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Chapter Text

“Out of the way!”

Nisha threw herself to the right, elbows hitting the wall as she flattened herself against the posters of the university chancellor and his million-watt smile. A motorbike with three guys on it sped past the hallway.

“What the fuck.” This was not how Nisha expected her first day at Southern University of Chennai would go.

Whistles and angry shouts followed the guys as they veered out of sight. Two older guys, one with a shiny bald spot on his head, limped after them.

“First time?”

Nisha looked to her left. An older guy was grinning at her. He had wide, friendly eyes and was sporting a funky mullet hairstyle.

“Motorbike in the hallways wasn’t really on my schedule today.”

“Ah, you’ll get used to RDX.”

“RDX?”

“Robert, Dony, Xavier. They’re always causing trouble.” He grinned and wiggled his brows at Nisha. “Hey, you a sucker?”

“What?”

“Idiot!” A bigger guy moved behind him and whacked him on the back of the head. “She’s gonna think you’re a pervert.” He looked at Nisha with a bored expression on his face. “S-U-C-E-R. Pronounced ‘sucker’. Basically anyone who studies here.”

Nisha nodded slowly, not sure if she should detach herself from the wall and run. The big guy looked like he could knock someone out with a single punch.

“Sivakarthikeyan,” the guy with the mullet said, grinning. “Just call me Siva. And this is Vijay Sethupathi. He’s the captain of House Ursa Major. And I’m the vice-captain.”

“What’re you doing at the arts and sciences building anyway?” the one named Vijay asked. “With all your bags?”

“Uh…” Nisha drew her tote bag to her chest, self-conscious of the rolled paaya under her arm. “I was told the hostel was around here.”

“Who told you that?” Vijay asked.

“Um… Some kid with light eyes and curly hair –”

“Sandy,” Vijay said through clenched teeth.

“Chocolate coffee guy?” Sivakarthikeyan clarified.

“He was messing with you,” Vijay said to Nisha. “Avoid that guy. Unless you need a choreographer for a performance. Women’s Hostel is this way.”

Nisha followed quietly as they exited the building only for Siva to throw himself on some bushes as the motorcycle with the three guys flew past him and into a streetlamp.

“Yov! Watch where you’re driving!” Siva said.

But RDX either didn’t hear or didn’t give a damn because they jumped out of the motorbike. One of them – the one with longish curly hair and one crucifix earring on his left ear – gestured at the fallen bike.

“I can’t just leave this here, my dad will kill me!” he shrieked.

“Xavy, leave it!” the bulkiest of the trio said. “If Rolex catches us, we’re done for.”

The tall, thin one of the group knocked his shoulder with the back of his hand. “Nevermind Rolex, Dony. Leo will kill us himself if we’re late.”

“Leo,” Vijay said with a long-suffering sigh. “Should’ve known. That nepo baby bastard.”

Xavier cursed under his breath but left his motorbike as he ran after his friends.

“Who’re Rolex and Leo?” Nisha asked. She needed to know which students to avoid if she were to finish her degree with her sanity intact.

“Rolex is –” Siva began but Vijay cut him off with a quick shake of his head.

What a boss , Nisha thought, butterflies somersaulting in her stomach.

“Nevermind them,” Vijay said. “Rolex, you can’t escape him. He’s big in this school. But if you ever hear that a certain Leo Das is connected to something, run away and don’t look back.”

Nisha’s eyes widened, and she nodded slowly. “Right. Anything else I should know?”

Vijay stepped forward, eyes staring intensely at her. “Just stay away from Leo and Rolex’s rivalry, and you’ll be fine. Oh, and don’t be late for the orientation program in the afternoon.”

***

“Today is Day 1.”

Silence filled the auditorium as Rolex stared them down. The first years stared back in fear. They must have heard the rumors about him now. He’s named Rolex because he hates people who wear a rolex. He’s named Rolex because he only likes people who wear a rolex. He’s killed people for a rolex. He’s the heir to the rolex HQ in India.

The last one really made his blood boil. He had neither father nor grandfather who gave him a ladder he could climb to where he was now. He worked hard for everything he had. He scoffed at the sea of anxious faces. He bet most of them got into SUC because of their parents’ money or connections. Or both. His face darkened.

“From today, you will all be starting from scratch!” His voice boomed across the auditorium. “You might think that the fact you got into this prestigious institution is enough to grant you a lifetime settlement of riches. I’m here to tell you now that nothing happens without hard work. Father, grandfather… I had none of that support when I started.” His lips curled into a sneer. “If you think that you’re going to get special treatment just because your father is on the board of –”

“Such an inspirational message!” the Dean of Academic Affairs suddenly said, clapping and standing up. He crossed the stage to pat Rolex’s back. “Thank you, Chandru.”

