Page 44 of Born in Sin (Phoenix #3)

Virat followed the other boy away from the track court. The path he was taking looped around the grounds, past the vegetable gardens and towards the empty grounds by the west lawns. Virat frowned. Why would Varun be heading there? Especially without his gang.

Virat made a point of keeping a safe distance behind Varun but he wasn’t too worried since the other boy wasn’t being too vigilant. So, whatever he was doing, it wasn’t anything important. Virat just needed five minutes alone with him to make his point.

Varun skirted the final gardening shed and headed towards the far wall, making for a side gate that led off the school grounds.

Virat frowned. The gate was always locked.

As he watched, Varun slipped a key out of his pocket and unlocked the gate.

Virat’s eyes narrowed as he watched Varun exit the gate, shutting and locking it behind him.

Damn it. There was no way for Virat to follow him out the gate.

He glanced around and spotted a tree that looked sturdy enough to be climbed.

He was about to put his leg on the lowest branch when he saw the gate opening again.

He leaned against the tree, crossing his arms on his chest like it had been his plan all along to wait for Varun to come back.

He saw the moment Varun clocked his presence. He started, before stilling, a wary smirk on his face. “Stalking me, Jha?”

Virat didn’t bother replying to that. “We need to talk.”

Varun planted his feet, unconsciously mirroring Virat’s pose. “What about?”

“The night watchman has noticed the light and chatter from the grove. Tone it down.”

Varun’s eyebrows shot up. “You don’t give me orders, Jha. In fact, no one gives me orders."

"It’s not an order. It’s a warning.” Virat shrugged. “I have nothing to lose if they bust your ass.”

“Then why warn us?”

Virat wondered how much he could trust him with and decided that the answer to that was a big, fat zero.

“Dhrithi’s a friend,” he said instead. “I’d hate to have her caught up in whatever shit you guys have going on there.”

Varun grinned. “Dude, the grove isn’t about my girlfriend. It’s about so much more, so many more.”

Virat didn’t rise to the bait.

Varun stepped closer, getting right in Virat’s face. “Want to bring your girlfriend to the grove and find out what we’re up to? She’s seriously hot. I think she might enjoy the grove.”

Hot, pulsing rage swamped him but none of it showed on his face.

“Don’t be an ass.” His voice was tinged with boredom as he stared Varun down. “Stay in your lane and I’ll stay in mine.”

“My lane is every lane, Jha. Maybe you need to remember that.”

Virat could feel his pulse throbbing in his throat. This was the guy Dhrithi had left Amay for? Clearly, her marks at school didn’t indicate the presence of real intelligence.

“And every lane has curves that are too dangerous to take fast. Slow down, Gokhale, before you crash.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Varun smiled. “Don’t jump into waters too deep for you.”

“You flunked English, last term, didn’t you?”

Varun’s smile dimmed.

“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.