'Armatures.'

Sambhavna

2020

"Ready for the big day?" Papa beamed as I wandered to the kitchen counter to fix some coffee.

"Do I have to be?" I mumbled, setting the pot on the stove and pivoted to face him across the counter. "You know I don't have to be in such an expensive college. I can always go for public universities." Besides, I was enrolling in the mid of the session. That was bound to be overwhelming.

He looked at me past the newspaper. "Nonsense," he muttered and set the papers down with a quick rustle. "This university promises a bright future and I want the best for you."

"But Papa—"

"This subject isn't open for debates," he told me and I deflated. "After everything our family has been through, you need it."

"Universities don't matter," I grumbled softly and he scowled at me. "It's always upon the students to build their futures." I never understood the appeal about the jazz that followed brand names; locals did the trick anyway.

"Except they don't offer the best opportunities and exposure." His voice was gentle and I grabbed the pot from the stove. "I don't want you to wind up like me, darling."

"I know," I mumbled again and poured the coffee into the mugs. "Anyway, it's too late to back out now, isn't it?" The tuition fee had already been paid and I couldn't gain second thoughts even if I wanted to.

"You tell me if you need something," he said fervently and I smiled before adding some cream to the coffee. "You know I will do anything for you."

"Of course Papa." I handed him the steaming mug of coffee and he grinned. "You always have and you always will," I added some sugar to the mug and stirred it slowly. "And just so you know, I'm your daughter—I was born ready."

That made him laugh and he blew the steam off the surface of the mug. "In that case, I want you to do your best in that college. Okay? Make me proud."

"Oh I already have my plans," I grinned enthusiastically. "Don't worry. If it all pans out accordingly then I'd be on a scholarship roll next year." I never wanted him to be weighed down by my future.

His features had a tint of pride, triumph and so much love, it made my heart squishy. I loved my father dearly and there was nothing I wasn't willing to do for him, and he knew it.

"You have always made me proud Sambhavna," he admitted placidly and my cheeks flushed.

"Thanks, Papa." I kissed him on his cheek and promised, "I will always make you feel that way."

*

Caliber Sigma University was grand and exquisite. The students, however, intimidated me; I was starting to gain second thoughts about everything—I failed to imagine myself being friends with the rich kids. I finished the paperwork before the lectures commenced and ambled to take a seat in the front row.

I gauged the fellow students wander into the room as I flipped through the pages of my book. The hum in the room grew louder and I did everything I could to ignore the clamor.

"What do we have here?" That question faltered my attention and I averted my gaze on the woman in front of me. She looked like a classic Goth queen, all back and dark. My gaze was fixated on the piercing on her lower lip. I thought that was so cool.

The laughter in the room coiled into the air and I pressed my lips thinly. "I'm Sambhavna," I told her softly and held my hand out.

She arched a brow and then looked at my extended hand. She scoffed. "And I don't care." The laughter intensified and I retracted my hand quickly. That was exceptionally rude. "That seat is taken." I darted my gaze around my belongings and gulped the lump in my throat. I stared at the floor and then at her. She scowled at me. "Are you fucking deaf or something?"

"No, I'm just wondering about the placard that talks about seat reservations, do you see it anywhere?"

The laughter soon morphed into gasps and she tugged on her lip ring silently. She shook her head and looked away. "Okay, allow me to tell you how things work around here."

"No thanks." I waved my hand dismissively and the laughter swirled again. She glared at the crowd and the buzz died down. Okay...I was starting to understand that she wasn't to be messed with. "Look, this is a lecture hall and not a bar. I don't know what your deal is but I want you to leave me alone." I took my seat back and browsed through my book, waiting for her to pick on someone else but she didn't budge.

"Do you know who I am?" she snapped at me and I smirked after I looked at her. "You have no idea about the shit I'm capable of."

"In that case, shouldn't you be in jail or something?" The goth queen was wearing me down. Rich kids made no sense—they thought they were invincible and entitled for reasons that were beyond me.

