Page 61 of Born in Sin

“I see. So, what do you suggest we do?”

“Sir, we are so close to graduation. I don’t believe the ghosts will return next year. I suggest you tell Manju Bhai to walk the South end of campus between eleven and twelve thirty every night for this academic year. He can resume his regular patrol in the new year.”

Silence met that response. And then Chandrashekhar shook his head and picked up his pen.

“Alright, we’ll work with that. You can go now.”

Virat didn’t move.

Chandrashekhar put his pen down again and eyed him. “What do you want now?”

“Sir, Ishaan Adajania’s scholarship does not cover the wilderness trip. He needs it for his sports grade.”

“I don’t see how this is my problem.”

“Sir, if you could make it your problem, I can make a lot of your other problems go away. In fact, I already have, haven’t I?”

Chandrashekhar picked up the pen and tapped it against the folder on his table. “Hmm. You’ll keep an eye on the ghosts for me? See that it doesn’t get out of hand?”

“Yes, Sir. I promise.”

“I’ll see that Adajania’s name is included in the wilderness trip.” Chandrashekhar chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Politics, Jha. That’s where you belong. With your skills, you could be king.”

I’d rather be the kingmaker, Virat thought. But like most of his thoughts, this too was one he kept to himself.

Chapter Twenty-One

VIRAT

Virat pulled out a highlighter and stood before his whiteboard, gathering his thoughts.

Behind him, Ishaan groaned. “Not another one of your charts.”

“The man does love his whiteboards,” Kabir mused, taking a sip of black coffee from an extra-large mug.

“That shit is going to eat through your stomach lining if you keep chugging it like that.” Amay’s disapproving doctor drawl cut through the low hum of chatter filling the room.

“Cut me some slack, Doc,” Kabir replied goodhumouredly. “I’ve been up all night.”

Virat’s hand clenched around the highlighter. Up all night. Of course, they’d been. She was at his house when he’d called first thing in the morning. They. Had. Been. Up. All. Night.

“Are we ready to get to work?” he snapped, his carefully groomed control snapping like a twig under a boot.

“Hate to bring it to your attention, mate,” Kabir answered. “But you’re the only one working. The rest of us are doing this for kicks.”

“Kicks?” The low, guttural growl that erupted from Virat’s throat had even Ishaan looking at him alertly.

“Kicks was the wrong word,” Dhrithi interjected. “Kabir didn’t mean it. I’m sure.”

“Kabir can speak for himself,” Kabir butted in, wicked amusement dancing in his eyes. “In case you’ve forgotten Mr. Jha, I’m the one out there fraternizing with your enemy. I have no skin in the game and yet, I’m the one-“

“No skin in the game?”

The words were a blade sheathed in silk.

“Your girlfriend, the woman you love, was destroyed by these men and you say you have no skin in the game? What the fuck kind of love is this anyway?”

“I-“ Kabir began but another voice entered the conversation.