Page 22 of Reckless Dare

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.

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