Rolex opened his mouth, but the dean cut him off by suddenly talking about the history of the university. Rolex went back to his seat, narrowed eyes scanning the crowd. His eyes found that girl that Vijay told him about this morning. Has potential, he had said. Didn’t seem like one of the sheep. And then his eyes landed on a boy who had bumped into him this morning on the way to the auditorium. Big messy hair constantly getting in his eyes, a small stature, thin, with a haunted look. He looked like a fighter.

And then Rolex saw him. Second row from the back. Simbu. One of Leo’s boys. Rolex narrowed his eyes. What was the idiot planning now?

The dean continued, “During World War Two, our university –”

A loud noise, a whistle like a firework about to explode, was suddenly heard in the room. The dean looked around, confused. And then the noise exploded.

The older man threw himself behind the podium, screaming. The newbies also fell off their chairs, shrieking. Rolex turned to his left to look at Vijay’s reaction. The other man merely folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. “It’s that nepo baby bastard.”

The words were barely out of his mouth when loud kuthu music blasted from the speakers. The dean gingerly stood up, helped by some of the teachers and students. Then a couple of guys went on stage and turned to the curtains.

One of them, Rolex remembered he was called Dony, shouted, “Anna nee vaa naa, anoov nee vaa naa.”

Rolex rolled his eyes. Unbelievable.

Another guy – someone called Roby? Robert? – picked up the phrase, coaxing the one behind the curtains backstages, “Anoov please, naa, please naa, thambikalukkosaro, thambikalukkosaro…”

And they all started screaming, “Vaa vaa vaa yaa yaaaaaa!”

And as Rolex expected…. Leo stepped into the limelight, dressed in dark jeans, a dark undershirt, and a military green jacket. He wore a thin silver chain around his neck, and his hair was cut shorter than last year. Rolex refused to admit his beard and hairstyle were working for him.

He dipped his head down in a faux act of shyness before bringing it up to the crowd, a shit-eating grin on his stupid face.

The crowd screamed like they were in a fucking concert.

Leo’s grin widened at the sparkling eyes of the first years. “Naa ready dhan varava!”

Some other people in ripped jeans, designer jackets, piercings, and big cross pendants stepped up behind him and started dancing.

“I have better things to do,” Rolex muttered and stood up, but not before he caught Leo’s eye. The latter threw him a wink. Rolex's face reddened.

While walking out, he caught sight of the girl again. Unlike the other sheep, there was confusion on her face. She slowly mouthed, “What the fuck.” Rolex grinned. And then his eyes dropped to another row – to that boy with hair too big for his face. He, too, was looking at Leo like his very existence offended him. Good to know there were still sensible people out there.

“Do you see those two?” he asked Vijay, who nodded, eyes like steel. “Get their details and arrange a meeting. I’ll need more people for my campaign.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

“Now, do ten pushups and then start singing the state anthem – and no one better be out of tune.”

Leo grinned as Simbu walked around, glaring at the wide-eyed first years. He stretched his arms up and moaned at a satisfying snap when he arched his back. He opened one eye to see the first years doing jumping jacks, singing a song (badly), and one of them carrying Xavier on his shoulders. Ragging first years was always fun – especially tonight when Rolex was out of the building, something about planning for his campaign, Roby said.

He scoffed. Last year, he almost decided to go up against the current chairman – not because he wanted to lead the student council, no way. He just wanted to get Rolex all riled up. The guy always looked like he had everything under control, but Leo noticed the mad gleam in his eyes from time to time. There was something wild and insane crawling underneath that man, something that warranted that tattoo on his skin.

Leo had only caught a few glimpses of the ink. Some nights he dreamed of ripping open Rolex’s white button-up and running his hands on that tattoo. On rarer nights, he dreamed of doing it slowly, one button at a time….

“Holy shit!”

Leo jumped up from the bench just as colorful firecrackers exploded around him. People started screaming and throwing themselves behind the bushes and fountain. When the explosion died down, mischievous laughter filled the air.

“Fuck,” Leo muttered, grinning. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

Elisa stepped out of the smoke with a similar grin on her face. She was dressed in artfully ripped jeans, dark boots, a black undershirt, and a red bolero jacket.

“I can’t believe you didn’t expect that,” she said, approaching him.

“Wow,” a freshman began, eyes wide as he tracked Elisa’s movements, “your girlfriend’s hot.”

Elisa looked at Leo in disbelief. A second passed. They both burst into laughter.

Roby whacked the guy in the arm. “That’s his twin sister, idiot!”

A sigh of relief rippled through the crowd, some people saying quietly, “Thank you, Lord Karuppa, I have a chance!”

