Page 51 of Born in Sin

“I love you too, Vir.” She snuggled in closer, holding on to him tight. “I love you to the moon and back.”

He held her close shutting his eyes and basking in the guilty pleasure for as long as possible.

“Happy birthday,” she whispered again, nuzzling his chest and sighing. “You’re an old man now. All of eighteen. I bet the grey hairs will start showing up any day now.”

“If they do, it will be because of Ishaan,” he grumbled, burying his face in her hair.

A low whistle split the night air and they sprang apart, looking around for the source. Varun’s smirking face was the first thing he saw. Varun had an arm slung around Dhrithi’s shoulders, the rest of his group straggling along in his wake. Virat stepped forward, shoving Celina behind him, hoping to keep her off their radar. But Celina had never stayed where anyone put her and stepped out from behind him, to stand beside him.

“Hi guys,” she said, smiling brightly to mask her discomfort. “Guess we all decided to break curfew tonight.”

“I guess we did,” Varun grinned, his unusually bright eyes on Celina’s face. Virat fought the urge to shove her behind him again, knowing it would only bring her more into Varun’s predatory line of sight. “Is this a special occasion?”

“It’s Virat’s birthday,” Celina replied cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the tense vibes in the air.

“Happy birthday,” Dhrithi murmured, her voice dull and toneless.

Virat glanced at her, the thank you hovering on his lips, unvoiced. She’d broken Amay’s heart and walked away with the biggest dick on campus. Virat didn’t understand it. He wasn’t sure he ever would.

Varun followed his gaze to Dhrithi’s face and turned his head, tipping her chin up and kissing her forcefully.

Celina glanced away, visibly uncomfortable. Virat saw her glance at Majid who’d been watching her without a word. Celina tilted her head in question at him and Majid shrugged, wordless communication that the rest of the group missed. Everyone but Virat.

Once Varun was done with the statement he was making to all of them, he released a red-faced Dhrithi and turned towards Virat, wiping his lips with the back of his arm.

“Happy birthday Jha.”

Virat didn’t bother with a reply.

“I have stuff coming in tomorrow,” Varun added. “Maybe I could give you a little gift from that.”

“Adulterated weed isn’t high on my wishlist,” Virat answered.

Varun froze, his eyes narrowing. “None of my stuff is adulterated.”

“You think?” Virat asked, an eyebrow quirking. “I guess we’ll know once you’ve smoked up.”

Varun stepped closer. “Don’t even think about spreading that rumour around campus, Jha.”

“I don’t need to spread rumours, Gokhale. Your stuff will speak for itself.”

Varun shoved him in the chest. Virat didn’t budge an inch, holding his ground. His growth spurt a few months back meant he now looked down on the shithead, literally and figuratively.

“I know what you did to Mohan Sir,” Varun murmured. “Don’t make me tell your little girlfriend about it.”

Virat smiled, a slow, chilling, feral baring of teeth. “You want to play my game, Gokhale? The one that I set in motion on this campus? Let’s do it. The shit I have on you and your friends will bury you for eternity.”

Varun blinked, unused to being challenged. “I have shit on you and your friends too.” He glanced over his shoulder at Dhrithi who was standing a little distance away with the others. “I have your friend’s girl too. Maybe one of us should take your girl too.” He grinned. “I’m sure Majid wouldn’t mind.”

A chill coasted through Virat’s body, frost sliding through him. Behind him, Celina moved to talk to Dhrithi and Majid.

“Watch yourself Gokhale.”

“I’m watching.” Varun’s eyes glittered as he met Virat’s. “Everyone will be watching by the time I’m done with you losers.”

Virat stepped closer. “That paper shuffling scam you have lined up for the exams? If you want Vara Sir in that room to allow you to pull it off, you’ll make sure you and your groupies don’t mess with me. If you do though, I’ll have him following Mohan’s footsteps out of this campus so fast your head will spin.”

“You have nothing on him.”