fuck,” he said, realizing he had been dreaming about his nemesis.
Again.
But even though it was a dream, his body was still painfully aroused.
Gritting his teeth and ignoring the pain, he slowly sat up.
It was still dark outside but he had to go to the gym before rugby
practice.
He pushed the sheets away and went into the bathroom.
Why the fuck can’t I stop dreaming about her?
The damn female has been haunting his dreams ever since she looked
at him with her big, innocent eyes.
He hated her and yet he dreamed of her each night.
Letting out another vicious curse, he stepped into the shower to take
care of his body’s screaming agony caused by the one he hated.

OceanofPDF.com
 *****

Three hours later, despite his jerking off in the shower and intense
workout at the gym, his mind was still restless. All of his thoughts still
revolved around the person.
Avantika Patel.
He tried hard to push her out of his mind, but she crept back inside like
a damn ghost. Her innocent eyes, her sweet smiles and her fearful looks—
all of those ran through his mind in a repeated loop.
He gritted his teeth to once again forcibly push her out of his mind.
“Abhi?”
Abhi turned when he heard someone calling him. He was in the rugby
locker room. The team was still assembling, and they would start practice in
a while.
“Good morning, coach,” he greeted.
The coach stared at him for a moment. “We were supposed to meet
thirty minutes ago to go over some plays.
Fuck! He forgot about the meeting.
“I’m sorry coach. It slipped my mind.”
Because I was obsessing about the innocent, big eyes and sweet, pink
lips of the person I hate.
The coach nodded, letting it go because it wasn’t something Abhi had
done before. He never let anything distract him from the game.
He had been playing rugby since he was seven years old. After his
parents moved to London for a few years, he picked up the game there.
Rugby gave him the necessary outlet to channel his pain and aggression
while also developing discipline.
 “Let’s just get started with practice,” the coach advised. Clapping his
hands, he signaled everyone to go to the field for a warm up.
The practice started after a brief motivational speech from the coach
about defending their championship in the upcoming competitions. An hour
passed and Abhi was playing the game, running through every play to the T,
but he was not in the right mindspace that morning.
His mind kept replaying what happened so far with his nemesis.
Despite his hatred, she still held the power to control his desire towards her.
That only angered him more.
He unconsciously channeled that anger into aggression during the
rugby practice. He pushed a teammate with the strength that was not
required.
His teammate fell on the ground and got a bruise on his forehead.
“Shit! I’m so sorry dude.” Abhi extended his hand to the injured guy.
The coach blew the whistle.
“Abhi.” His coach yelled out and when he got closer, he could see he
was visibly upset. “What is happening with you? You are not yourself
today.”
“I’m sorry, coach.”
“I want you to get off the field. Resume practice in the evening.”
Abhi nodded. But as he got out of the field, he gritted his teeth while
his fingers fisted in frustration and anger.
She is fucking with my mind.
Rage, desire and hatred ran through him in a constant loop knowing
she was still around the campus.
It’s time to get her out of this place. And out of my fucking mind!

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 10

Ava speed walked toward the administrative offices with her heart
racing.
She was shocked to see an email informing her that the assignments
she had been submitting were incomplete. And because of that she was
asked to meet the dean of Simha University.
Panic filled her mind.
She was very sure she had submitted all her assignments on time. She
had even received notification of submissions. Then why were they once
again showing as pending or incomplete?
Pushing away the bad feeling, and hoping to clear a misunderstanding,
she went inside the building where the dean’s office was located.
“Hi, I have an appointment with Neela, madam.”
Everyone referred to the dean informally. Ava was impressed and quite
in awe of the dean as well. She had hoped to meet her one day and
introduce herself. But she never imagined it would be under such
circumstances.
“Hello, Miss Patel. She is inside her room waiting for you.”
“Thank you.”
Biting nervously on her lip, Ava went to the door that indicated as the
dean’s office. A golden nameplate had the name Neelima Raj written on it.
Taking a deep breath, Ava knocked on the door.
“Come in.” The older woman’s voice was calm.
Ava turned the knob and pushed open the door before stepping in.
“Good morning, Neela, madam.”
 Ava smiled at the woman who had been her father’s classmate and was
now currently the dean of the most prestigious university in the world
“Please sit, Ms. Patel.”
Despite Neelima Raj’s calm voice, Ava became alert to the tone.
She sat in one of the three chairs opposite to the dean. Her eyes shifted
nervously, taking in the neat office. There was a picture on the desk with
Neelima Raj and another girl. They both looked young.
Ava wondered if the girl was Neelima Raj’s sister.
Maybe she is close to her sister like me.
Somehow that thought made her less nervous.
Neelima Raj took off her glasses and placed them on the table next
to the picture. “Ms. Patel, I called you here because I’m disappointed.”
The softly uttered words made Ava’s heart sink.
“When I saw your college application for the second time, I was
impressed by what you had achieved to get an admission into Simha with
full scholarship. But I didn’t expect to hear complaints about you right at
the beginning of the term.”
“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I turned in my assignments
on time. But n-now they are showing up as missing.”
The dean looked at her and shook her head. “I don’t like excuses, Miss
Patel. Your father is an old friend. And I respect that he chose not to use
that to influence your application. He was an honor student and the top of
his medical class. I hope you live up to such standards.”
Ava’s lips quivered. She felt ashamed of having to see the look of
disappointment on the dean’s face.
“I’m sorry. I-I’ll reach out to the professors and ask if I can resubmit
my assignments. I promise it won’t happen again.”
Neelima Raj nodded regally. “Yes, see that it doesn’t happen again.”
 Whispering a thanks, Ava got up and left the dean’s office with a sick
feeling.
Her eyes prickled as she stepped out of the dean’s office. She blinked
away the unshed tears trying to gather herself.
Why did it feel like everything was working against her? Like she
didn’t deserve to be at a prestigious university like Simha?
She took in a deep breath and pulled herself together. She had no time
to mope around. She had to check on the missing assignments. And if there
was a technical glitch, she had to do the assignments again and resubmit
them.
She had the answers memorized and she could finish the assignments
during the lunch breaks and nights.
Deciding to get started, she made a quick stop at the cafeteria and
picked up a water bottle and an apple for lunch. She then went to the library
and sat in a corner.
When she opened the laptop, she was shocked to see that many of her
submitted assignments were back to incomplete status.
How can it be possible?
She shook her head, not wanting to waste any more time thinking about
what must have happened. She re-worked on the assignment.
She took up the entire lunch break and also the time between her
classes to finish the one in pharmaceutical sciences. And once she was done
with her work, she submitted it carefully and even took a photo of the
screen as proof.
Much later that day, she went to the professor’s office and knocked on
the door. The professor was not around, but one of her teaching assistants
was there and called her in.
 Ava smiled nervously at the teaching assistant. “Hi, I’m Avantika Patel.
I… I’m here to check if my assignment has been received.”
Her heart was thudding. The professor’s assistant took her information
and pulled up her online submission on the computer.
“Yeah, it looks good,” the teaching assistant said with a smile.
Ava let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Can you please make sure Dr.
Rajpal is notified of my submission?”
The professor’s assistant looked puzzled. “Sure. Dr. Rajpal will review
the assignment when she is back from her lectures.”
Ava nodded. “I understand. But the reason I ask you to send a note is
because some of my submissions showed up as incomplete and I had to
resubmit them.”
A small frown formed the assistant’s face. “That’s odd. Technical
glitches never happen at Simha. I guess I have to ask Ved to take a look at
the submission history to see what happened.”
Ava felt a spark of hope. “Who is Ved? I can follow up with him and
ask for proof of my assignment being submitted on Saturday.”
The assistant nodded. “Sure. Vedant Simha is a third year student who
interns at the system admin’s office.”
Ava’s heart froze. Ved Simha?
As the professor’s assistant continued to give details on how she could
contact the guy, a suspicion grew inside her heart. It made her more nervous
than angry.
There was no doubt in her mind that Abhiram Simha had everything to
do with her missing assignments.
“T-thank you. I will check with him.”
Ava walked out of the professor’s office in a daze. Her heart was
racing. She just could not comprehend why her tormentor would go to such
lengths to disrupt her life at Simha.
Why? What was it about me that he hates so much?
It was beyond her imagination as to why anyone would want to mess
her life so much.
She could confront him or blame him for messing up her assignments.
But she had no proof that he had done it. Taking a deep breath, she pulled
out her phone.
She stared at the phone before looking up for the student council board
on the university website. Her heart thudded unevenly when her tormentor’s
face came up marked as the president.
She saved the number on her cell phone. But instead of his name, she
saved it as Tormentor.
She held her phone for a few more moments debating if she would
make the situation worse by texting him. Maybe it was best to let it go?
It took her a few moments to get over her initial apprehension, but she
finally decided to confront him on the phone.
She started typing the message. It was a lot easier to type what she
would say to him in person when she wasn’t struggling to speak like she did
around him. The worst part was that her stutter was surfacing every time he
was around. The childhood problem she eventually overcame was surfacing
back again.

Ava: I know what you did with my assignment. And I need you to
please stop.

She hit send and jerked back from the phone like her phone was going
to bite her. She stood frozen like she could not believe she had texted him.
Maybe he won’t know who it was because she hadn't sent her name.
 A couple of minutes later after what felt like the longest time, her
phone buzzed and she jumped in response. Slowly, she raised it to look at
the messages.

Tormentor: So, you really do not know how to speak.

Ava bit her lip at his taunt.

Ava: Please leave me alone.

Tormentor: You were the one who texted me, Harvard.

Ava: I’m talking about what you are doing. If you don’t stop, I will
have no choice but to report you.

There was an ominous pause. She couldn’t see the icon indicating that
he was typing a response.
Oh my God. I just threatened him.
What is he going to do?
She had to take a deep breath to calm herself as her stomach began
trembling.
After what felt like eons even though it was only a minute, she saw him
type a brief response.

Tormentor: Report me, Harvard. I dare you.

She shuddered looking at the message.

 He was right. She had no proof that he was the one who made her
assignments disappear. She chewed on her lip nervously as she thought
about what to type in response.

Ava: I’m not leaving Simha. I’m here because I earned it with my hard
work. I’m not giving it up.

She was glad she was able to stand up to him, at least on text messages
if not in person. Maybe she just needed to muster up some courage and be
firm and he would back off.

Tormentor: You already told publicly your father is an alumni. You are
here because of him.

She was outraged. Her father being the alumni was a small part of her
acceptance. Majority of it was purely her own effort. She started to type an
angry message but quickly deleted it all. She didn't want this to turn into
something bigger than it needed to be. Inhaling deeply, she typed another
message.

Ava: Abhi, please stop all this. If I unknowingly did something wrong,
I’m very sorry.

There was no response for almost a minute. Her heart started to race
when she saw he was typing a reply.

Tormentor: Don’t call me, Abhi. That’s only for my friends and close
acquaintances. You are neither.
 Ava felt hurt by his rude reply.

Ava: Please. Tell me what can I do for you to stop hating me.

There was the longest pause when she typed that. She thought he
wasn’t going to reply. But she waited, staring at her phone desperately.
Finally, there was a response.

Tormentor: You already know the answer to that question, Harvard.

The conversation was going in circles. She knew she couldn’t get
through to him on text messages. She had to talk to him directly. She
couldn’t put it off anymore. Ignoring her tormentor wasn’t working.

Ava: Where are you? I would like to talk to you.

The text came in a moment later.

Tormentor: If you want to talk to me, find me.

Ava stared at the message for a long moment, debating if her going to
talk to him would make this any better. She waited to see if he would send a
follow up message but nothing.
She let out a shuddering breath, re-thinking through her options. She
could drop everything at that point and once again hope that he would not
mess with her again. But that would give no guarantee he wouldn’t
sabotage her assignments or worse.
 No. I have to talk to him.
Before she could completely lose her courage, she started walking.
Maybe he would stop if she didn’t hide from him and requested him in
person. The more she avoided him, his meddling with her got worse. Maybe
if she showed she wasn’t intimidated by him, he would leave her alone.
She took a deep breath and held her chin high even though every ounce
of her wanted to turn back and run back to her room.
“Excuse me,” she asked a random student going his way. “Where can I
find the student council president?”
The guy frowned. “At this time, he is either at rugby practice or in the
main hall with the rest of the student council.”
The main hall and the rugby stadium were in two opposite directions of
the campus. She decided to check the main hall first. Since he had been
answering her texts, there were higher chances that he wasn’t in the middle
of the game practice.
It was only a ten minute walk to the main hall.
When she reached the place, she went to the back entrance like the first
time and stopped at the ID scan area knowing she wouldn’t be allowed
inside. She saw a group of students exiting at the time.
“Excuse me. I’m looking for… Abhi.”
The girls in the group raised their eyebrows.
“Why?” one of them asked.
Ava’s cheeks heated because all of them were watching her as though
she was one of Abhiram Simha’s fangirls and possibly stalking him.
“He… wanted to advise me on some of the courses.”
One of the girls frowned. “Abhi is a business major. Same as me. I
don’t recall seeing you in any of our classes or in the junior batch.”
 Ava’s cheeks heated all the more. “I'm in second year medicine, but we
have a few common courses.”
One of the guys in the group finally took pity and replied. “Abhi left
the student council meeting early because of a phone call. He must be
getting ready to go to rugby practice now.”
“Thank you.”
Ava hurried out of the main hall.
It was a good thirty minute walk to the rugby stadium. She could have
waited and taken one of the shuttles, but she broke into a run.
By the time she reached the rugby stadium, she was panting. Not
wanting to stop, she ran up the flight of stairs where the team locker rooms
were located. She went in the direction of the Vipers team.
“I’m looking for Abhi,” she said to one of the guys exiting the locker
rooms area in the Vipers jersey. “Is he in there?”
The guy looked surprised. “Yeah, he’s in there. But you can’t—”
Before the guy could finish, “Thank you,” she said hurriedly before
rushing into the locker room.
As soon as she stepped in, she caught sight of her tormentor’s familiar
tall figure standing by the lockers. What shocked her was that he was
shirtless.
“Whoa!” a guy inside said with a laugh. “Abhi, one of your super fans
has stalked you again.”
There was laughter.
Ava was shocked and embarrassed. She wanted to run out. But by then
her tormentor’s eyes fell on her. His eyes flared, but there was no surprise
on his face. It was almost as if he was waiting for her.
“Wait for me outside,” his voice rumbled. “I’ll join in a few minutes.”
 She thought he was speaking to her. She was about to turn away to step
out, but his voice barked out.
“Not you, Harvard,” he said. “You stay.”
Biting her lip, she stood frozen while the rest of the rugby team cleared
out from the locker room, leaving her alone with her tormentor. He pulled
on his Viper’s jersey while watching her.
A shudder passed through her and a voice in her head told her it was a
bad idea that she came. But she ignored the scared voice, telling herself, she
had to rip it off like a band-aid. She knew it was not going to be that easy
but she had to try.
She was glad she was getting the opportunity to speak to him, but she
also feared being alone with him. Her flight instinct got stronger with every
step he took toward her.
He looked like a predator stalking his prey.
Her legs became weak and she took a few steps back, until her back
met with the cold metal of the lockers on the opposite side.
She started panicking as he got closer.
He stopped in front of her, his eyes lowered to hers with no emotion.
She swallowed nervously, managing to hold his gaze, her chin lifted up on
purpose.
“Why did you follow me here?” His words rang in her ears.
At the close proximity, her plan suddenly seemed impulsive and
dangerous.
What was I thinking, cornering myself like this?
“I wa…want to—” She had the same trouble again. She couldn’t get
the words out because he made her nervous.
His dark, intense eyes remained fixed on her. “Are you here to tell me
that you are leaving?”
 She shook her head no, her words completely stuck in her throat. And
to add to her state of nervousness, there was dark hatred along with another
emotion in his eyes that shook her to the core.
Her breath quickened and she suddenly started to feel claustrophobic.
The citrusy, musky cologne of his overwhelmed her senses.
Raising her hands, she placed them on his broad chest to push him
away. He sucked in a deep breath.
Instead, his eyes flashed dangerously and his chest rumbled when he let
out an angry growl. His handsome face darkened as though he was fighting
to control something.
“Don’t touch me,” he gritted.
She snatched her hands away.
“Don’t ever touch me,” he repeated.
Her eyes filled with unshed tears. “Tell me why do you hate me?” she
whispered.
His nostrils flared. “Leave,” he said, ignoring her question. “I already
gave you the last warning. If you don’t leave, your life will become a bigger
hell.”
With those words, he stepped away and left the locker room.
She continued to stand against the lockers, shivering once again and
repenting her decision to talk to him in person. She still didn’t know why he
hated her. Or even why her merest touch disgusted him.
It was completely opposite from how he had behaved with her until the
later-half of the welcome party. Until then, she had seen sparks of attraction
in his eyes which she had more than reciprocated.
She was sure they both had felt a mutual attraction. Then why did that
suddenly change?
 She had spent too many hours and days going over every moment of
their interaction. She couldn’t think of anything. Once again, she realized
there was no other option but to avoid him if she wanted to stay at Simha,
even if it meant hiding from him.
Slowly, she stepped away from the lockers and stepped out of the
room. She was hurrying out on her shaky legs when she heard someone
calling out her name and froze.
It could not be him.
Her tormentor was yet to address her by her name.
She stopped and turned to look in the direction of the voice. A familiar
looking guy was walking toward her. He was wearing an Eagles jersey. It
took her a moment to recognize her home team leader, Neeraj Batra.
“Hi… hello Neeraj,” she managed to say, hoping he didn't pick up on
the tremble in her voice.
“Ava, how are you?” There was a charming, friendly smile on his face
as he approached her and stopped a foot away from her.
“I… I’m doing good.”
“I hope you are enjoying your time at Simha.”
Why did he say that? Did he know what was happening? Was this guy
friends with Abhi too?
“Ye…yes, I am.” She was still skeptical about everyone, thanks to her
tormentor. The guy’s smile was genuine and she relaxed a bit.
“Good, I’m glad to hear that. Let me know if there is anything I can do
to help you settle in. The Simha ways can be a bit intimidating at first.”
Neeraj let out a chuckle.
“Sure.” A wave of relief swept over her. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
“Anytime.” Neeraj said with another charming smile. “I’m glad you
came to cheer for the team even if it’s just a practice match.”
 She nodded, not wanting to tell him that she was there to confront her
tormentor, but instead got even more terrified.
“The game is about to start. Come, I’ll drop you at the stands.”
Not wanting to be rude and having no other choice, Ava walked with
the guy to the stands where there were many other students who had come
to watch the practice match.
Just as they reached the stands, Neeraj gave her a cheerful wave before
joining his rugby team.
Ava decided to wait until the game started before leaving the place. But
even as she stood there uncertainly, she suddenly sensed something dark
and menacing.
She looked around until her eyes met those of her tormentor. He was
standing on the other side of the stand with his team, but his eyes were
trained on her.
He must have seen her with Neeraj Batra, the captain of his rival team
Maybe it was the distance between them, since he was almost a
hundred feet away. Or maybe it was the false sense of courage she got from
Neeraj’s friendly words.
She kept her eyes on him and raised her chin.
But barely a moment later, all of her bravado disappeared when her
tormentor’s dark eyes flashed, promising mayhem.
Oh God. I shouldn’t have poked the devil.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 11

“Congratulations, Miss Patel.”

The hospital admin smiled and handed Ava’s ID back after providing
access to the campus hospital building.
Ava returned the smile with excitement. She got the job that she had
applied for as an intern in the nursing facility.
“You can start from Monday,” the admin continued. “Since you will be
working in the evenings, you will have access to the back entrance as well.”
Ava nodded. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate being picked for
the position.”
When she had applied, she didn’t think a second year medical student
would have high chances. But her voluntary work experience at her parents’
hospital had helped her land the intern position at Simha hospital.
“Since the university just resumed three weeks ago, there aren’t many
sick students,” the hospital admin said. “Once the games begin, you’ll see a
lot of activity with sports injuries.”
Ava’s heart thudded at the mention of sports. It reminded her of what
had happened two weeks ago in the locker room.
No! Don’t think of him!
She pushed the thoughts of her tormentor away.
Instead, she listened to the hospital admin while being instructed about
the timesheets and the shifts involved for the intern position. But unlike a
few moments before, her smile wobbled a little because of nervousness
caused by the reminder of her tormentor.
“We are very flexible here at the Vaishnavi hospital,” the hospital
admin said. “We understand the pressures that come with our medical
school interns. But in case you want to change the shift, you need to let us
know at least three hours in advance so we can make other arrangements.”
Ava nodded. “Yes, of course. Thank you for giving me the option to
change shifts.”
“You are welcome.” The woman smiled and once again congratulated
Ava on the job before leaving.
Ava’s excitement was hard to contain. She couldn’t wait to tell her
parents and sister about her internship.
Her job was to organize the medical supplies and assist the nurses
during her shifts. She had enjoyed volunteering at her parents’ hospital
doing similar tasks of organizing. And she hoped helping the medical staff
would be equally satisfying.
She was happy as she walked out of the hospital building when her
eyes fell on the picture of a young girl set to one side of the large lobby. It
was a memorial. Her stomach knotted painfully at the idea of someone
young passing away. The name Vaishnavi Simha was inscribed on the frame
of the picture and she let out a gasp.
Her internship program at the hospital was named after the little girl. to
the library when she heard a masculine voice.
“Hey, Harvard!”
Ava froze. Her smile dropped and her heart began to thud sickly.
Slowly, she turned.
It wasn’t her tormentor. It was one of his cousins. Vedant Simha.
“What are you doing at the hospital? Are you sick?”
The guy looked very different from her tormentor, but they had very
similar eyes. That single feature was enough to make her nervous.
“N-no. I… got an internship through the Vaishnavi Program.”
There was shock and anger on the guy’s face. “I see.”
 Gritting out those two words, he walked away.
Even though he hadn’t threatened her like his cousin, she couldn’t help
feeling nervous. She hurried to the library to get on with her pending
assignment so she could return to the safety of her room.
Just like her brutal first week, the next two weeks had also been
stressful. But it wasn’t because of her coursework. In fact, things had
improved with her classes. Ms. Rajpal found out about the technical glitch
with her first assignment which softened the older woman’s attitude
towards her.
The rest of her classes and assignments also went on smoothly. It was
only in between the classes and after that was the terrifying part.
Abhiram Simha was still a constant dark, threatening presence. Ava
had to find ways to avoid him. But it was as if the entire universe was
conspiring against her.
She saw him each day, no matter what. Either during their common
classes, which she ensured to sit far away from him, or around campus.
But so far, she hadn’t had a close confrontation with him. She tried her
best not to give him that opportunity. Most of the time, she made sure she
was with Neeraj or the other leads of the Eagles team.
She always made sure to surround herself with at least a couple of
people, never going anywhere by herself.
But you are alone now.
Biting her lip in nervousness at that thought, she more or less ran into
the library.
When she reached inside and saw it occupied by students, she let out a
sigh of relief.
Oh God. How long am I supposed to keep trying to escape the devil?

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 *****

She was in the library working on the last of a report for one of the
classes when she felt someone walk up from behind. Unlike the other times
when she felt her tormentor’s eyes on her, she didn’t feel the intense
awareness.
She turned to find Neeraj coming towards her. “Hi, Ava.”
“Oh hi, Neeraj,” she greeted.
Although Neeraj Batra was a final year student, he was very helpful
and friendly. She hung out with him a few times after classes when they
discussed the Eagles strategy for the upcoming competitive events.
“Did I catch you at the wrong time?” He dragged out a chair and sat
across from her.
She shook her head. “Not at all. What’s up? Are we having a team
meeting again?”
Neeraj smiled, sheepishly. “No. Not a team meeting. This is personal.”
Ava was surprised. In the last two weeks, Neeraj had casually asked her
out for dinner a couple of times. But she had turned him down with the
excuse of assignments.
Although the guy was handsome, charming and friendly, she wasn’t
comfortable or in the right mindset to date anyone. She was too nervous and
worried.
But Neeraj’s attention did boost her confidence. Especially after
witnessing her tormentor’s anger and disgust at her simple touch.
“Don’t touch me.”
She still recalled her tormentor’s dark, intense eyes flaring at her touch.
 How can I be hurt that my tormentor finds me disgusting and
unattractive? I need my head examined.
Once again, she mentally shook her head to push away thoughts of her
tormentor.
“Don’t worry. I’m not asking you out for dinner again,” Neeraj said
with a slight smile.
“Oh.” Ava didn’t know what else to say.
“It’s my birthday today,” he said.
“Happy birthday,” she wished him with a smile.
“Thank you,” he said. “But I want a special gift from you. I want you
to join my birthday party tonight.”
Ava was about to find an excuse when Neeraj shook his head. “Come
on, Ava! You can’t say no! It’s my birthday and most of the Eagles team
will be there.”
Ava hesitated.
Although she was skeptical, a part of her encouraged her to agree. It
had been close to a month since the university started and she couldn’t keep
hiding in her room. She needed to make friends and also have fun like other
students.
And most of all, Neeraj had mentioned that most of the Eagles team
would be there. Since her tormentor was from the Viper’s team and also
wasn’t a close friend of Neeraj’s, she was sure he wouldn’t be invited.
She let out an internal sigh of relief.
“Thank you for inviting me,” she told Neeraj. “I’ll join your birthday
party.”
He let out a victorious chuckle. “That’s awesome!” he said. “I’ll pick
you up around six. We are heading to the beach. They’ll be fire pits and the
ocean water is always warm. So you can dress accordingly.”
 “Oh,” she said, taken aback slightly with the plan. The beach was over
an hour away, but the party sounded fun.
A flash of memory from the first party she attended by the river played
at the back of her mind. It had been fun and exciting too, until things went
bad.
No! Stop going over that night over and over again!
She should stop obsessing over what must have happened that night.
And also stop obsessing about her tormentor. She shouldn’t be pessimistic,
always waiting for something terrible to happen.
Taking a deep breath, she channeled her positive self, the way she had
always been.
“See you at six,” she smiled.
She was determined to enjoy herself that night.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 12

Later that evening, Ava was seated next to Neeraj in his open top jeep.
Cool breeze blew over her face while she gazed at the sight of the sun
setting over the mountains. The winding roads offered a peek to the blue
ocean below.
They were heading to the beach where Neeraj was celebrating his
birthday party.
“Almost there.” Neeraj’s words cut through the wind.
Ava dragged her eyes away from the stunning views to look at him.
She forced a smile. “The views are stunning,” she said as an excuse for not
having spoken much to him during the ride.
He had picked her up around six from her housing and they had taken
the cart to a place right outside the campus where all the students parked
their personal vehicles. Neeraj’s friends had already left for the beach in
other vehicles, so it was just the two of them in the jeep.
“You’ll like the beach,” Neeraj said, keeping his eyes on the road. “The
water is not like the San Francisco beaches.”
Ava was surprised. “Have you visited San Francisco?”
He nodded. “My aunt lives there and I’ve been there in the summer and
all I remember is the fog and the cold beaches.”
Ava smiled, knowing how cold the Pacific Ocean water was all year
around.
“It’s an awesome city,” Neeraj added. “That’s where I might be going
after I graduate from Simha.”
Ava was once again surprised. “Oh, are you going there for a Master’s
Degree?”
 He shook his head. “My uncle wants me to work with him there.”
Neeraj’s family was involved in politics. Neeraj had told her that
although his grandfather and father were politicians, he had no interest in
politics.
“All the while, I was debating about whether I should accept my
uncle’s offer or not.” Neeraj’s tone softened and he turned to look at her.
“But now, I’m inclined to accept the offer.”
Ava was shocked.
She had known Neeraj for only two weeks. Although she did like him
and spent time with him, she didn’t think there was anything serious
brewing between them. “Neeraj, I—”
Neeraj scoffed. “Relax, Ava. I only meant I prefer to be around the hot
California girls despite the cold beaches.”
Ava relaxed with a laugh. “I’m glad.”
The conversation during the rest of the drive was lighthearted. Neeraj
spoke about his friends and family. Like her, he was very attached to his
family and spoke to them regularly.
Ava realized how different and quite opposite Neeraj was compared to
her tormentor.
Being with Neeraj didn’t make her anxious or hyper aware of
everything. She could relax and have fun.
Shortly after, Neeraj drove the jeep into a sandy path, lined with tall
coconut trees. Ava could see the smoke from the fire pits that were set up
for the birthday gathering. Thumping beats of the music played in the
background.
Most of the invitees were already there. Some were inside the water.
Some were seated by the fire eating and chatting excitedly while the rest
danced by the huge speakers where music was playing.
 Neeraj grinned. “Looks like my friends got the party started.”
Ava stepped out of the jeep. She placed a hand to the hem of her cover
up tunic so it didn’t ride up in the breeze. Underneath, she was wearing a
single piece swimsuit.
She realized she might be a tad bit overdressed since most of the girls
were in two piece suits showing off their beautiful, tanned bodies.
Neeraj extended his hand. “Come on, let’s go join the madness!”
Smiling, she took it, recalling her vow to enjoy that night.
What followed was a chorus of cheers and birthday wishes. Neeraj
introduced her to his friends.
“Guys, this is Ava. She’s from our home team. Most of you must have
seen her.”
Ava noticed that most of the party guests were from the Eagles team.
Once again, she felt relief at the thought that her tormentor was not invited
to the party.
“Welcome, Ava!” a guy shouted drunkenly, raising a bottle of beer.
“You are attending one of the best parties thrown ever!”
Ava laughed, relaxing further.
Neeraj tugged her hand. “Come on, let’s get into the water before the
wind gets too cold.”
Smiling, she followed him.
Before she walked into the water, she kicked off her sandals and shed
her tunic length coverup she had over her bathing suit. Neeraj’s eyes fell on
her.
She felt conscious for a moment until she saw admiration in Neeraj’s
gaze.
“I need to join you during your yoga sessions,” he teased.
 His words made her blush. When he asked her why she didn’t attend
gym like most students, she told him that she liked practicing yoga each
morning in the small garden behind her house.
She did want to practice yoga with a group in the gym room dedicated
to it, but she was terrified of running into her tormentor again.
Stop thinking of him!
Pushing away thoughts of her tormentor, she followed Neeraj into the
ocean. There were at least a dozen students laughing and swimming around.
Neeraj was stopped by a group of girls who wished him and began chatting
with him. The girls pointedly ignored Ava.
Ava didn’t want to stand by awkwardly. The water was perfect and it
felt too amazing to be in the warm cocoon. She decided to swim before the
last of the sun rays disappeared.
She didn’t know how far she swam underwater, following the trail of
vivid colored shells and a starfish. By the time she headed back, it was
nearly dark.
Neeraj was still laughing and talking to a group of girls. When he
spotted her, he walked towards her.
“Hey, where did you suddenly disappear to?” He mock pouted.
Ava laughed. “I swam a little deeper. It was beautiful.”
“Oh, I would have joined you.” He leaned closer and said in a low
voice. “But I’m scared of the deep water.”
She was surprised and nodded understandingly.
“Let’s go sit by the fire. You can dry off there.”
She nodded, shivering slightly while he led her back to the firepit area.
As they walked back, Ava noticed Neeraj was leading her away from
where most of the guests were.
 “The music is pretty loud here, let’s go sit by that campfire.” He
pointed to one of the campfires that were set away from the water, closer to
the trees and there were a few that were set up.
She nodded.
While they passed by, she caught sight of a couple kissing passionately
against one of the trees by the campfire. She also noticed a few giggling
couples coming out of the trees where they must have made out.
She froze for a moment, hoping she wasn’t sending Neeraj the wrong
signals. She did like him but only as a friend.
“What do you want to drink?” Neeraj asked, stopping by a huge icebox
with beers sticking out of the ice.
“Just water,” she said.
“Have a shot,” he said. “It might help warm you up.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m good.”
He handed her a bottle of water and grabbed another one for himself.
“Aren’t you having a drink?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” he said with a smile. “I can get by without one today. I’m
your designated driver tonight.”
Her heart melted a little at his consideration. Once again she wondered
why she couldn’t be drawn to a guy like him. He seemed to be everything a
girl would want. Handsome, considerate and sweet.
She briefly considered telling Neeraj about her tormentor. But
immediately she decided against it. She still didn’t want Neeraj to be
dragged into her personal problems. And knowing that Simhas were too
influential and literally owned the university, she didn’t want Neeraj to get
into trouble because of her.
A small silence fell as Neeraj and she covered the rest of the distance to
the campfire away from the rest. Once they reached, she warmed her hands
and feet by the fire.
When her clothes were nearly dry, she looked up and caught his gaze
on her.
“I’m so glad you came, Ava,” he said softly.
Ava forced out a smile. “I’m glad you invited me. I’m enjoying myself
here.”
“I would like to take you out again.” There was a look of uncertainty
on his face. “I like you and want to spend more time with you…alone.”
She wanted to turn him down politely like always. But she stopped
herself.
Even though she wasn’t drawn to him, she liked Neeraj. He was a good
friend and she was willing to take chances to explore more.
You were drawn to Abhiram Simha instantly. He made your heart race.
But you know how that turned out in the end. Stop being foolish. Neeraj is
safe.
“Okay,” she replied softly.
Neeraj broke into a wide smile. “That’s awesome,” he said. “This is the
best birthday gift I received today.”
Ava felt a flash of guilt seeing Neeraj’s joy.
“I’m not in a rush,” he interjected, seeing her face. “I just wanted you
to know and we can take the time you need.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
His face lit up even more and he leaned closer. “There are so many
restaurants and dance clubs we can go—” He broke off suddenly.
There was a small frown on his face. That’s when Ava heard some faint
noises of rumbling engines. Her back stiffened in response and her heart
began thudding to the overly familiar sound.
She frantically looked in the direction of the sound.
 Half a dozen bikes pulled up by the beach at a distance where the party
was happening. The bikers got off the bike. Ava knew who they were
seeing the tall figures with red and gold Viper jackets. She recognized a few
of them.
Neeraj let out a curse word. “What the hell are the Simhas doing here?”
he gritted.
“Y-you didn’t invite them?” Ava asked nervously.
Neeraj shook his head. “No. Let me go check what they are up to.”
Neeraj began to walk toward the group. Ava wanted to follow him, but
she couldn’t dare to in case her tormentor was a part of the group.
Her eyes searched frantically for her tormentor. But she couldn’t see
him.
Even though he wasn’t a part of the group, she stepped back and tried
to disappear further into the dark shadows by the trees. Feeling slightly
safer, she observed everything from a distance.
There were angry shouts followed by loud hooting. Most of the girls at
the party were happy seeing the Simhas and ran towards them with
excitement. Ava saw that Neeraj wasn’t happy that the Simhas crashed his
party. There were loud arguments that led to shoving one another. Chaos
ensued when one of the Simha guys threw a punch at an Eagles guy before
dragging a girl close. Ava realized the girl was Samantha, a new student.
Ava watched in horror as the Simha guy threw Samantha over his
shoulder and carried her into the ocean before dropping her into it.
Ava was so distracted by the exchange she didn’t notice a rumbling
sound until it got louder. She was shocked when she saw a bike appear
through the trees until it stopped right next to her.
Her tormentor’s dark, intense eyes clashed with her horror struck ones.
Shivers passed through her as she plastered her back against the rough trunk
of the tree. Shutting her eyes, she hoped it was a nightmare.
“Why are you not gone from Simha yet.” The deep voice was
unmistakably her tormentor’s. And he sounded pissed.
She opened her eyes to the darkly handsome face that haunted both her
dreams and nightmares. Abhiram Simha was watching her with blazing
eyes.
“Not only are you still here, you even dared to step into the hospital.”
She didn’t know why he was so angry about that fact. But the anger
was like a living thing, nearly consuming her with the intensity.
“I-I got an internship there through the Vaishnavi program,” she
whispered.
His eyes flared.
“I gave you enough chances,” he said in a deathly serious tone. “You
are leaving Simha by morning.”
She shook her head. “Please, I can’t leave,” she whispered. “I won’t
bother you. I won’t come in your way. Please leave me alone.”
There was a heavy silence while he scanned her face for a long
moment.
“Fine,” her tormentor said calmly.
Her heart thudded so loudly, she thought she would faint. “Y-you mean
it?”
“Get on the bike,” he said in response.
“What? I…I… can’t. I—”
“If you want me to do as you asked, get on the bike. Now.”
Her heart continued to thud. He said he would do as she asked and
leave her alone.
But despite the calm exterior of his devastatingly handsome face, she
sensed a cold determination and anger underneath.
 Her stomach trembled. Every instinct warned her that Abhiram Simha
wasn’t the kind to forgive or forget easily. Whatever the reason was for
hating her wouldn’t just be forgotten or forgiven by him.
But what if this is the only chance I have for him to leave me alone?
Maybe he would drop her off at the housing and never acknowledge
her again. Maybe he finally realized she was innocent of whatever he
thought she had done.
Even though her gut continued to warn her, she decided to take
chances. Without another word she climbed on the back seat of his huge
sports bike.
He handed her his helmet. “Wear this,” he ordered. “Tighten it
properly.”
She did as he ordered and wore his helmet with trembling fingers and
tightened the strap.
She had never sat on a bike before and she automatically wrapped her
arms around his waist to not fall down. The well-defined muscles around
his abdomen tensed at her touch.
She immediately removed her hands.
“Don’t touch me.”
She recalled her tormentor’s angry disgust from before when she had
touched him in the locker room.
Biting her lips nervously, she placed her hands on the metal hand rest at
the back of the seat.
The bike accelerated in a smooth roar. Just when it began to take off,
she threw a glance at the beach where Neeraj and the rest of the crowd were
still caught up in arguments and fighting.
She felt guilty leaving Neeraj without telling him. But she didn’t want
him to worry about her. And knowing him, he might try to stop her
tormentor from taking her away, which might lead to a bigger fight.
She decided to call as soon as she reached the housing.
I’ll make it up to Neeraj later once I’m rid of the devil.
Ava’s arms tightened as the said devil rode his bike along a winding
road. She knew it was a long drive back and she sat tight on the bike, her
knuckles turning white from the way she held the metal rod behind the seat.
The wind turned cold but the heat from the broad back kept her warm.
She tried to avoid touching him, but the slightest bump made her fall
against him.
Her heart raced at the slightest touch and she had to remind herself of
what happened between them and to stay far away from him in future.
A strange pang of regret pierced her at the thought of never seeing him
again.
How can you feel that way? He’s a monster! The devil who tormented
you!
She was jerked out of her thoughts when the bike came to a stop.
“Get down.”
She was confused by his order.
“D-does the bike have a p-problem?”
She got down and stood by the vehicle, wrapping her arms around her
torso. With the sudden absence of his body heat, the cold wind cut through
her thin clothes.
He watched her silently in the moonlight. It was too dark to read his
expression but something didn't seem right. Sudden shivers racked her body
and her teeth began to chatter as he began to speak in a cold, ruthless tone.
“You asked me to leave you alone, and I’m doing as I promised. Go
back to your father and tell him you don’t belong here.”
 With that, he drove away, leaving her all alone on a faraway deserted
beach.
All she could do was stare after him in utter shock.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 13

