Bad blood. 

Kunal

2020

I watched Aagnay roll his sleeves down as he took his seat across me at the lecture hall. "It's squared away," he told me grimly and I smirked. "Now that this is over, I need you to stop speaking with me."

"What's the rush man?" I flashed a grin and his jaw clenched rigidly. Fucker could feel his balls slipping away. I thought that was priceless. "I'm only getting started."

"Don't," he demanded through his clenched teeth and I scoffed. "You don't want to be fucking with me."

"Why, you gay or something?" I shot mockingly and winked at him. "I might take my chances and adjust."

He glowered. "You might be the headache I don't have a pill for." He loosened the knot of his tie; such a glorious fucker—always tried to be the best when in actuality he was the sickest of us all.

I laughed. "Probably." His jaw steeled and he pushed to his feet. "Although..." He halted in his tracks and glowered.

"There's this other thing I need you to do for me." He scowled at me icily and I snorted. "I'll be around more often as you might have guessed already," I told him and he plopped his hands on the tabletop.

"I'm listening," he told me as he bowed his head down to meet my gaze.

I grinned before I said, "I want you to establish this allegiance."

He narrowed his gaze on me. "Excuse you?"

"You heard me." I began to shut my notepads on the table. "I'll be at your party—perfect time to introduce me to your pals, I believe." His nose flared and I stifled another laugh. "Come on man, we are buddies, or did you forget the kind of secrets I know about you?"

"Consider it done," he muttered snappishly and strode out almost immediately before I could say anything. Ah, life was good.

*

Damn. Maira was hot.

I always thought the best dresses women could wear were the ones that were easy to peel off their bodies—better if accessible without removing any clothing at all, and Maira did a fucking wonderful job. The slit on her dress that revealed her inked leg taunted me and tempted me—my dick twitched against my zipper and I liked what I saw. Maybe it wasn't bad to be with her.

She smiled as I opened the door to the passenger's side of the vehicle. "You look absolutely devastating," I told her as she slid into the car and I locked the door. I was convinced I was about to have a great time.

I slipped behind the wheels and ignited the engine. "Thanks," she said and tucked a straight tendril of hair behind her ear. She avoided meeting my eyes. "You don't look bad yourself."

I laughed. "Good enough to be your arm candy for the evening?" I cocked my head in her direction and she traced her tongue on her lip piercing. Goddamn it. That mouth was going to take it all.

"Quite more than that," she said lowly and I began to pedal through the evening city. "I didn't think you'd be interested in this party anyway."

I glanced at her sideways. "Why? What's up with the party?" I turned the stereo on and pressed my feet against the brakes. "It's what everyone has been raving out, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she mumbled and I rolled my eyes after I looked past the window. I was comfortably silent with the music in the air. The evening weather was perfect for a jog or a round of football. "Look, this is getting really awkward." Maira's pitchy tone rubbed on my nerves again. "Why are we even doing this? You clearly don't like me."

I glanced at the rear and frowned at the road. "What are you talking about?"

"You wish to be somewhere else," she said and it was impressive how observant she was. "And I don't want to be around someone who doesn't wish to be around me."

"You're very funny about your fake vanity, aren't you?" I chuckled and watched the lights change their color. The vehicle was in motion again.

"Who do you think you are?" She went from pitchy to screechy under zero seconds.

"Fuck, what on earth is your problem?" My voice echoed over the music in the background and she punched my arm. What the hell?

I glanced at her briefly and scowled. "That's very kinky."

Then she was laughing. "Christ. You're an ass!" That woman was hell confusing. "Can we at least be friends? I don't know why you hate me so much."

"I don't know you enough to hate you," I admitted and she grinned. I assumed she was hormonal or high under fucking steroids. Maira was one crazy woman.

"In that case," she murmured after she turned down the volume. "Let's have some fun tonight."

"Now you're talking." I winked at her. I planned a lot more than that and I knew how to achieve that. "The night is still young."

Maira

2020

Aagnay's apartment was a testament of luxury, extravagant with a personal touch of the top stylist. The living room was crawling with familiar faces—everyone seemed to have a great time. Killer by Eminem dominated the air and someone handed me a plastic cup of foam.

Kunal dipped his mouth near my ear and goosebumps raced on the surface of my skin to the proximity. "Seems like a rad party, eh?"

"It's Bhasin's party, what did you expect?" My voice came out louder than the music and he grinned. "Here, take this." I handed him the cup and he took it. "I'll go catch up with my friends."

"I'll be by the bar," he said and I nodded in agreement before I advanced to Vaanya and Ella across the room. Ella was in the mood because she was dressed in a black bodycon that turned heads.

"Told you that dress was totally made for you." Ella winked at me and Vaanya chuckled. She handed me a glass of cocktail.