She snorted and flashed a grin. She was beautiful, I'd give her that. "Damn girl, you've got balls." I had no idea how to process that. Was that supposed to be a compliment? "Meet me in the cafeteria. I'm sure my girls will love you."

*

The cafeteria was a large hall that housed hordes of tables, chairs, and bean bags. It was somewhere between a café and dining hall and I was already making plans about all the ways I could spend my time in the luxurious expanse. I paid a few bills to the vendor and made my way to a vacant bean bag silently when the goth queen popped out of nowhere and blocked my way.

"Where do you think you're going?" she shot and I stepped back reflexively. I'd admit she rubbed me in the wrong way. I wasn't at ease and it intimidated me. "Come on, join us."

"No, I'm good," I told her and began to walk but she gripped my upper arm tightly before I could make it past her.

"You don't wanna piss me off," she warned through her clenched teeth and I looked away, mentally debating over my options. I wasn't going to retreat and fall for her notions.

"Or what?" I shot back and pivoted to face her. "What are you gonna do? Tell your daddy how the newbie doesn't care about your madness?" I arched my brows challengingly and her nose flared with rage.

Another woman skated to us just in time. I assumed she stepped in to diffuse the tension. She was...gorgeous. What was this place? It beat me how women around managed to look like people right out of the front covers of some fashion magazines.

Her gaze was piercing when she glared at me. "I'm sorry, why are you standing here again?" Oh, she was snarky, to say the least. "And what's with you talking to random bimbos?"

"She isn't random," the goth queen told her and at the same time I snapped, "I'm not a bimbo."

She rolled her gray eyes. "Semantics." She held her hand. "Enough with the crap M, we have better things to deal with."

"Not yet, E," she muttered and smirked. "This is getting fun."

M—the goth queen stepped closer to me and I backed away from her but not enough. It dawned on me then, that she was a bully, rich and damned. She tossed my entire lunch on the floor and my jaw dropped as I gaped at the soiled contents of my tray on the floor.

The cackle sliced through my senses and I winked convulsively to stop my tears from leaking. "Is that all you've got?" I asked icily and their laughter died down. "Armatures don't scare me. I think you need something more than that to offend me."

E—the other girl arched her perfect brow at me. "That tough show couldn't help the best of the people I know and you think it's gonna save you?"

"You have messed with the wrong kind," M bit out gruffly and bile surged to my throat. "This will only end when I'm through you." That dark warning wasn't lost on me. I was ashamed and afraid, the jeering of my peers was the fuel to the fire and I was frozen to my stance, wondering what I ever did to the girls but it was pointless, I figured.

I just needed some quiet and away from the mess I had stepped into. I wasn't a bully nor did I ever fall prey to the antics. I was the quiet one—the obedient one and these girls shook me to my core. I bolted without looking back, deciding for some much-needed space and away from the cheering laughter in the cafeteria.

Mayank

2020

I was prolonging the inevitable. I knew it and I was still at it like a fucking moron.

I stared at the name flashing on the home screen of my smartphone. What did she want? I sighed heavily and pressed my head against the seatback. My life was screwed up as it was—a blast from my past was the last thing I needed.

The incessant buzz didn't stop—it continued to the point I felt like throwing the damned thing out of the fucking window of my car. But despite my dismay and frustration, I swiped on my screen and answered the line.

*

My keys jingled as I unlocked the door to my office room. The halls were empty and deserted, which gave me the impression that the lectures had already commenced. I stepped in and growled lowly. I hadn't realized that organizing the room was in the memo. For fuck's sake it was one of the best institutions in the west, wasn't it? I shut the door and shrugged out of my waistcoat before I began my work.

It wasn't until after a few hours, I heard a knock on the door and at the same time, my smartphone began to buzz on my desk. I could've sworn I was waiting for a car to crash into my office and run me over. I rolled my eyes and muted my phone before I sauntered to the door.