Ava didn’t know how much time had passed since she was left alone.
She was numb with shock and fear while she sat on the cold sand shaking
with tears.
Just when she thought all hope was lost, she heard a familiar sound. It
was the sound of a bike. A moment later, she saw the headlight of a bike as
it came towards her.
Did he change his mind?
When the light fell on her, the bike began slowing down. Just when she
thought her tormentor must have finally felt some pity on her, she saw that
the biker wasn’t him. It was some other guy.
She sat shivering when a guy in an Eagles jersey came towards her. He
took out his helmet.
“Hey, are you okay?” the guy asked. Although he belonged to the same
home team as her, she hadn’t seen the guy before. He looked quite young.
Her shivering got worse. “I-I got lost. M-my… phone isn’t… with me.”
It was in Neeraj’s car where she left it since she didn’t want it to get wet or
get lost in the sand.
The guy didn’t look surprised. “I see. Come on, I’ll give you a ride
back to the campus.”
Her eyes filled with tears at the offer. She didn’t think any help would
come until it was too late.
“T-thank you.”
The guy took out a jacket from the space inside the bike seat and
handed it to her. “Put this on.”
 She put on the jacket with trembling hands. But it didn’t stop her
shivers.
“It’s an hour ride from here. Will you be okay to sit behind that long?”
he asked.
She nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.
He sat on the bike and kick started it. “Get on,” he said.
She trembled when the guy’s voice sounded very similar to her
tormentor’s. Even the words were the same. But the tone was very different.
Unlike her tormentor’s cruel tone, this guy sounded kind.
She sat behind him and held on. He was much leaner than her
tormentor too.
The bike took off. But instead of feeling relief, all she felt was intense
sadness.
She was going to give up her dream. She was leaving Simha University
and returning home.

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 *****

It was well past midnight when Ava finally shut her bedroom door and
leaned her back against it. The tears she had been holding back finally
trailed down from her eyes. When her teeth began chattering once again due
to the shock of what happened, she walked to her bathroom with trembling
legs and turned on the shower.
The steaming hot water couldn’t stop her shivers or her tears. She sat
on the bathroom floor crying. She felt broken. Abhiram Simha finally got
what he wanted. She couldn’t bear the mental torture or intimidation
anymore.
She didn’t know how long she sat on the bathroom floor crying with
hot water falling on her. Finally, when her skin began to prune and her
shivers stopped, she got up and turned off the water. Shedding her wet
clothes, she dried herself.
It was only an hour after midnight. She would have to finish packing
her things and book a flight back to San Francisco.
Ma will be happy but Papa is going to be disappointed.
Her heart ached at the thought of seeing her father’s disappointed face.
But pushing the image away, she dressed up and began arrangements to
return home. She would have to apply for an emergency holiday to get a
flight back from the Simha airport.
Not that I would be returning.
A fresh wave of tears began at the thought. Blinking them away, she
pulled out her suitcase. She began to pack all of her clothes. When
everything except for her uniforms was cleared from her closet, she began
to pack the rest of her belongings.
 She would have to call Nitya and Neeraj later to tell them she was
going home for an emergency.
A fresh pang of guilt pierced her at the reminder that Neeraj would
have been worried about her. Leaving her suitcase, she went to the landline
and looked up his name in the directory before calling him. It went to the
voicemail.
“Hello, Neeraj. This is Ava. Sorry I had to leave the party early due to a
family emergency. I-I’ll talk to you once I reach home.”
She ended the call with that brief message and resumed her packing
with a fresh wave of tears.
She reached out to the picture frames on the wall of her family. And
packed them carefully into the suitcase.
Then taking a deep breath, she placed a call to book her flight. When
the phone began ringing, her eyes fell on the picture frame with the smiling
faces of her mother, father and sister.
She recalled how they had been so proud that she got an admission in
Simha University, especially her father. Even though her mother wasn’t
thrilled about her leave to a faraway university, she had overheard her
mother telling her father how proud she was of her daughter getting an
acceptance.
Her sister was working hard and gearing up to join Simha in two years
as well.
How will they react if they find out I was driven away from the
university?
And that too not by the university staff but a cruel, entitled guy who
hates me and wants me gone.
Ava could imagine how disappointed they would be, knowing the truth.
 “Simha travel department,” a woman’s voice said in a brisk tone on the
phone line. “How may we help you?”
Ava held on to the phone unable to talk as she kept staring at her family
picture.
Abhiram Simha drove her to the brink and she hadn’t even put up a
fight. All she did was beg him to let her stay and to leave her alone.
Who is he to tell me to kill my dreams and leave?
Who is he to have the power to disappoint my family?
“Hello?” the woman on the other end said. A moment later, the woman
sounded concerned. “This call is placed from Avantika Patel’s room. Is this
Miss Patel? Is there an emergency?”
Ava realized her ID must have shown up. Taking a deep breath, she
spoke in a firm voice.
“Sorry, I called the wrong number.”
Ava ended the call.
She continued to stare at her family picture, drawing strength and
determination.
No. Abhiram Simha didn’t succeed in breaking me. He only made me
stronger.
She was not only going to stand up but also fight back her tormentor.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 14

“Good morning, sunshine,” Nitya greeted with a smile. “How come

you are up early after last night’s party?”
Ava hadn’t slept at all. Her mind had been running a mile a minute. It
still was.
She forced out a smile. “I guess it’s the mental clock.”
Nitya poured coffee into two mugs and handed one to Ava. “How was
the party? Heard the Simhas crashed it and made it more fun.”
Ava’s heart jerked at the mention of Simhas. But she kept a normal
expression. “Yes. But I didn’t stay long enough.”
“Oh. Too bad. Those guys are super fun. Wherever they go, things
always get interesting.”
Ava was quiet while she took a sip of the black coffee. The dark, bitter
taste filled her mouth. She always had her coffee with cream and sugar, but
that day, she was in the mood for bitterness.
“Pooja will be happy you didn’t stay long enough to socialize with
Simhas.” Nitya shook her head. “She keeps complaining that you are out to
catch the attention of Abhi.”
“I’m not.”
Nitya laughed. “I know. Although it shouldn’t matter whether you do
or not. Pooja doesn’t have exclusive rights on Abhi even if she seems to
think she does.”
Pooja is more than welcome to Abhiram Simha.
Ava didn’t say those words aloud. She once again fell silent.
Finishing her coffee, she rinsed the cup before putting it in the
dishwasher.
 “I’ll see you later, Nitya. Have a great day.”
Nitya smiled. “Yup. You too.”
Ava wasn’t sure whether her day would be great or not. But she was
sure it would be very eventful.
Grabbing her backpack, she set out to her Pharmacology class where
she would be facing the devil.

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 *****

Ava’s heart thudded like a drum as she walked towards the class. She
was early and there were at least fifteen more minutes left for the class to
begin.
Students around her were laughing and talking. Her eyes fell towards
the lockers where a bigger group of students stood chatting with the most
popular guy in the university.
Normally, she avoided going towards the lockers and instead chose to
keep her textbooks with her so she could directly go to the classroom. But
that day, even though she had her books with her, she walked towards the
lockers.
Her heart raced as her tormentor’s eyes fell on hers. There was a dark
flash when he realized she wasn’t still gone like he wanted.
Her stomach trembled as he kept his dark, intense stare pinned on her
while she went closer.
She stopped in front of him and took a deep breath.
“I’m not leaving,” she told him in an even tone. “And I won’t leave. I
have every right to study in this university as everyone else, including you.”
She should have left it at that. But the days and weeks of anxiety and
fear she felt because of him began to bubble over.
“You are not a god,” she said. “You are the devil. And you are popular
only because of your family’s money and influence. You are nothing but an
arrogant, entitled asshole with a god complex.”
There were audible gasps followed by pin drop silence.
There was no change in his expression and he looked utterly
unreadable. He was so quiet and still while keeping his gaze locked on hers
that he reminded her of a lion before it attacked its prey.
Her stomach trembled even more, but she kept her gaze locked with
his.
She didn’t know how long she kept standing there locking her gaze
with her tormentor. But suddenly the bell rang, indicating the class would
begin.
Tearing her gaze away from his, she turned and walked away from him
and then into the class.
Her heart continued to beat a mile a minute. For the rest of the class,
she barely heard what was being taught. She was only hyper aware of the
dark gaze that fell on her back.
I not only challenged the devil, I also insulted him.
The thought should have terrified her. But all she felt was anger and
determination.

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 CHAPTER 15

Ava didn’t know how she finished the rest of the week. She was more
or less in a shocked daze that she had stood up to her tormentor and won.
She hadn’t seen him again even though she was hanging around the
campus without hiding in her room as always. But wherever she went,
students whispered pointing at her. They looked at her either in awe or
anger. But everyone noticed her wherever she went. She more or less
became known as the new girl who dared to insult the golden boy of the
college.
I don’t care.
There were very few people she cared about. Nitya was friendly as
always. Even though her roommate must have heard of the confrontation
with Abhiram Simha, Nitya didn’t ask or judge.
Whereas Pooja began to give her the cold shoulder all the more along
with a warning.
“You are going to be finished,” she said. “No one dares to insult a
Simha and remain here for long.”
But Ava didn’t care about those warnings. She decided to continue with
her student life with her head held high.
Taking a deep breath, she went into the cafeteria where Neeraj was
going to join her. Serving herself a big bowl of soup and salad, she took a
table next to the window that overlooked the garden with a fountain outside
the cafeteria.
She was having her delicious soup when a shadow fell on her table.
Thinking it was Neeraj, she looked up with a welcoming smile. But her
smile froze.
 It was her tormentor.
“Can I join you?” he asked.
His voice was deep and even, giving nothing away. She assumed he
was going to give out more threats and warnings, but she wasn’t afraid
anymore. Her anger came to her rescue.
“No,” she snapped. “My friend is going to join me.”
Abhiram Simha’s eyes flashed at her statement. But he didn’t say
anything. He sat at the table right across hers facing her direction.
She couldn’t ask him to leave from that table, so she pointedly ignored
him.
The soup no longer tasted delicious. She could barely swallow as she
could feel the burning intensity of the gaze of her tormentor. Her heart
raced and she attributed it to anger rather than intense awareness.
Her torture ended when she heard the friendly greeting from a familiar
voice.
She looked up from her soup bowl to see Neeraj’s smiling face. “Hi,”
she greeted him back.
She had been spending some time with Neeraj over the week. She felt
guilty after having suddenly disappeared from his birthday party. When he
asked her the next day about where she had gone, she told him something
urgent had come up with her family and she had to leave right away.
He didn’t seem happy when she told him that Abhiram Simha was the
one to give her the ride from the party.
“Just soup and salad?” Neeraj asked, sitting opposite to her with a large
meal of burger, fries and a milkshake.
She smiled. “For now. I was waiting for you.”
Neeraj’s eyes flashed in surprise.
 She didn’t know why, but she had never made such a personal remark
or said anything to encourage him. But the fact that her tormentor could
hear everything she spoke made her want to say something personal. She
wanted to let him know she wasn’t alone and that she had someone close
who would protect her.
“Oh good. You should grab the burger, too. It’s a special one.”
Ava laughed. “Aren’t they all?” she remarked. “I still can’t get over the
food you get here in the cafeteria. Or the ambience.”
Neeraj smiled.
Neeraj was a good friend. Despite knowing what had happened, he
didn’t ask her about the showdown she had with her tormentor. She felt
extremely grateful about it.
“We should go to the sports bar I told you about,” he said. “Their
burgers and fries are out of the world.”
Before she could find an excuse, the sound of loud hoots distracted her.
Her eyes fell on the big group heading her way. They were the Simhas
along with a few girls, which included Pooja. The group stopped at the table
where Abhiram Simha was seated and joined him.
When Ava tried to smile at Pooja, her roommate pointedly ignored her.
Pooja put on a wide smile.
“Congratulations on your debate win, Abhi,” Pooja said in a seductive
tone.
Ava knew the debate competitions were going on. She hadn’t enrolled
in any, but she knew Neeraj had. When her eyes fell on Neeraj, she saw the
tightening of his mouth which indicated he wasn’t happy losing to Abhiram
Simha.
“Hey Neeraj,” one of the Simha guys yelled, after having spotted him.
“Prepare to get your ass kicked again in the rugby game and also the
elections.”
There was laughter. Neeraj looked pissed.
“Neeraj, let’s find another table,” Ava advised.
Neeraj shook his head. “No. It’s fine. I’m used to such taunts from
those guys.”
Ava frowned, not liking it. The Simha guys were truly reckless and
arrogant. She was glad she stood up to their equally arrogant leader.
Luckily, Neeraj wasn’t cornered while alone. The Eagles group joined
their table.
“Hey, Eagles. How does it feel having Vipers’ feet always up your ass?
You guys should at least attempt to fight back.”
“We will not only fight, we will win this time,” one of the Eagles team
members yelled back.
The taunting and trash talk continued. While that was happening, Ava
was still aware of her tormentor’s gaze on her. His eyes flashed each time
she took a potato fry from Neeraj’s plate.
Feeling confused and suffocated, she got up from her seat. “I’ll be right
back. I’ll grab some fruit.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Neeraj asked.
She shook her head. “No. I’ll be back soon.”
She walked away from the ruckus and went to the food area.
Why is he staring at me that way?
What is he planning?
She knew her tormentor must be planning to strike back at her for the
way she publicly insulted him. Her heart sank at the thought that he could
make her assignments disappear again. But this time, she would be prepared
for such a thing to happen.
 She was filling up her plate with a fruit platter when the hair on her
neck stood up at a presence. Familiar cologne filled her senses.
It was him. Her tormentor had followed her. She didn’t have to turn to
know it was him.
“The usual,” his deep voice rumbled.
She frowned until a guy behind the window in the food area handed a
bottle of protein shake. Ava had to suppress a gasp and hold her breath
when her tormentor’s arm brushed lightly against hers while he took the
protein shake bottle.
Is he trying to intimidate me again?
She recalled the way he had cornered her in the gym and in the locker
room.
Sucking in a deep breath, she decided to confront him again to tell him
such tactics would no longer work.
She turned towards him. “I’m not leaving,” she snapped. “So stop
trying to intimidate me.”
He took a casual sip of his protein shake while watching her closely. “I
don’t want you to leave.”
She frowned, not knowing what he was up to.
His mouth twisted into a small smile. “I decided I like having you
around. I like you.”
She was stunned. “What?”
She stared at him dumbfounded. The guy who made her life a living
hell was suddenly announcing he liked her?
Her heart raced and her stomach fluttered involuntarily looking at his
stunningly handsome face with a small smile.
But she yanked herself back to reality. She recalled all the times he
terrified her.
 “Stop it!” she said angrily. “I hate you. And I hate how you almost
made me quit on my dream. Don’t ever come near me or talk to me again.”
With that outburst, she strode away angrily.
How dare he!
She didn’t know what he was up to. But the sudden turn in his attitude
and him announcing that he liked her was definitely a prelude to another
round of torture.
“Is everything all right?” Neeraj asked with a frown.
Her face was flushed and she was sure she couldn’t hide her anger.
“Yes,” she replied. This time, she sat right next to Neeraj, facing away
from her tormentor.
But even when she could no longer see him, she could still feel his
burning gaze on her back.
She knew whatever game her tormentor was playing, it was just the
beginning.

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 CHAPTER 16

It was a Monday afternoon, and Ava rushed out of her class to go

towards the performance and arts building. She had finally managed to
enroll into a drama club. After giving an audition to a role that interested
her the most, she was excited when she was chosen as the female lead for
the play.
Like everything else in Simha, the person who was going to direct the
play was one of the best. He was an award winning movie director known
for his popular, intense dramas that were commercial hits as well as
critically acclaimed. Ava felt nervous and excited to be working with such a
talented director.
I hope I don’t mess up.
Although she had participated in many plays during her school days, it
wasn’t on such a grand scale or with a professional director. She hoped she
was able to do justice for having been chosen as the female lead.
She reached ten minutes early to change out of her uniform into what
her role required. But even as she got ready and assembled along with the
rest of the cast, she noticed that the male lead who got selected opposite her
was missing.
I hope the guy doesn’t get into trouble.
She had met the guy a few times during the auditions when they were
both short listed for the lead roles. The guy was sweet and pleasant when
they read out a few opening scenes from the drama script. She hoped to
have a good time working along with him.
The energy in the room changed when the director swept in. He was a
middle-aged man who had a surprisingly friendly down-to-earth smile and
demeanor despite being a famous director.
“Good afternoon, team,” he greeted. “Looks like everyone is here,
except for our male lead” The man looked towards Ava. “Our male lead has
decided to drop out of the cast for personal reasons.”
Ava was shocked.
“I was disappointed at first,” the director continued. “But I guess things
turned out well at the end.”
Ava wondered what the director meant by that.
“The change in the lead role would have set us back quite a bit, but we
were lucky to find a replacement on time. This new male lead has acting
talent in his blood. He is the grandson of a renowned award winning actress
who has acted in over two hundred movies, some of which inspired me to
choose movie direction as my profession”
Ava wondered about the replacement the director was referring to. If
the male lead was so good, she wondered if she would be able to match up
to the skill.
“So my dear girls and boys, please welcome…” The director swept a
dramatic hand towards the back of the assembled cast.
Ava turned and craned her neck, searching at the back, only to be shell-
shocked.
“Abhiram Simha will be our new male lead.”
There were shocked gasps along with excited squeals from a few girls.
Oh my God!
Ava froze in shock as the room broke into a loud clamor. Cheers rang
in her ears as she processed what it meant for her tormentor to be the male
lead opposite her.
“Abhiram Simha, welcome to our cast,” the director said with a warm
smile.
 Her tormentor’s mouth twisted into a small smile. “Glad to be here, sir.
My grandmother is an admirer of your work.”
The director beamed proudly. “It's quite an honor to hear that the great
Sukanya Devi admires my work.”
Ava was still in shock as the conversation continued between her
tormentor and the director.
But a few moments later, the director’s attention turned towards her.
“Avantika is our leading lady opposite to you, Abhi. She is a natural
like you. I hope you both can work your magic together to make this drama
a success.”
The director addressed her next. “Ava, Abhi will need some of your
time to bring him up to speed for tonight’s scenes and the ones you
practiced already.”
She slowly nodded, deliberately keeping her eyes away from her
tormentor. “Sure, sir.”
“Wonderful,” the director said before addressing the rest of the cast.
While the director was busy with others, Ava finally turned to her
tormentor.
“What are you doing?” she hissed, unable to contain her anger and
frustration.
Her tormentor’s mouth twisted. “I’m taking part in a play. The same as
you.”
She felt like screaming in response to his smart ass answer, but bit back
the need. She didn’t want to bring attention to the director that she hated the
new male lead and wanted him gone. If a choice had to be made right then,
she was sure she would be kicked out of the play rather than her tormentor
who apparently had a famous actress as a grandmother.
Ugh. I hate him.
 She was sure he sucked at acting, but managed to get the role only
through the famous association. She hoped that the director would realize
that during the initial scenes and got her tormentor replaced.
But until then, she would have to tolerate him.
“Fine,” she gritted out.
She then pulled out her phone and scrolled through the script and
shared it to his number.
She looked up at him, her chin raised mutinously. “We have fifteen
minutes before the session. If you can memorize the script for today’s
scene, we can enact the scene for practice.”
His eyes swept over her angry face and a small smile twisted his
mouth. “Okay,” he said.
Then his eyes lowered to his phone screen and he scrolled through the
script.
Feeling angry and aware of his presence, she wanted to get away from
him. She only gave him a few moments before saying, “I’ll be in the
auditorium. When you are done memorizing—”
He looked up. “I’m ready.”
“What?” How could he have memorized the lines that took her almost
an evening to memorize?
“Are you ready? Or do you need some time to revise?” His voice was
casual, and she couldn't tell if he was mocking her or was serious.
“Of course I’m ready!” She glared at him.
“Okay, then let’s start.” He put his phone away and folded his arms in
front of him.
She ignored the intimidating stance of his and took a deep breath,
recollecting her lines. The scene she was supposed to be in was that of a
young woman who was angry with her lover for not coming to see her in a
long time. She was thankful it wasn't one of the earlier parts where she had
to smile at the male lead and act coy as she fell in love.
Ava didn't want to think about how she was going to practice those
scenes with her tormentor.
Don’t think of it. He would be long gone by then.
She hoped that the director would discover that Abhiram Simha didn’t
inherit his grandmother’s acting skills.
“I don’t want to see you anymore,” she said, starting with the first line
and turning away from him as per the script.
The scene required the male lead to pacify his lady love. She waited for
him to speak and when the silence stretched a bit longer, she knew he had
fumbled the lines. She bit back a smile and was about to say something
when she felt him take a step towards her.
“Don’t say that, my love.” His voice was deeper. “You do not
understand how I feel about you.”
His words sounded sincere and it took a while for her to realize it was a
part of the drama script.
She slowly turned, her eyes on him, as they were supposed to chastise
him with her anger. “I do understand. But I cannot put myself through this.
You should leave.” She mustered all her anger into her voice.
Another silent moment stretched between them. She hated how it not
only amplified the effect of the scene, but also the buzzing awareness
between them.
“The only way you will not see me anymore is when I’m gone… for
good. There will be no me without having to ever see you.”
The dialogue bordered on being too dramatic, but Abhiram Simha’s
deep voice rang with such sincerity that it was hard not to feel the emotions
of a young lover.
 How is he good at everything he did?
There was loud clapping as the director and the rest of the cast joined
them.
“That was amazing guys!” the director said excitedly. “I knew you both
would make a great pair, but I didn’t expect this kind of chemistry. My God,
if I were to film this, producers would be scrambling to cast you both in a
movie.”
Ava’s cheeks heated at the compliment. If only the director knew that
the chemistry and sparks of anger were real.
But she only smiled. “Thank you, sir.”
The director continued to look quite excited. “I can do much more with
the script now! My God, the sheer possibilities.”
Even as the director went on with his excited spiel, she could feel the
burn of her tormentor’s gaze. With one more common class together, she
knew avoiding her tormentor was getting even harder.
Oh God, what did I sign up for?

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 17

It was shocking how things were conspiring against her and throwing
her constantly towards her tormentor.
Loud cheers erupted around her while she stood by the sidelines at a
Rugby game between the Vipers and Eagles. She wasn’t there to watch the
game, but she had to go as a part of the medical unit for the physical
intensive game.
She stood with the part of the medical crew on the sidelines of the
Eagles team.
She had never seen a Rugby match before, but she was looking forward
to seeing one at Simha University.
Vipers team were supposedly the running champions but Eagles team
were aiming for a win. A bigger crowd gathered on the Viper’s side with
the other house teams choosing Vipers over the Eagles.
Maybe they all feel compelled to support Abhiram Simha’s team
because of his family.
The guy was the student council president, captain of the rugby team
and had a last name that opened doors to the world. Maybe that’s why he
thought that a nobody like her should feel grateful for his attention—
whether it was good or bad.
Never! I would always hate him!
Her angry, disturbed thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Ava, I’m so glad you came to cheer our team!”
She blinked to focus on Neeraj’s excited face. He and the rest of the
teams were warming up by running around the field.
 Pulling herself together, she smiled. “I’m here on medical duty. But
yes, I will cheer for the Eagles. All the best with the game, Neeraj.”
Neeraj’s face fell a bit, but he continued to smile. “Thank you, Ava. We
hope to win. And when I score a touchdown, I will give you the winning
ball.”
Ava had no idea what he was talking about. But she smiled and nodded.
“Thanks, Neeraj. All the best again.”
Even as Neeraj went into the field to join his team, her eyes were
drawn to the Vipers team passing by during their warm up run. At the front
was the captain of the Vipers rugby team.
Her eyes fell on her tormentor, and she had to hide her gasp. He was
watching her with an intensity that quivered her stomach.
What’s his problem?
Why was he always watching her? Maybe he expected her to smile.
But she held his gaze in challenge and raised her chin. Her breath hitched
and her stomach began fluttering even more when she saw something like a
smile on his face.
Feeling embarrassed, and hoping no one saw their interaction, she
looked away. She didn’t want to be associated with him in any way. There
was already a soft buzz of conversation whenever she passed by with
students whispering her tormentor’s name.
Shaking her head slightly, she turned to interact with the rest of the
medical unity.
The game started shortly after. Ava could not believe how physically
intense the game was. The players often rammed into each other and then
fell into a heap while trying to grab the rugby ball.
She couldn't help but notice how the Vipers team always managed to
grab the ball, especially the captain. She averted her eyes, telling herself not
to look in his direction, but her eyes automatically were drawn towards him.
It was more or less a one-sided match.
She watched in dismay as the Vipers captain took the ball towards the
end zone and the crowd roared with excitement. She watched him slip away
from one defender after another. The crowd in the stadium then went
ballistic when the Vipers scored a touchdown with their captain’s dramatic
scoring drive leading them to the win.
Ava looked away. She felt bad when she saw Neeraj and his team
walking back towards the stands with disappointed faces.
Ugh. I wish the Eagles had won.
She glanced at the huge screen that displayed the game and watched as
the Vipers rugby team bumped their shoulders with their captain while he
held the winning rugby ball up.
What a show off.
She knew it wasn’t fair and Abhiram Simha had scored the maximum
points. But still, she didn’t like the idea that her tormentor always basked in
the glory of some or the other win.
Suddenly there was an excited buzz. Ava was preparing with the rest of
the medical unit to attend the injured players when the crowd was cheering.
Now what?
She looked up on the screen again. And she saw that the Vipers team
captain was holding the ball and running somewhere. The camera was
zoomed in and she could see that his lips were cut and bleeding. He spit out
a spray of blood but didn’t pause in his running.
There were excited gasps from some of the girls seeing the sight of him
spitting blood but continuing to run.
“That’s so hot!” a girl said from behind. “There’s something so primal
about Abhiram Simha.”
 There were giggles.
Ava was annoyed.
Where is he going?
She saw him nearing the stands. The next moment, she watched the
screen in shock as she recognized herself on the camera standing along with
the medical unit.
She looked away from the screen, only to lock her shocked eyes with
her tormentor’s.
Why is he here? Why couldn’t he go to the medical unit on the Vipers
side? Why is he coming to the opposing side?
There was a strange electrified hush around them probably with the
crowd in the stadium wondering the same. She was prepared to tell her
tormentor that the Vipers team’s medical unit was on the other side, when
he came to a stop a foot away from her.
His forehead was bruised and blood was trickling down from the
corner of his lips. But he twisted his mouth into a smile. “For you.”
The next moment, there was a loud roaring cheer from the crowd as the
commentator announced the Viper team captain’s shocking intent of giving
the winning ball to someone in the opposing side.
“Maybe it’s just a way for him to thank the medical unit,” someone
announced.
“But it is quite shocking and exciting,” someone else said.
Ava had no choice but to take the rugby ball from him. “Thank you,”
she gritted.
She had planned not to draw attention towards her. But now her
tormentor literally made an entire stadium wonder who she was and why
the Viper’s team captain was giving her the winning ball.
 “My God, Abhi,” someone from the medical unit said with concern.
“You are bleeding. You need first aid right away.”
It was one of the head nurses. The woman looked at Ava. “Ava, attend
to him right away.”
“But he is from the Vipers team, sister. The Eagles team will need—”
But the nurse cut her off. “Nonsense. The boy is bleeding. Clean his
wound and add stitches if needed.”
Ava opened her mouth to argue but didn’t say anything. She nodded at
the nurse. “Okay, I will.”
Turning towards her tormentor, she glared. “Follow me,” she gritted,
pointing to one of the treatment stations.
“Sure,” he drawled as he followed her.
How did I end up once again with him?
She felt angry and annoyed that her tormentor was constantly putting
himself in her proximity and there was nothing she could do.
Moments later, she was seated across from him while examining his
injuries. She needed to provide first aid, and then a doctor or a nurse would
take a look.
The Eagles rugby team also made it to the treatment room and she saw
the shock and anger on Neeraj’s face while she was forced to attend the
rival team’s winning captain.
Gritting her teeth, she attended to her tormentor’s injuries.
She wiped his face clean of the blood so she could inspect the injuries
properly. He had a cut on his lip and a bruised forehead earlier. But now,
she also noticed a cut on his eyebrow.
Her heart raced at the proximity, but she kept her focus on attending to
his injuries.
 Cleaning his face with a warm towel, she dabbed the antiseptic-soaked
cotton on his cut over his eyebrow. It must hurt like hell, but he didn’t react.
She could see his pupils expand due to the pain, but he kept his gaze locked
to hers.
“I need to put this on your lip, too,” she said, holding the cotton pad
dipped in hydrogen peroxide.
He nodded in response.
Her hand shook slightly as she dabbed the medication on his swollen
lip. She could sense his gaze on her and could barely breathe with the
intense awareness.
She hated that despite her anger and hate, he still had a strange effect
on her.
“I liked you from the moment I saw you at the bus window,” he said in
a low voice.
A shudder passed through her and her fingers trembled further but she
pressed on the cut one more time, this with a bit more pressure to stop the
bleeding.
“And when I saw you again, I wanted to know you better.”
She pulled back and turned away, dropping the used cotton ball on the
tray. She then reached for an ointment that would help heal the cuts faster.
She used her finger to apply the ointment to his injury. He didn’t react when
she applied undue force while applying the antiseptic cream.
“Is this a joke?” she demanded, finally meeting his eyes.
He continued to stare at her. “No. This isn’t a joke. I was drawn to you
the moment I saw you. And I know you felt the same.”
She shook her head as confusion, anger and attraction warred in a
cocktail of emotions. She gritted her teeth while drawing in a deep breath.
 “Yes, I was drawn to you from the moment I saw you too,” she said
glaring at him. “But it was only until you made my life hell. You are an
entitled asshole who thinks playing sick mind games is some kind of sport.
I’m not the same girl who ran away and hid from you all these weeks. I will
fight you back. And I hate you.”
He was quiet. Then suddenly, he caught her wrist stopping her from
what she was doing. She let out a gasp when he pulled her closer until
barely an inch was between their faces. It was as though it didn’t matter to
him that they were surrounded by people.
Her heart nearly beat out of her chest seeing his dark, intense eyes from
up close.
“I’m not joking,” he said in a deep tone that fluttered her stomach hard.
“I’m drawn to you whether or not you believe me. And just because you
hate me doesn’t mean you don’t feel the same way.”
She wrenched her wrist away from his grip. “I-I’m not drawn to you,”
she said. “I-I’m with Neeraj. W-we are together.” She didn’t know why she
lied. But it was the only way to stop the strange spell her tormentor was
casting on her. She felt overwhelmed by him and strangely dizzy at the
thought that his lips had been so close to hers.
“You are lying,” he said. His eyes flashed darkly and his jaw was
clenched. “You and Batra are not together.”
Even though she thought her lie would blow up in her face pretty soon,
she stuck to it.
“No. We are seeing each other,” she insisted.
He scanned her face closely and it took every ounce of her acting skills
to not show anything on her face. Suddenly, anger left his face and once
again there was a small smile on his face.
 “Fine. If that’s how you want to play it. Let the best guy win, just like
tonight.”
She was shocked and angry by his words. “What! That’s not what I
meant. This is not a game!”
It was too late. Her tormentor already had a determined look on his
face. He looked like a victor who couldn’t wait for the fight to claim his
prize.
And she was the prize in his twisted game!