"This party is really cool Ella," Vaanya said and Ella smirked at her. "And I hate to be the curmudgeon here but we need to talk." She instantly had my attention and Ella arched a brow at her questioningly. Vaanya looked at her and then at me. "You guys need to stop with this Sambhavna girl, you guys, she's planning to take this to the dean."

"What the fuck?" Ella gawked at her and I was stunned. "How dare she?"

"What do you mean?" Vaanya shot back and I sipped the citrusy cocktail slowly. "She's a fellow student and we have no right to do all that to her."

"Relax, it's nothing more than a little fun," I drawled and Ella nudged my arm. I chuckled. "Don't take her seriously and besides, she won't be able to do shit."

"Wait, how do you even know this girl? You're barely around us anyway," Ella asserted pointedly and drank from her glass.

"She approached me to take this matter with the board," she said and I nearly spat my drink.

"Bitch what?" Ella bit out and my shoulders vibrated as I laughed. It was cute she thought the board even cared about that. She was a nobody and everyone knew that. "Did she tell you that?" Vaanya nodded silently and Ella's lips curled in disgust. "Oh my G, okay, I don't know if I should laugh at that or sympathize with her ridiculous notions."

"I managed to hold her back," she told us and I nodded thoughtfully. "So I want you guys to not repeat this, do you get it?"

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath and Vaanya gawked at me. "She got to you behind our backs." I thought that was impressive of her to get a hold of Vaanya. She was quick to sell her sorry story to her but I was in no mood to buy that.

"She actually proposed I should take this up with my mother and I promised her that I'd talk with you guys," she went on, "You guys need to stop before she goes way out of our hands."

"What do you think will happen anyway?" Ella scoffed and tossed her drink back. "Look, I propose we introduce her to the lay of this land with a fashion she isn't rather acquainted with."

"God, why?" Vaanya groaned lowly and looked at me. "You're the sensible one Maira, you know this isn't right."

"What do you mean?" I drawled and she grimaced. "She is the daughter of a bloody criminal, isn't she? I don't even know the reason behind her pathetic existence." She was by far the ballsy one I had to deal with. I secretly hated her for retaliating. She either had to disappear or she had to fear me—there was no other option. It was a thrill to witness that fear on her face. It was exhilarating and so satisfying.

"I have a plan and I bet you'll love it," Ella announced and bit her glossy lower lip mildly. "She will learn her lesson his time."

"And what lesson would that be?" Vaanya shot and I rolled my eyes.

"That she only exists in our mercy as long as she's in this city," Ella asserted and grabbed another glass of drink from the server. "I don't know about you but I demand subordination. It's effective, you should try it."

Vaanya frowned at us. "Are you seriously that bored?"

"Cut the crap Vaanya," I snapped at her and she sighed. "You're with us on this one because she crossed a line when she got to you. It's not like we're killing her. Take it more like an induction."

"She's overreacting with this," Ella added and I finished my drink. "Who even takes this seriously? And her threat of involving the management is as done as she is."

"But what if she does get this to the management?" Vaanya pitched. "Are you forgetting that CSU has certain policies?"

"Are you forgetting that my father is the Mayor?" Ella shot back and Vaanya narrowed her gaze on her. "And your mother is in the board?"

"And my father is the free pass out of anything," I snorted and Ella chuckled. "I don't care what she does but she is going down."

"Why do you guys have such bad blood with her?"

"Who said anything about bad blood?" I asked and at the same time Ella said, "We are having some fun with the newbie, it means nothing."

Vaanya threw her arms up in the air. "Don't take things too far with her," she conceded. "She doesn't seem to take things that well."

"Yeah, yeah," Ella said and waved her hand dismissively. "The real question is, are you in on this one with us?"

"Don't take her seriously," I added conclusively and frowned at her. "Wait, what did she tell you exactly?"

It took her minutes to fill both of us in and my patience wore thin. It was a fact that she was scared of us and I was already excited. I wanted to push past her limit just to see how far she'd go. She refused to give up which made it all the more exciting. It was a game she was bound to lose.

"Do you guys get how serious this is?" Vaanya's voice drew me out of my reverie and I snapped my gaze on her.

"It isn't my fault she always finds herself around me," I told her and Ella laughed in agreement. "And her sense of timing is weird. Her face is so fucking tempting—I just want to punch her every time I see her."

"Maira!" Vaanya gasped and Ella's laughter intensified. "Good god, you aren't doing anything stupid, tell me you aren't gonna hurt her."

"I might," Ella asserted darkly before I could say anything and I arched my brow at her. "Maira has a point. She does have that face."

"You guys have officially lost it," Vaanya muttered and snatched a flute of champagne from the server. "You guys are gonna get yourselves expelled."

"She's the one who should be out anyway." I rolled my eyes and grabbed a drink. "She applied for the full-ride scholarship."

