Page 51 of Reckless Dare

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.

*****

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.

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.

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