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 18

Ava felt hunted. Two weeks had passed by since she had been once
again trying to avoid her tormentor. But he was everywhere.
In the classroom, sitting right across from her. In the drama class,
mouthing out shockingly intense romantic lines. In the cafeteria, sitting
right across her table facing her. Or anywhere on the campus. Wherever she
went, he was around.
She was no longer terrified of him and neither did he try to intimidate
her. But she was terrified of how his presence impacted her. Even when he
wasn’t around, thoughts of him haunted her during nights.
Stop tormenting me!
She was angry with herself for letting him impact her that way.
Everyone noticed that he was aggressively pursuing her. Even though
she refused to talk to him, it was hard to miss the intense stares he directed
towards her.
“What’s up with Abhi and you?” Nitya asked, unable to contain her
curiosity.
It was a weeknight and Ava had ordered dinner to her room instead of
joining Neeraj and gang for dinner outside. Nitya had an important
assignment to finish, so she chose to order in as well.
And while they dug into their noodles and dumplings with their
chopsticks, her roommate began to interrogate her.
“Nothing,” Ava replied, trying not to show anything on her face.
Nitya laughed. “Oh, come on! Everyone knows of the incident last
month when you yelled at Abhi and called him an arrogant, entitled ass. I
was shocked too but didn’t ask you about it. Later, I did because I expected
his superfan girls to boycott you, which they did. But it’s very interesting
that Abhi didn’t freeze you out and instead gave you the winning ball.
Everyone, including me, wants to know why the hottest and most popular
guy in the college is following you everywhere.”
Ava felt heat creep up on her face. “There’s nothing between us.”
Nitya grinned. “Nothing yet, maybe. But Abhi seems determined to
woo you. In the last three years, no one has seen him pursuing a girl so
openly. He’s usually the reserved kind when it comes to dating. We saw him
occasionally going on dates, but he never openly displays such blatant
interest in any of those girls. Girls pursue him, not the other way around.”
A spark of curiosity hit Ava. She wondered who her tormentor had
dated.
Ugh! I shouldn’t care!
She shook her head. “He’s not pursuing me. It’s just a coincidence he
is around. We… uh… hang out in similar circles.”
It was a silly explanation. Her tormentor was a Viper and she hung out
mostly with the Eagles team.
Nitya didn’t believe that explanation, but luckily, she let it go.
“So what are you planning for the masquerade?” Nitya asked.
The masquerade ball was a Simha tradition and one of the biggest
events of the year. Everyone was excited and there was a decided buzz
around it. Ava was glad that it would keep everyone distracted from being
curious about her.
“I haven’t really planned much,” Ava replied. “Neeraj asked me to
accompany him and I agreed.”
There was surprise on Nitya’s face. “Neeraj Batra?” she asked.
Ava nodded. “Yes.”
 Nitya laughed. “Wow! That’s exciting. Now you have two of the most
popular guys fighting for your attention.”
Ava blushed. “Neeraj is just a friend and… Abhiram… he’s no one to
me.”
Nitya grinned at the explanation, especially the part about her
tormentor.
Ava tried to distract her friend. “What are your plans for the
masquerade?”
Her roommate shook her head. “Obviously, I can’t accompany a guy
for the dance. Suraj would personally fly down and crash the masquerade.”
Ava laughed.
“I volunteered to be in the social committee where I helped out a bit
with the arrangements before joining some of my friends at the dance.”
“Oh, I can help you, too. Where do I need to sign up for volunteering?”
Nitya shook her head. “No way! This is your first Simha masquerade
event. You should experience it properly.” There was a wicked smile on
Nitya’s face. “Although since you are my roommate, I’ll let you have extra
drinks before the pre-dance.”
Ava let out a giggle.
She had attended school proms and college dances before. But she
knew the Simha masquerade ball would be definitely something to
remember.
“Who are you wearing?” Nitya asked.
Ava was confused. “You mean what am I wearing?”
Nitya let out a laugh. “No. Who, as in which designer, are you
wearing? All the girls must have brought their masquerade dress with them
after the break. I know Pooja has a suitcase full of them.”
 Ava bit her lip. “Uh… I’m not sure. Since it has to be matching attire,
Neeraj offered to send a dress from his cousin’s boutique. I will be wearing
it tonight.”
“Cool. But you are welcome to borrow from me or my friends in case
you are unable to find something. We can help you with hair and makeup
too.”
Ava nodded with a smile. “Thanks a lot for offering.”
“You are welcome. Pooja is an expert in hair and makeup, but I doubt
she would help you. Not when you caught Abhi’s attention.”
Ava didn’t say anything.
It was getting weirder and weirder with Pooja. The other girl threw
several hateful looks and gave the cold shoulder. Ava tried breaking the ice,
but Pooja still treated her like the enemy. Luckily, Pooja spent the majority
of the time outside the housing unit.
“I’ll try talking to Pooja again,” Ava said with a sigh.
“I doubt it would help. So, don’t bother.”
Ava nodded.
Nitya got up and cleared up the dinner dishes from the kitchen counter.
“I’m gonna be busy with the arrangements for the next two days until
the masquerade. So, if you don’t see me, call me if you need anything.”
Ava hugged Nitya with a smile. “Thanks. I’m really looking forward to
the masquerade.”

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 *****

The rest of the weekend sped by. The only topic everyone spoke about
in the housing units or anywhere was the masquerade dance. Finally, the
day of the masquerade dance arrived.
Ava could literally feel the buzzing excitement. Nitya left early in the
morning to take care of the preparations and Pooja also left for her spa
appointment outside the campus.
Ava had a lazy morning. She had a long video call with her family. But
it was her sister who grabbed the phone and demanded details.
“Ooh,” her sister said with an excited grin. “The masquerade dance
sounds super exciting. What are you wearing?”
Ava smiled. “I have a dress delivered but haven’t checked it yet. I will
after I shower and have breakfast.”
The package had arrived at her housing unit earlier that morning. It was
packed in a large, shiny box. Although she was curious, she put off trying
the dress until later.
But her sister was outraged. “What! How can you not check! What if it
doesn’t fit you!”
Ava laughed. “Then I guess I’ll have to borrow something else.”
“End the call and try the dress now!” her sister ordered. “And call me
again in the evening, just before you step out for the dance.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ava replied with a grin.
“And also send me pictures of the guy you are dancing with!”
At her sister’s demand, Ava shook her head with a dry smile. “I told
you Neeraj is just a friend, Pree.”
“I still want some pictures of your masquerade dance.”
 “Fine.”
The call ended and Ava took a quick shower. She wanted to grab
breakfast, but thanks to her sister, she was now very curious about her
dress. Donning her underclothes and wrapping a towel around, she went to
the package that was laid on the bed and opened the zip.
She could see deep red colored cloth. Curious, she dragged it out. Only
for her to gasp out loud.
The dress was stunning. With beautiful shades of deep red, black and
gold, it looked like something celebrities wore to Oscars. It was figure-
hugging on top with layered flares at the bottom. Small and subtle colored
glittering stones lined the dress. There was a matching red and black mask
to cover the top portion of the face. Even the mask looked stunning with
glittering jewels stuck to the sides.
She had wanted to try it on, but seeing it, she hesitated. Biting her lip
uncertainly, she called Neeraj.
“Hello, Ava,” he greeted in a friendly tone. “Are you getting ready for
the dance tonight?”
“Neeraj, I can’t wear the dress. It seems way too expensive.” She was
foolish to think it would be a simple, modest dress. Even though she was
just borrowing the dress for the event, she was terrified something might
happen to it.
“Don’t be silly,” Neeraj said with a laugh. “My cousin will be glad if
you wear it and show it off to others.”
The dress would definitely draw everyone’s eyes. But Ava felt
uncertain.
“Are you sure, Neeraj. Nitya said I could borrow from her if I needed a
dress.”
 “No way!” Neeraj exclaimed. “I already got a matching tuxedo and
tie.”
Ava felt a bolt of guilt. She couldn’t mix up Neeraj’s plans due to her
reservations. “Okay. Thank you so much for the dress. I will take care of it
well.”
Ending the call, she stared at the dress in both awe and in nervousness.
Finally her admiration won and she slipped it on.
It was perfect.
The dress molded her body making her look classically elegant even
without any makeup.
“Oh my God,” she whispered out in awe, staring at herself in the
mirror.
She then twirled around, feeling like a princess.
When she stopped, her cheeks were flushed with excitement.
I can’t wait for the masquerade dance tonight.

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 *****

Later that evening, when it began to get dark, she headed to the dance
hall. A smile curved her lips and she shook her head that Simha University
was probably the only educational institution that had a building dedicated
to a dance event.
She took one of the shuttles because she didn’t want to risk wrinkling
her beautiful dress. She still couldn’t get over how stunning the dress was.
To make sure the dress got its due, she left her hair in a simple hairstyle and
wore no jewelry.
When the shuttle stopped and she got out, she knew the dress was
working.
Many eyes turned towards her, especially the female gazes, giving her
a sweeping look. She couldn’t read their faces as they were all covered by
masks like she was.
“Hello.” She smiled and waved at them.
With brief yet pointed glares, they turned away from her and resumed
talking excitedly while getting into the building.
Ava sighed knowing they must be her tormentor’s fan girls. Despite
herself, her tormentor’s face flashed in her mind. Her heart raced wondering
if he was already inside.
Most likely he and his equally reckless cousins would make a grand
spectacle of their entry.
She shook her head immediately.
No thinking about him!
Pushing away the thoughts of him, she raised her dress slightly before
climbing the stairs to the dance hall.
 I feel like Cinderella.
She smiled at the thought of finding her Prince Charming aka Neeraj
Batra in the dance hall.
A gasp escaped her when she stepped into the place. She had attended
prom during her school days and even college dances during her first year
at Harvard, but she never had seen anything like this.
With the high ceilings, glittering huge crystal chandeliers, the dance
hall looked like some regency ballroom in old England. The beautiful
dresses and crisp tuxedos made it seem even more fancier. The soft, pop
music playing in the background was the only indication that it was a
college event. And also a stage at the back of the large hall where a live
band was playing the pop music.
She looked around and saw a familiar figure. Recognizing the dress,
she went to the small group standing next to the entrance.
“You look great, Nitya,” she said.
Nitya’s eyes widened behind the mask. “My god. Is that you, Ava?
You’re stunning. That dress is out of the world.”
Ava’s face flushed with pleasure. “Yes, the dress is very beautiful.
Although I’m very nervous that I might not take care of it well.”
Nitya smiled. “Relax. You’ll be fine. Besides, the dress colors are dark
enough to hide any stains.” Nitya grabbed one of the long-stemmed glasses
kept on a long table against the wall. “Here, get started on the welcome
drink. It will relax you.”
Ava took the glass with bubbling gold liquid. Nervousness made her
mouth dry and the liquid was refreshingly delicious. She finished the first
one and then downed another as well.
“Easy,” Nitya said with a laugh. “The champagne cocktail has a very
low amount of alcohol but I have a feeling you have a low threshold.”
 Nitya was right. After finishing the drink, she could feel a small
pleasant buzz inside her head.
“I’m fine,” she said with a smile. “And you are right. I do feel better.”
There was an amused grin on Nitya. “All right, go find your partner.
The dances will begin in a few minutes.”
Smiling with her new-found courage, Ava went towards the middle of
the dance hall. The place was packed with every undergraduate student
from Simha University.
All the guys looked similar with black tuxedos. The only things
differentiating them slightly were the masks covering the top portion of
their faces.
How am I supposed to find Neeraj?
She bit her lip wondering if she could ever find him. She had left her
phone back in her room as they weren’t allowed inside the event. Only
professional photography was allowed.
Great. Now I’ll have to spend the rest of the evening wandering around
to look for a guy in a red, gold and black mask.
The soft music playing in the background came to a halt. A fourth year
senior student hosting the event began the announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the masquerade! Are you ready for
a memorable night?”
There were deafening cheers.
“Then grab your partners and let the fun begin!”
Loud hip hop music began to play while the students paired up to
dance. The lighting from the chandeliers above dimmed a little.
Ava bit her lip, still looking for Neeraj while people around began to
dance. Some were grinding against each other, and some were dancing with
a distance, but the entire atmosphere changed to a highly charged one.
 She didn’t know how long she continued to walk around and was about
to give up and go to the huge open balcony when someone bumped into her
from the front. She was about to fall back when masculine arms held her.
She turned to thank the person but was pleasantly surprised. “Hey!” she
greeted loudly against the music. “I was looking for you.”
It was Neeraj. He was wearing the exact mask as hers with the red,
gold and black colors. The bow tie to his tuxedo matched with the deep
black and red of her dress.
He didn’t say anything and held out his hand. As soon as she put hers
in his, he pulled her into his arms and began dancing.
Smiling, she went along. It wasn’t like any of the dancing around them.
They weren’t grinding to heavy beats and neither were they standing apart
and moving together. His hands were on her waist in a firm grip, holding
her close.
A strange spark of awareness slid through her. She could feel the heat
of his palms through the material of her dress and also feel his body heat
against hers through their clothes.
She cleared her throat noisily and kept up with her smile.
“Thank you so much for the dress,” she said. “It is stunning. I have
never worn such a beautiful dress before.”
He was quiet and continued to move them to the music.
Feeling strangely shy, she continued to talk. “But just so you know, I
haven’t had much luck to market it yet. Maybe during dinner when the
lights are brighter I’ll show it off better.”
He was still quiet and the trickle of awareness grew stronger. Her skin
was peppered with goosebumps and her heart began racing.
She was confused by her reaction. She had never felt that way with
Neeraj.
 Ugh. It must be those champagne cocktails.
Ignoring her racing heart and goosebumps, she kept her smile pasted.
“By the way, we need to get some pictures clicked together tonight. Or my
sister will not keep quiet.”
He didn’t say anything and spun them away from the crowd toward the
edge. He then paused briefly before signaling one of the photographers
standing at a distance. The guy came immediately and clicked a few
pictures of them.
Ava blinked at the flash. “Oh,” she said with a laugh. “That was quick.”
His arm tightened around her waist and he pulled her closer while more
pictures were taken.
A few moments later, he pulled her back into the dancing crowd.
They moved smoothly to the beats. She wasn’t much of a dancer but
with awareness increasing, she automatically gravitated towards him.
Sparks literally flew when his hands moved over her waist.
Even as her breathing sped up, she still didn’t know what to think.
Maybe it’s a good thing that I suddenly feel attracted to him.
All the while, she had been kept off going on an official date with
Neeraj because she felt guilty of leading him along. But now she felt
something, and it might be worth exploring.
“Neeraj, I—” Before she could finish, a couple locked in a passionate
kiss bumped into her, pushing her even closer to him. Her hands fell on his
tuxedo covered chest to catch her balance.
She was about to pull away but his grip turned possessive. He pulled
her towards the end of the dance hall and almost near the balcony where
there were hardly any people.
She should gently disengage and not mislead him into thinking she
wanted to be alone with him. But she was shocked once again by the heat
that coursed through her body. She gave in.
She danced to the heavy beats of the music molded against him in their
own personal corner. She could feel the smooth movement of his muscles
with every small step.
Her lips parted and began tingling when she felt his dark, intense gaze
on her mouth.
“Neeraj, I—” She forgot what she was about to say when a thought
suddenly hit her.
Neeraj’s eyes aren’t this dark or intense.
That’s when she began noticing other things as well. Her eyes were
usually at the level of Neeraj’s mouth. But now, even with her borrowed
high heels, her eyes were at his throat level. Neeraj wasn’t as broad either.
The guy I’m dancing with is not Neeraj!
Then who is he!
Just when she began to panic, the music stopped and the lights turned
brighter. And that’s when she saw him clearly.
It was her tormentor.
“You!” she whispered in shock.
She didn’t have to see his face without the mask. The small twist of his
mouth was enough for her to recognize him.
Oh God! I was dancing with my enemy!
Not only was she dancing with him, their bodies were molded together
intimately.
“Ava?” Neeraj was standing a few feet away from her without his mask
looking at her with anger.
Ava looked at Neeraj with shock. He was wearing a tuxedo but the
mask he held in his hand was completely different from what she was
wearing. It was green, and black and gold.
 “What are you doing with him?” Neeraj asked in both anger and hurt.
“N-neeraj… I… I thought I was dancing with you.”
Neeraj looked at her in disbelief. “How can you think it was me? And
why are you wearing a different dress from what I sent?”
Once again she was shocked. “I thought you sent me this dress.”
“No! That’s not from me!”
Oh God!
“Let her go, you bastard!” Neeraj said angrily.
That’s when in her shocked daze, she realized she was still molded
against her tormentor. She pulled away, but he didn’t let her go right away.
When she glared at him, he slowly released her.
“How dare you make me dance with you!” she said angrily.
Her tormentor seemed unmoved. “I didn’t make you dance with me.
You saw me and told me you were looking for me. I held out my hand and
you accepted it. Willingly.”
Her face burned with embarrassment. She knew he was right.
“You know very well I thought you were Neeraj!”
His eyes flashed intensely and his mouth twisted into a dark smile. “If
you wanted to be with him, why are you wearing my colors?”
She was stunned. She hadn’t even thought about the color scheme of
her dress. The dress was so stunningly beautiful and elegant, she didn’t
notice it matched exactly with the Vipers team colors.
She sucked in a shocked, angry breath. “I would never want to be with
you!” she snapped. “I hate you.”
He didn’t say anything, just continued to watch her intensely with a
knowing look.
Angry and embarrassed and her body continuing to buzz with
awareness, she stormed away from him.
 I hate him!
Even as she chanted that phrase repeatedly, she knew what she hated
even more was how he made her feel about him.
Ignoring him wasn’t working. So she was determined to avoid him
again.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 19

Ignoring the devil was easier said than done. In fact, it was impossible.
Even when she physically managed to avoid her tormentor, people around
her didn’t let her forget.
“I agree with the student vote,” Nitya teased, waving a magazine at her.
“This picture is by far the hottest and the most popular one.”
Ava’s cheeks heated as she looked at the student newsletter magazine
featuring the masquerade dance. Right on top of it was a picture of her and
Abhiram Simha. She was smiling sweetly into the camera while he held her
possessively and stared intensely at her. And the way she had placed her
palm on his tuxedo with their bodies more or less molded close, made it
seem like they were a couple. The matching colored clothes made it even
harder to deny.
Ugh!
“Are you still going to insist there is nothing between you and Abhi?”
Nitya teased.
“It was a misunderstanding,” Ava murmured. “I thought he was
Neeraj.”
Nitya grinned. “I bet half of the female students would want such a
misunderstanding to happen with Abhi.”
Ava already knew that from the glares and envious looks thrown her
way. She felt angry and helpless that her tormentor was encouraging
everyone from thinking that way.
“He hates me.”
At Ava’s abrupt statement, Nitya frowned. “What?”
 Ava took a deep breath. She hid what happened during the initial weeks
at Simha. But now, she felt she had to tell someone. Nitya was the only one
she trusted.
“Abhiram Simha hates me.”
Nitya shook her head. “He is literally declaring to the world that he
likes you, Ava. How can you mistake it for hate?”
Ava clenched her jaw as anger coursed through her at his stunts.
“He asked me to leave the university on the night of the welcome party.
And he threatened me several times with consequences for not leaving. On
the night of Neeraj’s birthday, he left me alone on a deserted beach. If it
hadn’t been for a first year student passing by, I might have fallen sick or
worse.”
Nitya looked shocked. “My God, Abhi did all of that to you?”
Ava nodded. “Yes. When I called him entitled and arrogant, that was
me standing up to him and letting him know, he cannot make me leave.
That’s when he began… pursuing me.”
Nitya frowned. “I believe you, Ava. But something doesn’t seem right.
Abhi isn’t the kind to be mean to anyone. In fact, he is the person students
approach if they are being targeted. He’s always known to be the protector.
That’s why he won the elections as the president even though he was
younger than his opponent.”
Ava didn’t know what to think. But her experience with Abhiram
Simha made her fear him at first and then hate him.
Yes, she still thought he was stunningly handsome. And still felt an
uncontrollable attraction. But it would take a lot more than a handsome face
and strong attraction to stop hating the guy who had made her life a living
hell for many weeks.
 “Did you meet Abhi before coming here to the university?” Nitya
asked.
Ava shook her head. “No. I haven’t met him.”
Nitya frowned. “Why would he ask you to leave the university then?”
Ava had spent days and nights for several weeks wondering the same.
She had even begged him to tell her why he hated her and wanted her gone.
But she didn’t get any answers.
“I have no idea. And at this point, I don’t care. I hate him too now.”
Nitya fell quiet.
“I didn’t mean to dump all of this on you,” Ava told her roommate who
was one of the few friends she had at the university.
“Oh no. I like you Ava and you are my good friend. Of course I will
listen and support you in whatever you choose.”
Ava felt touched. She hugged her Nitya. “Thank you.”
Nitya smiled. “See you later this evening.”
Ava cleared up the remnants of her breakfast. Her eyes then fell on the
student newsletter magazine.
“I hate you,” she whispered looking at the handsome face of her
tormentor.
But even as she said that Nitya’s words began to play inside her head.
“He’s always known to be the protector. That’s why he won the
elections as the president even though he was younger than his opponent.”
Somehow, those words rang true. Majority of the students here
worshiped him.
Was it all an act? Or real?
She also recalled Nitya’s question of whether she had met him before
and whether something might have warranted his hate.
 “You asked me to leave you alone, and I’m doing as I promised. Go
back to your father and tell him you don’t belong here.”
Ava frowned. Until then she hadn’t analyzed his words before. She had
been too distraught. But now, even though she was filled with anger, she
wondered whether his choice of words meant something.
“Go back to your father and tell him you don’t belong here.”
Did he say father because she had mentioned her dad during the
welcome speech. Or was there something more?
She would have to find out.

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 *****

The classes continued as usual for the rest of the day. She finished her
assignments in the library. But instead of going to her room, she sat in front
of the computer in the library.
She then typed the keywords ‘student archives’.
There was an entire section dedicated to that. It had pictures and
accomplishments of all the students who had studied at Simha University
through the decades.
Since she knew the year of her father’s graduation, she clicked on it
followed by a search with her father’s name.
A proud smile broke on her face seeing the picture of her father listed
as the student topper. She clicked on the rest of the photos, which she had
seen before in her father’s photo album. But there was one picture where
her father was standing with a group of guys. They were all holding up a
huge trophy.
Even though she had seen the picture before, this particular one had the
names listed. She was shocked when she saw that there were three students
who had the Simha last name.
Were they Papa’s friends?
It was strange because her father never mentioned knowing anyone
from the Simha family.
Maybe they were just teammates and Papa just played sports with
them.
If those men were reckless and entailed like the current Simhas, she
was glad her father didn’t make such friends.
 She kept clicking on the rest of the pictures and stopped on the one
where her father was standing next to a different group. This time with his
medical college mates.
It is Neela madam!
She knew her father studied together with Neelima Raj. She smiled at
the picture because everyone looked so young and in a fashion that included
huge hair and bellbottoms. She scrolled through the names and there was
only one last name with Simha. But surprisingly, it was a female name.
Vaishnavi Simha.
Ava recognized the woman to be the same one from the picture on
Neela madam’s office.
I should call and ask Papa about whether he knew the Simhas.
“There you are!”
Ava jumped when a familiar voice spoke behind her. She turned to see
Neeraj standing behind her.
“Hi,” she greeted.
He smiled, coming closer to her. “I was searching all over for you. And
I was worried when you didn’t answer your phone.”
Ava looked at the missed calls on her phone screen. “Sorry. I kept it in
the silent mode while I was finishing up my assignment earlier.”
He nodded. “We are going to put together a manifesto for the elections.
I thought I could use your help.”
The student council president elections were due in a week. Neeraj was
one of the final candidates. And so was her tormentor.
Although Ava wanted Neeraj to win, what she wanted even more was
for Abhiram Simha to lose. Her tormentor deserved a humiliating loss.
“Sure,” she replied with a smile. “I have a few ideas.”
“Awesome!”
 Ava closed the archives, deciding to follow it up later. She had an
immediate job to do.
She was going to help in any way to bring down her tormentor in the
student council presidential elections.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 20

Ava spent every free minute of the next few days in helping Neeraj
prepare for the upcoming elections. During that time, she did come across
her tormentor. She had glared at him while he watched her with his usual
unreadable look.
Although she had managed not to communicate with him, she couldn’t
avoid him indefinitely. She had no choice but to meet him during the drama
classes. They were to prepare for the new scenes that the director added to
the script.
“With the chemistry between you both, I asked the script writer to up
the game a bit.”
Ava didn’t know what the director had meant with that. She only
hoped the play wouldn’t be unnecessarily prolonged. Although she loved
the story of the play, she didn’t like her male lead.
Luckily, it didn’t show. No one but her tormentor knew the truth.
Just a few more months and I’ll be done with the play.
She hoped that the next year would have a better male lead opposite to
her.
Letting out a sigh, she went to the papers placed on the table. She was
yet to review the latest scene from the changed script. The director had only
given them a rough idea and asked them to practice beforehand so they
could enact it during the session.
She stopped at the door when she saw her tormentor standing at the
side of the stage, looking at the printed script. She had to suck in a deep
breath to steady herself and calm the thudding heart in her chest.
 After what he did at the masquerade party, she was quite angry and
shaken. Not just for what he did but the way he made her feel. She did not
want to feel anything but hate and anger towards him.
I won’t let him know he managed to shake me.
With those thoughts, she walked down the aisle of the empty
auditorium and went up the stage. Without making eye contact with him,
she reached for one of the set of sheets of the script.
She turned away from him to read the updated script.
It was quite impactful, except for the shocking part at the end of the
scene.
She blinked when she saw ‘and then she passionately kissed him on his
lips’.
She hadn't expected the director to do this much improvisation of the
script.
Oh my God.
“Are you ready?” His words sounded casual.
Why is he sounding so damn casual?
It was as though he was used to enacting dramas that had his female
leads kiss him passionately.
He probably did many times.
Ugh!
“N-not yet,” she replied. “Give me two minutes.”
Her mind began to race and panic even as she pretended outwardly to
be unaffected by what she had to do as a part of the play.
She had to kiss her tormentor.
Technically it was just acting. She wouldn’t have minded brushing her
lips with the original male lead or anyone else as a part of the play.
 Maybe you can pretend he is someone else. Get into the character and
ignore that he is your tormentor.
“Do you need some more time?” There was a hint of amusement in his
voice.
Annoyed that he was finding it amusing, she turned to glare at him.
“I’m ready.” She could barely remember the lines, but she had to go
with the flow.
The scene was of the female lead being angry once again. But that
emotion was to turn into passion that would lead to a kiss.
Awareness buzzed as she took a few steps closer to him. But she put on
an unaffected expression.
“Let's start.”
He nodded and stood a few feet away from her as per the scene.
She told herself the kiss should not mean nothing and that it was part of
the act. “I’m tired of this. I don’t want to do this anymore.” The words felt
so apt for what she was feeling.
“Don’t say that. I cannot be without you.” His tone was sincere and she
knew he was following the script to the T.
“I hate it all.” She let out a sob. “Do you really love me?”
He took slow deliberate steps towards her, raising the intensity of the
scene. “How can you ever doubt it?”
A shudder passed through her in response to the look in his eyes. How
was he such a good actor? “I don’t know,” she whispered, turning away.
Moments passed and she winced when she felt his fingers graze over
her elbow before trailing down her arm, to lace their fingers together.
Energy snapped through her and she pulled her hand away on impulse.
“Sorry, give me a minute.”
 He took a step away from her and went back to the original position.
“From the beginning?”
She nodded but couldn't get herself to look into his eyes. The beating of
her heart was deafening as she tried to process the way his touch reached
her heart.
“Have you done a scene like this before?” he asked. “Maybe you
should ask the director to change the scene if you can’t handle it.”
Annoyance replaced her discomfort. She looked up at him in defiance.
“I can handle it.”
The ‘it’ being the kiss. Her nerves were raw at the idea of playing the
character that initiates the kiss. She could not let him know she was nervous
at the idea. “It’s no big deal. I’ve kissed guys before. And this is just
pretense.”
Liar.
He looked amused as though he knew she had never kissed a guy
before. She thought he would call her bluff, but he only nodded. “Great. I
guess it's like any of those other kisses then. Let's get started.”
They went through the first few dialogues again, and this time when he
came close to her and squeezed her hand, she ignored the way electricity
charged through her body and leaned into him, her back going towards his
broad chest.
She grabbed his hand as per the script and pulled his arm to wrap
around her. “I want to believe you but every time you go away, I’m left
heartbroken.” Her voice wobbled but she didn’t stop. She turned to face
him, her chin tilted up to look into his eyes. This is the closest she had been
to him. Closer than they were at the dance.
She tried to stay still as he ran his palm over her back. But the heat of
his palm and the intense look in his eyes made her shiver. She held his gaze
while she raised her slightly trembling hand up his chest and wrapped
around his neck. If there was a dialogue she was supposed to say, she had
forgotten. She simply forged through the scene.
She pulled his head forward while she went up on her toes. And then,
she brushed her trembling lips against his. Her eyes fell shut while a
shudder passed through her.
She heard the harsh inhale of his breath and felt the coiled tension of
his body. For her tormentor, it must have been simply acting, but she was
truly lost in the intensity of the moment. Her breasts tingled, the tips
becoming hard while her stomach fluttered crazily. Electricity coursed
through every nerve end at the brush of their lips.
Her knees weakened and nearly wobbled. Just when she thought she
might collapse, he pulled her closer against his hard body. Fire ignited deep
inside and she felt a strange quiver between her legs.
Oh God.
She pulled away, her breathing coming fast. She saw that her tormentor
was equally affected and his breaths were heavy like hers.
The script said a passionate kiss and she felt every moment of passion
with her tormentor. Her body was buzzing with electrical charge.
Shaking away the passionate haze that had settled over her, she stepped
away. “I-I think we got it. There’s no need to practice again. Let’s wait for
everyone to get here.”
With those words she grabbed the printed sheets of the script and speed
walked toward the ladies room. She was out of breath by the time she made
it to the restroom, her heart banging away against her ribcage. She let out a
frustrated cry and looked at herself in the mirror.
Her cheeks were flushed and her lips trembled as she slowly took her
fingers to them. She felt a shiver pass through her when she realized how
lightheaded she was feeling. The way her every nerve hummed with
awareness and a strange longing she had never felt. The most shocking
thing was the quiver between her legs.
Oh God.
How did he have that effect on her?
She took deep breaths. It’s just acting. It means nothing.
Repeating those words a few times and splashing cold water on her
heated face, she headed back to the auditorium.
The rest of the cast, including the director, had assembled and were
going through the new scripts and scenes. She walked up the stage and
gathered by the small group who were practicing their lines. She knew
where her tormentor was but refused to look in his direction.
She could only feel his heated stare.
“Ava and Abhi, you are up first,” the director announced as soon as he
entered the auditorium. “I can’t wait to see the new updated scene.”
God. I have to kiss him again.
She nodded, gathering herself as much as she could and handed the
printed sheets in her hand to one of the cast members and took position on
the stage. She hoped she gave herself enough pep talk about acting, so her
body didn’t react or respond to his touch.
She stayed focused on the dialogues. And then, she was glad that her
heart only leaped once when her tormentor laced his fingers with hers as a
part of the scene.
But as they got closer to the end of the scene, her heart began thudding
erratically.
It’s just acting. It means nothing.
She repeated the words once again in her mind. But when she went on
her toes to brush her lips against her tormentor’s, heat sizzled once again
and her body caught fire.
It was insane. And this time, her tormentor returned the kiss. She felt
his lips move over hers and she even felt his tongue running over the seam
of her lips. She shuddered hard before she finally drew back.
There was stunned silence followed by loud cheers and claps from the
rest of the cast members. With her cheeks on fire, she turned towards the
director who looked equally stunned as everyone around.
“Uh… that was an amazing scene, Ava,” the director said. “I guess you
decided to improvise it with a proper kiss. I’m glad Abhi went along too.”
“What?” She was shocked by his words. “I-I thought I was supposed to
kiss him at the end.”
The director nodded. “Yes, but as a peck on a cheek. But I like this one
way better.”
She was stunned. With shaking fingers, she went to the place where she
had left her script. Picking it up, she walked back to where the director
stood and pointed to the line in hers.
It was the director’s turn to be surprised. “How did you get this
version? This was an older one and I changed it after feedback from Abhi
that you might not be comfortable with the kiss on the lips. But now that we
know you are fine, I’m happy to have the original version, which makes the
scene more impactful.”
She was stunned. And then, she was slowly furious.
How dare he!
She knew her tormentor had something to do with the change in her
script. She wanted to call him out. But she had to hold back as she had no
proof.
“I prefer the new version with a peck on the cheek,” she said.
 The director’s face fell slightly. “Of course. Whatever you are
comfortable with, Ava.”
“Thank you,” she told the director.
While the session continued with the rest of the cast practicing their
lines, she glared at her tormentor. She was angry enough to want to rip that
handsome face off. But along with that she also wanted to bite down on his
lip until he bled.
As though reading her angry, violent thoughts, his mouth slowly
twisted and he ran a thumb over his bottom lip, making her stomach quiver
and heat pool between her legs.
What is wrong with me?

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 21

It was election day and Ava continued to campaign for Neeraj.