Elisa shook her head. Leo jerked his head to the girls behind his sister. “First years?”

Elisa nodded and looked over her shoulder. She gestured at one of them. This one wore square-rimmed glasses, joggers, and a green cardigan. She looked at Leo like he was the most interesting bug in the jar.

“Hey, what did you want to say to my brother again?” Elisa said, eyes sparkling with mischief.

“W-what?” the girl exclaimed, cheeks reddening. “I didn’t say anything.”

Leo raised a brow.

Elisa’s grin widened. “During the orientation earlier. You thought my brother was really cool and handsome, right?”

The girl blushed even harder.

Elisa laughed. “She thinks you’re really awesome. I don’t know why though. You’re a loser.”

Leo raised his brows and grinned menacingly. “Loser aa?” He stepped toward his sister, but then the strange girl said something that made him pause.

“So, what’s up with you and Rolex?”

Immediately, everyone fell silent. RDX nudged each other, and some of the girls in Elisa’s retinue shook their heads. One of them turned to the strange girl and said, “Dei! We told you not to say that!”

“So,” Leo began, turning to look at the girls, “what did you tell her then?”

“The Culture Fest of ‘22,” was the strange girl’s quick answer.

Everyone groaned.

“Why did you say that?” Roby asked, slapping his forehead.

“You know about that,” Leo said, approaching the strange girl. “But you didn’t know that you should never talk about it. ”

But the girl stood her ground. There was a mysterious twinkle in her eyes as they followed Leo’s face. She looked up at him, but she didn’t look scared. Leo was almost impressed.

“I didn’t force anyone to tell me,” she said quietly. “I only got bits and pieces, rumors, hushed whispers…” She shrugged. “I just put two and two together.”

Leo grinned. “You’re that good, huh?”

She nodded. “I’m so good I even know what Rolex is planning for his campaign.”

That made Leo pause. He frowned. “And how do you know?”

But she merely shook her head. A mischievous grin graced her face. “A magician never reveals her secrets.”

Leo looked over his shoulder at Elisa who folded her arms across her chest and shrugged.

He turned back to the strange girl. “What’s your name then, magician?”

“Max.”

“And what’s the price for your knowledge?”

Her face suddenly became serious, eyes dark. “I’ll tell you when I need it.”

It was like dealing with the devil, Leo thought. But Rolex guarded his plans like a dragon sitting on gold – not that Leo could blame him. After all, he was one of the reasons Rolex was so secretive.

He extended his hand. Max shook it. She grinned.

Leo scoffed. “Let’s see where this partnership will take us, eh, magician?”

Chapter Text

Vanthi stood at the gates of the Southern University of Chennai, marveling at the expansive campus grounds. Coming from a small town, he’d thought Madurai was already a metropolis, but it certainly didn’t compare to the vastness of Chennai. Vanthi certainly didn’t expect the traffic. What should have taken thirty minutes took him one hour to get to the university.

He was wearing a light blue button-up and iron-pressed dark trousers to make a good first impression, but now he was sweating buckets, with sweat stains on his shirt, and wrinkles on his trousers, not to mention his new black leather shoes were pinching his feet. He didn’t want to wear them but they were a gift from the old man, and Vanthi didn’t want to see him look even sadder.

Ever since Arulmozhi left, Vikramakesari, the five-time Kerala Kesari of Gatta Gusthi , had stopped accepting new students. He focused all his energy on his current pupils and pushed Vanthi into taking on the position Arulmozhi left. Vanthi did his best, but things had changed. After several years, Vikramakesari’s health began to wane. Vanthi took on coaching duties himself, but he was worried about their school’s declining number of enrollees.

And then a few months ago, he met an old friend, Nambi, who told him about Arulmozhi studying in Chennai. That was the ticket to getting more people to join – but more than that, Vanthi wanted Arulmozhi to see the old man again.

He stopped random strangers coming his way and asked them for Arulmozhi Varman, but no one seemed to know who he was.

Vanthi frowned at the photo in his hand. It was an old picture, and maybe Arulmozhi used a different name at this college. Or maybe he wasn’t here at all. Maybe Nambi was mistaken.

Vanthi dropped his bags as he sat on the steps of the biggest building he saw. Everything was so hot, he hadn’t had a drink of water since he arrived at the bus station, and now he couldn’t find Arulmozhi. He crumpled the picture in his hand.

And then someone kicked him in the shins and fell over him. Vanthi’s wrestling instincts kicked in. He grabbed a collar and a belt and threw the person over his head.

“Dony!” some people screamed.

Two younger guys ran over to their fallen friend, who was groaning on the floor.