"Wow, this girl keeps getting more and more interesting," Ella said lowly and I went on, "Think hard Vaanya, her father has embezzled a fortune, why is this chic into scholarships?"

"Who knows?" Vaanya drank from her glass.

"Like father like daughter huh?" Ella remarked coldly and I smirked. "First father deprives people of funds and now daughter does the same with students who are less fortunate."

"Since when do you care about the less fortunate?" Vaanya scowled at her and I laughed.

"But I do," I told her and she rolled her eyes. "I don't know but she can't get that scholarship. She doesn't even deserve it. I'd rather someone more deserving get it."

"And she won't," Ella said tersely and at the same time Vaanya said, "You're nobody to decide that M."

"Yeah, but my father is," I told her and drank from the glass. Criminals deserved shit anyway. I wasn't backing down until I had made it to the finish line.

*

Kunal didn't lie when he told me that he'd be near the bar. It felt like he owned the place. He looked so handsome with a black shirt and black denim. I loved his rich hair; it made me wonder how it would feel around my fingers. The thought made my cheeks heat. I tugged my lip ring as I approached him and he flashed his charming grin as he pushed to his feet.

He stumbled onto me but balanced himself fluidly. "Guess I had too much to drink," he told me and I chuckled. "What took you so long?"

"I had things to discuss with the girls," I said and we both took our seats near the breakfast bar. "Why aren't you with people?"

He began to pour my drink. "I didn't feel like it," he said before he added the tonic water. "How's Vaanya?"

"She's great," I chirped and he nodded silently. "And Ella too," I added. "Do you often care about everyone around you?"

He flashed a lopsided smile as he handed me the glass. "It's the least I could do," he said. "Your friends seem cool."

"Yeah, they are." I chuckled and drank from the glass. "And hot too."

"No doubt about that," he muttered lowly and I felt queasy to his remark. "You women know your assets." That was gross. I was beginning to grow suspicious about his intentions. It made me wonder if Vaanya's concern was justified.

I licked my lips. "Can I ask you something?" He gestured me to continue silently as he drank from his glass. "Why do people tend to think that women aren't safe around you?" He stilled in his tracks and snapped his gaze on me. "You do have a reputation and not a very good one at that."

He sighed and leaned closer to me; his lips were inched away from mine. It was suddenly too hot to handle. "The real question is, do you believe that?" His breath was tinted with alcohol as it fanned on my face and my thoughts abandoned me instantly. I hated him for making me feel like a weak girl. I simply shook my head in denial. "Then there's nothing to know, is there?"

"I just want to know if it's true," I mumbled and he stared deep into my eyes. It made me feel vulnerable for a hot second. "Is it?"

"That I'm a predator?" he asked and I nodded silently. He glanced at my lips and then back at my eyes. "No Maira, I don't force on women."

The relief that washed over me was palpable. He grinned as I sighed audibly. "People are shit."

"I couldn't agree more," he muttered and leaned away from me. "But I also don't happen to care about it. It doesn't matter what people think of me as long as the right ones trust me."

"You think I'm the right one?" I had butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I thought I'd jump and dance with so much joy. He nodded in agreement and I giggled. "But I thought you didn't care about me."

"Who wouldn't care about you?" he said and I felt his fingers brush against my bare knee. Electricity buzzed through my nerve endings, crackling with anticipation and I eyed the brief contact. "I mean, just look at you."

My heart flipped in my chest and my cheeks heated instantly. "I thought you didn't like me..." I gasped as his finger traced on the skin around my knee. "Do you?"

"Oh I think I might feel a lot more than that," he said to the mouth of the glass and my smile widened. "I just didn't know how to process that or bring it up with you."

His vulnerability wasn't lost on me. He was struggling to admit a lot of things and I was amazed by that. "Then why did you refuse me earlier?" I asked and he looked lost. "I'm talking about the date."

"Ah," he scoffed and chuckled. "I thought you're pulling a prank." It made me laugh. "Besides, why would I go for a coffee date when we can go for a full-blown dinner that ends with a breakfast?"

"And now you're talking," I remarked and he rolled his eyes. "I thought you cared about feelings."

"Playing hard to get never goes out of style," he remarked and I couldn't get rid of the ridiculous grin off my face. "Don't worry. I'm down for the chase." He winked at me and I threw my arms around him to pull for a hug. He rumbled a laugh lowly and caught me by my waist. "Didn't realize it'd be so easy but I like what I see."

"Shut up," I grumbled and he kissed my shoulder blade before I pulled away. "You don't even know half of what you're getting into."

His gaze swept from my legs to my eyes fleetingly. "I'm sure you'd make it worth my while."

I leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "You bet on your blue balls."

He grimaced and I leaned away. "No, my money is on every inch of what's hiding under this clothing."

My head fell back as I laughed, "You sure have the dirty mouth." And I liked it. 

~~~

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