Hundreds of students stood in line to cast their vote for the student
body president. Ava had been working relentlessly with the Eagles team to
spread the word and gain support for Neeraj. She wanted Neeraj to win, just
so she could give her tormentor a smug look.
Even as Neeraj and team scrambled to hold meetings, post updates on
the university newsletter, her tormentor was pretty chilled about the
elections.
Over confidence.
Scoffing at him mentally, she stood next to Neeraj and the team.
“The voting will be done soon,” she said, looking at Neeraj’s tensed
face.
He nodded, his eyes on the students inside the large room where they
were casting their votes electronically. “Yeah.”
The results would be given in less than an hour or sooner if there was a
clear majority. Ava hoped Neeraj would win with a wide margin.
She was aware of her tormentor’s eyes on her. Normally, she would
avoid looking at him. But that day, she looked.
Her stomach fluttered, noticing his intense eyes trained on her face.
Even though her instinct was to look away, she held his gaze in challenge.
He was surrounded by his cousins and a huge group of friends and
supporters. And she was with Neeraj and most of the Eagles team. But
despite being surrounded by dozens of people, she held his stare.
Her heart picked up its pace when his mouth twisted slightly. And
when his eyes fell on her lips, her breath hitched. She recalled their kiss,
especially the second one when his tongue ran over the seam of her lips.
Heat exploded inside her and she felt the tip of her breasts stiffen under her
uniform shirt.
Shocked and embarrassed and unable to hold his gaze anymore, she
looked away abruptly.
The movement caught Neeraj’s attention. “Something wrong?” Neeraj
asked, leaning close to her.
She shook her head, unable to find her voice as her body continued to
tingle with awareness.
She needed to shake the thoughts of her tormentor away, but it was
getting harder.
After the passionate kisses they shared during the play, her tormentor
was turning into a permanent fixture in her head. She even dreamed of him
during the night. And most of those dreams didn’t end with a kiss like in the
play.
You hate him.
She reminded herself once again of who he was and what he had done
to her.
“Here comes the election commissioner,” Neeraj announced.
Neeraj went to meet the university official along with her tormentor.
Ava kept her eyes on her tormentor, hoping to enjoy the look on her
tormentor’s face when he was told he lost. Neeraj had spent the past few
weeks campaigning while her reckless tormentor was simply chilling and
tormenting her.
“Congratulations, Mr. Abhiram Simha.” The university official shook
her tormentor’s hand. “You won with a ninety percent majority.”
Abhiram Simha smiled politely at the official. “Thank you, sir,” he said
as though it wasn’t a big deal and he was expecting the outcome.
 Ninety percent? How can that be possible?
It meant that many of the Eagles house team students had also voted
for Abhiram Simha.
Her heart thudded sickly and she dragged her eyes away from her
tormentor to look at Neeraj who looked upset and pissed. Wanting to
console him, she began to walk closer.
Her tormentor was still standing in the way, now joined by his cousins
and friends. They were hooting and cheering.
“Hey, Harvard,” her tormentor called out. “That was a good
campaign.”
She felt pissed and glared at him for mocking her and Neeraj.
But her tormentor remained unfazed. “You had good ideas and you
don’t need to be a part of the Student Council to make recommendations.
Email them to the committee.”
She was taken aback by his statement and felt confused. Before she
could react, his cousins and friends dragged him away with celebratory
cheers.
“What did he say to you?” It was Neeraj and he looked quite pissed.
Dragging her eyes away from her tormentor once again, she shook her
head. “He just said it was a good campaign.”
Neeraj looked outraged. “What a smug bastard! He’s trying to rub it
in.”
Her tormentor hadn’t sounded smug. She was confused by his
behavior. Abhiram Simha sounded as though he genuinely cared about the
students and invited everyone to contribute with helpful ideas.
Was it all an act?
Before she could say anything, Neeraj’s phone began ringing.
Neeraj frowned. “It is my father. Excuse me.”
 As Ava stood waiting for Neeraj, his friends, who were mostly from the
Eagles team, looked equally pissed.
“Those bastard Simhas are going to rub it in by holding races tonight as
celebration. We should boycott them.”
“But they’ll claim we were scared of losing to them again so we didn’t
show up to the races.”
“Let’s go and take some chicks along to make it a backward facing
races. The Simhas don’t like having chicks at the back. So, they’ll come off
as losers.”
“Good idea! Let’s go arrange for some chicks.”
They all left.
Ava wondered what the Eagles team guys were discussing. She
understood the part where they discussed attending motorbike races. But
what did they mean by taking chicks and backward facing?
Before she could think further, she heard Neeraj’s upset voice.
“Yes, dad. I lost,” he said.
Her heart sank, feeling bad for him. She expected Neeraj’s father to
console him, but she was surprised when a man's voice blared through the
phone. It was loud enough that she could hear those words even though the
call was not on speaker.
“What the hell were you thinking, Neeraj! You stood against a Simha!”
His father sounded livid.
“Dad, these are college elections. What is the big deal?”
“Neeraj, they are the Simhas. They are the kingmakers. They literally
pick and choose who gets to be on the top seat across the country. Because
of your silly college elections, you could easily risk my chances at grabbing
the top seat in our state. Focus on your damn studies and stop meddling in
things you don’t belong in.”
 There was a pissed off look on Neeraj’s face. “Fine,” he gritted.
He ended the call and looked at her. Ava tried to put a neutral face, so
he wouldn’t know and be embarrassed by the fact that she had heard the
conversation.
“Are you okay, Neeraj?” she asked.
Neeraj gritted his teeth as he nodded. “I’m disappointed, but I’m fine.”
She felt bad and was thinking of something to say to cheer him up
when he suddenly held her hands. Surprised, she looked at him.
“Let’s go out for dinner, Ava,” he said. “I could badly use some
cheering.”
Her immediate instinct was to find an excuse to refuse him. But
knowing he was quite disappointed and hoping to cheer him, she nodded.
“Yes. Let’s celebrate your hard work during campaigning.”
She was disappointed that Neeraj had lost despite the extensive
campaigning. And she was also pissed that not only her tormentor won, but
Neeraj got into trouble with his father for daring to stand against a Simha.
Who do they think they are?
Neeraj nodded and there was a happy smile on his face. “That’s great,
Ava! Let’s go to a sports bar. I know you’ll enjoy the place.”
She smiled. “Sure.”
Somehow she felt guilty and it added to her accepting the date. She
wanted to cheer up Neeraj after he suffered a humiliating loss at the hands
of her tormentor.

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 *****

When Ava got back to the housing unit, her anger and disappointment
grew.
She still couldn’t believe that her tormentor won the elections by
landslide. What was so great about him that everyone had an exalted view
on him? And the look he directed towards hers just before his win made her
even madder because of the way her body had reacted.
Ugh! I hate him!
She shook her head hoping it would ward away thoughts of her
tormentor.
She had to put all her focus on Neeraj to cheer him up that evening.
Their date was long overdue. Until then, she had kept putting it off using
some or the other excuse. No more.
“Oh hey!” Nitya greeted. Seeing Ava’s expression, the other girl
frowned. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Ava said, forcing out a smile. “Just a little disappointed that
Neeraj didn’t win.”
Nitya nodded in understanding. “You did work hard in campaigning for
him.”
Ava sighed. “Yeah. I guess we didn’t stand a chance against someone
whose family literally owns the university.”
Nitya frowned. “That’s not the reason why everyone voted for Abhi,
Ava. He won the elections on his own credit.”
Ava didn’t argue. She knew Nitya and nearly everyone had a great
impression about her tormentor.
“Want to order pizza tonight?” Nitya asked, trying to cheer her up.
 Ava shook her head with a smile. “Let’s order tomorrow night. Neeraj
and I are going to a sports bar this evening for dinner.”
There was a strange look on Nitya’s face.
“Is something wrong?” Ava asked.
Nitya shook her head with a smile. “No. Have fun. Call me if you need
a ride back home.”
Ava smiled. “Thanks.”
Ava went to her room and then into her walk-in closet. She stared at her
clothes, trying to decide what to wear for the evening. She mostly only had
t-shirts and jeans.
She grinned, imagining her sister’s reaction to wearing a t-shirt and
jeans for what was technically her first date at Simha University.
She finally decided on a frilly pink top with jeans. She also grabbed a
shawl in case it got too chilly in the night.
Placing her clothes on her bed, she stepped in for a quick shower.
The hot, steaming water from the rainwater setting of her showerhead
washed away the tensions from her body.
She stepped out of the shower and dried herself before applying a
generous amount of body lotion. The mild scent of jasmine relaxed her even
more. Letting out a deep sigh of content, she wrapped a fluffy towel around
her body before stepping out of the bathroom. She barely took a couple of
steps when she stopped and let out a shocked gasp.
Standing by her bed, and casually looking at her family pictures on the
wall was her tormentor. At her shocked gasp, he turned to her. His eyes
flashed when he saw her standing in just her towel.
She was horrified and embarrassed for a few moments, but her anger
propelled her to find her voice. “How dare you!” she snapped.
His mouth twisted. “How dare I, what?” he asked.
 She sucked in an angry breath. “How dare you break into my room!
I’m going to call the housing unit warden right now.”
She strode towards him and stopped next to her nightstand where the
landline phone was placed on the top. Glaring at him, she picked up the
receiver about to place the call.
His mouth continued to remain twisted with a small smile. “It’s going
to be very interesting when both of us are sent to detention.”
She froze. “What? Why would I be sent to detention?”
There was an amused look on his face. “Because everyone would
assume you called me here.”
“I didn’t call you here!”
“Well, after what happened between us so far, and the way you kissed
me during drama club in front of many witnesses, it’s not that hard to
imagine we are meeting secretly in your room.”
Her face heated. “No one will believe you! And I campaigned against
you!”
There was another flash in his eyes. This time it was darker and intense
while his eyes swept over her body. “Everyone would think that’s how we
keep up the heat in our relationship. Love-hate relationships have the
hottest chemistry.”
This time, her entire body heated. His gaze and his words left a trail of
fire and goosebumps. Her breathing deepened and she desperately tried to
control it.
“That’s not the truth,” she said, her voice hitching.
He didn’t say anything and continued to look at her. Her heart raced
and she knew he was right. People would think they were having a secret
affair and her complaint wouldn’t be taken seriously.
 Her breath hitched as he took a step closer. She couldn’t move away
because she was trapped by the bed and the nightstand.
He stared at her and her lips began to tingle.
Is he going to kiss me?
The thought didn’t leave her angry or horrified. It made her heart race
with anticipation.
“Don’t go out with him,” he ordered.
She was still in a daze and it took her a few moments to realize what he
said. When the words sank in, slowly her anger returned.
“Who are you to tell me that?” she demanded. “I can go out with
whoever I want.”
His jaw clenched and she saw the visible anger in his eyes.
But unlike before when she was in her frightened rabbit phase, she
wasn’t scared of him anymore. In fact, she enjoyed his anger. It was sweet
revenge.
“I like Neeraj and we are going on a date.”
His eyes flashed. “He’s using you to get back at me,” he gritted.
She let out a scoff. “That doesn’t even make sense. How is dating me
getting back at you?”
He was quiet.
“You really are too arrogant to think everything is about you,” she said.
“Well, it isn’t. Unlike you, Neeraj is a nice person.”
He was still quiet.
She raised her chin. “Go away,” she ordered. “I have to get ready for
my date.”
She thought he would leave, but she gasped when he caught the back of
her neck and dragged her close before lowering his head. Her chest heaved
as her heart raced.
 “You might not think I’m nice, Harvard,” he said against her ear. “But
I’m the only one who makes your heart race. It’s the same for me.”
His dark words along with his warm breath against her ear made her
shiver. She was reminded of the things she dreamed of during the nights—
of his lips, of his kisses and of his passion.
Oh God.
As though he could feel her body tremble with arousal, he raised his
head and looked at her.
One moment she met his dark eyes and the next moment their mouths
met hungrily. She moaned at the heat blazing through her.
It was unlike their previous kiss during the play when all she did was
brush her lips against his. Now, it was shockingly wild. She moaned when
his teeth bit into her bottom lip and his tongue pushed between her lips and
into her mouth. His tongue then conquered, rubbing and tasting every nook
and corner of her mouth while leaving a wild essence of him.
Her head spun and knees wobbled at the sheer intensity of the kiss.
She moaned again when she felt a small yet sharp tug on the back of
her head. He pulled back her hair to allow him deeper access into her
mouth. Clutching his sports jersey, she kissed him back, rubbing her tongue
against his, wanting more of his addicting taste and feel.
He dragged her closer, until the top of her breasts rubbed against the
slightly coarse material of his jersey, causing the friction to send tingles
across her body. It was only when her towel began slipping down further,
and she felt his mouth leaving hers to trail down her neck that she opened
her eyes.
Her eyes widened even as she felt a trail of fire when his lips began to
move over her bare skin. Shock ripped through her when she saw the
pictures of her family on the walls of her room.
 Until then, the angry, passionate kiss almost felt like a dream. But now,
she was dragged back to reality. She suddenly realized whose arms she was
in and whose lips were on her body.
No!
It took every ounce of willpower to place her hands on her tormentor’s
chest and shove him away from her.
He froze and slowly raised his head.
“Don’t touch me!” she snapped, shoving at him again.
His hands fell from her and he took a small step away.
She recalled the time she had accidentally touched him in the rugby
locker room when she had gone to speak to him. At that time, she was
scared and helpless. His disgust at her touch had hurt her at that time. She
wanted to hurt him the same way now.
“Don’t ever touch me,” she hissed out. “And get out of my room.”
His eyes blazed with dark emotion as his hands clenched. Her heart
thudded with a small bolt of fear wondering if he would grab her to prove
their attraction.
But he didn’t. He gave her a slow, sweeping glance, his eyes lingering
on her chest where she was clutching the towel tightly. Her face heated as
she recalled his lips on her skin.
“Get out,” she whispered.
With another lingering stare at her face, he turned away and slipped out
onto her balcony before disappearing.
She continued to stand in her towel feeling angry, aroused and shaken.
Oh God. I can’t believe I kissed him again.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 22

Ava was still angry and shaken when she met with Neeraj for their
date.
“You look great, Ava,” Neeraj said with a smile while his eyes swept
over her in appreciation.
She was wearing a pale pink top and jeans. She hadn’t really put much
thought to it. It was the first thing she could reach to cover up her shaken
body after her tormentor left.
“You look good too,” she said with a small smile.
Neeraj was dressed in a formal button-up shirt and dark jeans.
Although it was technically a casual date, he looked as though he was
dressed for the occasion.
“I was able to get a reservation for a table at a corner,” Neeraj said as
he held the jeep door open for her. “I really hope you like the place, because
it is my favorite.”
She could tell he was going out of his way to make sure she enjoyed
the evening. And it made her feel guilty. Pushing away her anger towards
her tormentor, she tried to focus on her date.
“Thank you, Neeraj,” she said with a smile before getting into his jeep.
The ride to the restaurant was pleasant. They drove through a small
town right outside the campus. Small yet beautiful homes with green lawns
and gardens lined the street. She knew that’s where most of the university
staff lived in the allocated housing.
Shortly after, the jeep stopped in a busy downtown area bustling with
restaurants. Ava got out of the jeep and followed Neeraj inside a sports bar.
 The table reserved for that night was at the far end of the dining area,
away from the TVs and the bar area. Just as Ava sat down, she noticed
Neeraj discretely slipping a note to the restaurant staff. “I hope we can have
this space all to ourselves.”
The waiter nodded. “Sure, sir. It is a slow night so you won’t have any
disturbances.”
“Keep the TV sound low. Turn it off if possible,” Neeraj requested.
“Sure, sir.”
Guilt once again pierced her seeing Neeraj trying to make their date
special.
As soon as the waiter left, Neeraj smiled at her. “You are awfully quiet
tonight. Hope you are not too tired. I know you stayed up until midnight to
send the last minute campaign material to all the students.”
Ava smiled. “No. I’m fine, Neeraj.”
His eyes lingered on her face. “I know you must be disappointed about
me losing the elections today. I’m sorry for letting you down, Ava. I should
have known that I stood no chance against a Simha and avoided
disappointing you.”
Ava’s heart sank. “No. Don’t say that, Neeraj. Of course you didn’t
disappoint me.” She frowned at how Neeraj thought about losing to a
Simha. “Abhiram Simha isn’t a God, Neeraj. I’m sure it is a matter of time
before he gets defeated.” She hoped it happened soon in one way or the
other.
Neeraj’s face slowly lost the look of disappointment and he looked
happy again. “I’m glad you feel that way,” he said.
She nodded before picking up the menu and looking at it randomly.
Her mind once again angrily wandered to her tormentor. She wanted to
see her arrogant tormentor lose or feel the burn of disappointment like any
other student at Simha. The guy was too much.
How dare he break into my bedroom and dictate who I could and could
not go on a date with?
And how dare he kiss me.
Her body still tingled at the places where his hands and lips had been.
“What do you feel like eating? Can I order something special for you?”
Ava dragged her eyes away from the menu and saw that Neeraj was
looking at her expectantly.
“Sure,” she said with a smile, putting the menu back on the table.
She usually liked to order for herself but she felt guilty once again
about how she wasn’t focusing on her date and thinking about her arrogant,
reckless tormentor.
Neeraj put in the order for them. Ava didn’t care what it was as she was
far from hungry. Once the order was taken, she was once again faced with
Neeraj’s smiling face.
“The place seems empty. But it's not always like this,” he said.
“Oh.” She wondered the same, especially when most students went out
on Friday nights.
“There are races being held by the Simhas tonight,” Neeraj said with a
look of annoyance. “To celebrate the election win.”
Ava recalled listening to the conversation from the Eagles team
members.
“What is backward racing?” she asked, also recalling the part where the
Eagles team guys were talking of picking up girls for backward racing.
Surprise flashed in Neeraj’s eyes. “How do you know that?” he asked.
“It’s motorbike racing where girls sit on the bike facing away from the
bikers.”
Ava was shocked. It sounded awful and dangerous.
 But she also recalled the part where the Simhas supposedly didn’t
condone it. She was about to ask when Neeraj froze and let out a curse.
“I can’t believe this!”
Wondering what had made Neeraj upset, she twisted to look at the
entrance of the sports bar. She was shocked senseless.
Her tormentor had just walked through the double doors of the
restaurant with a girl.
What is he doing here?
Ava’s heart began thudding. As though sensing her gaze, her tormentor
looked right at her.
Their eyes clashed, hers angry and shocked, while his remained cool.
“He must have followed us here!” Neeraj said angrily.
Dragging her eyes away from her tormentor, she looked at Neeraj’s
upset face.
“Ignore him, Neeraj,” she advised.
Neeraj’s face relaxed slightly and he nodded. “You are right. Let’s
ignore him. I would rather focus on our date tonight.”
Ava nodded even as she felt like a hypocrite.
She had advised Neeraj to ignore Abhiram Simha, but she felt hyper
aware of her tormentor’s presence in the sports bar. She was angry that he
was there but what seared her insides was the fact that he was with some
girl.
I shouldn’t care.
So what if her tormentor had been kissing her passionately only a
couple of hours ago? And so what if he made her burn with his lips trailing
hotly over her bare skin?
It must all have been a game for him. A mind game. Just like he
thought he could disrupt her date with Neeraj.
 Abhiram Simha was mistaken. She refused to be distracted or shaken
by his presence.
“Turn up the TV,” she heard his deep voice instructing the sports bar
manager. “The game is on tonight.”
Soon, the sports bar was filled with sounds of the game.
What is wrong with him? Why would he bring his date to such a noisy
place?
Just as she wondered, she saw a few more familiar faces entering the
sports bar. And they joined her tormentor’s table.
The strange relief that the girl with her tormentor wasn’t his date, made
her angry.
What is wrong with me? I shouldn’t care whether or not he is on a date
with some girl.
Minutes later, the place was bustling with the rest of the Simhas, the
Vipers team members and the student council members. She realized they
were celebrating the student council president elections win.
“To Abhi, the best president ever!”
“To Abhi! May he win the third time as the president next year
too!”
The place was as loud as it could be, with the game on TV running on
the highest volume and the group cheering her tormentor.
She looked at Neeraj who looked quite upset.
“Neeraj, we should leave. Let’s go to another place for dinner.”
But strangely Neeraj shook his head. “No. I want to stay here. I don’t
want it to look like I’m running away.”
Ava nodded.
She glared at her tormentor a few times, but that didn't seem to ward
off his gaze towards her. So, she once again looked away from him and
focused on Neeraj.
Soon the food arrived, a sizzler dish that let out smoke in the whole
area as the waiter brought out the pan. It was a grilled chicken with
vegetables dish. Although it looked good, she was hoping to enjoy a burger
with fries and milkshake at a sports bar.
“I don’t like carbs,” Neeraj explained. “I’m sure you don’t either since
you visit the gym regularly.”
She was surprised that Neeraj knew she visited the gym.
“Anything else, sir and madam?” the waiter asked. “We have special
milkshakes. Would you like to order one?”
Ava opened her mouth to reply yes when Neeraj began to speak. “No.
We are good.”
When the waiter left, Neeraj shook his head. “Their milkshakes are
probably a thousand calories. Almost a meal on it’s own.”
Hiding her disappointment, she nodded before digging into her food.
But as she ate, she felt her tormentor eyes trained on her.
What is he trying to do?
She tried hard to ignore his stare and block out their passionate kiss
from earlier that evening. But it was hard.
She couldn’t make small talk with Neeraj because the place became so
loud they could hardly hear each other. She focused on the dish Neeraj
ordered, trying to enjoy it but failing.
Halfway through their meal, the waiter came by with an order of fries
and a milkshake and placed it in front of her. She looked up at Neeraj
confused and he had the same expression.
“We didn't order these,” Neeraj told the waiter.
“Sir, it’s complimentary.”
Neeraj frowned. “I don’t care. But—”
 “It’s okay, Neeraj. I don’t mind trying them.”
Neeraj continued to frown but didn’t say anything else. Feeling
relieved, she reached out to the crispy fries and sipped on the thick
strawberry milkshake.
They were amazing. Even as she enjoyed them, a thought occurred to
her.
Did he send them?
Her eyes flew in her tormentor’s direction. Even as he held her gaze
just like he had from the time he arrived, the expression in them was
unreadable.
It’s definitely not him. There’s no way he can read my mind.
She looked away telling herself she was reading too much into
everything.
Once again, she dragged her eyes away and ignored her tormentor. For
the rest of the evening, she made an effort to listen to Neeraj who was
talking about his childhood and his future plans in San Francisco. Although
she had heard it before, she pasted a smile while enjoying her food.

Later that night, the date finally came to an end. Neeraj held her hand
and guided her through the crowded bar towards the exit. Although she felt
uncomfortable holding hands with Neeraj, she didn’t pull away.
Smiling, she gently pulled her hand away when they reached outside
the bar. They walked towards his jeep.
“Neeraj, thank you for taking me out. I had a lot of fun.”
Neeraj nodded, but he still seemed upset. “It would have been much
better if Simha hadn’t shown up with his rowdy group.”
“Yes, it did get a bit loud, but it’s okay. I still enjoyed dinner.”
Suddenly Neeraj stared at her with a thoughtful look.
 “You look very beautiful, Ava. Have I told you that?”
She nodded, not liking where the conversation was going. When he
took a step closer to her, she controlled herself from moving back.
She knew what Neeraj wanted. The guy who had always been friendly
and sweet to her wanted to kiss her. But strangely, the idea made her flinch
as she wasn't attracted to Neeraj.
Suddenly her tormentor’s face flashed inside her mind and she recalled
their kiss. Her breath quickened and her body tingled wherever he had
kissed her.
No! How can you think of him?
She hated that her tormentor’s kiss haunted her and aroused her
instantly. She should loathe his touch, not relive it.
Suddenly anger kicked in and she hoped that Neeraj’s kiss would wipe
away her tormentor’s touch and the thoughts that came with it.
Controlling another flinch, she allowed Neeraj to hold her waist lightly.
She saw him closing his eyes and lowering his head. She then braced
herself for feeling Neeraj’s lips on top of hers, but just when their lips were
an inch apart, she raised herself on her toes and kissed him on his cheek.
“Thanks again for tonight, Neeraj!” she heard herself mumble before
she stepped back from him.
Neeraj opened his eyes and he once again looked upset. But he forced
out a smile. “You are welcome, Ava. I should thank you for your support
during elections.”
She nodded even as she felt bad for disappointing him.
The drive back to the housing unit was quiet. When she waved
goodbye to Neeraj, his jaw was clenched even as he smiled.
Even as she entered her housing unit, her mind felt tormented.
 What is wrong with me? Why can’t I enjoy a kiss from a sweet guy like
Neeraj?
Why am I only drawn to Abhiram Simha?
She hated her tormentor. But there was no denying that she was wildly
attracted to him.

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 CHAPTER 23

Ava could barely sleep a wink all night. She had been tossing and
turning, recalling the moments of the previous evening. Instead of thinking
of her date with Neeraj, all she could think about was her tormentor.
She was still angry that Abhiram Simha broke into her bedroom,
warned her not to go on the date with Neeraj, and then kissed her
passionately as though he had every right. He also more or less sabotaged
her date with Neeraj by showing up to the same restaurant with his group.
I hate him.
Even as her mind worked up anger, she tried to control it as she entered
the hospital. It was supposed to be her day off, but she was filling in for one
of the interns who had requested her to take up the slot. The request was
made at the last minute, but since Ava had nothing else planned for the
morning, she wanted to help.
The hospital was quiet since it was the weekend. As she passed through
the Vaishnavi wing, she once again got reminded of speaking to her father
about whether or not he knew any of the Simhas.
“Ava!” a guy’s voice called her out.
Surprised that Neeraj woke up early on a weekend morning, Ava turned
back to greet him with a smile. Her smile froze and she was shocked.
Neeraj was sporting a black eye along with bruises on his cheek and a
cut lip.
“Oh my God, Neeraj. Are you okay?” she asked, hurrying towards him.
Neeraj’s eyes were bloodshot and he looked angry.
“What happened?” she asked.
 Did he meet with an accident? As far as she knew Neeraj didn’t own a
bike. He had a jeep. Did he crash the jeep?
“Simha did this to me.”
She was shocked. “What?”
Neeraj grit his teeth. “He saw us going on a date last night and he
didn’t like it. So he and his hooligan cousins attacked me.”
Ava was shocked. And then, slowly her anger began to grow. She kept
it from showing on her face.
“I’m sorry you got hurt because of me,” she said.
“It’s not your fault, Ava. Simha is possessive about you and he doesn’t
want any guy talking to you, especially me.”
Her tormentor had no right to be possessive about her. She had told him
that clearly when he broke into her bedroom.
“I will talk to him later about Neeraj. Come inside. I’ll attend to you
first.”
Neeraj nodded and followed her. She applied the cream that would
reduce the swelling and gave him an ice pack.
“Don’t speak to him alone, Ava. He might be dangerous. Even if he
misbehaves, no one would take action against him.”
Ava didn’t care. Enough was enough. Abhiram Simha crossed the
boundary of decency by attacking her friend because she went on a date
with him.
“I promise, I’ll take care,” she said with a smile.
Neeraj left and Ava stayed at the hospital until her shift was done. She
didn’t bother going to her room to change from her hospital scrubs. She
simply stormed towards the central gym building.
She knew her tormentor and the rest of the Vipers sports teams spent
time exercising in the mornings. She was right. She saw him at the weights
area.
With anger bubbling over like hot lava, she strode towards him.
As though sensing her, he paused during lifting weights and looked in
her direction. There was an unreadable expression while he watched her
approaching him.
She stopped right in front of him. And then with barely a moment’s
pause, she slapped him hard.
His face remained still but his eyes flashed dangerously. She was too
angry to care.
“How dare you!” she shouted. “I’m not your property. If you ever hurt
my friends or come close to me again, I will not tolerate it. I don’t care that
your family is powerful or owns this university. I will ensure everyone
knows what a sick-minded person you are.”
Her tormentor remained still and didn’t say anything.
Glaring at him, she turned and walked away.
She was done remaining silent. She was going to tell everyone about
him. She was even going to speak to Neelima Raj to inform that Abhiram
Simha was a monster.

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 *****

For the rest of the weekend, Ava seethed with anger.

The only distraction she had was a phone call from her family. She put
on a neutral expression on her face, but it was hard to pretend for long. She
cut short the call claiming she had to finish up some pending assignments.
She remained in her room thinking of all the things she would say to
the dean of the university on Monday. She had high respect towards
Neelima Raj and believed the older woman to take an appropriate action on
Abhiram Simha despite his family’s influential status.
I will not let him get away.
She glared towards her balcony. She kept the doors unlocked,
expecting him to break into her room to confront her.
Let him dare!
She was pacing in her room angrily when she heard a knock on her
bedroom door.
“Yes?”
The door opened and it was Nitya.
“Hey,” Nitya greeted. “Are you busy?”
Ava shook her head. “No, I’m free. Come inside.”
Nitya stepped in and stared at her for a moment.
“I heard about what happened, Ava.”
Ava knew the news would have spread like wildfire through the
campus. When she had slapped her tormentor, there were several witnesses
standing by him. She hadn’t cared at that time, and neither did she now.
“He beat up Neeraj badly because of me.”
Nitya frowned. “Because of you?” she asked.
 “Yes, because Neeraj and I went on a date and he didn’t like it. He told
Neeraj that I was his property and that no one should go out with me.”
Nitya looked confused. “That’s not what I heard, Ava. I heard Abhi
beat up Neeraj because of Neela madam.”
This time Ava frowned. “What has Neela madam, got to do with it?”
“Well, Neela madam is close to the Simha family. Neeraj deliberately
trash talked about her saying she was a paid whore for the Simhas. Abhi
lost his temper and beat Neeraj.”
Ava was shocked. “But Neeraj told me specifically about what
Abhiram said to him.”
Nitya shook her head. “I wouldn’t blindly trust Neeraj. He’s not known
to be trustworthy, especially with girls.” Nitya hesitated. “I didn’t say
anything before because I didn’t have proof and I wanted you to use your
own judgment. But there are rumors about Neeraj coercing girls to sleep
with him by spiking their drinks.”
Ava was stunned. “Oh my God.”
“Yeah. That’s why I offered to give you a ride back and checked on you
when you returned. I wanted to make sure you were safe.” Nitya sighed.
“There’s always been rivalry between Neeraj and Abhi. In sports and
almost every other competition. Neeraj hates Abhi. He would do anything
to bring Abhi down, including lying about him.”
Ava found it too surreal. She recalled her tormentor’s words.
“He’s using you to get back at me.”
She hadn’t believed him. But now, a small seed of doubt sat in her
mind.
“What is the proof that Neeraj spoke badly about Neela madam?”
“There were witnesses, Ava.”
Ava’s heart sank listening to that.
 “Are you okay?” Nitya asked.
Ava wasn’t sure.
“I’m not trying to make you feel bad, Ava. I just wanted you to know
about Neeraj.”
Ava knew her roommate always had her back.
“Thanks, Nitya. I really appreciate it.”
Giving her a hug, Nitya left.
Ava felt torn.
On one hand she knew her anger towards her tormentor was justified
because of what he had done to her. But on the other hand, she knew it was
wrong to have slapped him for hitting Neeraj if Neeraj had insulted
Neelima Raj.
There was only one right thing to do.
She would have to speak with her tormentor.

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 CHAPTER 24

Ava’s heart thudded as she walked out of her housing unit.

Maybe I should have waited until Monday to speak to him.
But she couldn’t wait. Each time she tried to relax and spend the rest of
the evening catching up on some coursework, she was reminded of how she
had slapped Abhiram Simha.
She cringed and she felt ashamed.
Yes, he deserved to be yelled at and insulted publicly for what he had
done to her in the past. But slapping him was taking it too far.
Oh God.
She could still recall how his eyes had flashed darkly but he didn’t
react or say anything in his defense.
Why didn’t he?
He could have easily told her the truth which would have utterly
humiliated her. But he had kept quiet instead.
Maybe it wasn’t the truth? What if those witnesses were simply
manufactured to make Neeraj the bad guy?
She had to find out.
She went to the rugby stadium knowing the Vipers practiced on Sunday
evenings. Her heart thudded as she searched for him.
He was on the field and was busy with the practice. Biting her lip, she
sat on the stands, deciding to wait for him.
A couple of minutes later, she heard some familiar voices. It was Ved
and Rana Simha who were Abhiram’s cousins. As soon as they saw her,
they stopped.
 “Why are you here?” Ved snapped. “Are you here to yell or slap Abhi
again?”
A bolt of guilt passed through her, but she kept it on hold. Abhiram
Simha’s cousins might be protective of him, but that didn’t mean they had
the right to make her feel guilty. She was sure they must have known how
she was tormented by their cousin.
“I’m here to find out the truth,” she said. “Neeraj told me that he was
beaten because he went out on a date with me. But I heard something
different.”
The Simha cousins fell quiet watching her closely. She felt slightly
intimidated because the guys looked somewhat similar to her tormentor.
Tall and broad, they had the distinctive features that made it obvious they
were related to each other.
“Neeraj told you Abhi hit him because of your date?” Rana Simha
asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
Rana didn’t say anything more. He quietly took out his cell phone and
pulled up something before holding it out for her.
Her heart sank when she saw a clear video shot on Friday night. She
recognized the clothes that Neeraj wore for their date. Neeraj was standing
with a few of his Eagles teammates.
“You can try all you want, Abhi, but I will be the one nailing that chick
first. She kissed me tonight already and was eager to put it out. You have no
idea what she let me do.”
Ava was shocked and humiliated. She knew Neeraj was talking about
her. With her heart thudding sickly, she watched the rest of the video clip.
Neeraj looked angry that Abhiram Simha wasn’t reacting to the taunts.
 “The only reason you won the elections is because of Neelima Raj.
Everyone knows she is the whore of Simha men. What do your dads do?
Take turns and visit her here? Or does she fly in the private jets to visit each
of your dads?”
That’s when hell broke loose.
She saw her tormentor striding towards Neeraj. Neeraj tried to throw in
a punch, but Abhiram Simha easily caught his hand. He punched Neeraj on
his face before twisting Neeraj’s arm until Neeraj was crying out in agony.
“One more time you disrespect Neela madam or any woman, I’m going
to break your arm.”
His voice was calm but she could see the seething anger in his eyes. He
let go of Neeraj’s arm, only to punch him hard again until Neeraj was lying
on the ground whimpering in pain. The video clip ended at that moment.
Ava’s heart sank even further. “I didn’t know,” she whispered.
She felt sick to her stomach that she trusted someone like Neeraj. The
guy was just using her and she blindly believed him to be the good guy. The
things he had said about Neelima Raj made her want to punch him as well.
It was beyond disgusting.
“Well,” said Rana. “I guess you do now.”
Ava fell silent. Ved and Rana left to join the practicing team. She could
see Rana speaking with Abhiram. Her heart thudded when her tormentor
looked towards her before coming to the stands.
Oh God. What should I say to him?
Her tormentor neared and then stopped right in front of her. Pushing
back his dark, sweaty hair off his forehead, he watched her quietly as she
fidgeted uncomfortably.
“I-I found out the truth about Neeraj,” she said.
He didn’t say anything.
 Taking a deep breath, she apologized. “I shouldn’t have reacted without
knowing the truth,” she said.
When he continued to remain quiet, her heart sank.
“I-I didn’t realize you were defending Neela madam. I’m sorry for
slapping you.” When he remained quiet, she started to feel guilty. “Do you
accept my apology?”
He finally spoke. “No,” he said.
Her heart sank. “I know slapping you was crossing a line. But I’m—”
“Come out with me,” he said.
She was shocked. “What?”
He watched her closely with a look that once again fluttered her
stomach. “You asked me on a date on your first day here at Simha.”
Her cheeks heated recalling the party game where the new students had
to ask one of the old students out on a date. She had picked him.
“It was just a silly game,” she whispered.
“Not for me, Harvard.”
“I-I…” Her heart thudded and it was with both nervousness and strange
excitement.
She did owe him an apology but did she want to go on a date with him?
At one point, she would have jumped with excitement, but now she
also felt nervous and conflicted.
He waited quietly, watching her as she bit her lip nervously. He didn’t
push her or try to coerce her in any way. Somehow, she knew he wouldn’t.
And that made her feel all the more drawn to him.
She continued to watch his darkly handsome face that featured in her
fantasies as well as in her darkest nightmares. Although he had been her
tormentor for long, the awareness between them had always been strong.
And now, with no fear or anger or hatred impeding her, the awareness
blazed out of control.
She knew if she went out with him, she might not be able to control or
put a stop to their attraction. The thought terrified her, but it also made her
heart pound with anticipation.
Taking a deep breath, she replied. “Yes, I will go out with you.”
As soon as he said those words, a thrill of anticipation burst inside her
along with nervousness.
Oh God. What did I sign up for?

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 CHAPTER 25

I am going on a date with the devil.