Upon unlocking the door, I was greeted with a warm smile and crinkled eyes of a lady in her mid-forties. "Is there something I can help you with?" I was confounded and it made no sense why an old lady would have anything to do with me.

"I'm here for you," she told me and my scowl deepened. She smiled again and I was gawking at her like an idiot. "To help you organize your room? To set things for you so you can begin to work soon."

What an awful sense of timing, I thought. "I'm sure that won't be necessary," I told her and her brows deepened to a bewildered frown. "You see, I did it all myself." I opened the door further for her to step in and she grew pale as her gaze wandered around the room.

"I—Jesus." She pivoted to face me and I shut the door. "You didn't have to. Cleaning is my full-time job and—"

"Ah, that's alright." I smiled to comfort her but she was out of sorts. "You don't have anything to worry about." I walked past her to my desk and fetched my waistcoat from the chair.

"No, you don't understand." Her voice faltered and I looked at her. "If the administration knows that I skipped my work, they would fire me."

"They won't," I assured her immediately but she didn't look convinced. I shrugged into my coat fluidly. "I wouldn't have let an old lady do the heavy work for me anyways. So that's there." I grinned at her and her returning smile was so kind, it reminded me of my mother. I missed her. "I'm Mayank, by the way." I held my hand out to her and she gaped at my stretched hand.

"Why are you introducing yourself to the cleaning staff?" she asked lowly but took my hand anyway.

I shook hands with her. "Because this place is garbage without you guys." I shrugged nonchalantly and she chuckled.

"Well, I wish people thought the same way about us." She began to organize my desk and I let her.

"Hey, I'm sorry you're looked down upon," I told her softly and she stilled in her tracks. "You don't deserve that and I know how screwed up that is but you don't have to do anything for me."

"I don't need your pity," she muttered and continued to work. I chuckled. "I also provide domestic services," she asserted. "If you require a maid just in case."

I pondered upon her proposal. I was in desperate need of one but I also didn't want an old lady to work for me. It was even more confusing because I liked her company already. "I'll hire you if you can make Chicken Tikka Masala."

The smile that broke free from her face convinced me that I was making the right decision. "You're in luck. My son says that's my specialty." Ah, at least something was good about the day.

*

I craned my neck so hard I'd nearly snapped a muscle or two. The clamor of the tray of food against the floor dissipated into the jeering laughter of the students and I narrowed my gaze on a couple of ladies in the middle of the room. No wonder the dean had told me these kids were in desperate need of a counselor; it was fucking haywire.

Their conversations were indistinctive and lost in the crowd but I had a bad feeling about it. I was interrupted by fellow staff and paid for the lunch before I decided to eat back in my office room. But before I could intervene in the matter, one of the girls fled out like a Shebat and I immediately started to regret—I should have done something about them—should have intervened earlier. There was a student out there who was probably wondering what her fault was, thinking where she went wrong, and was probably wondering why college had to be so damned hard. I sighed heavily and sauntered out of the cafeteria.

If it was anything that I learned from my past mistake was the fact that life was never easy, let alone people, and death, on the other hand, had always been tempting, convenient of an escape out of the chaos. All anyone had ever needed was a push and the freefall to the abyss transpired. Insane how the world works, someone revives hope to live another day by blinding someone else's, and the vicious cycle goes on until someone snaps and winds up six feet under.

That had to be stopped. I'd had enough instances to sit back and watch people spiral out and suffer in silence. These kids needed help; someone to knock some sense into them and I happened to know just how. 

~~~~

Hello Darlings! 

I know I'm late but I have an important accouncement to make. I will be uploading batch of chapters together from tomorrow. Please bear with me on this because my schedule is haywire but I will finish this book, at least I will try. 

With that been said, I will explore a lot more behaviorial and psychological aspects of people in general through my characters so trigger warnings! You have been warned. 

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Happy Sunday!