Page 68 of Born in Sin

“I’m not the one pushing this. Chandrashekhar Sir wants it to fly under the radar until graduation.”

Varun’s jaw clenched. “I’ll decide what the radar monitors. This is my school. My father is one of the largest donors.”

“As is mine.” Virat wasn’t willing to budge on this.

“Ahh but Jha.” Virat’s grin widened again. “I’m the Gokhale heir. You’re just the bastard your father needed to stash out of sight. It’s not the same.”

“Is that supposed to hurt my feelings?” Virat asked, raising an eyebrow. “Facts don’t hurt. But if you get caught with the shit you’re up to in the grove, it’s going to hurt really bad.”

“Do you even know what we’re doing there?”

He did and he didn’t. Drugs and sex was his best guess. The moaning and groaning noises Manju Bhai heard were far more earthly than he thought. No self-respecting ghost was going to sound like that.

“Do you want to risk expulsion so close to graduation?”

“I’ll say this again. This is my school. No one would dare expel me. My father would bury them in the foundation of this school if they tried. That includes you. And then, where would that leave your pretty girlfriend?”

Done with the posturing, Virat gestured to the gate behind Varun. “What was that about? Drugs? Was your supplier waiting for you?”

Varun’s responding smile was sly, making Virat’s skin crawl.

“A supplier, yes. But not for drugs.”

Virat put his hands up in the air, done with the conversation. “I’m not looking to mess with your shit man. But if the nightwatchman stumbles upon whatever you have going on, it might be harder to cover up than either you, your dad or Chandrashekhar expects. Just tone it down and let’s all graduate in peace.”

“No one will stumble on anything.” Varun said, sobering suddenly. He seemed to think it over and then he nodded, seriously. “Okay. Thanks for the warning. I’ll take care of it.”

Taken aback by the abrupt about face, Virat frowned but decided to take the win. He nodded once in acknowledgment and turned away, intending to head back to school. But something Varun said stuck in his mind like a thorn in his flesh.

“Supplier of what exactly?” he asked, even though he was pretty sure his gut knew.

Varun grinned. “Entertainment for the grove.” He strode forward and slapped Virat on his back. “Don’t worry. The watchman won’t hear or see a thing. I promise.”

Virat shrugged off his touch, disgusted. They made the walk back to the main building in silence and branched off towards the cafeteria.

It was much later as Virat was lying in bed that he realised that something didn’t feel right. His instincts were screaming, a loud shriek that seemed to rise from his very cells. He needed to check on what exactly went on in the grove tomorrow. First thing in the morning, he promised himself. He fell into a restless, disturbed sleep with dreams of following bobbing lights into wooded areas only to be attacked by monsters there.

The next morning Virat woke with a heavy head and a disturbed conscience. He wandered down to the cafeteria for breakfast and found Amay and Ishaan huddled over plates of steaming idlis.

“Vir, you heard?” Ishaan didn’t even bother with a grunted good morning.

“Heard what?” Virat sat down on the chair, rubbing his face with his hands, his eyes gritty and dry.

“The nightwatchman was beaten up very badly last night.”

A dull roaring filled Virat’s ears as he stared at Ishaan uncomprehendingly.

“Nobody knows by whom,” Ishaan continued, digging into his idli. “But the betting pool has dibs on either burglars or some girl’s boyfriend trying to sneak in to see her.”

“Didn’t Manju Bhai see who did it?” Virat asked, his calm voice completely unrecognizable to his ears.

“If he did,” Ishaan said, slurping up some sambar. “He can’t tell anyone yet. He’s in a coma.”

“Vir? Are you okay?”

Amay’s questioning voice had bile rising in his throat. He pushed back from the table and ran for the bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet, retching and bringing up the pathetic contents of his practically empty stomach.

No, he thought. He was most definitely not okay.