Ava stared at herself in the mirror, wondering if she should run and
hide somewhere after switching off her phone, so she couldn’t be found for
the entire weekend.
She shook her head at the thoughts. Ever since she had agreed to go on
a date with the devil, she could barely have a moment of mental peace.
Each moment, she alternated between excited anticipation to terrifying
nervousness.
What if this is another part of her tormentor’s plan?
Did he still want her to leave?
She still didn’t have answers to that. But since she already agreed to a
date in a moment of weakness and guilt, she would have to discover the
truth herself.
You’ll be fine.
She wasn’t a frightened rabbit anymore. She could stand up to her
tormentor in case this was some elaborate plan on his side.
Biting her lip, she looked at the attire she had on for the evening. She
could not remember the last time she had gone through her entire closet,
changing one outfit after another to find the right match.
She didn’t want to wear something too dressy that would give him the
wrong signal. At the same time, she didn’t want to dress up in her usual
jeans and t-shirt. He belonged to the Simha family. What if he took all of
his dates to an upscale restaurant?
Ugh. I need help.
 She wanted to text him to ask him which restaurant he was planning to
take her to for dinner. But she decided against it. She didn’t want to come
off as too eager.
She finally settled on a simple yellow, cotton top with cap sleeves and
paired it with a pair of cropped jeans. She also wore the knitted scarf that
her sister gifted her to jazz up her otherwise casual attire. She left her hair
loose.
Just when she was applying some lip balm, her phone flashed with a
message.

Tormentor: Waiting at Ruby gate.

She sucked in a breath looking at the brief message. Ruby gate was the
nearest exit to her housing unit. She could simply walk there.
Slipping into her usual comfortable sneakers, she grabbed her purse
and stepped out of her apartment. The corridors of the housing unit were
bustling with activity as students went on with their weekend plans.
What if we run into someone at the restaurant?
She didn’t know whether she was ready for the attention she would get
if people discovered that she went on a date with Abhiram Simha.
As it is, people were quite curious about them, especially after she had
a showdown with him and called him an entitled asshole. Since then
people’s curiosity only got stronger when Abhiram Simha gave her the
winning rugby ball during the game.
She shook her head again.
It’s going to be fine. It is only a one time date.
Once people realize she and the student president don’t hang out
together as a couple, they’ll lose interest. With that thought, she stepped out
of the housing unit and headed to the place where the devil was waiting for
her.
She was shocked and her heart raced as soon as she saw the dark
shadow seated on a sports bike. She knew it was him because she
recognized his bike color.
He’s taking me on a date on his bike?
She expected him to come in a sports car or a jeep like the other
students. But she was shocked that he didn’t.
Her heart thudded even harder when she neared him. He wasn’t
wearing his usual sports jersey or the Simha uniform. Instead, he was
wearing a black motorcycle jacket with dark blue jeans.
With broad well-defined shoulders and seated casually on his sports
bike, he looked like a cover model of some wildly popular teen magazine.
“H-hi,” she greeted, feeling a bit anxious.
He watched her for a long moment, his eyes lazily taking in her yellow
top, cropped jeans and her sneakers. His eyes also fell on her fingers as she
fidgeted with her purse.
Just when she thought of asking if she was dressed appropriately, he
surprised her. “You look beautiful, Harvard.”
His mouth twisted with a small smile seeing her slightly shocked
expression.
“Here, put this on and tighten it properly.”
She took the helmet, her fingers trembling slightly with nervous
excitement.
Just as she put the helmet on, she realized that the last time she went
with him on a bike, he had left her in the dark.
Oh God.
 “Ready, Harvard?” his deep voice asked. He put on his helmet as well
and his eyes locked on hers through the helmet visor.
“Uh… where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” was all he said.
He balanced the weight of the huge bike as she climbed on the back
seat. Like the first time she was on his bike, she reached for the metal rim
on the back for support.
“Hold onto me, Harvard,” he said, his voice slightly muffled through
the helmet band.
Her cheeks heated. Knowing it would be silly to refuse, she placed her
slightly trembling hands around his torso. A shiver passed through her and
her heart thumped hard feeling the warmth of his rock-solid body.
The loud sound of the bike revving up vibrated through her body and
soon the devil rode off with her.

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 *****

The bike zipped through the campus outskirts. When they passed the
campus town where most of the restaurants were located, her heart began
racing for another reason.
Where is he taking me?
Sudden panic gripped her when memories of being left alone on a
deserted beach flashed in front of her.
Was it possible that he would do that to me again?
Was it all a trap to get me to trust him and go with him? What if he left
me at a place where no one could come to help me?
Her breath started to come fast as she looked at her phone to make sure
she had coverage. She let out a small sigh when she saw all the bars on her
wireless connection. She kept her eyes on her phone just so she could make
him stop the moment she lost signal.
But no such thing happened.
The bike finally came to a stop. She slowly got down from the bike and
looked around with her heart racing. Except for the moonlight, darkness
surrounded them along with tall trees.
She couldn't tell where they were and she scrambled to find her
location on her phone.
“All okay?” His soft words made her look up from her phone.
She nodded, rather nervously. “Yes… where are we?”
Once again his mouth twisted with a small smile. “Don’t worry,
Harvard. I don’t intend to leave you behind.”
His words didn’t completely assure her. But knowing there was nothing
she could do, she followed him as he led her through dense coconut trees.
 She gasped out a minute later when they came out to a clearing. There
was a beautiful beach house right by the ocean.
“Whose house is this?” she asked, following him up the steps and the
long porch that overlooked the ocean.
“It’s our family beach house.”
He pressed the access code and pushed the door open to take her inside.
The rooms inside lit up automatically. It wasn’t a huge place, but she could
see that every room and wall had a direct view to the ocean.
“Do you spend a lot of time here?” she asked.
She wondered if he brought all of his dates to the beach house.
“Yes, but only with my cousins. We don’t like bringing outsiders here.”
She was taken aback by his reply.
Then why did he bring me here?
She felt strangely confused. She watched as he went towards the small
dining table by the kitchen. There was a paper bag that looked like a takeout
placed on top of it.
“You want to have dinner on the dining table inside or out on the
porch?” he asked.
The porch was stunningly beautiful. But she knew it would be very
windy. The dining table also offered a view to the outside.
“The dining table,” she replied.
He nodded and went to the kitchen to probably bring in the plates. She
looked around and noticed that there was no dust or cobwebs anywhere.
Most likely because the place must be maintained regularly. Maybe the
same service also had the food delivered that evening.
The lights dimmed inside the beach house and the warm light from the
hanging pendant light on the top of the dining table gave it an intimate
feeling. It also made the ocean outside more visible. It was breathtakingly
beautiful.
Her tormentor came back with two plates. He sat across from her and
served the food from the takeout on to their plates.
It was a simple meal of burgers with fries and milkshakes.
Her mouth watered at the sight. She hadn’t eaten well that afternoon
because she was too nervous about the date with the devil.
She took a bite of her burger and nearly moaned. It tasted delicious.
She then reached for the milkshake and took a sip. It was a strawberry
milkshake. Her favorite.
She looked up when she sensed his gaze. He was watching her while
having his burger.
Her cheeks heated at his intense gaze.
She cleared her throat. “The burger is great. And so are the fries and
milkshake. They remind me of my favorite burger chain back home in
California.”
“I know,” he said.
She was stunned. “You do?”
“Yeah. I visited California a few times and that particular burger chain.
This chain I ordered tonight is the closest in taste and freshness.”
She was shocked that he went through such an effort.
“Thank you,” she said.
“You are welcome, Harvard,” he said.
A silence fell as they enjoyed their meal with the stunning view of the
ocean.
But even though her dinner was delicious, she couldn’t completely let
down her guard with him.
“Why did you want me gone from Simha?” she asked.
 She had repeatedly asked him that question before, but he never gave
her an answer. She thought he would once again brush off the reply.
“I was angry when I found out who you were.”
Her heart sank as she recalled thinking that he hated her because she
didn’t come from a privileged background like the rest of the students at
Simha University.
“You mean because my parents are not rich?” she asked.
He let out a short laugh. “No, Harvard. I don’t give a fuck about money
or status. It’s because of whose daughter you are.”
She was stunned. “What?”
He watched her face closely while he spoke. “Our fathers were very
good friends and they went to Simha together. They unfortunately had a fall
out many years ago and parted ways. My dad tried to reach out to your
father, but his calls were ignored. When I found out who you were, I was
pissed.”
Her father had shared many stories about his childhood, but never
mentioned his friendship with the Simhas. She recalled seeing the picture in
the library, her father with Simhas after a game.
Suddenly she remembered her tormentor’s comment when he left her at
the beach. ‘Go back to your father.’
“I…I didn't know,” she managed to say.
He nodded. “I should have dealt with the information better. I was
drawn to you when I saw you and spoke to you the first time. But when you
told me who you were, I just…” his words trailed off.
He didn’t have to complete his sentence. She already knew how he felt
—he was furious and wanted her gone from the university.
She knew he felt that way because she was the daughter of the man
who hurt his father.
 But I’m still my father’s daughter. Nothing has changed.
But something about how Abhiram Simha looked at her did change. He
no longer looked at her like he hated her or as though her touch disgusted
him.
What she saw in his eyes made her heart race in excited anticipation.
They ate the rest of the meal in a charged awareness. And then, after
they were done, she got up to help him clear up, but he stopped her.
“No, it’s okay. The housekeeping services will drop by tomorrow,” he
said. “Let’s take a walk on the beach.”
She nodded, feeling excited. She loved the beaches. She and her sister
spent most of their weekends on the beaches along with their parents.
Opening the sliding door, they stepped out to the porch area and then to
the vast expanse of the sandy beach. The weather was slightly cool, but
thanks to the guy next to her, her body felt flushed.
“How long ago did you come to California?” she asked.
“A long time ago. Maybe seven or eight years ago. I went to L.A. and
S.F. with my parents when they attended pharmaceutical conferences.”
“Oh.”
She wanted to ask more about his family, but she hesitated. It was just a
onetime date. She didn’t want to seem too eager. He was still her tormentor.
He was still the guy who had made her life hard for the first few weeks at
Simha.
Even though she found out about their father’s rivalry and understood
his reasons, she couldn’t give out her trust easily.
They stopped at a point where the waves crashed barely a couple of
feet away from them. She turned to tell how beautiful it was but she froze.
He wasn’t watching the ocean. He was looking at her.
 Her heart thumped harder. She realized that even though she didn’t
completely trust him, the searing awareness she felt towards him was not
gone.
She controlled a gasp when he stepped closer and then held her face
between his palms. Her breathing came out heavily as she felt the slightly
rough texture of his skin rubbing against her cheek.
Her lips tingled as he watched her mouth. And then when he bent his
head and kissed her, her eyes fell shut. Passion roared as his lips met hers
again and again, turning the buzzing sound in her ears louder than that of
the ocean.
Her knees turned weak and she was just about to wobble when he
raised his head. He watched her face as they both tried to catch their
breaths.
And then, slowly his mouth twisted into a small smile.
“Let’s go, Harvard,” he said. “I don’t want your roommates to send
SOS signals that I kidnapped you.”
Her cheeks flared. Although her roommates didn’t know she was going
on a date with him, she did think of sending emergency help requests in
case he left her on a deserted beach.
They went back to the beach house and he closed the sliding doors
before stepping out and going to his bike.
She shivered slightly because the air picked up a little more chill.
“Wear this,” he said, handing her a jacket from inside his bike seat.
She put it on and then putting on the helmet, she once again sat behind
him.
She enjoyed the bike ride. This time, she wasn’t constantly checking
her phone for a signal. She simply wrapped both her arms around him and
looked at the beautiful ocean and mountain scenery as the bike sped by.
 By the time he stopped at the gates near her housing unit, it was close
to midnight.
She got off the bike and handed back the extra helmet. She didn’t
remove the jacket. She decided to send it for laundry before returning it
back to him.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said. “I-I’ll see you around.”
“Goodnight, Harvard.”
“Goodnight,” she whispered.
She turned and walked through the campus gates, feeling his gaze on
her until she turned and disappeared from his view.
She touched her still tingling lips lightly.
The date with the devil was officially over and she had not only
survived it, but she also enjoyed every moment of it. Especially their kiss.
She went into her housing unit and then to her room before removing
her tormentor’s jacket. She was still recalling the passionate moments of
their kiss on the beach when her eyes fell on the jacket she had borrowed.
Her heart jerked recognizing it. The Simha logo and initials inside the
seams. A.S. It was the same jacket she had borrowed from someone else
before.
She stared at it in shock as things fell in place.
Abhiram Simha had sent the guy to rescue her from the deserted beach.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 26

“Thanks, Ava, for the notes. You are a lifesaver!”

Ava smiled at the girl who was borrowing notes for the Pharmacology
class. “You are welcome, Shilpa.”
Shilpa was relaxed about the upcoming test. “By the way, some of us
are getting together this afternoon at four to study for the midterm. Would
you like to join us?”
Ava hesitated for a moment before replying. She could feel the burning
gaze on her back. “Sure. Where are you meeting?”
“At the pharmacy section in library.”
Ava nodded. “I’ll see you there.”
Shilpa waved with a smile before leaving.
Ava let out a short breath before grabbing the books for the next class
from the locker. While she shut her locker, she sneaked a peek behind her.
Her tormentor was standing at a distance talking to a group, but his
eyes were directed at her. Her stomach fluttered at the heated look he
continued to give her.
When his eyes flashed as though he was recalling their kiss, she
quickly looked away. With her cheeks heating, she hurried to her next class.
She saw him again at the cafeteria during lunch. She was seated with a
group to plan an upcoming cultural event. Ten minutes into the meeting, she
felt his presence. As usual, he sat at the table across hers while facing her
way. And once again, he was watching her while his noisy group joined
him.
She didn’t know what to think.
 Wasn’t the date a one-time event? Then why is he looking at me like
that?
She mentally shook her head and looked away from him to focus on
the meeting.
The rest of the day continued in the same vein. She went from one
class to the other and in the late afternoon, she met with the study group in
the library. She briefly saw her tormentor in the library while he grabbed a
few books and left. She had sensed his gaze on her, but she deliberately put
her head down, not making any eye contact.
By the time she returned to the housing unit in the late evening, she
was filled with a strange restlessness. And the reason was Abhiram Simha.
She had gone on a date with him as a gesture to apologize for slapping
him due to a misunderstanding. Although she understood his reasons for
wanting her gone from the university, she didn’t know if she could trust him
fully.
Their fathers were still estranged.
Her father wasn’t the kind to hold grudges, but what if he is hurt by her
friendship with Abhiram Simha?
She felt torn.
On one hand she felt that she should keep distance from her tormentor
because of her father. But on the other hand, the thought of staying away
from her tormentor also made her restless.
Each time he was around, the air felt charged. She was aware of him
and was drawn to him strongly. And after going on a date with, she knew it
wasn’t something she could ignore.
What should I do?
She let out a sigh.
 Deciding to brood over it during dinner, she pulled up her phone to
order something. But she froze when she heard a sound. Frowning, she
turned, only for her heart to leap and race.
Her tormentor was once again breaking into her bedroom through the
balcony. And this time, he was also holding a box of pizza.
She stared at him with widened eyes while he placed the box on her
study table.
“I hope you like chicken,” he said with a small twist of his lips.
She continued to stare at him, feeling torn, confused, and excited at the
same time.
I should ask him to leave.
Even as she thought that, she couldn’t voice the words. Deep inside she
wanted him to stay.
“I-I’ll get the plates,” she said.
Before he could say anything, she ran out of her room.
Her heart thudded in excitement.
Maybe just this one time.
Since he already got dinner, she could just go with it for one time.
Giving herself the excuse to enjoy pizza dinner with her tormentor, she
walked into the kitchen to grab plates.
But her roommate was in the kitchen. And it was Pooja.
Oh shit.
Pooja threw a sweeping glance before shaking her head in disgust.
“Why can’t you wear proper nightclothes? Simha is not some charity place
for you to dress however you want.”
Pooja was wearing a form fitting matching silk night suit while Ava
wore her usual cotton t-shirt and track pants. Her t-shirt had a Mickey
Mouse picture on top.
 “I’m comfortable in these clothes,” she replied.
Pooja’s eyes filled with contempt. “I’m glad. I guess it makes it easier
for the guys to differentiate trash from class.”
Ava didn’t say anything. She reached for the plates and grabbed an
extra bottle of water before leaving the kitchen and going back to her room.
She knew where Pooja’s contempt was coming from. It was because of
the guy seated on her bed waiting for her. Her heart skipped a beat when his
heated gaze slid over her. There was no contempt in his eyes, if anything,
his gaze remained heated.
“P-plates,” she said, her voice coming out slightly breathless as she
handed him a plate.
He served the pizza slices on both their plates. The pizza looked and
smelled amazing, but she could barely eat as she couldn’t swallow due to
nervousness.
The look in his eyes made her body buzz with nervous excitement. He
seemed as though he was ready to devour her along with the pizza.
She cleared her throat. “Are you done preparing for the pharmaceutical
sciences exam?” she asked.
His eyes flashed in amusement as though he knew she was trying to
distract him and tone down their sizzling awareness.
“Not yet,” he replied. “I usually just revise a day before the exams.”
She was shocked. She knew he was a straight-A student and she had
heard him explaining a few concepts to some of the students who went to
him to clear a few doubts. She assumed he studied each day like her.
“How is your preparation going on?” he asked.
She relaxed a little before replying to him with a short laugh. “I’m
hoping it’s going well. It’s a lot harder than what I studied at Harvard. The
concepts are quiet in depth.”
 He nodded. “Yes, there is a Simha board that updates the curriculum
frequently to make it relevant to real-world applications.”
She knew that. The concepts taught in Simha classrooms weren’t found
in the standard textbooks. She had to look up and read the latest research
papers.
“Is your younger sister going to pursue Medicine, too?” he asked.
She shook her head with a laugh. “No. She says there are too many
doctors in our family. She is more inclined towards technology.”
There was a small smile on his face.
“What about you?” she asked. “Did you develop interest in
pharmaceutical sciences because of your family?”
“Yes,” he replied. “My parents began taking me to pharmaceutical
conventions when I was seven years old. They also took me to places to
show how our products were helping people across the world.”
Ava had looked up Simha Pharma company. The company’s products
catered to providing affordable medicines across the world without
compromising on the quality or safety. She had also seen the pictures where
the company donated free medicines to the underprivileged.
It’s odd that Papa has a fall out with such a family.
She knew she couldn’t ask her father that directly. But she hoped at
some point, her father would willingly speak about it.
“Why aren’t your cousins pursuing pharmaceutical sciences, too?” she
asked.
She knew Ved Simha was a computer science major and Rana was
getting his business degree.
“My uncles run different companies. They are into media and
transportation.”
“Oh.”
 She had heard the Simhas ran a large global empire, but she didn’t dig
into the details. The only thing she looked into out of curiosity after their
date was what her tormentor’s immediate family did.
Her cheeks heated at the amused, knowing look in his eyes. But he
didn’t call her out. Instead, he spoke about his childhood when he joined his
family in countries in Africa and South Asia to distribute medicines.
“That’s when it became my passion, too,” he said about choosing
pharmaceutical sciences.
She didn’t know an hour had passed when he got up from her study
chair.
“I’ll let you get back to your exam preparation,” he said and closed the
empty pizza box
She nodded, once again feeling torn and excited at the same time.
She knew she had to tell him that their date was a one-time thing. And
that she couldn’t risk hurting her father. But she couldn’t say any of that.
“Thanks for dinner,” she whispered instead and a strange separation
anxiety gripped her at the thought of him leaving.
Then suddenly she was reminded of something. “Give me minute,” she
said.
She hurried into her closet and came out with the jacket she had
borrowed from him during their date.
“Your jacket,” she said.
He took it. “Thanks.”
She stared at him as he shrugged it on.
“You sent the guy to pick me up from the beach. You even gave him
this jacket.”
She saw something flash in her tormentor’s eyes but he did not say
anything.
 “You hated me and wanted me gone. But didn’t intend to harm me.”
He remained quiet for a long moment.
“No, I didn’t intend you harm you,” he replied.
A rush of relief passed through her that she wasn’t hanging out with a
guy who could harm her.
As though reading her mind, the intensity in his eyes grew stronger.
Her heart began to thud when he took a step closer. Holding her face in both
his hands, he bent his head and kissed her.
Her toes curled and her legs nearly collapsed.
But he pulled away a few moments later. Breathing heavily, they stared
at each other.
“I better go,” he said huskily.
Don’t go.
She didn’t say that aloud, but his eyes flashed reading her face. He
shook his head briefly as though to ward off her spell and took a step back.
“See you tomorrow, Harvard. Sleep well.” With those words and a
small smile, he turned and disappeared into the balcony.
Ava sucked in a deep breath before touching her lips where he had just
kissed her.
Why can’t I resist him? Am I am falling for my tormentor?

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 *****

The rest of the week passed by the same way. She couldn’t resist her
tormentor.
During the classes and around the campus, she and her tormentor didn’t
speak to each other. He simply stared, making her heart race.
Each evening she would prepare her mind to tell him they shouldn’t be
seeing each other because of their fathers. But each evening, when he
continued to break into her bedroom with dinner, the words got stuck in her
throat. They ate dinner together. And before he left, he kissed her
passionately.
“How did you end up in my drama session?” she asked. “I didn’t see
you when they were auditioning for the male lead roles.”
She was seated next to him on the floor, leaning against her bed while
facing the balcony. They were having noodles with chopsticks for dinner.
The air always crackled when he was around. Even right then, she could
feel the sparks where their arms lightly brushed against each other.
“I guess the lead dropped out,” he replied.
Something about his tone didn’t add up. He was too casual. And
Abhiram Simha was never casual. He was always intense. Very intense.
“Hmm… so you had nothing to do with it?” she asked.
He turned his head towards her and looked at her, his dark eyes causing
her to shiver deliciously.
She was looking forward to his kiss that would come later just before
he left.
As though sensing her thoughts, his eyes flashed. “What do you think
happened, Harvard?” he asked, his deep voice making her tingle all over.
 She sucked in a breath, fighting to focus on the topic at hand. “I think
you had something to do with it.”
“Like what?”
She shook her head. “Like you convincing him to leave.”
There was a pause. “Maybe.”
It was not a full confession, but she was shocked that she hit on the
truth. “How?” she asked.
He shrugged. “By offering him unlimited access to our Simha parties. I
guess that convinced him, and he joined the choir club instead of drama
club as his extracurricular.”
Her mouth fell open in shock. “My God, you are devious!” she
accused.
He looked at her with a darkly amused smile. “I guess I am.”
His amusement made her want to provoke him just a bit. “Aren’t you
ashamed!” she asked. “Of manipulating people around you like they are
some sort of chess pieces?”
She gasped when his warm fingers suddenly wrapped behind her neck
and dragged her close. Their mouths were barely an inch apart when he
spoke.
“No, I’m not ashamed,” he said. “I was willing to do anything to have
you close to me. I will do it again if I have to.”
She should be angry about his manipulation. But his words
reverberated deep inside her heart.
“Do you feel the same way, Harvard?” he asked.
She was shocked by his question and didn’t know what to say.
She wanted him. She felt thrilled, excited and alive when he was
around. When he wasn’t there, a strange emptiness swarmed her. Along
with the new-found feelings was the uncertainty about their fathers’
conflict.
“I don’t know,” she whispered honestly.
He didn’t say anything. She expected him to be angry or upset, but all
he did was kiss her. Passionately.
He kissed her until she forgot everything but him. And she kissed him
back equally passionately. She reached out to wrap her fingers along his
neck, digging her fingertips into his shoulders to keep him close. Letting
out a rough groan, he dragged her to him until she was seated on his lap.
She felt his hard arousal and it sent a jolt of electricity through her.
He still held the back of her neck. But he broke their kiss to look at her.
“Come with me to the beach house this weekend,” he said in a rough
tone that sent a shiver through her.
She badly wanted to accept his invitation.
“I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m attending Nitya’s engagement party this
weekend.”
He fell quiet.
She felt his frustration. She knew he had a rugby tournament coming
up the next week for which he would be busy practicing until late evening.
Which also meant that if they didn’t spend the upcoming weekend together,
they would only spend time together after seven days.
Although she was happy to attend Nitya’s engagement party, she
realized how much she would miss him. It was only for barely a week, but
she would still feel his absence.
She had gotten used to his company each night. They shared things
about each other, and even when they didn’t talk, she enjoyed the charged
silence.
 Feeling the loss of his presence already, she experienced a sudden burst
of emotion. She held his face in both her hands and kissed him.
He froze for a moment, and then it was as though she had unleashed
something inside him. His tongue swept into her mouth and claimed her.
She was overwhelmed by him when he filled her senses. The taste of him,
the citrusy musky smell of him and the sheer feel of him surrounded her.
She moaned as she couldn’t get enough of it.
He kissed her, until she lost her breath. And just when she thought she
could survive without breathing but not without his kiss, he suddenly pulled
his mouth away.
Dazed, she opened her eyes while their heavy breaths filled the air
inside her bedroom.
“Your phone is ringing,” he said.
Vaguely, she heard her phone ringing. There was no way she could take
the call and actually speak coherently when her chest heaved like she had
been running for miles and her insides were shuddering with a raw need.
They looked at each other for a long moment while the phone
continued to ring. She knew it was her persistent sister calling her.
Holding her hips, he picked her up and put her on the bed. Her cheeks
heated at how easily he was able to carry her. And they heated all the more
when she saw the proof of his arousal in front of his jeans.
He wanted her.
Then why did he stop because of a phone call?
She was confused by his behavior.
He set aside his empty dinner plate on the nightstand and stood up.
“Later,” he said.
She sat on the bed as he walked to the balcony. He paused just before
stepping out of her sight and turned. The look he gave her made her want to
beg him to stay.
But she bit her lip with uncertainty.
Watching her for a moment longer, he turned and disappeared from her
sight.
She sat on the bed, processing the passionate moment they shared.
They wanted each other, but was she ready to take their chemistry to the
next level?
Yes.
She was more than ready.
Shivering in anticipation, she decided to test how far she could go with
her tormentor.
The phone continued to ring again. This time, she answered it.
Knowing it was a video call, she quickly straightened her ponytail, and tried
not to look like she had just been kissed passionately.
“Ava, where have you been all week?” Her sister’s pouting face flashed
on the screen.
She smiled at her sister. “Sorry, I’ve been busy with classes and
prepping for the exams.”
Her sister shook her head. “I don’t believe this. I was hoping you were
doing something other than just studying. Like spending time with some hot
guy!”
Ava tried not to blush at her sister’s accurate guess.
“Preeti, stop taunting your sister,” their mother called out in the
background, making her sister roll her eyes.
Ava laughed.
Her mother came into the view. “Hi, Ma,” Ava greeted, blowing a kiss
to her mother.
“My baby, we miss you! Are things going well in college?”
 “Yes, Ma. Just been busy studying for the upcoming exams.”
“Take care of your health and eat well sweetheart. Don’t skip meals.”
Her mother’s words made her smile.
She usually skipped meals during exams, but now thanks to her
tormentor, she was eating quite well.
She smiled. “I’ve been eating well, Ma.”
“Good,” her mother replied. “Papa wanted me to give you a reminder
too.”
Ava was hoping to talk to her father and ask him about the Simhas. But
with him away, she hoped her mother could shed some light on what
happened.
“Ma… I have a question for you about Papa.”
Her mother seemed intrigued. “What is it sweetheart?”
“I was looking through some old pictures of the university and saw
some of daddy’s pictures with the Simha family members.”
Ava noticed a slight change in her mother’s expression.
“Why does Papa never talk about his college friends, Ma?”
Her mother didn’t say anything for a moment. There was a hint of
sadness and regret on her mother’s face.
“Ava, your papa is not comfortable speaking about what happened in
the past. Unfortunately, this isn’t something I like to bring up either. If you
were planning to bring it up with him, I’d say don’t. He will be too upset.”
Ava was taken aback.
Although her father was the reserved kind, he never got upset. It was
rare that he did and it was only if he lost a patient at the hospital.
What happened that Papa is upset about even after more than two
decades?
 She badly wanted to know. But she didn’t want to upset her father or
mother.
She changed the topic and continued to speak to her mother and sister.
But after the call ended, she couldn’t stop wondering about what could have
happened that left someone like her father upset.
Will Papa be upset about Abhiram Simha too?

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 27

“I’m getting engaged! I think I’m going to faint with excitement.”

Ava smiled at Nitya’s words. It was Friday night and a group of
students were in a bus, heading to the Simha University airport from where
they would be flying to the city that was nearest to Nitya’s hometown.
Ava was determined to enjoy her friend’s happy occasion. But she felt a
small yet persistent hollow feeling inside.
She was going to miss her tormentor.
The thought of not seeing him for the entire weekend made her
restless.
Maybe this is a good break. Maybe I can finally decide and tell him
that we shouldn’t be seeing each other.
Even as she thought those words, she knew she was lying to herself.
She was addicted to her tormentor.
“Ava, I want you to dance to one of the movie songs. I saw your old
videos where you and your sister performed on stage during cultural
activities.”
Ava laughed. “I haven’t practiced in a long time. But, I’ll try.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be great. And you’ll have plenty of company.”
Ava smiled. Dancing was a common passion that she and her younger
sister shared. Right from their childhood, they often performed together to
the latest songs.
She was thinking about which song to pick when the bus stopped at the
airport. The group which consisted of at least twenty boys and girls mostly
from the fourth year got out.
 Ava picked up her small backpack while the rest of the group had
bigger bags. Since she didn’t expect to attend an engagement party, Nitya
offered to lend her clothes for the occasion.
As soon as all the students got their luggage, the bus left. Once again,
Ava felt hollow inside her stomach.
Ugh. This is not normal. Stop missing him so much!
Taking a deep breath, she blindly followed the group of students to the
waiting flight. And just when she reached the top and stepped inside the
flight, she got a shock.
Her tormentor was seated inside in the front row next to Nitya.
“I’m so happy you decided to join us at the last minute, Abhi. And
thank you again for offering to fly us in your family jet.”
Ava realized that the jet was different from the one she flew with other
students to Simha University. This one had sleeker and more luxurious
interiors. She recalled seeing a jet that didn’t have the university logo.
She blinked to get over her initial shock. And that’s when she noticed
his eyes were on her.
Her face heated even as excitement grew inside her. Suddenly, the
hollow feeling inside her was gone and she was very excited about the
weekend.
Dragging her eyes away from him, she walked further into the jet and
took the last seat by a large window. Just when she finished placing her
backpack under the small table in front of her, she saw Nitya with a worried
look on her face.
Nitya sat on the seat across hers. “I hope you don’t mind that Abhi is
coming to my engagement party, Ava. I didn’t know he would join. I would
have told you if I did.”
 Ava smiled at her friend reassuringly. “It’s fine, Nitya. I no longer have
a problem with… Abhi. I know the truth about Neeraj now.”
Nitya let out a relieved sigh. “Thank God! I’m glad you are cool with
Abhi. He’s wonderful if you get to know him well. I hope you both can be
friends soon.”
Ava fought a blush even as she nodded. “Yes, I hope so, too.”
Ava’s face remained heated even when Nitya left to join her friends.
She felt guilty about not telling Nitya about Abhiram Simha’s nightly visits
to her room.
What am I supposed to tell her?
She could imagine Nitya’s expression if she said, Actually, Nitya. Abhi
and I have been spending time in my room. We have dinner and before he
leaves, he kisses me passionately, making me nearly forget my own name.
Nitya would be beyond shocked.
How are we going to manage the entire weekend?
Her heart thudded at the thought of having to sneak around to get some
alone time with her tormentor.
I hope we don’t get caught.
Just when she began to think of ways to meet, the lights began to dim
and the pilot made an announcement to everyone to remain seated for the
duration of the flight.
She was fastening her seatbelt when she felt a presence. She looked up,
only to be shocked when her tormenter sat in the seat next to her.
It was nearly dark but she could see him in the faint shadows and feel
his heated gaze. She nearly jumped when his fingers wrapped behind her
neck and pulled her close for a scorching kiss.
Oh God!
 She began to panic and placed her hand on his chest about to push him
away.
“No one can see us,” he softly said against her lips.
Her heart continued to thud but she relaxed a little. Feeling excited and
also missing his kiss for that night, she kissed him back.
Her soft moans were drowned during the take off. The jet soaring high
combined with the passionate kiss made her feel as though she were
floating away into space with only him as her anchor.
Her head spun and she clutched his shoulders while his tongue slipped
between her lips and kissed her. The taste of him was addicting and she
couldn’t get enough.
She didn’t know how long they kissed. But by the time he pulled away
and she was trying to catch her breath, the flight was already stable in the
sky. She could hear conversations and giggling from other students.
“Someone might come,” she whispered.
“No. The flight staff has been instructed not to allow anyone to get up
from their seats. The bathrooms are at the front. So, we have the entire hour
to ourselves.”
Her cheeks heated at his husky tone.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” she asked.
“Because I wasn’t planning to. Someone changed my mind.”
“Who is that someone?” she asked in a breathless whisper.
He caught her face and placed another scorching kiss. “You,” he
replied huskily.
Her heart raced. She touched his cheek and ran her fingers on the
slightly rough stubble of his jaw. “Why?” she asked.
He had a rugby tournament the coming week, which meant that had he
not come to Nitya’s engagement, they wouldn’t have possibly got to see
each other. The thought of it had been bothering her all the while. Until she
realized he felt the same, too.
She thought he wouldn’t reply to her question and simply kiss her
again. But he did.
“Because I like you,” he said. And then bending his head, he spoke
against her lips. “And because I want you.”
He pulled her into a kiss again and she returned it equally passionately.
She liked him, too. And she more than wanted him.
She was lost when their kiss went on and on. When he pulled away, she
opened her eyes to see why. There was a woman standing next to them with
a cart. Ava’s face caught fire as the woman smiled at them.
“Sorry for the interruption, Mr. Simha. Here is the dinner you ordered.”
The woman placed two plates on the small table in front of them. She
then opened a carryout bag and served sandwiches on the plates along with
fries and milkshakes.
“Enjoy your meal,” the woman said with a smile before leaving.
Ava stared at the meal. It was just like each night when he snuck into
her bedroom with dinner. Only now, they were up in the sky while having
their meal.
Leaning towards him, she kissed him on his cheek. “Thank you for
dinner.”
He caught her head and placed a hard kiss on her lips. “You are
welcome.”
With her heart racing with excitement and bursting with happiness,
they had their meal together.
Much later, when the pilot announced that the flight would be landing
soon, her tormentor got up from the seat. “See you later,” he said before
kissing her again and disappearing.
 She smiled as she ran her tongue over her lips. Her tormentor’s kiss
tasted like a dark chocolate milkshake.

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 *****

She didn’t get a chance to meet him again that night.

From the moment the flight landed, things turned exciting and chaotic.
Nitya was bouncing with excitement while they all drove to the place where
the engagement ceremony would be held the next day.
It was a large resort that was reserved for that occasion.
The resort was beautiful with acres of greenery. The girls group was
checked into a massive multi room suite that was set up for Nitya’s friends
and cousins. Although Ava enjoyed and participated in the banter between
friends and family while they all teased Nitya, a part of her mind was on her
tormentor.
She missed him. And she missed the banter and heat and sizzle each
time they were together.
She typed I miss you on her phone, but she didn’t send it to him. She
didn’t want to reveal what she felt inside her heart. It was too soon.
But just before she slept, her phone buzzed.

Tormentor: I miss you.

Her heart skipped a beat and she slept with a smile curving her lips.

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 CHAPTER 28

“Wow, you look stunning Ava!”

It was the day of Nitya’s engagement.
“Thanks, Nitya. But you look beyond gorgeous.”
Nitya was decked up gorgeously with the customized designer ethnic
pastel gown. The heavy diamond jewelry added to the elegance. And the
professional makeup made the entire ensemble look magazine worthy.
“Are you sure you don’t want your hair done along with makeup?”
Nitya asked.
Nitya and the rest of the female family and friends all got their hair and
makeup professionally done. But Ava decided to just get light makeup but
leave her hair down.
“Yes, I am sure. Not because I don’t want your gorgeous hairstyles, it’s
because of my backless dress.”
Ava was wearing a semi-traditional dress she had borrowed from Nitya.
It was a long, pastel green flowy dress that narrowed at her waist and flared
with a full length skirt. And the dress was nearly backless with just criss-
cross strings holding it together. The rest of the girls were wearing similar
dresses, too, but Ava was the only one who wasn’t used to it and was
conscious.
Nitya laughed. “Your back is sexy and you look beautiful. It’s fine.”
Ava smiled, deciding not to feel too conscious. She checked her outfit
in the mirror and fingered the stunningly beautiful deep green choker
necklace and matching oversized dangling earrings. The costume designer
hired for the occasion had also paired her dress with dozens of bangles.
Pree would be proud.
 Her younger sister would literally squeal with excitement if she saw
her dressed so elaborately for an occasion.
Smiling, Ava turned away from the mirror. Soon, everyone in the group
was ready and they set out to the place where the engagement would take
place.
The event was set up in a huge indoor hall. Flower garlands lined the
walls and swirled around every pillar in the space. A group of musicians
played classical instruments in the background to one side of the large stage
setting the tone for what was going to be a traditional ceremony.
As soon as they entered the place, Ava’s eyes automatically searched
for her tormentor. He was taller than most and she knew she could spot him
immediately if he was around.
Their eyes clashed the next moment and he was watching her. It was
obvious he had been waiting for her. He looked stunningly handsome in
deep red ethnic wear. And although he was standing with a group, his eyes
were directed towards her.
Her cheeks heated and a sizzle passed through her at his intense look.
Not wanting to give away their secret, she dragged her eyes away from
him. She joined Nitya and the girls on stage while they all posed for
pictures.
“Guys, join us for the pictures!” Nitya waved to the guys’ group.
Ava sneaked another look and saw him coming with the guys’ group.
He continued to keep his eyes trained on her. Once again, she quickly
looked away.
But even as she kept her eyes to the camera, she could feel the heat
from his gaze and then his presence as he stood next to her. She was
standing in the corner, so it was easy for him to simply make it seem like a
natural thing to be next to her.
 “All right, everyone.” The professional photographers adjusted the
lights. “Move a bit closer so we can fit you all in one frame.”
Her heart started to race when her tormentor took the opportunity to be
near her. She nearly gasped when something rough brushed over her nearly
bare back.
Oh God! What is he doing!
It was her tormentor’s slightly roughened calloused fingertips. As the
photographers continued to instruct, the rough pad of her tormentor’s
fingers moved over her exposed skin in between the strings at the back of
her dress.
She bit her lip to stop herself from reacting. But he continued to drive
her crazy by drawing patterns over her bare skin and leaving goosebumps.
Her cheeks were heated and her stomach quivered in arousal. Unable to
stand it, she threw him a glare.
He was looking towards the camera, but she could see his mouth
twisted into a small wicked smile while his fingers played havoc on her
exposed back.
“Madam, please look towards the camera and not to your side. And
please stop fidgeting.”
With her face on fire, she quickly looked away from her tormentor and
faced the camera. She felt her tormentor’s silent shake of laughter and
vowed to get back at him.

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 *****

She didn’t get the chance until much later. Until the rings were
exchanged, she remained with the rest of the girls group close to Nitya. But
once the official ceremony was done, the group spread and began to
socialize.
As usual her tormentor was surrounded by a big group of pretty girls
wanting to get close to him. Along with the Simha University girls, there
were several of Nitya’s pretty cousins and family friends who joined the
Abhiram Simha fan club.
A flash of annoyance passed through her, but she refused to
acknowledge it.
She stayed at a distance trying to ignore him while one of the guests
began to speak with her.
“It’s awesome that you got into the Vaishnavi program at Simha
Medical School. I remember it was quite tough to get it.”
Ava smiled at the guy in front of her. At first, she thought of having a
brief polite conversation before excusing herself and going somewhere else.
But when she found out that he was a doctor and one of Nitya’s cousins
who had also gone to Simha University, she continued talking to him. He
was friendly and quite helpful. And he was also handsome, which she knew
she could use to get back at her tormentor.
She already felt the heat of a burning gaze on her back which she knew
was her tormentor. But she deliberately didn’t turn and continued talking to
the guy in front of her.
“Yes, I feel quite lucky,” she replied. “I’m hoping I get the residency
option at one of the Simha hospitals, too.”
 The guy nodded. “You’ll have to apply early on since the waiting list is
really long. And Simha hospitals are very particular about rewarding only
merit and not recommendations.”
Ava smiled. “Yes, I know.”
The guy looked at her with interest and admiration. “Your family is in
San Francisco and your parents have a hospital there. Do you intend to
return after graduating?”
She knew it was an obvious question. It was something that her parents
also wanted to know. Even though she knew she couldn’t work for her
parents after graduating, she hadn’t made up her mind about where she
would live and work.
Until now.
Somehow it felt right for her to find a job in India. She didn’t know
how much of it was driven by her feelings towards her tormentor.
“I’m not sure,” she replied with a smile. “I guess I’ll get to it once I
graduate.”
The guy smiled. “I guess you have a few more years to decide. I’m
twenty-five and still figuring out whether to work for a hospital or start my
own practice… or maybe settle in an outside country.”
Once again she saw admiration and interest in his eyes. The last part
surprised her. She knew many doctors tried to find partners who were also
doctors. Although there was nothing wrong in that thinking, she didn’t want
the guy in front of her to think of her as an option.
Not wanting to deliberately lead him on, she excused herself.
“Excuse me. Let me check if Nitya needs anything.”
There were several people who could help Nitya, but Ava hoped the
guy would buy the excuse while she stepped away.
 She was going towards the drinks area to grab a bottle of water when
her phone vibrated. Knowing who it was, she smiled, pulling it out of the
small shiny green pouch she wore at her waist. A message flashed on the
top.
Tormentor: Come to the music room.
She didn’t know where the music room was. But when she looked
around, searching for her tormentor, she saw him. He was still surrounded
by his fan club, but he was watching her with a heated, intense gaze.
She saw him say something to the girls before he walked away from
them.
Biting back a smile, she followed behind him at a distance.
She saw him disappearing into a room. Hoping no one would see her,
she opened the door and slipped into the room.
She had barely stepped inside when her tormentor’s body covered hers
against the door, trapping her.
“You are playing with fire,” he growled.
Her heart raced while his subtle cologne filled her senses. It had barely
been a day since they were apart, but she missed being able to touch him.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she said breathlessly even
though she knew he was talking about Nitya’s doctor cousin. She tried to be
coy, but his nearness made her breathless.
His lips brushed against her ear while his hot breaths fell on her
sensitive skin while he spoke.
“I wanted to punch that guy before throwing you on my shoulder and
carrying you away.”
Her breath hitched at his possessive tone.
“I don’t think Nitya would like it if you punched her cousin,” she said.
 He didn’t say anything and continued to kiss her ear, sucking in her soft
lobe. She shivered at his touch. But desire along with the need to goad him
rose inside her. He had always been the one controlling their passion. He
had kissed her many times but he always stopped, not taking it any further.
She wanted to see what Abhiram Simha was capable of when
unleashed.
“Nitya’s cousin is older,” she said. “Most girls like older and more…
experienced guys who don’t just kiss and stop.”
Her stomach quivered at the sudden stillness in his body. His lips left
her ear and he raised his head to look at her.
The look on his face made her open the door and run out screaming.
She realized right then that she wasn’t prepared for Abhiram Simha
unleashed.
“Abhi. I was just—” She parted her lips to tell that she was teasing
him. But before she could complete, her mouth was captured.
She moaned at the passionate intensity of his kiss. The taste of him
filled her senses. By the time he drew back, her mind was spinning with
deep desire.
He peeled her away from the door and carried her somewhere. He sat
on something and pulled her to him until she was seated on his lap facing
him.
“Abhi, wait! People will realize we are missing. Let’s go out and—”
Before she could finish, she let out a shocked gasp when he tugged
something behind her. It was her dress. The strings holding it together came
loose and the dress nearly fell to her waist.
She clutched it to her chest. “Abhi!” Her face was on fire. She wasn’t
wearing a bra and was completely bare under the dress.
 “I want to kiss you,” he said with a look that trembled her stomach
even harder.
She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his so they could step
out of the room again. But his eyes flashed. “Not just on the mouth,
Harvard. I want to kiss you everywhere.”
She let out a shuddering breath at the wicked tone of his deep voice.
“Someone might come, Abhi,” she whispered.
“The door is locked and the musicians will be busy until much later.”
She bit her lip as her heart pounded. “W-where?” she asked, feeling
nervous. “Where do you want to kiss me?”
His mouth twisted slightly. “For now, I’ll keep it above your waist. I
will kiss you and taste you between your legs when we have more privacy
and no one can hear you shout.”
Her face was on fire as she imagined the shocking visual of him kissing
her between her legs.
Oh God.
Her core clenched in arousal along with nervousness.
She shouldn’t have goaded him. And now, she knew he would torment
her even more. She was both terrified of what was to come and also waiting
in anticipation for it.
“Let go of your dress, Ava,” he ordered softly.
She bit her lip. Then looking at his dark gaze watching her intently, she
loosened the grip on her dress until it fell to her waist. Cool air from the
semi-dark room fell on her bare chest.
His eyes glittered when he lowered them to her breasts. She could see
that his face had darkened with passion.
Shivers ran down her arms at the intensity of his gaze.
“Beautiful,” he said while he watched her.
 And then, without giving her any warning, he leaned forward and
caught the tip of her breast into his mouth and sucked.
She let out a shocked cry as her body caught fire.
“Oh God,” she moaned, her head falling back.
It felt as though live electricity coursed through her body, the rippling
shocks moving to the place between her legs.
She gripped his shoulders as he continued sucking on her breast. He
caught her nipple between his teeth and flicked his tongue over the sensitive
tip.
Her eyes fell close at the intense sensations. Her breaths came out in
whimpers as he continued to cause havoc on her body. Gripping her waist
firmly, and forcing her to arch back slightly, he moved to her other breast
and repeated the same passionate torture.
She couldn’t hold in her loud moans or whimpers even though she bit
her lips to stop them from escaping. He didn’t pause or care. He was too
gone to reason.
He held her hips and grinded her against his hardness, making her cry
out at the hot electric currents passing through their cores.
“Abhi!” she called out.
She was worried they wouldn’t be able to stop. Her body was
screaming at her to get rid of the clothes between them and let him do what
they both wanted.
But she knew they couldn’t. They would definitely get caught.
With trembling hands, she held his face. He looked obsessed as he
tasted and explored every inch of her skin while grinding her against him.
“Abhi, stop!” she said desperately.
His dark, passionate eyes finally rose to hers and he must have seen the
panic in her eyes. Even though his face was flushed with desire, he paused.
 His breathing was fast and heavy and loud in the room. He closed his
eyes and gritted his teeth before he opened them again.
“Next damn weekend, we are going to the beach house,” he said.
The beach house would offer them privacy. There would be no one for
miles together. Just the two of them. Her heart raced knowing what would
happen.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He stared at her for a long moment, the look in his eyes making her
already trembling stomach tremble even more with nervousness and
excitement about the upcoming weekend.
The sound of laughter from outside the room made her jerk. She
quickly got off him and stood up. She tried to straighten her dress, but she
couldn’t reach behind her to retie the knots. He had to help her.
As soon as he tied the knots, she turned and straightened her hair.
“Do I look okay?” she asked, worried.
He smirked. “You look exactly like you have been grinding on top of
me while being topless.”
Her cheeks heated. “Jerk.”
He laughed.
“You need to straighten too,” she said pointing to his hair which had
turned messy after she had tugged on it during their passion-filled moments.
Amused, he ran his fingers through it, straightening it a little.
“You go first,” he advised.
She nodded. Just when she was about to leave, he pulled her closer and
kissed her mind numbingly once again before he stepped back with a small
smile.
“See you later, Harvard.”
With a shuddering breath, she escaped the music room.
 She went into the restroom to quickly freshen up her lipstick to hide
her swollen lips and apply a little more makeup to cover her reddened
cheeks. She tried to remove all traces of what transpired in the semi-dark
music room.
For the rest of the event, she remained far away from her tormentor.
But she always felt his gaze on her. And whenever some guy spoke to her,
her tormentor’s eyes intensified.
Heat once again bloomed in her cheeks as her tormentor’s gaze
lowered on her aching, sensitive breasts, reminding her of their passionate
moments.
Possessive devil.

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 CHAPTER 29

After a whirlwind of a weekend, even though Ava had enjoyed herself

at Nitya’s engagement, she was glad to be back to the campus. She had to
catch up on assignments and take an additional shift at the hospital to make
up for her absence during the weekend.
But not everyone was glad that she was back, especially her roommate.
“You are only embarrassing yourself and proving how pathetic you
are.”
Ava was fixing herself a cup of coffee in the apartment kitchen after a
long day when Pooja chose to verbally attack her.
“What are you talking about?” Ava asked. She was too tired to think of
what had upset her roommate.
Pooja glared. “Just because you keep throwing yourself on Abhi, don’t
think you have a chance with him. He recognizes trash from class.”
Ava controlled herself from letting out an exasperated sigh.
“Pooja, Nitya invited you as well to her engagement. But you chose not
to join us. I chose to go. And if Abhiram Simha chose to go as well, how is
it my fault?”
Pooja continued to glare. Ava knew her roommate hadn’t known that
Abhi would attend Nitya’s engagement event.
“I saw the engagement pictures!” Pooja snapped. “You deliberately
stood next to Abhi!”
It was the devil who deliberately came and stood next to me and
bothered me by running his fingers on my bare back.
Ava wished she could say that. But she didn’t want to. Not just because
she and her tormentor wanted to keep their relationship a secret, but also
because she genuinely didn’t want to hurt Pooja. Her roommate’s one-sided
crush was causing the jealous behavior.
“Stay away from Abhi!” Pooja snapped before storming back to her
room.
But he won’t stay away from me.
Ava didn’t know what exactly was happening between Abhi and her.
But she did know that they couldn’t stay away from each other.
She missed him already even though it had been less than a day since
she last saw him. The previous night, after the private jet had landed back in
the Simha campus and she returned to the housing unit, she had more or
less crashed on bed. But even in her sleep, she felt his presence as he kissed
her and wished her good night and left.
Her lips curved with a smile recalling that sweet gesture.
I miss him.
She hadn’t seen him all day. She knew he had student council meetings
and rugby practice after classes. Not wanting to disturb him by calling him
in the middle of the meetings or practice, she texted him.

Ava: Why didn’t you wake me last night?

She didn’t expect him to respond right away, but her phone pinged a
moment later.

Tormentor: You were in deep sleep and had a long day coming up.

She smiled at his consideration. Her tormentor could be quite sweet at

times. But just when she labeled him as sweet, the next text came up.
 Tormentor: I didn’t want you too tired when I kiss you between your
legs tonight. I’m looking forward to tonight’s feast. And for dinner, I’ll pick
up a pizza.

Her cheeks heated and her heart raced in anticipation.

She let out a laugh. Abhiram Simha was a dirty talker. Never in her
wildest dreams did she think she would get involved with the college bad
boy.
Letting out a dreamy sigh, she finished sipping her coffee, hoping the
caffeine would drive away her tiredness and keep her alert for the hot date
that night. They only had two nights before he left for the rugby
tournament. She wanted to make the most of their time together.
Rinsing her coffee mug, she loaded it in the dishwasher. She was about
to go to her room when she heard something. It sounded like a loud thud.
She frowned wondering what it was.
Did Pooja throw something on the floor in anger?
Feeling concerned and hoping to talk to Pooja, she went towards her
room.
“Pooja? Are you all right?”
She almost expected Pooja to growl and ask her to get out. But there
was eerie silence.
“Pooja? Are you okay?”
There was still no response.
Ava knew Pooja would be quite pissed if she went into her room again.
But she had to check on her. Nitya wasn’t back to the campus yet, which
meant she couldn’t ask Nitya to check on their roommate.
Prepared for being yelled at, she pushed open Pooja’s door and stepped
inside.
 “Pooja, are you—” Ava broke off with a gasp.
Pooja was lying on the bedroom floor and she wasn’t moving.
“Oh my God, Pooja!”
Pooja’s face was pale and was turning even paler. Ava ran and checked
Pooja’s pulse. It was weak and her breaths were equally weak and shallow.
With trembling hands, she dialed the emergency number for the
hospital. Thankfully it was answered right away.
“H-hello, this is Avantika Patel. I’m calling about an emergency.”

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 *****

The next few hours were chaotic. An ambulance arrived within minutes
to take Pooja to the emergency unit. Ava stayed at the hospital all night.
Pooja’s pulse had stabilized but she was asked to spend the night in the
hospital. Ava decided to stay next to her.
She texted Abhi to let him know she wasn’t in her apartment and was
taking a night shift in the hospital. She didn’t want to tell anyone about
what had happened to Pooja. Not even to Abhi. It was up to Pooja to
disclose that information.
It was early morning when she woke up with a stiff neck to someone
calling her name. She opened her bleary eyes, only to sit up on the hospital
chair.
“Pooja, are you okay?”
Pooja still looked very pale and weak, but she nodded. “Yeah.”
Ava got up from the chair. “Let me bring in a nurse.”
Pooja shook her head. “No. I’m fine now.”
Ava hesitated. “Pooja, no one knows you are here. I won’t tell anyone
either. But you need medical help.”
The doctor had told Ava that Pooja had a stroke and it was induced by
anorexia. Pooja had been deliberately throwing up so much that her body
was starving for nutrition.
Pooja slowly nodded. “I know,” she said, softly. “Thank you for
helping me.”
Ava smiled tentatively. “You are welcome.”
Pooja was quiet, but suddenly her face fell. “I’m sorry, Ava,” she said.
Ava frowned. “For what?”
 “For the way I treated you. I know I was being mean to you. But I was
jealous of you.”
Ava fell silent, not knowing what to say.
“I was jealous because of Abhi,” Pooja added. “I know he likes you.”
“Pooja…”
“You don’t have to hide your feelings because of me, Ava. I realize
how selfish I was and how horribly I treated you due to my jealousy. I’m
sorry.”
Ava was surprised. But she was happy that her roommate was no
longer holding any grudge towards her. She held Pooja’s frail hand and
squeezed gently. “It’s okay,” she said. “And I do seriously hope we can be
good friends.”
Pooja smiled weakly. “Me, too.”
Pooja was asked to stay at the hospital for one more day for
observation. Ava wanted to give her company, but Pooja insisted she leave.
Ava hurried to the housing unit to freshen up and attend classes. She
opened the door to her apartment and walked straight towards her bedroom
feeling too tired to even make coffee. Just when she stepped into her
bedroom door, she jumped.
“Oh my God, Abhi!” she said, placing a hand on her chest. “You gave
me a heart attack.”
Her tormentor was seated on her bed. There was a large brown bag
next to him along with two tall cups of coffee. The smell of coffee and the
breakfast made her mouth water.
“Did you catch any sleep?” he asked with a frown.
She knew she must look quite tired. “Yeah.”
His frown didn’t disappear. “When you said night shift, I assumed
you’d be back after midnight or so. Why were you at the hospital the entire
night?”
She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to tell him about Pooja.
“I was too tired to get back here. So, I slept at the hospital.”
He didn’t like her explanation, but he didn’t say anything. “Let’s have
breakfast.”
She nodded with a smile. “Nitya and Pooja aren’t in the apartment.
Why don’t you sit at the dining table, I’ll freshen up and be right back?”
He nodded and stepped out.
She hurriedly got ready. Brushing her teeth and taking a quick shower,
she put on her uniform and tied her hair into a ponytail before rushing out
of her room. Her tormentor was seated at the dining table with breakfast
served into two plates. But he hadn’t started without her.
She sat across from him and reached for the coffee first. As she
attacked her breakfast, she stared at him, her heart flipping crazily seeing
how handsome he looked in his rugby jersey and his hair freshly combed.
“What?” he asked.
“You look quite handsome, Mr. Simha,” she said.
There was a small twist to his mouth. “Thank you, Miss Patel. I hope
you remember that when I have my face between your legs tonight.”
“Abhi!” she said with a laugh, throwing a potato fry at him.
He smiled. “I’ll bring pizza tonight.”
She blushed and nodded.
She hurried through the rest of the breakfast. Clearing up the leftovers,
she was prepared to leave. But before that she went to him and stood on her
toes to kiss him on his cheek.
“Thank you for the breakfast,” she said.
She was about to step back when he caught the back of her neck and
kissed her on her lips. A deep, passionate kiss that curled her toes and made
her knees weak.
He then raised his head and looked at her dazed face. “You are
welcome. See you in the evening.”
With a goofy smile and continuing to have a dazed feeling, she went on
to the rest of the day.

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 CHAPTER 30

Ava was finishing up her assignment in the library. The day felt extra
long, maybe due to lack of proper sleep the previous night. She had called
and checked on Pooja in the afternoon. Pooja had said she was doing well
and would be home the next morning. Ava was glad.
Letting out a sigh, she closed her laptop to be done for the day. Even
though she was tired, she was waiting in anticipation for that night. Her
cheeks heated recalling her tormentor’s plans for her.
She got up from the chair about to leave when she heard someone
calling her. Wondering who it was, she turned.
“Oh hi, Nami.”
It was Namrata, the sweet girl she had met during the commencement
event. Although she had seen her from time to time, they only waved and
greeted each other as each of them was on their way to classes.
“How have you been, Nami?”
Nami wasn’t smiling back. In fact, she looked tense. “Ava, can I speak
to you in private?”
Surprised, Ava nodded. “Sure. Let’s go out of the library.”
They went out of the library building. Ava took Nami to the park area
behind the library where there were several benches. They found a bench
that offered them privacy.
“How have you been?” Ava asked.
Nami took a deep breath. “I’m doing fine. But Ramya isn’t.”
Ava recalled that Ramya was Nami’s cousin.
“What happened?”
 Nami looked angry and worried. “Ramya was drugged during a party
and made to have sex.”
Ava sucked in a breath.
Nami was distraught. “She is still in shock. But I want to make sure she
is okay. I came to you to ask if you can get tests done at the hospital…
without anyone knowing about it.”
Ava knew several students got tests done for sexually transmitted
diseases.
“Yes, I can help you to schedule an appointment. The nurses and
doctors are always discreet.”
“How long ago did this happen?”
“Two weeks ago. But Ramya told me about it only today. She wouldn’t
even tell me who was responsible.”
Ava’s heart sank. “Nami, I can help you with the test appointment, but
you have to let the university management know about what happened.”
Nami shook her head. “Ramya doesn’t want to let the management
know. Her parents are very strict. If they find out, they will immediately
pull her out of the university.”
Ava’s heart sank again.
She knew how strict and conservative parents could be. But it didn’t
feel right, not telling anyone about what happened and letting the culprits
get away.
“Nami, we have to let someone know. The guys who did this could do
it to some other girl too.”
Nami’s face fell. “I know. But my cousin will not be able to bear it if
she is taken out of Simha. We both had to beg our parents to let us attend
this university.”
 Ava felt torn. She knew she couldn’t let the guys responsible get away
and neither could she risk Ramya and Nami from being pulled out of the
university.
A thought occurred to her. “How about the student council?” she
suggested. “You can speak with the president of the student council. We can
ask him to keep it confidential while he investigates and finds out who was
responsible.”
Nami fell quiet. But slowly, she nodded. “Yes, I think that’s a good
idea. And I’m sure they would have better access and information to find
out what happened at the party.”
“Yes.”
Nami was hesitant. “I know it’s too much to ask, but can you be with
me when I speak with them?”
Ava was surprised, but she nodded. “Yes, of course. In fact, let me text
Abhi asking for us to meet him.”
Nami nodded.
Ava sent a message.

Ava: Need urgent help with a student. She wants to report something
important to the student council. Can we meet this evening?

She knew Abhi must have just finished Rugby practice.

Her phone buzzed with a message.

Tormentor: Ask her to come to the Emerald Park in ten minutes.

Glad that he was able to meet them right away, Ava looked up from her
phone.
 “Abhi will meet us in the Emerald Park.”
Nami nodded.
They took the shuttle to the Emerald Park that was close to the rugby
stadium. As soon as they entered the park area, Ava could see Abhi. He was
waiting there with another guy. It was his cousin Rana Simha who was also
a part of the student council.
Ava began walking towards them, but Nami suddenly stopped short. It
was at the same time Ava noticed Rana looking in the direction of Nami and
his expression turning angry.
Ava didn’t know why Rana Simha looked so agitated. She turned to
Nami who took a deep breath and continued to walk along with her.
Ava and Nami joined Abhi and Rana.
“How can we help?” Abhi asked Nami.
Nami looked unsure and fell silent for a long moment.
“Don’t waste our time.” It was Rana, issuing a warning.
“Rana,” Abhi silenced him.
Ava wanted to intervene, but she let Nami handle it.
“I’m here to report…” She looked hesitant, but she eventually forged
on. “My cousin Ramya, she was drugged during a party and she… she
could not remember anything from that night but…”
A chill passed through Ava again even though she was hearing it the
second time. She could see that Abhi was affected by the information too.
There was a slight clench to his jaw. “Whose party was it?” he asked.
Nami shook her head. “Ramya would not tell me who those guys are.
She doesn’t want to report to the campus police or the management because
her parents will pull her out of the college.”
“What’s the guarantee you are not lying and making up stories?”
Rana’s voice snapped.
 Ava was shocked by his sudden outburst.
Abhi was quick to respond. “Rana. Leave.”
Rana didn’t argue. He gave Nami a death stare before he turned his
back to her and left the place. Abhi stayed silent for a long moment before
looking at Nami. “I believe you and if you give me a few more details of
that party, I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Nami nodded. “I don’t think I can get Ramya to talk to anyone. She is
being blackmailed.”
Ava was shocked. “Blackmailed?”
Nami looked angry. “The guy has pictures and videos of her from that
night. She is worried he will leak it out on social media.”
Abhi fell silent for a moment. “Tell your cousin, we can prevent any
such content from being posted online, be it on the campus network or
external websites. There is no internet signal in any of the surrounding areas
so all content has to go through the campus network for any such uploads.
And if it did get out there, I promise you, we have experts to bring that
content down in minutes and trace the person who uploaded it.”
Nami nodded but didn’t say anything further.
Abhi stayed silent for another moment. “If we can get the information
of the guys who did this, we can prevent such things from happening to
others.”
Ava was glad Abhi thought that way, too.
Nami seemed convinced. “I’ll try getting the information from her
somehow.” She was somewhat confident and encouraged by the support.
“Thank you for offering to help and not taking it to the university
management.”
“You are welcome.”
 Ava went back with Nami and then checked on Pooja before returning
to her housing unit.

It was nearly eight by the time she stepped into her apartment. Her
body ached with tiredness since she had a long day and didn’t get to catch
up on proper sleep the previous night. She took a hot shower to push away
her tiredness and slipped into her night dress.
Her tormentor sneaked into her room with a box of pizza. The pizza
was so delicious that she ate three pieces that night.
“You are going to make me fat soon!” she told him with a grin.
He swept his eyes lazily over her body. “You look fine to me.”
Her cheeks heated at the raw desire she saw in his eyes. Despite her
tiredness, her heart raced and her body tingled in anticipation. The usual
crackling awareness was heightened even more.
‘I’m going to kiss you between your legs.’
She blushed as she recalled his words.
Soon, they were done with dinner and they cleared up the plates. Her
heart thudded even harder when he pulled her towards him.
He held her face between his palms. Her eyes fell close and she let out
a soft moan as the rough pad of his thumb stroking against her cheek
evoked pleasure. He then kissed her.
Instead of the hot, passionate kiss that buzzed her body and left her
knees weak, he kissed her sweetly. Confused, she opened her eyes.
“You are tired,” he said, looking at her. “You should catch up with
sleep tonight.”
“No, I’m fine—” She broke off with a gasp when he picked her and
placed her on the bed.
He joined next to her. Turning her the other way, he held her close.
 She could clearly feel his hard arousal and also the vibrating tension in
his body. He wanted her.
He could easily shed her clothes and do as he had wanted, and she
would be more than willing. But he didn’t.
The fact that he put her needs above his desire made her melt against
him. With a smile curving her lips, she fell asleep in his arms right away.

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 CHAPTER 31

“Ava! You better tell me who that gorgeous guy is!”

Ava laughed as her sister continued to badger her after seeing Nitya’s
engagement pictures.
Ava pretended to think. “Who?”
“The hot guy standing next to you!”
Ava smiled. “He is… just a friend. We have a class together and we are
in the same drama club.”
Preeti’s face fell. “Just a friend? But you both looked as though there
were fireworks going on between the two of you.”
Ava’s heart skipped. She did recall how in one of the pictures, her
tormentor and she were looking towards each other. She was glaring at him
and he had an amused smile. It was at the time when he was running his
finger over her exposed back. The photographer had managed to capture the
picture from the front.
“There’s nothing, Pree,” Ava said biting back her smile. “Anyway, I’ll
catch you later. You are getting late for your classes.”
Ava ended the call, promising to call back the next week.
Even though she and her sister were very close, she didn’t want to tell
anything about Abhi. Her sister would get excited. And if she mentioned
something to her parents, then things might get tense.
Ava felt odd. She had never hidden anything from her sister, and
neither did she do anything that might possibly hurt her father.
Will Papa hate me if he finds out about Abhi and me?
Ava badly hoped that wouldn’t come to a point where she would have
to choose between her family and Abhi. She still didn’t know what Abhi
was to her and where their relationship was going. But all she knew was
being with him made her happy and alive.
Missing him, she pulled up her phone again to see if he started back.
Abhi and the rest of the Simha rugby team were away for the
tournament for the past three days. The Simha team had won the
championship. Ava didn’t want to disturb Abhi while he was out celebrating
with his team and friends. But he kept sending her updates and other
messages.

Tormentor: We won.
Tormentor: Can’t wait to head back.
Tormentor: Hope you took a nap, Harvard, I’m going to keep you up
all night.

Ava blushed and her heart raced with anticipation. They had plans to go
to the beach house for the weekend.
Another message notification popped up on her screen. She expected it
to be from Abhi letting her know he was on his way back.

Tormentor: Fuck. There is going to be a delay.

The place where the rugby team had gone was also situated on a terrain
like Simha University. But unlike Simha, the place didn’t have as well
developed roads or airport.

Ava: Is everyone all right?

Tormentor: Yes. Apparently there are rocks blocking the road. Buses
cannot pass until they are cleared tomorrow morning.
 Her heart sank at the thought that she might not see him that night. It
was his birthday the next day and she had hoped to wish him with a kiss
during midnight.

Ava: I hope things clear up by morning.

Tormentor: Yeah.

There were no more messages.

She didn’t want to keep bothering him while he was with his team.
Feeling disappointed, she wondered briefly if she should swap back the
hospital shifts. She had exchanged it with one of the interns based on the
weekend plans.
But her mind wasn’t into it. To distract herself, she decided to go for a
workout. She hoped it would keep her mind away from disappointment.

Almost two hours later, she returned to the housing unit, feeling
exhausted from the intense cardio workout. As she approached the door to
the housing unit, she saw her special order delivered and that only
disappointed her further. She took the neatly wrapped package straight to
her room and went into to shower. Nitya hadn’t returned from her home and
Pooja had gone to a party. She had the apartment all to herself. Until a few
hours ago when she was expecting her tormentor to join her, she was
excited about having the apartment to themselves. Now, the place felt too
empty.
Letting out a sigh, she grabbed the lunch leftovers from the refrigerator
along with a box of yogurt. She ate her dinner while briefly checking for
messages on her phone. There were a couple of messages from her study
group and a few from her house team members. But none from Abhi.
Feeling a little disappointment once again, she put away her phone and
finished dinner.
It’s not the end of the world. It’s okay if you don’t get to wish him at
midnight with a kiss.
She decided to make it up to him whenever he returned with the special
order she put in earlier that week for his birthday. With that thought, she
went to bed early, hoping to receive good news that he was heading back
the next day.

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 *****

Ava dreamt of her tormentor. She dreamed that she woke up to his kiss.
Blinking her eyes open, she saw his face hovering on top of hers.
She smiled. “Oh, thank God you came,” she said sleepily. “I was so
worried about not kissing you on your birthday.”
He laughed softly. “Don’t worry, I’m here now.”
He kissed her again, a deep mind-numbing kiss this time. Her toes
curled and she moaned, pulling him closer.
“I missed you,” he said. “All I could think of was kissing you
everywhere.”
His deep, sexy voice made her stomach flutter.
“I have been waiting for your kisses too,” she whispered.
He laughed softly again. Then, giving her another drugging kiss, he
pulled back slightly.
She wanted to protest and drag him back to her again, but before she
could reach his head, he slid down her body.
She was shocked, and then, her heart began racing.
“I’m going to kiss you between your legs.”
She recalled his words and the thudding in her chest got stronger.
Oh God.
Her body began tingling when he drew down her night pants and
pushed it away completely.
“Abhi…” she whispered when she felt his gaze between her legs.
Only the thin layer of cloth of her cotton panties hid her intimate area
from his gaze. Her heart thudded even louder when he raised her hips
slightly and she felt his warm breath on her sensitive place.
 Pushing her panties to the side, he kissed her.
Ava came awake with a gasp. She let out a shocked cry followed by a
loud moan when warm lips kissed her core through the thin layer of her
panties.
His dark head was bent and she stared at the wide shoulders covered
with the red and gold rugby jersey. Her tormentor had returned and she
wasn’t dreaming.
Oh God!
His tongue swept across her core, tasting her intimately as he had
promised.
“Abhi,” she cried out, her hands reaching out to him.
The sensations coursing through her body were electrifying. Her body
caught fire and sizzled, every nerve ending coming alive.
His dark head remained bent as he kissed and explored her.
Her eyes fell close as she gasped and moaned. Her body trembled and
shook, but he held her in a firm grip, continuing his passionate onslaught.
Soon, the pleasure built to such intensity that it became unbearable.
She burst apart in an explosion. She let out a cry as her body shook
violently while pleasure radiated from every nerve end.
She didn’t know how long she kept trembling, but soon her body
turned limp and she felt her tormentor moving up her body. She opened her
eyes to see him watching her with an intense look.
Slowly, his mouth twisted with a smile. “This is the best birthday kiss,”
he said. “I’m glad, too, that I didn’t miss it.”
Her face heated.
Letting out a soft laugh, he bent his head and kissed her on her lips.
“Happy birthday,” she whispered.
Before the kiss caught fire, he pulled away slightly.
 “Are you still up for the beach house plan this weekend?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes.”
He sat up on her bed. “Then let’s go. Change if you want to.”
She was shocked at first since it was a little after midnight. But soon
excitement took over.
“Give me five minutes,” she said, jumping out of the bed to change and
pack her stuff along with the package that was delivered earlier that night.
With her body buzzing with satisfying pleasure and her mind racing
with excitement, she prepared for their weekend getaway.

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 CHAPTER 32

Ava was still in a daze with a blissful smile as her body was plastered
against her tormentor’s while he rode them out of the campus. Her arms
were tightly wrapped around him, her fingers eager to feel the hard ridges
on his chest. She badly wanted to explore him, but she never got the chance.
Will he let me tonight?
Her tormentor was bossy and he always controlled how far they could
go with their passion. But that night, she was determined to break his
control.
She was so lost in her thoughts about what she planned to do that she
didn’t realize they were already at the beach house. He had stopped the bike
next to the porch and was waiting for her to get off.
Blinking slowly, she unwrapped her arms from around him and got
down the bike.
He looked at her with hooded eyes. “You okay?” he asked.
She nodded even as she fought a blush. It was well after midnight, but
she was far from tired or sleepy. Her body was buzzing with anticipation for
the upcoming night.
The night breeze was cool and she shivered slightly.
“Let’s get you inside and warmed up quickly,” he said, his voice husky.
She blushed at the heated look in his eyes even as his mouth twisted
with a small smile. She followed him indoors wondering when it would be
a good time to give him his birthday gift. The special package she had
ordered and brought for him.
“Let me show you the bedrooms,” he said, stepping toward the hallway
that had the bedrooms.
 “Abhi, wait.” She reached for her backpack and pulled out the package
she had brought for him. “Come here,” she said, walking to the small, round
dining table in the middle of the room to set the package down. From what
she could tell, every one of her instructions was followed by the staff.
He walked over to stand next to her as she undid the small string that
held the wrapper together. Then pushing open the wrapper, she reached for
the candle and the small matchbox set to one side. She could feel his eyes
on her as she lit the candle and reached for the plastic knife. When she
finally looked up at him, his eyes held an unreadable look.
“Happy Birthday, Abhi,” she wished him once again with a smile.
She gasped when he suddenly pulled her close. He then held her face
and kissed her hard. “Thank you,” he said.
Her toes curled with his kiss and the look in his eyes.
“Make a wish,” she whispered.
His mouth twisted into a small smile as he let her go and reached for
the plastic knife. He blew on the candle before slicing the knife through the
small cake.
She fed him a small piece.
As soon as he took a bite, something shifted in his eyes. “Is this–”
She smiled. “It’s your favorite dessert.”
The look in his eyes made her heart race. “I… I saw you ordering this
in the cafeteria. So I asked the chef to prepare it the way you like.”
There was another flash in his eyes. “Yes, it’s my favorite dessert. My
aunt used to make this often for me. Thank you for getting it for me.”
Her heart melted in response to his words.
She rose on her toes to kiss him sweetly on his lips. But before she
could pull away, his palm caught the back of her head and deepened the
kiss.
 The kiss caught fire. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, pulling him
closer. A moan escaped her when his teeth sunk into her bottom lip, sending
a surge of pleasure blasting through her.
Her insides quivered as his other hand slipped under her t-shirt and his
rough palm grazed over her heated skin. Goosebumps peppered all over her.
Keeping their mouths fused together, he pushed her against the wall
until she felt his hard desire. A soft gasp escaped her and she moved against
him, rolling her hips with an age-old primal need that controlled her every
thought.
His mouth left hers and began a trail of fire on her cheek and over the
column of her neck. She shuddered when she felt him biting into the
delicate skin of her neck even as his hand cupped her breast and flicked the
hardened tip with his thumb. She arched, relishing the passionate assault.
“Abhi…” she called out.
His mouth covered hers again in a drugging kiss. But even as her body
floated in pleasure, she wanted more.
With her heart thudding, she reached for the hem of his shirt and ran
her palms up his muscled chest. His body shuddered at her touch.
“Abhi… I want to touch you.”
His mouth left hers and he stared at her. Her cheeks flushed as she not
only voiced her desire, but let it show in her eyes.
She saw the heated look in his eyes, but there was something else.
“You don’t have to, Ava—”
She silenced him with her lips. “But I want to,” she whispered against
his mouth.
She slid her hands from his hard-muscled chest under his shirt to his
well-defined abs and lower. Her hands trembled as she cupped his hard
arousal in her hand.
 He sucked in a harsh breath. “Fuck,” he said against her lips, his breath
coming fast.
“I…want you, Abhi,” she whispered. “Don’t make me stop.” It was
half a plea and half order.
He froze for a moment. And then as though her demand cracked
through his resolve, he let out a rough growl before pulling her to him. She
let out a gasp when he swept her feet off her feet and carried her down the
hallway towards the bedrooms.
Her heart pounded and she was ready for him. She wanted him badly.
Raising her head, she kissed him under his jaw, licking the hair-roughened
skin and biting into it. Another rough growl escaped him as he hurried
towards the bedroom. She barely registered the large room when he placed
her on the wide expanse of the bed on top of a soft mattress. She got up and
knelt on top of the bed.
All of her focus was on him—her tormentor. The only guy she ever
desired and wanted even when she hated him.
The moment stood still as they stared at each other. It was as though
they were recalling all the moments since their first meeting until the one
that led to this. Desire blazed in his eyes along with something else that
quivered her stomach.
Stepping closer, he cupped her face in his palm. “I want you more than
anything,” he said in a deep, passion-roughened tone.
Licking her dry lips, she let out a trembling smile. “Me too,” she said
before reaching for the hem of his shirt.
She dragged it up until she could see his bare torso. Letting out a soft
gasp of awe, she ran her fingers over his warm skin. He gritted his teeth and
clenched his hands as though controlling himself from touching her.
 She liked that he was allowing her to explore him. Leaning forward,
she placed a kiss over his thumping heart.
“You are so beautiful,” she said.
His eyes flashed. And even with his passion-darkened expression, there
was slight amusement. “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to say to you?” he
asked.
She blushed. He had called her beautiful many times when he kissed
her and explored her and drove her crazy. But now, she wanted to do the
same.
The small amusement disappeared from his face and he sucked in a
harsh breath when she reached for his rugby shorts. Her fingers trembled so
hard that they became clumsy.
“Help me,” she said.
With his dark eyes flashing, he did. He pushed down his rugby shorts
and stood boldly naked.
She let out a gasp. He was huge and intimidating. He was stunningly
beautiful, his body resembling a Greek statue.
Her hands trembled harder wanting to touch him and explore him.
Once again, she leaned forward and pressed her mouth against the warmth
of his skin. This time, she kissed his hard stomach. A violent shudder
passed through him as her lips moved over his slightly hair-roughened skin.
Using the tip of her tongue, she tasted and reveled in the texture.
He tightened his fists next to his hips when she moved even lower. And
then, with her heart racing in anticipation, she held his hard arousal with her
shaky hands before kissing him intimately.
He let out a deep groan.
She continued to kiss him, fascinated by the taste and smooth texture of
him. Just when she took him into her mouth, she felt him grip the back of
her head to pull her away.
“Fuck, Ava. You are going to make me lose it.”
She opened her mouth to tell him that was her intention. But she
gasped when he pushed her back on the bed and covered her body with his.
A hot, unknown sensation sizzled through her when his hard arousal
brushed against her stomach.
His mouth met hers in a deep, passionate kiss. She was so lost in it that
when he parted his mouth from hers, she realized he had taken off her
clothes. Her chest rose and fell as though she had been running hard. And
she moaned when his hair-roughened skin brushed against her soft one
when he kissed her again.
His mouth once again left a blaze of fire when he kissed her neck, and
then moved to her breasts. A cry of pleasure escaped her when he sucked
the tip of her breasts hard. She gripped his hair when he continued with his
passionate assault moving to her other breast before going lower to her
trembling stomach.
Along with hot pleasure, strange emptiness began to build inside that
begged to be filled. Her body began to trash impatiently.
She tightened the grip on his hair and pulled. “Abhi!” she said.
He paused at her stomach and slowly moved up her body again. When
their eyes met, his breaths were loud and his chest was heaving.
“I want you, Abhi,” he said.
He looked tense as though he was hanging by the thread too. “I’m
going to give you relief soon—”
She shook her head vigorously. “No! I want you in every way. I-I…
want you inside me.”
His eyes blazed as he watched her face. Despite the passion and raw
desire she saw on his face, she also felt his hesitation.
 “I don’t have protection. I don’t want to risk you—”
“I’m on the pill,” she said. “Take me, Abhi,” she whispered. “Make me
yours.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, his expression changed. He let out
a growl and kissed her again. The kiss was dark, possessive and passionate.
Her nails dug into his shoulders when she felt him settling between her
thighs. With her heart pounding hard with anticipation, she waited for him
to fill the emptiness deep inside her.
He broke their kiss to raise his head and looked at her. Then locking his
gaze with hers, he slowly moved into her.
There was burning pain along with pleasure. He was huge. Despite
being aroused, the pain threatened to overwhelm her. But he eased it and
pushed away the thoughts of pain when he kissed her.
A surge of pleasure rose up inside once again. He swallowed her gasp
as he continued to fill her. Soon, her insides clamped around him as he lay
still, letting her adjust to his size. And by the time he began to move, she
craved the pain along with the intense pleasure.
He built up a rhythm that drove her to the brink. She twisted and
writhed underneath him as the surge of pleasure rose. Pressure built deep
inside wanting to burst. She heard his rough grunts as he increased the
intensity of his thrusts, driving deep into her and joining their bodies in the
most intimate way.
Soon, she lost control. Her body shook as pleasure exploded from deep
within. Crying out his name, she clung to him, clenching around him tightly
from deep within. She felt his deep groan as he moved into her harder,
losing control like her. Soon, he let out a roar, calling out her name.
She didn’t know how long their bodies shook together. But when she
regained her senses, she saw her tormentor’s face looking at her with a look
that shook her from inside out.
“You are so fucking beautiful. And you are mine.”

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 CHAPTER 33

The rest of the weekend exploded in passion. They spent every moment
making love. Her tormentor made her lose all of her inhibitions. They made
love outside on the porch and even on the sand while waves crashed against
their bare bodies. In between, they ordered simple meals which they
enjoyed eating together while talking about their childhoods.
She didn’t feel bad that their weekend together got over. Because even
after the magical weekend, they spent every spare minute with each other.
Abhiram Simha broke into her room each night with dinner, but stayed
the entire night.
Ava’s cheeks heated as she recalled how each morning she had to
literally push him out of her bed, so she could get ready for the classes. But
when she asked him to leave, he would kiss her, making her lose her mind
and almost making her want to skip classes and remain locked with him
inside her bedroom.
Good thing I’m on the pill.
Sheer attraction or teenage hormones. Whatever the reason might be,
they couldn’t get enough of each other.
“Abhi!” she said breathlessly when he pushed her against a wall and
began kissing her neck. They were inside a janitor closet where cleaning
supplies were kept. She had been in the hallway when he caught her wrist
and dragged her into the room. “Someone might come!”
Even as she said that, her hands went under his sweatshirt, touching
and feeling his lean, muscled chest. He groaned when her hand slid lower.
“No one will come,” he said while pushing up her white dress.
“Everyone is busy.”
 She gasped when he held her hips and lifted her easily against the wall.
She clung to him, her hands curled around his wide shoulders and her heart
thudding violently in anticipation.
She didn’t have to wait long. The pleasurable burn and pressure when
he thrust into her made her moan out loudly. Their joining was urgent as
always. He drove into her repeatedly without a pause. Burying her face into
his neck, she desperately tried to control her moans and gasps. But it was
impossible.
She let out a loud cry when climax hit her hard. It was followed by his
loud groan which she was sure could be heard outside.
“Oh God, Abhi! We were hardly quiet! Everyone must have heard! I’m
not stepping out of this closet until midnight!”
Her tormentor’s chest shook with laughter and he bent his head and
kissed her nose.
“I don’t mind staying in this closet with you until midnight.”
She whacked him. “It’s not funny! Everyone would know what we
have been doing inside the college closet! We might even be suspended!”
Oh God! She couldn’t imagine being dragged to the dean’s office after
getting caught in the closet with Abhiram Simha.
Instead of being similarly horrified, her tormentor was beyond amused.
His teeth flashed white as he grinned like the reckless bad boy he was.
“I know a spot where there are no cameras in the detention room,” he
said with another wicked grin.
“Abhi!”
Her heart raced and she couldn’t believe she was excited about
breaking the rules with him.
“Stop it! I’m not having sex in the detention room!”
 He laughed as he slowly lowered her until her feet were once again
touching the ground. Pulling out a tissue from his pocket, he cleaned her
between her legs.
Her face heated at his gesture. He was a bad boy who was considerate.
Throwing the tissue in the nearby garbage bin, he kissed her on her
lips. “Relax. Everyone is outside, busy with the Holi celebrations. I doubt if
anyone heard us.”
She relaxed a bit, knowing it was true. Students were busy celebrating
the Festival of Colors. Like other students, she had worn an all-white dress
too to participate in the festivities. But when she was on her way to
participate, she was yanked into a hidden closet by her tormentor.
“Let’s get back to your housing unit,” he said huskily. “Your
roommates won’t be there, so you don’t have to control your moans.”
She blushed hard knowing it was true. Each night when he did things to
her, she had to bite her lips or the pillow to hide her pleasurable moans.
She was quite tempted to have the apartment all to themselves, but she
forcibly shook her head.
“No. I want to check out the celebration. This is my first Holi at
Simha.”
He let out a sigh. “Fine. Let’s go then.”
Her heart began thudding. “Go? How can we go together?”
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be seen right then with him. The stares
and the questions that would follow would ruin her experience.
He looked at her for a moment. “Yes, we can go together.”
With that, he once again caught her wrist and pulled her out of the
closet. Biting her lip and feeling nervous, she went along with him. But
before they joined the crowd, he stopped at a place away from everyone’s
gazes. There were several bins of colored powders.
 With a small twist of lips, he smeared color all over her face and hair.
“Abhi!”
His eyes danced in amusement. “I doubt if anyone can recognize you
now.”
He was right. She turned to look at herself in one of the glass windows
and she could barely recognize herself.
Once again, he caught her wrist and dragged her to the place where
loud hooting and revelry was ongoing while celebrating the festival of
colors.
She was glad there were more colors thrown at her and at Abhi as they
moved through the celebrations laughing. She kept an eye on the gold chain
that hung around his neck to spot him if she got pulled into a group dance.
And even if he didn’t have the chain on, she would recognize him as there
weren’t a lot of guys who were as tall as the Simhas.
They were dancing with a group of students when Ava saw one of
Abhi’s cousins Ved approaching them. His teeth flashed white surrounded
by multicolored hues as he grinned.
“Hey Harvard! Let me piss off big bro,” Ved Simha said before he
smeared her face with color.
Ava laughed.
“Get out, Ved,” her tormentor ordered.
Ved kept grinning and stayed. But suddenly he froze and his eyes
narrowed. Ava saw him picking up a large barrel of colored water from next
to him and heading towards someone.
Curious about what caused such a reaction, she looked.
It was Samantha. Ava could recognize her easily since she didn’t have
much color on her face. Samantha looked distant and way put together as
always. Until then. Because the next instant Ved poured the colored water
right over Samantha.
“Oh no!” Ava said. “I don’t think Samantha would like it.”
“That’s why that ass did it in the first place,” her tormentor replied.
Ava was confused. “What?” Why would Ved want to piss Samantha?
Her tormentor didn’t reply. Instead, he suddenly bent and picked her
up.
She shrieked. “Abhi!”
He threw her on his shoulder and carried her towards the large make-
shift pool filled with colored water. He threw her in it and jumped right
behind her.
She laughed when she came up the water and tried to push him under.
He smiled and pulled her close. Suddenly her laughter died when he cupped
her face and kissed her.
Heat exploded and even as the celebrations around them continued, her
world reduced to just her tormentor and her.
Hoots and cheering broke their kiss. She blushed even as he grinned.
“No one can recognize you.”
She knew he was right. Everyone was wearing white color clothes that
were completely drenched and covered with color, including their faces.
They got out of the pool and joined the area where there was dancing.
They spent the rest of the afternoon in celebrating the festival of colors.
And much later, when a group of guys were heading to races, her tormentor
turned them down. She blushed when he told them he was busy.
“Let’s go,” he said.
She returned to her empty housing unit while he sneaked in through her
balcony.
It was the best celebration of the festival of colors.
OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 34

Ava felt like she was on the top of the world.

Her grades were excellent, her internship got extended to the next year
and she was experiencing the most extraordinary thing.
For the first time, she understood the excitement of boldly giving into
the attraction. It was beyond thrilling and also enjoyed the intimate
moments they shared. The combination of heated desire followed by sweet
gestures made her feel like the most desirable and cherished woman in the
world.
As she made her way to meet Abhi, still floating in happiness, she felt
her phone buzz a notification and saw it was the Simha Newsletter.
Normally she saved the links to read the articles later but the title caught her
eye.
President Simha taken?
Ava opened the article and blinked at the picture of her and Abhi on the
bike during the race. Her face was covered and as she read through the
article they were talking about her as the mysterious girl.
Did they know they were together and did not publish the name for
privacy?
She walked quickly toward the dining hall to talk to Abhi when
someone blocked her way in the cafeteria. She looked up with a smile, but
her smile disappeared instantly.
“I want to talk to you, Ava.”
She frowned. “But I don’t want to talk to you, Neeraj.”
His face tightened. “I know it’s because of Simha. He must have filled
your mind with lies about me.”
 Annoyance flared inside her. “I saw the video, Neeraj where you spoke
about me and Neela madam. So, stop trying to play the victim here. What
you said was disgusting. I don’t want to be associated with you.”
His jaw clenched. “Forget what I said. I was drunk and I said that in
anger but I didn’t mean it. Come out with me again and we can be like
before.”
“No. I’m not interested.”
He was now visibly angry as he took a step closer, almost getting in her
face. “You came out on a date with me already. If you don’t come with me
again, I’m going to tell everyone you let me fuck you on our first date. In
fact, I’ll tell everyone you let me fuck you right from the time you came
with out with me on my birthday. I’ll make sure Simha knows I got to you
first.”
She was pissed and repulsed by his blackmail. “You are truly
disgusting. I don’t care about what rumors you spread about me. Get out of
my way.”
“You, bitch. I’ll see how you don’t come with me.”
He grabbed her wrist and was dragging her when he got shoved back.
Ava was shocked to see Abhiram Simha standing right behind her. His eyes
blazed in fury.
“If you touch her again, I’ll break your fingers,” he said in a calm
menacing tone. “Don’t even come near her. Get out.”
Neeraj seethed with anger but throwing her and Abhi a glare, he
walked away.
“Are you okay?” Abhiram asked. Although he was quite angry, his
voice was gentle.
She nodded. “Y-yes. He threatened me saying he will spread rumors
that I slept with him. I told him I don’t care. I-I should have known from the
beginning he was such a sick jerk.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” he said. “He is good at hiding who he truly is.
He put on quite a convincing act.”
She bit her lip. “Thank you for intervening.”
She could imagine the scene she would have to create to stop Neeraj
from forcibly dragging her somewhere. She felt shaken that Neeraj was
willing to go to those lengths.
“Our classes are going to start soon. Let’s get something to eat,” he
said. Placing a hand on her back, he gently directed her to the nearest table.
He sat opposite to her on the same table.
He stared at her intensely. “I thought I should give you time and space
to get used to me… and get used to us. But I don’t want to wait any longer.
I want to be with you every moment possible.”
She was shocked. She didn’t think Abhiram Simha was capable of
expressing such emotion. He was known to have always been a private
person.
“I-I want to be with you, too,” she said softly.
His eyes flashed and he cupped her cheek. “I’m glad.”
He got up and sat next to her and kissed her briefly on her lips. Her
heart raced and she blushed when she noticed the students in the cafeteria
looking at them in shock.
“Let’s go get something to eat,” she said, trying to stop her blushing.
She was used to his heated looks and touch in privacy. But now, she
felt shy when he more or less declared them as a couple in front of the
world.
“No need,” he said.
She wondered what he meant. But a few moments later, a group joined
them. It was the rest of the Simha guys and some of their friends.
 They placed trays with several dishes on the table.
“This is for you,” one of them said to her.
She was stunned. “I can’t possibly eat all of this.” It looked like they
nearly got every time available on the cafeteria menu.
“Take whatever you want,” her tormentor said with slight amusement.
“The rest of my cousins will finish quite easily.”
“Hey!” Ved Simha said with mock outrage. “We are not the only
gluttons here.” Ved grinned at her. “You should see Abhi when he is at
home. My poor aunt struggles to feed him.”
Ava laughed, relaxing. She took a bowl of soup and some fried rice.
While she ate, the Simha cousins continued to converse, which was
mostly teasing each other. She enjoyed their banter and could see that they
were very close. It reminded her of the bonding she and her sister had.
“Has Abhi taken you to the beach house?”
She tried not to blush as she nodded.
“Oh good. There is a beach a couple of kilometers away from that
place. We are throwing a party this weekend near that beach to celebrate the
end of midterms. You should join us and convince Abhi to join too. The guy
has become a recluse lately, barely partying or going anywhere.”
She knew why. It was because they had been spending every free
moment together. But now that their relationship was out in the open, they
could spend time together outside too.
She turned and saw that he was watching her. Tearing her eyes away
from him, she smiled.
“Thank you, I would love to join you for the party!

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 CHAPTER 35

Sadness and grief permeated the room. He looked at his aunt’s sleeping
form covered in flower garlands. His aunt was his best friend who was
always laughing and lively. But now, she stayed completely still.
No one was saying anything, and all he saw were tears in everyone’s
eyes. His parents, uncles and aunts and even his grandparents were crying
silently.
He didn’t understand what was happening. But he couldn’t stay and
watch his family sad.
He got up and went outside into the garden where he often played with
his aunt.
“If only that selfish man had married our Vaishu as promised, this
would not have happened.” An old woman wailed outside.
He wanted to ask the old woman about the selfish man.
Who was he? Did that man hurt his aunt?
What exactly happened to his aunt? Why was she sleeping so long?
Even as he seeked answers, suddenly the wind began howling. At a
distance, he saw a woman walking away. It was his aunt.
“Aunt Vaishu! Wait!”
“But his aunt didn’t wait.”
“She won’t come back to you, Abhi. She is gone. That man killed our
Vaishu.”
He shook his head, unable to accept or process the old woman’s words.
“No! Please don’t go!” he begged his aunt who was heading towards a
river which appeared right outside the house.
But his aunt didn’t stop. She was walking rapidly.
 He started to run desperately, but he could not reach her on time. His
aunt jumped into the river. A moment later, he saw her beautiful face
floating up the river, which had turned into a watery grave.

Abhi woke up with a start. His heart was pounding inside his chest as
the remnants of his nightmare lingered.
“Abhi?” a voice called out to him in concern.
Pushing away the dark memories of his dream, he slowly turned. He
saw Ava and her beautiful face was looking at him with worry.
They were lying outside on the porch at the beach house.
“Abhi, what’s wrong?” Ava asked.
His chest was heaving and cold sweat broke on his forehead. His body
was reacting to the nightmare he often had around the time of his aunt’s
death anniversary.
“Abhi? You are scaring me. Please tell me you are fine.”
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he nodded. “I’m fine,” he said.
He pulled her close, until her soft body lay on his chest. She clung to
him, hugging him close until her warmth seeped into his cold body.
They lay like that silently for a while. Even as his heartbeat settled
down, he could feel hers racing. He knew she was still worried about him.
“I had a nightmare, Ava,” he said. “I usually have these flashes of
memories every year around this time.”
“This time?”
She looked confused and he debated if he should say anything. He had
shared everything with her except for the part about his aunt.
“It’s my aunt’s death anniversary next week.”
He saw the shock in her eyes. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t know that.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t mention it to you.”
 She looked at him and hesitated a moment before she spoke again.
“Were you close to your aunt?” she asked softly.
He nodded, thinking of his aunt’s sweet and beautiful face. “Yes. She
took care of me since I was an infant. At that time, my parents were
traveling a lot on business and they left me with her. She was like a mother
to me.”
“How did she pass away?” Ava asked.
Pain throbbed inside his chest along with anger. He was angry with the
man responsible for his aunt’s death. But he couldn’t let that dictate how he
felt for Ava.
“A drowning accident,” he replied softly. “I was seven and was around
when it happened.”
She looked stunned. “Oh, Abhi. I’m so sorry.” He felt her arms around
him tighten as she offered him more comfort.
“It happened a long time ago,” he said. “And I’m making peace with
it.”
He did make peace with it. Not with the death of his aunt, but the fact
that he couldn’t change the past or hold Ava responsible for someone else’s
mistakes.
Ava was the best thing that happened in his life. And he didn’t want to
lose her for anything.
He knew he had lost his heart to her the moment he saw her. But it took
a while for him to realize that.
He gripped her tightly. A gasp escaped her when he rolled them until
she lay underneath him. He looked at her beautiful face as she touched his
cheek to comfort and soothe him.
“Hold me, Ava,” he said while he pushed her legs apart and sank
deeply into her.
 She gasped and clung to him as he joined their bodies desperately.
The images that were etched in his brain from witnessing the death of
his aunt disappeared as he lost himself in the arms of the girl who held his
heart.

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 *****

The cool breeze of the ocean blowing over her sweat-dampened bare
skin made Ava shiver slightly. Abhi wrapped his arms around her until his
warmth once again enveloped her.
Letting out a sigh, she snuggled against him. They had just made love,
but Ava’s mind wasn’t completely at peace. Abhi had told her about his
aunt’s death.
“I will be gone for a few days until next week,” he added.
She nodded, knowing it was to attend his aunt’s death ceremony. “I’m
going to miss you.”
She knew it was more than just missing him. The twist she felt in her
stomach told her what she felt wasn’t just about missing him. She felt way
too connected to him. Whenever he was in pain, she felt equally hurt.
The thought of him losing an aunt who was like his mother, made her
ache for him.
When did I start feeling this way?
She had fought her feelings towards him for the longest time. Even
when they came together, she tried to hold back her feelings because of her
father.
But now, it was too late.
As though he sensed her feelings, he pulled her close and kissed her
hard. He didn’t say the words, but his kiss communicated that he was going
to miss her too. She kissed him back.
“I love you, Ava,” he said softly.
She was shocked. Even though she knew what they had between them
was something powerful and everlasting, she didn’t think he was the kind to
profess his love and for her.
“I love you, too,” she whispered and it felt like her words surfaced
from the depths of her soul.
He kissed her again, gently this time on her lips. “I’ll be back soon.”

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 CHAPTER 36

“Abhi, what are you doing here by yourself?” a woman’s voice asked.
Abhi turned to see his mother’s smiling face as she joined him in the
huge garden at his grandparents’ place. The entire Simha family had just
returned from distributing food supplies and free medical services to the
surrounding villages on the occasion of his aunt’s death anniversary.
Each year, Abhi’s grandfather made generous contributions to the
needy on his only daughter’s birthday and death anniversary.
“Nothing, Ma.”
His mother smiled. “You look lost in thought.”
He didn’t say anything.
“Is it about a girl?” his mother prodded.
He was surprised, but it was only for a moment. He knew his mother
was very intuitive when it came to him.
“I…it’s nothing, Ma.”
“Abhi,” his mother warned. “I overheard Ved and Rana teasing you
about a girl named Ava.”
He cursed his loudmouthed cousins.
“Who is Ava, Abhi? Do you like this girl?”
He knew his mother wouldn’t let go of the topic. “It’s complicated.”
“Oh, come on,” his mother said. “What can be complicated about my
son liking a girl in his university? I want to know more!”
He knew that his mother was one of the most understanding people.
But telling her about Ava might even hurt a person like his mother.
“Well?” his mother pressed. “Who is Ava? What’s her full name?”
 He looked at her for a moment. “Her name is Avantika Patel. And she’s
a second year medical student.”
“Oh! That’s so awesome!” His mother looked joyous.
His heart thudded, not wanting to take away the joy from his mother’s
face. But he knew he had to tell her the rest of the truth before she
discovered it by herself.
“Ma…Ava is Avinash Patel’s daughter.”
He saw his mother’s expression shift at the mention of the name. There
was shock on her face, but only momentarily. She collected her composure
before smiling at him once again.
“I haven’t heard that name in such a long time. How do you know
about Avinash?” Her mother seemed surprised.
Anger and hate flashed inside his heart. “I have known about him for a
while, Ma. How can I forget about the man responsible for Aunt Vaishu’s
death?”
There was shock in his mother’s eyes. “Abhi, what are you saying? Are
you implying Avinash is somehow responsible for what happened to
Vaishu?”
He nodded. “I know he broke her heart by marrying someone else. And
Aunt Vaishu couldn’t take it.”
His mother’s eyes widened further with shock. “My God, Abhi. All
these years, did you think
Vaishu ended her own life?” She sounded horrified.
“Yes, Ma. I heard people talking when she died.”
“Oh, Abhi.” His mother had tears in her eyes as she stepped closer to
him and hugged him. “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t realize you heard those
rumors and believed it to be the truth.”
He froze.
 “What do you mean by rumors, Ma?”
His petite mom looked up at him. She placed a comforting hand on his
cheek. “Your aunt’s death was an accident, Abhi.”
Shock ripped through him at his mother’s words.
He thought back to the conversations he heard on the day of her aunt’s
death about how she was heartbroken from the rejection from the man she
loved and chose to end her life.
“Vaishu was relieved when Avinash said he could not marry her. She
and Avinash grew up together and treated each other more like siblings.”
Abhi was beyond stunned. “Then why do Dad and Avinash Patel never
stay in touch? I know they used to be best friends.”
His mother took a deep breath. “It was because of your grandfather. He
was angry with Avinash for not keeping the promise of marrying Vaishu.
Your grandpa had it in his mind that Avinash Patel would make the perfect
husband for Vaishu since both were doctors with generous hearts. And I
don’t blame Avinash for not accepting your father’s calls when he tried to
connect with him after your aunt passed away.”
Abhi didn’t know how to react. Although he loved his aunt and missed
her, he was relieved that his aunt had not died of a broken heart.
“My God, Abhi. What did you do when you found out Ava was
Avinash’s daughter?”
He knew his mother’s intuitiveness must have led her to guess that he
didn’t treat Ava well at the beginning. Tightness grew in his chest at the
thought of what he put Ava through in his anger and hatred towards her
father.
“I didn’t treat her well, Ma,” he said. “I threatened her and asked her to
leave the university.”
 His mother’s face fell in disappointment. “Oh, Abhi. I hope you
apologized to the poor girl.”
He did apologize. But not nearly enough.
“I will rectify my mistake, Ma,” he said and hugged his mother.
Even as his mind felt at peace about his aunt, other thoughts took over.
He had an apology to make and mend the friendship that was once
broken.

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 CHAPTER 37

It had only been three days, but Ava felt as though a decade had passed
by since Abhi left.
They had been exchanging text messages, but it wasn’t the same thing
as sharing a meal and lying in each other’s arms talking about everything
and anything. He had texted her saying it would be a couple more days
since his father wanted him to look at something in business.
She let out a sigh. Two more days wasn’t long and she hoped to distract
herself with other things. She hung out with a few classmates with whom
she studied as a group. Although she enjoyed being with them, the moment
she returned to her housing unit, she began sorely missing her tormentor.
“Bye, Ava. See you tomorrow in class.”
Ava smiled and waved to the small group with whom she had gone out
for dinner. “Bye!”
She began walking back to her housing unit, hoping to catch up on the
texts sent by Abhi.
Her face heated. Some of his texts had been so dirty that she couldn’t
react or reply while there was company around.
She was smiling and had almost reached her housing unit when
someone blocked her way.
“Hello, Ava.”
It was Neeraj.
Ava was annoyed that Neeraj was once again trying to talk to her even
though she had made it clear she didn’t want to talk to him.
Without returning his greeting, she tried to step around him.
“Ava, stop. I’m here to tell you something very important.”
 “I’m not interested. I already told you I don’t want to talk to you.”
His eyes flashed angrily. “You will change your mind once you
discover the truth.”
Annoyance turned into anger. “I don’t care about what you have to say.
Get that into your mind once and for all.”
She stepped around him and began walking away. But she frowned
when she heard something.
It was an audio of a group of guys talking. She recognized those
voices.
“You know, bro. You claim to hate her guts, and yet you sent Kritin to
pick her up from the beach. I don’t think you have it in you to drive her
away from Simha.”
“No. I want her gone. And I know she must be packing up to leave.”
Ava froze because the voices were of the Simha cousins. The first one
was of Ved’s and the second was Abhi’s.
“A thousand bucks says she might not leave.” That was Rana Simha.
“Yup,” said Ved Simha. “Harvard definitely has a fighter spirit inside
that sweet and meek exterior.”
There was momentary silence.
“She will be gone one way or the other. I don’t want to see anything
related to that man at Simha.”
Ava’s heart thudded. She knew Abhi was talking about her father.
“Fine. Then how about a dare? How about you teach that man a lesson
by breaking the heart of his daughter’s the way he broke our aunt’s?”
There was a long pause.
“Well? Are you in for the dare?”
Ava’s heart nearly burst out of her chest and tears pricked her eyes.
Before she completely broke down, she ran into the housing unit.
 She didn’t know how she reached her room. But as soon as she shut the
door, she broke down.
It was all a lie.
He pretended to love me as a dare, just so he could break my heart.
Abhiram Simha won the dare. Because right at that moment, her heart
shattered into a million pieces.

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 CHAPTER 38

“Seriously, bro. Can you at least pretend you are not eager to dump us
so you can meet Ava?”
The jet had just landed at the Simha University airport. Abhi and his
cousins got out of the plane and headed to the area where they had parked
their bikes. While the rest of the group was still getting on their bikes, Abhi
kickstarted his and was preparing to take off.
He put on his helmet and nodded at his cousins. “See you guys in the
morning.”
There was laughter when he took off. Abhi’s mouth twisted. His
cousins were right. He was quite eager to see Ava. The two-day separation
felt much longer.
He had deliberately told Ava he would be returning the next day to
surprise her. He wanted to sneak into her room and wake her up with a kiss.
The smile on his face widened imagining the surprise on her face. He
couldn’t wait to talk to her, touch her and be with her.
His heat racing in anticipation, he increased the acceleration of the
bike.
It took exactly forty minutes. He had to park the bike near his housing
unit before he broke into a run towards Ava’s apartment. He gave a cursory
glance around, ensuring no one was around before climbing the tree close to
her room. He reached the top and jumped into the balcony.
With excitement, he reached the patio door to open it. His smile
disappeared and he frowned.
The door seemed to be locked.
 He looked inside the bedroom. The lights were turned off and Ava was
lying on top of the bed turned the other way.
He almost reached for his phone to call her, but decided against it. He
didn’t want to wake her up from deep sleep. She had early morning classes
and he didn’t want to be the cause to distract her.
Although he was slightly disappointed, his heart continued to race in
anticipation of meeting her the next day. Their passionate reunion would
have to wait another day.

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 *****

The next day couldn’t arrive fast enough. He had barely slept a wink
before waking up to get ready. The first class was pharmaceutical sciences
and he planned to catch Ava before the class began.
“Hi, Abhi. I didn’t see you the last two days. Where have you been?”
He briefly glanced at the girl in front of him who was smiling eagerly.
“I went home.”
“Oh! To your parents’ house? I saw the pictures once in the
Architectural Digest. It’s beautiful.”
Normally, he wouldn’t mind someone having such conversation.
People were often curious and fascinated by his family. But right then,
waiting to see Ava was making him impatient.
“Excuse me,” he said and walked away.
Sighing, he sent Ava a message.

Abhi: I’m outside the class waiting for you.

Five minutes later, he received a message.

Harvard: Stop texting me. I don’t want to talk to you.

Abhi frowned looking at the message from Ava. Was she angry that he
didn’t wake her up the previous night? His mouth twisted with a smile,
looking forward to driving away her anger.
He waited until there was only five minutes remaining to the class.
That’s when he saw Ava.
 He frowned when he saw something strange. Ava’s eyes looking
slightly swollen—as though she had been crying.
Angry that Neeraj or someone had dared to upset her, he went to her.
“What happened, Ava?” he asked.
She looked up at him, and he flinched when he saw anger, hate and
pain in her eyes.
“I found out,” she said.
He frowned. Did she mean she found out what he was planning to do?
He knew it was impossible. Not even his parents know what he
planned.
“Found out what, Ava?” he asked.
“About the dare. About you breaking my heart deliberately.”
He froze.
She watched him with pain and anger in her eyes. “I heard you speak. I
heard everything, so don’t try to say it’s a lie.”
The dare wasn’t a lie.
The bell rang, indicating the class would begin. Ava turned and was
about to leave when he caught her hand.
“Wait. I need to tell you about my—”
Before he could complete, she slapped him hard on his cheek. There
were gasps from the students standing outside the class.
“Don’t touch me!” she said. “I don’t want to talk to you. I hate you!”
He flinched, not because of the slap. He flinched at her words.

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 CHAPTER 39

Ava woke up in bed and could feel the dull headache that had been
persistent for days.
Her heart had turned numb to the pain and she felt empty on the inside.
How did she trust her tormentor with her heart?
Maybe I deserve to be betrayed like this.
She hadn’t talked to anyone, not even her parents in days. She didn’t
want to talk to anyone or be near people.
Nitya had asked once about why she looked so upset and when Ava
didn’t respond, her friend didn’t push. Pooja sensed her hurt too and tried to
cheer her up by bringing her sweet treats. Although Ava was happy that
Pooja was leading a healthy life and enjoying food, Ava couldn’t bring
herself to enjoy the treats.
The agony she felt from the betrayal, cut her too deep.
She told herself that she had to move on. And that she could not let a
privileged guy’s dare ruin her. She was at Simha to study and be a doctor
like her father.
Taking a shuddering breath, she got out of the bed and prepared for her
classes.
It was later in the afternoon when one of the students called out. “See
you at the drama club, Ava.”
The words jerked Ava out of the haze when she realized she had a
drama class that day.
A part of her wanted to tell the director she would not be able to make
it by faking an illness. But another part of her didn’t want to because then
her tormentor would think she was pining for him and suffering a broken
heart.
She still had two more years at Simha, which meant she could not
avoid her tormentor forever.
I won’t let him come between my dreams.
She wiped away her tears that she didn’t know she was shedding and
took a deep breath.
He doesn’t deserve my tears. I’m going to face him with my chin raised.
She went to the housing unit and back to her room. Since she would be
facing him after a long time, she wanted to look her best. She didn’t want
any traces of heartbreak to show on her face.
But as she stepped into her room, on instinct her eyes went to her bed
and then to the sliding doors. She half-expected him to lay on her bed
waiting for her or enter her room through the sliding doors like before.
Her heart ached once again, missing the small twist of his mouth when
he smiled at her while waiting for her in her room.
No! Don’t think of him.
She shook her head, warding off the memories.
Putting on the costume for the play, she got into a shuttle that headed to
the performance and arts building.
She had managed to avoid her tormentor the past few days. But now,
since there was no escape, she once again gave herself a pep talk to avoid
looking heartbroken.
She was going to show him that she didn’t care for him.
Liar!
She hugged her backpack and sat in the bus as other students filled in.
As she looked out of the window aimlessly, her eyes fell on a familiar
gray and black checkered duffle bag. Her heart thudded. Before she could
take a good look, it disappeared from her view.
Maybe it was a coincidence.
Even as she thought that, once again her heart jerked and began racing.
A whiff of familiar cologne permeated in the air, and she didn't need to
look to know he was close and that he had his eyes trained on her.
Oh God.
Biting her trembling lip, she kept her eyes lowered. Despite her pep
talk, her eyes prickled at the familiar fragrance.
She hugged her backpack like it was a protective shield.
A moment later, she felt her seat shift slightly as he sat right next to
her.
Why is he torturing me like this? Why can’t he leave me alone? Hasn’t
he done enough?
Minutes passed and she heard the voices of students around her, but he
stayed silent.
Soon, the performances and arts building stop arrived and she waited
until he moved away. Keeping her head lowered, she got down the shuttle.
Her eyes remained lowered until she got to the stage where they would
be shooting.
“Abhi! Ava! Come on here!”
She looked up and followed the director’s instructions. And when she
got on the stage, she ignored her tormentor’s presence next to her.
“All right, guys. Should we get started?” the director asked.
Ava nodded.
Taking a deep breath, and knowing she couldn’t avoid looking at her
tormentor anymore, she slowly turned.
The moment their eyes met, her heart twisted painfully. He looked like
a mess, as though he hadn’t slept in days. There was a heavy stubble on his
chin.
Is it because of what happened between us?
As soon as the thought passed her mind, she shut it out.
No. Stop. Don’t you dare trust him again.
“All right, guys. On the count of one, two and three. Go!”
Ava took the position in front of her tormentor.
“You broke my heart,” she said.
Her heart jerked, realizing how apt the dialogue was.
Her tormentor’s face looked unreadable. “I didn’t,” he said in a deep,
rough tone. “If only you would listen, then I can explain.”
“Cut!” the director shouted. He frowned looking at his script. “Wait,
this part isn’t until much later. How did this scene end up on top?”
Ava’s eyes flew to her tormentor. Even though he didn’t show anything
on his face, she knew he was the one who must have once again switched
the scripts.
While the director scrambled to find the right script for the next scene,
Ava stepped away from her tormentor.
But he followed behind her. “Ava… we need to talk. You have to listen
to what I say. I—”
“Stop.” She held her hand up. “Unless it is about the play or pharma
class, I’m not interested in listening to you.”
His jaw clenched and he looked beyond frustrated. “Tell me how can I
get you to forgive me? I’ll do anything you ask.”
Her eyes flared. “Anything?”
“Yes.”
“Then leave me alone!” she spat. “I asked you many times before to
leave me alone. But you didn’t listen and tormented me even further. Now, I
am asking you again. I hope you listen this time!”
 There was silence.
“Well?” she demanded. “Are you going to leave me alone?”
He watched her face intensely. She thought he wouldn’t answer her, but
he did. “Yes, I will leave you alone. You’ll never see me again.”
She looked into his eyes searching. “I hope this isn’t another game.
Another one of your dares.”
“No,” he replied quietly. “It isn’t another dare. I promise you won’t see
me again.”
She didn’t believe him. But at least she let him know what she wanted.
For the rest of the drama class, she was aware of him. The director gave
them the updated scripts.
It was hard to enact the scene, but she somehow forged through it. And
when the class finally ended, she strangely didn’t feel relieved.
Walking away from her tormentor gave her a sick feeling inside her
stomach.
I hate him. But I also love him.
She knew the next two years at Simha would be hell on earth.

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 CHAPTER 40

Four more days passed and she didn’t see her tormentor.
Even though she didn’t see him, just like she had predicted, it was hell
on earth. Every moment spent reminded her of him. Whether she was
awake or asleep, thoughts of him and their memories together haunted her.
She took up extra shifts at the hospital, so she didn’t remain idle. But
that didn’t help either. The only thing that helped somewhat was speaking
with her family. She deliberately kept the calls brief, so that her mother or
sister wouldn’t sense her heartbreak.
She had just wrapped up her shift at the hospital and was back in her
housing unit when her phone started to ring. It was her father. Her spirits
lifted just from seeing her father’s smiling face flash on the video call.
“Papa, how are you?” She forced a bright smile.
Her father beamed. He looked excited and happy about something.
“I’m doing great, Ava. Thanks to you!”
She was confused. Did he mean he was proud of her attending Simha
University? Or maybe, he got a chance to look at her grades where she had
topped her class.
“What did I do, papa?”
He laughed out happily. “I still cannot believe I spoke to Raghav after
such a long time.”
The name her father mentioned was not a familiar one. “Who is
Raghav, papa?”
“Raghav Simha is my best friend! I owe everything I have to his
family.”
 Shock passed through her as the name became familiar. Raghav Simha
was her tormentor’s father. She had read about him and his philanthropic
work as the chairman of Simha Pharmaceuticals.
“Y-you talked to him?” She could not believe her father was
mentioning something that her mother had told her was extremely painful
for him to even talk about.
“Yes. Thanks to your friend, Abhiram. I’m so glad I responded back to
him when he emailed me.”
Another shock ripped through her. “Abhi…” Even saying his name
hurt deep inside. “He reached out to you? When?”
She wondered if it was another attempt by him to get her to speak with
him.
Her father nodded, the smile on his face brightening even more. “A
little over a week ago, I got an email from the Simha student council
president. I thought it was a random alumni email, but it turned out to be a
life-changing note. You won’t believe how happy I am, Ava.”
A million confusing thoughts ran through her mind. “Why did Abhi
reach out to you?” From the timing of when her dad mentioned, she knew it
had to be when he was at home for his aunt’s death anniversary.
Her father took a deep breath. “To tell me that I was not responsible for
his aunt Vaishnavi’s death. I held on to that guilt for years.”
Vaishnavi? Did he mean Vaishnavi Simha? The one whose memorial
was in the Simha Hospital? She was Abhi’s aunt?
Ava was lost. She had no idea why her father was making a reference
to Abhi’s aunt’s death and how he could be responsible. “What happened in
the past, papa?”
“Ava, I grew up in the Simha household. I was their family
accountant’s son. Even though I was an employee’s child, I was always
considered a part of the family. Raghav was my childhood friend and when
my parents passed away in an accident, I grew up in the household with the
three Simha brothers and Vaishnavi, their only sister.”
Her father paused and he appeared to be reminiscing about those days.
“I got into Simha University through a scholarship quota. Even though
Vaishu was four years younger than me, she became my classmate. She was
a gifted student who was passionate about medicine.”
Her father looked sad. “Jairam Simha, Vaishu’s father had mentioned to
me a few times about wanting me to marry Vaishu. I never took it seriously.
I left for America right after graduation and met your mother and fell
instantly in love with her.”
Ava could only listen in shock as her father continued to speak.
“Jairam Simha was so upset when I told him I loved someone else, he
swore he would never let me set my foot back in India for not wanting to
marry his daughter. Even if I had not fallen in love with your mother, I
could not have married Vaishu. I thought of her as my younger sister just
like she was to Raghav and others…” Her father looked devastated. “When
I heard the news a few years later that Vaishu passed away, and that she
ended her life because of the marriage that didn't happen, I was devastated
to the point I could not even talk to my best friend when he reached out
many times.”
Her heart ached for her father and the rest of the Simha family. What
happened was a huge tragedy.
“Abhiram told me what really happened,” her father continued.
“A-Abhi?” Her voice shook.
Her father nodded. “Yes. He called me to tell me that his aunt’s death
was an accident. She slipped into the river and drowned. He also told me
that until Vaishu’s recent death anniversary, even he had thought she had
died by suicide due to heartbreak.”
Her father paused and looked at her. “Abhiram also told me about how
he had troubled you because of his anger towards me and apologized for his
behavior. He even said he was going to seek your apology again.”
Ava was stunned.
Her father smiled. “For a twenty year old to own up to their mistakes is
so quite rare. I guess it’s because he is a Simha. They are taught to be
humble despite their money and power.”
Ava felt shaken.
Her father continued to smile happily. “Raghav was on a business trip
the past week and he finally called me and we talked… just like we did
back in the day. It was as though we weren’t estranged over the last fifteen
years, we simply picked up where we left off.”
Tears welled her eyes seeing the happy smile on her father’s face after
getting his best friend back. “I’m so happy for you papa.”
Ava couldn’t control the overwhelming emotions that swept through
her as pieces started to fall into place.
Abhi made the dare in anger. His hatred was justified as he thought her
father was responsible for his aunt’s death. The aunt who was more like a
mother to him.
“Papa, I… I need to go. I’ll call you back.”
She ended the call, and with trembling fingers, she unblocked Abhi’s
phone number and called him. The call didn’t go through.
She tried multiple times but it still wasn’t unable to be reached.. It
usually happened when he was on the lower level of the gym where there
was no signal.
 Unable to wait, and with a burning need to see him, and to tell him that
she loved him, she decided to go to him. She stepped out of the housing unit
and rushed toward the gym.
Fifteen minutes later, when she reached the gym, she did not find him.
She could find any of his cousins or friends either.
She went to the section of the gym where the Vipers usually hung out
and to her surprise the entire section was empty. Were they all away for a
game?
As she was going around in the gym, frantically looking for him, her
phone started to ring. Excited, she picked it up right away. It wasn’t Abhi.
“Oh my God, Ava. Where are you!”
“I’m in the gym, Pooja. What’s wrong?” She wondered if Pooja or
someone else fell sick.
“Ava… Abhi… he is leaving?” Pooja sounded out of breath.
“Leaving? Where is he leaving?”
She hoped Pooja was talking about Abhi leaving for a bike race.
She quickly made plans to find someone to take her to those races, so
she could go to Abhi and talk to him.
“Abhi is leaving Simha University, Ava! He just quit as the student
council president too.”
Shock ripped through her. “W-What?” She couldn’t believe it. And
then, another bolt of shock hit her when she recalled their last conversation.

His jaw clenched and he looked beyond frustrated. “Tell me how can I
get you to forgive me? I’ll do anything you ask.”
Her eyes flared. “Anything?”
“Yes.”
 “Then leave me alone!” she spat. “I asked you many times before to
leave me alone. But you didn’t listen and tormented me even further. Now, I
am asking you again. I hope you listen this time!”
There was silence.
“Well?” she demanded. “Are you going to leave me alone?”
He watched her face intensely. She thought he wouldn’t answer her, but
he did. “Yes, I will leave you alone. You’ll never see me again.”
She looked into his eyes searching. “I hope this isn’t another game.
Another one of your dares.”
“No,” he replied quietly. “It isn’t another dare. I promise you won’t see
me again.”

Oh God. “P-pooja. W-where is he?”

“At the airport. Go there soon! I know I haven’t been a good friend to
you, but I really hope you and Abhi end up together. Go stop him, Ava!”
“Thanks, Pooja,” she whispered before ending the call.
She was shaking all over. Is that what he meant when he said she
would never see him? She had assumed that he was referring to them not
being in the same class and no longer being paired in the drama class, but
not this.
Letting out a sob, she ran out of the gym looking around for someone
who could take her to the airport. She thought of his cousins. She dialed
Rana’s number in hopes of reaching Abhi through him, but the call ended
immediately.
She could imagine his cousin not wanting to talk to her, but she
continued to call back and on the tenth time, he finally answered. “Stop
calling me. I have no interest in talking to you.”
 “Rana, please,” she begged. “I want to talk to Abhi. Tell him not to
leave. Please!” The other end of the line was silent. “I love Abhi. I—” Her
voice broke into a sob.
There was a sigh. “It’s too late, Ava. The flight just took off.”
“No!” Her heart ached and felt like it was breaking into pieces all over
again.
She ended the call and started going out of the gym.
I have to see him and talk to him. He cannot leave!
She decided to follow him to his home. She would be in trouble as she
hadn’t taken the permission from the university administration. But she
didn’t care at that point. She had to reach Abhi. She called the
transportation and placed a request to be picked up from the point nearest to
her housing unit.
She quickly ran there and waited. Ten minutes later, she saw a vehicle
approaching.
It stopped in front of her.
“Please, I-I need a ride to the airport urgently.” She wiped her tears
away and that’s when she saw the person in the driver’s seat. Neeraj Batra.

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 *****

Abhi looked out of the private jet window as he headed home.

He still hadn’t told his parents about his decision to leave Simha
University. He had only told Neela madam. He had seen the shock in the
older woman’s eyes when he told her about what transpired between him
and Ava. He had told the dean about his behavior and also that he could no
longer stay at Simha as the student council president.
Neelima Raj surprisingly didn’t look disappointed in him.
“Your mother told me about what you thought of Vaishu’s death until
now. I know circumstances make people behave in a certain way. You are
not that person anymore, Abhi. If you choose to return to Simha, the doors
will always be open.”
He didn’t want to leave Simha. But seeing the hurt and anger in Ava’s
eyes as she begged him to leave her alone, he knew he would only cause
her further pain if he stayed.
The thought of not seeing her again made him want to break
something. His heart ached that he would no longer get to see her, or touch
her or even kiss her. He would no longer get to see her sweet smiles or see
her beautiful face during passion.
His eyes fell shut as he gritted his teeth against the pain he felt.
How can I stay without her?
He loved her too much to imagine a life being away from her.
What will she do if I show up and be around her until she listens?
Even if she were to slap him every time she saw him until her anger
died down, he was ready to endure it.
 He had wanted to give her the space and respect her wishes, but
knowing she also loved him, he knew she had to be as miserable as he was.
No. I cannot do this.
She might be unhappy seeing him. But he had to try harder to make her
listen. He cannot put them both through misery because of one mistake he
made.
He decided to stay and fight, to win back Ava’s trust and along with it
her heart.
He looked up and caught the steward’s attention. “Tell the captain I
need to go back.”
“Sure, Mr. Simha.”

*****

Thirty minutes later, Abhi walked down the small flight of stairs of the
private jet. He knew Ava blocked his phone number, so he called Ved.
“Locate Ava on the campus. I need to see her.”
“What?” Ved was taken aback. “Where are you?”
“I came back.”
He heard his cousin chuckle. “You and Harvard are shameless, bro. She
just called Rana begging to talk to you and now you turned a flight back?”
Abhi was shocked to hear Ava called for him. Hoping she decided to
forgive him, he hurried toward his bike to get to her. He called her phone,
but it was unanswered.
Thirty minutes later, when he parked the bike near the point closest to
her housing unit, he called Ved again.
“What happened? Where is she?”
 There was silence. “I’m not able to locate her.”
“What the fuck do you mean not able to locate?”
“Her phone is turned off.” Ved replied.
Something felt off. It had been ringing a while ago but now, it got
switched off.
“Where was the last location?”
It took a few more moments until Ved replied. “It was at the gate
outside her housing unit.”
The place where he dropped her after their dates. What was Ava doing
there?
“I’m coming to you. Call Rana too.”
Ten more minutes later, he saw his cousins waiting for him at the
computer administration center.
“Pull up the security camera feed near the last location.” He knew it
would require hacking into the central security system. At that point, he
cared more about locating Ava than breaking a law.
It took Ved ten more minutes. Abhi’s heart jerked when he saw the
grainy form of Ava waiting by the stop. He saw her wiping her tears and
calling someone on the phone frantically.
And a few minutes later, a vehicle approached her. He expected it to be
university transportation. But when he saw the vehicle number, he let out a
curse.
“Fuck!” A strange mix of fear and anger started to grip him. “Locate
Neeraj.”
Why would she leave with Neeraj?

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 CHAPTER 41

“You’re making a big mistake,” Ava warned from the back seat of the
vehicle as she sat next to Neeraj’s friends. “You will get kicked out of
Simha and will be prosecuted because this is kidnapping.” She tried
desperately to weaken Neeraj’s friend’s resolve as they drove to an
unidentified location.
“Don’t worry, boys,” Neeraj drawled. “We will have fun. And you guys
know she won’t remember anything with the magic potion.”
He laughed, making the guys hoot in excitement. “And just like every
time, we’ll make this one also believe she had a long night… a real fun one.
But this one is mine to enjoy. You guys can watch and enjoy tonight.”
Neeraj’s words made her skin crawl along with fear.
“What you are planning is against the law. You will all be kicked out of
Simha and go to jail.”
She told herself she had to fight her way out of the situation. She
couldn’t afford to panic.
“Don’t worry about us, baby. We have enough experience to not get
caught.”
Once again the guys broke into laughter.
Biting her lips, she desperately tried to see where Neeraj was driving
them along the winding roads.
Taking a deep breath, she tried once again to appeal to his softer side.
“Neeraj, think about your future in San Francisco. You will never be
allowed in the U.S. with a criminal record. Let me go and I will say nothing
to anyone.”
 He grinned. Although he was handsome, his grin made her want to
throw up. “You are quite a stupid bitch to believe everything I said. My
father is a politician. What made you think I would leave the life of power
and go to work for someone.”
She knew he was a liar, but she hoped at least that part of it was true.
Desperately, she thought of another thing to appeal to him. “Think of what
would happen to your father if the university finds out what you did.”
This time, he threw her a glare. “I’m doing this to get back at that
bastard Abhiram Simha. He has humiliated me enough. Fucking his girl is
the best revenge I can get.” There was pure hatred in his eyes at the mention
of Abhi.
Her stomach trembled with disgust.
“I am not Abhi’s girl anymore, Neeraj. W-we broke up. And he left the
university.”
Neeraj scoffed. “Yes, he left. But I’m fucking sure he is going to try
and get you back. And seeing how pathetically in love with him you are,
you will accept him back.”
Oh God.
She didn’t know what to say.
“You are wrong, Neeraj. You were the one who told me about the dare.
Abhiram Simha only pretended to love me to win the dare. You are
targeting me unnecessarily.”
He scoffed again. “I know the dare is true. But I also know he fucking
wants you for real.”
Her heart ached knowing it was true. Pushing away her hurt, she turned
to look at his friends. “How can you want a fellow student to go through
this?” she asked. “Don’t you have sisters or cousins? What if someone does
this to them?”
 The guys didn’t chuckle this time. They looked somewhat subdued.
“Ignore her boys. Trust me, it’ll be worth it.”
His friends stayed silent and Ava knew there was a shift in the thought
process. “Just imagine what would happen if your parents found out about
what you have done. They would be ashamed.” She paused, waiting for the
words to sink in. “And it’s impossible to not get caught. Sometime or the
other, crimes will always get caught. What you are planning is a crime.”
“Shut up!” Neeraj’s voice barked out. “There is no way anyone will
find out what happened to you because even you won’t remember.”
“You are a disgrace to Simha University,” she spat in hopes of getting
some reaction out of Neeraj’s friends. “Imagine your sister or friend in this
situation,” she repeated once again. “How can you be friends with such a
person? Would you be willing to go to jail for him?”
“Stop talking,” Neeraj ordered.
“What would your father do, Neeraj? I heard what he said to you the
day of the elections after you lost.” She continued to poke at that incident.
“Stop lying.”
She shrugged. “What’s the need for me to lie? I was the one who
campaigned for you thinking you were a good guy. Not the rapist you are.”
“What the fuck! Who are you calling rapist?” Neeraj sounded outraged.
“You, who else? Everything that you are talking about doing is rape
and looked like you have abused many girls in the past.”
“I’m not a rapist. I have fun and make sure it is fun for the girl, too.”
She was convinced that was how Neeraj justified his actions.
“Against a girl’s will and after drugging her? You should be ashamed
of yourself!”
She knew those words hit home for Neeraj as he suddenly pulled over
to the side of the narrow road, one side of the vehicle screeching against the
shrubbery, blocking the two doors from opening.
“Neeraj, what are you doing?” one of his friends asked.
He ignored his friend’s question as he got out of the car and pulled
open the back door on his side. “Get out,” he ordered the guy sitting next to
Ava in the back seat. Ava looked around to see if there was anything nearby
for her to run to, to ask for help but it was pitch dark outside of the car's
headlights.
When the guy next to her got out, Neeraj reached inside to grab her
hand to yank her out of the car.
“You will keep your mouth shut until we get to my guest house,” he
growled. “Not another word comes out of you or else I will fuck you right
here and then take you back to the guest house make all my buddies fuck
you, too.”
It was a threat and she knew he meant it. But she also knew she was
close to breaking through to his friends. “You are a loser and these so-called
friends abandoned you on the day you lost the elections. They might turn
against you when the Simha’s come after you.”
There was no response, but the next moment there was blinding pain.
She realized Neeraj had slapped her hard. So hard, she could feel the blood
from the cut on her lip.
“Loser,” she said again, knowing that was the word he was reacting to.
“Have you ever had a woman come to you, willingly? I’m sure it was
never.”
He grabbed her hair hard, to the point where strands were breaking, and
she felt his body against her, his arousal digging into her. She wanted to
puke and she barely controlled herself.
“You feel that,” he hissed. “When I fuck you, you will be the one
begging me for more.”
 She managed to laugh. “All I feel is a small dick. It explains your loser
talk.”
“You are such a bitch. I didn't know you had such a sharp tongue. I
could use it too, to please myself.”
He began to rub against her. “This isn’t small,” he hissed.
That’s when she turned and raised her knee and smashed it against his
groin. He shouted in pain and collapsed on his knees in front of her.
His friends remained frozen as though they didn’t want to physically
attack her since they would get into trouble.
She didn’t wait for them to finish deciding. The moment she was free,
she took off, running as fast as she could hoping for another vehicle to
come by. She looked around the road as she ran to see if there was a way for
her to not be too visible, in case Neeraj recovered and decided to follow her
with his car.
Her heart dropped when she saw the light from Neeraj’s car illuminate
the road and she was about to run into the woods when she saw other lights
coming her way. Instead of getting off the road, she kept running toward the
oncoming lights. She waved at the lights knowing Neeraj had to be right
behind.
Her heart was beating so hard, she had failed to pick up the familiar
sound of the motorbikes until they came to a stop right in front of her.
She stood frozen trying to process the sight in front of her.
“Abhi?” She was definitely hallucinating.
Without another word, he got off the bike, and tossed his helmet aside,
before pulling her to him, his arms going around her. As soon as she
breathed in his familiar cologne and felt the warmth of his hard body, her
daze shattered.
“Oh my God, Abhi. I’m so sorry—”
 He kissed her on her lips. “I love you.”
She shuddered and tears filled her eyes.
“Tell me what happened just now,” he said. His eyes fell on her bruised
cheek and flared.
“N-neeraj took me from the campus to drug me and and forcibly have
sex with me. He wanted to get back at you through me.”
His jaw clenched. “I’m going to kill the bastard for daring to touch
you.” There was raw anger in his eyes.
“Let the cops handle him, bro,” Ved said from behind him.
That’s when Ava heard the sound of police sirens followed by flashing
lights.
“I’m taking her back to the campus. You guys handle the cops.”
Abhi’s cousins nodded.
He then turned to her and cupped her face gently. “Can you sit behind
the bike?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
His mouth twisted into a small smile. “Then come on, Harvard. Let’s
sneak back into your room.”
She laughed and got on his bike. And then wrapping her arms around
his torso, she placed her un-bruised cheek against his back.
My tormentor and my love.

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 CHAPTER 42

Two weeks later…

It had been an eventful two weeks. After Ava officially filed a

complaint against Neeraj, he was not only removed from the university, but
also arrested. Neeraj’s father tried to use his influence to get his son out of
the jail, but the Simha’s squashed the attempt.
Ava wasn’t traumatized by the incident. Abhi stayed by her side
throughout. And they even put their minds on other things that brought
them joy.
“How did you learn to do this?” Ava asked, keeping her eyes on the
pan.
They were at the beach house. Ava held the pan at an angle in hopes of
landing the perfect flip of the omelet. It’s something she had been working
on for a long time and Abhi finally showed her a trick.
“Focus.” He kept his eyes on her even as he smiled.
She let out a squeal when she managed to flip the omelet. She placed
the pan back on the stove and flew into his open arms, kissing his neck. “I
can’t believe I did it.”
He chuckled. “Let’s eat.”
He started to set the breakfast table as she filled their glasses with
freshly squeezed orange juice. “Abhi, you didn’t tell me who taught you the
trick?”
He smiled. “My aunt.”
Ava was glad that he no longer had a look of sadness when he thought
of his aunt. He now only thought of her fondly.
 “This is quite good,” he said, tasting the omelet.
Her cheeks heated up with the compliment. “It’s the only thing I know
how to cook. So, I’ll make this for everyone when we go on the family
vacation our dads are planning.”
She smiled happily recalling how their parents met each other already.
Abhi and she would be meeting them all during the break.
“Abhi?” she asked as she thought of something.
“Hmm?”
“I want to invite the rest of papa’s and your dad’s friends too. Can we
look them up?”
He paused for a moment. “Sure. But I don’t think you can invite them
all.”
“Why not?”
He didn’t say anything. But suddenly, he got up and went into one of
the bedrooms.
She was about to follow him when he came back a moment later,
holding what looked like a picture.
He placed the piece of paper of a group of young people having a
picnic on the beach. They all wore their Simha uniforms.
She looked at the picture for a long moment before she let out a squeal
spotting her dad in the group. “Oh, and there is your dad.”
He pointed to one of the young women in the picture and said, “That is
my aunt and…” He moved his finger to the other woman. “That’s—”
“Neela, ma’am,” she interjected, unable to contain her excitement.
“You know I saw a picture of your aunt with Neela ma’am in her office the
first few weeks I was here and thought they were sisters.”
Abhi nodded, a small smile on his face. “They in fact were like sisters
in spite of the few years' age gap. My aunt skipped classes and became my
dad and Neela madam’s classmate. Your papa’s too.”
She nodded. “Yes, papa told me recently. That’s why until recently, I
never thought Vaishnavi Simha could be your aunt. I always thought of her
as the young girl in the picture at the memorial.”
Abhi smiled. “That was my grandma’s favorite picture of her and they
chose that for the memorial and no one at the campus knows about her
being our aunt. Plus there are so many who attended the university from the
Simha family, I wouldn’t have expected you to know.”
“Who is this?” she pointed to a man on the other side of his father.
“That is Dhanush Varma, Rana’s dad’s best friend.” He pointed to the
man next to him, “That’s my oldest uncle, Ved’s dad, and his best friend
Aravind Roy. All of them were really good friends.”
Ava looked at the adorable smiles on their faces. “They looked so
happy together.”
“Thickest of friends but unfortunately their friendship fell apart too.”
“What happened?”
“That’s a long story. But strangely all the children of these men are also
studying in Simha right now..”
Ava felt excited by that fact. “Oh! who are they?”
“Namita Varma and Samantha Roy.”
Ava was stunned. She suddenly remembered the time when Ved threw
Samantha into the water and Rana was unnecessarily aggressive toward
Nami.
“My God. Ved and Samantha hate each other and so do Rana and
Nami. All because of their dads. We have to do something!”
Her tormentor laughed. She gasped when he held her hand and pulled
her onto his lap.
“Let my cousins deal with their own things. You will be busy with me.”
 She blushed. “Oh yeah?” she asked. “Doing what?”
His mouth twisted into a devilish smile. “Tormenting you,” he replied.
She laughed and kissed him. She didn’t mind being tormented by him
forever.
He was her tormentor. And her love.

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 *****

Back on the campus, in one of the staff units assigned to the dean of the
university, Neelima Raj looked at the pictures on her table. There were two
pictures.
One was the picture of Rahul and her. Rahul was her fiancé whom she
had lost right before the wedding when he was shot during crossfire at the
country border. All she had of him right then were memories and the
bravery medals he won as a military man.
Her eyes fell on the other picture. It was of her best friend and her
during a picnic at the Simha estate gardens. Neela grew up at the Simha
estate where her mother worked as the housekeeper. Vaishanvi Simha and
she had been friends since childhood and always shared things.
Vaishu was always by her side when things went wrong. Even when
Rahul died, Vaishu helped her stay strong even when Vaishu’s own personal
life was going through an upheaval.

“Neela, how did all of this happen?” Vaishu asked, looking

disappointed.
After Vaishu’s wedding alliance got cancelled because the prospective
groom loved someone else, it led to a break in several friendships.
“We have to do something, Neela. It feels like all the mess is because of
me.”
“Vaishu, don’t think about it that way. How can you be responsible for
what happened?”
Vaishnavi shook her head. “I have a bad feeling. Before anything else
happens, I need to clear the conflicts between my brothers and their
friends.”
Knowing how soft-hearted her best friend was, Neela nodded.
Vaishu showed her picture. “Neela, I have to get everyone in the
picture back together.”

Neela had thought that her friend was unnecessarily worrying about
small fights that friends often had between each other. She thought Vaishu’s
brothers and their best friends would be estranged temporarily. But when
the conflicts went on and got worse, it made her friend sad.
When Vaishnavi passed away tragically in an accident, Neela had been
in shock for the longest time. It was the offer from Jairam Simha to take up
a position at Simha University that more or less saved her from sliding into
depression.
But even as she rose up through several positions and became the dean
of the university, one thing remained constantly in her mind—the last
wishes of her best friend.
Vaishu, I will fulfill your wish.
Neela blinked away the moistness that gathered in her eyes when she
heard someone entering the room.
“Ma, you haven’t slept yet?” she asked.
Her mother shook her head. “Why are you up so late?” her mother
scolded.
Although Neela was now middle-aged and leading the most prestigious
university, her mother still considered her a little girl.
“I was about to sleep, Ma.”
Her mother looked at the picture in Neela’s hand. “I know you miss
your best friend.”
Neela smiled. “Yes. She was also the sister I never had.”
 Her mother nodded before looking at her knowingly. “We owe the
Simhas a lot. And maybe your meddling is the only way we can return the
debt to Simhas.”
Neela shook her head with a small laugh. “I’m not meddling, Ma.”
Her mother’s smile grew. “That’s not what those Simha kids would
think if they found out the truth.
Neelima Raj didn’t reply. But there was a small smile on her face.

The End

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 AUTHORS’ NOTE

Thank you for reading Reckless Dare. We loved writing Ava’s

transformation from a shy, sheltered girl to a strong woman standing up for
herself. And also Abhi’s hatred transforming into a strong love despite their
family past. Hope you loved Abhi’s and Ava’s passionate love story as
much as we do!
Over the years, we had been receiving several messages of wanting the
extension of The Singham Bloodlines series. We were requested to write
about the next generation.
But somehow, we couldn’t imagine the Singhams turning older as
Singhams will always remain eternally young in our minds! :) So we finally
came up with the idea of a spin-off series that would be just like the
characters in The Singham Bloodlines. Reckless Dare is the spin-off of
Bound by Revenge.

We hope you enjoyed the setting of a larger-than-life fictional

university, and the story took you down memory lane of college days just
like it did for us!

Thank You
Authors P.G.Van and MV Kasi
FB/Instagram: @mvkasi & @authorpgvan

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