“Hey, why’d you do that?” one of them demanded. He was tall and wore a shirt that said, “I ♥️ Mini”. “The fuck is wrong with you?”

His other friend, who only came up to his neck, tried to hold him back.

“Your friend kicked me,” Vanthi said, rising from the floor, hands curling into fists at his side.

“What, he didn’t kick you,” the shorter one said with a frown. “He just fell on you. Sorry, we were filming a reel.”

“A what?”

“Every Culture Fest, most popular and trending Insta reel gets an award,” the small one said quickly, eyes shining. “But you have to be part of a club or organization, and no nudity, blasphemy blah blah blah.” He took out his phone. “Here, check out our videos.”

Confused and feeling guilty that he threw someone who--apparently--didn’t attack him, Vanthi obliged. The other guy showed Vanthi a video on his phone. It was him and his two other friends doing karate moves. After the video ended, a new one started. This time, it was the three guys and one other person dancing.

“That’s Leo-na,” the other guy explained. “He’s so cool.”

Vanthi didn’t think so, but he didn’t say anything. He did think the four of them danced well, and this Leo guy did look handsome – and then Vanthi saw someone walking behind them.

“Arulmozhi!” he gasped.

The video ended, and another one began.

“No, go back, go back!” he said urgently.

The other guy went back to the video.

“Wait, there, it’s him!” Vanthi said excitedly.

“Who?”

“Arulmozhi,” he repeated, sighing in relief. Nambi was right; he was here.

The other guy looked at the video intently, and then his face broke into a smile. He turned to Vanthi. “Oh, it’s Arun. Yeah, he’s taking public administration I think. He’s in House Orion, from what I heard. Right, Dony?”

Dony, the one Vanthi threw to the floor, was on his feet, face scrunched in pain. Despite that, he approached Vanthi without a hint of resentment in his eyes.

“Yeah,” Dony said with a groan. “You’re pretty strong. Do you do martial arts? Judo?”

Vanthi grinned. “Gatta gusthi. I’m one of our star players. You guys wanna join? We’re looking for new wrestlers.”

“Nah, my dad would kill us,” Xavier said, shaking his head. “Wait, why are you looking for Arun anyway?”

Vanthi’s grin slowly disappeared, replaced by lips pursed in a strong line. He took out a picture from his pocket and showed it to the boys. It was of him and Arulmozhi, a few years younger, carrying their master’s trophy. They were two grinning boys posing beside a much older man.

Roby gasped. “You’re brothers?”

“What, no!” Vanthi pocketed the photo. “We used to train under the same master. It’s been years, and I … I just wanna see how he’s doing.”

The lie felt like sand on his tongue. There was another reason he needed to see Arun, but if he wasn't about to spill his entire life story to these guys.

“Well, he’s usually in the library at this time,” Roby said. “Smart, responsible, generous. Everyone wanted him to run for chairman. He would’ve definitely won against that psycho Rolex, but the guy just didn’t want to.”

Vanthi nodded. That sounded like Arulmozhi alright, even though he had no idea who this Rolex was.

He extended a hand to each of the boys. “Thank you for all your help.” He turned around and hooked his bags on his arms. He was already five steps away when he realized something. He turned on his heels and shouted at the boys’ retreating backs, “Hey! Do you guys know where the library is?”

***

Several thick books littered Arun’s desk. He stared at his laptop, eyes nearly going cross-eyed reading the same line over and over again.

He’d written, Systems theory acknowledges that organizations exist within larger systems.

And then he'd stopped.

And now he couldn’t get his brain to work. He put his head in his hands and let out a deep breath. Maybe he needed to get some fresh air. He’d been coming to the library since classes began, barely finding the time to join a club or meet new people. He told his father he wanted to take up public administration, all but begged him to send him to university, and proudly told his older brother Aditha that he would follow in his footsteps in politics. Dropping out in the first semester was not going to look good for his family’s reputation.

And then he heard something familiar--familiar footsteps. But it couldn't be....

He looked up to see a face he thought he would never see again.

“Arulmozhi?”

Vanthi had definitely grown up. The chubby cheeks of a twelve-year-old boy had morphed into the round but strong jaw of a young man. His shoulders were broad, and his body was thick. But the mischievous eyes and toothy grin hadn’t changed.

“Vanthi?” Arun asked quietly.

“You remembered me!” the other man said, raising his arms and stepping forward as if going for a hug.

Arulmozhi held his breath.

Vanthi’s grin faded, and his arms dropped. He cleared his throat and looked around sheepishly. “Sorry, I – Anyway…” He spotted an empty chair and dropped into it. “H-how are you?”

Arun opened his mouth and chuckled. “You came all the way from Kochi just to ask me that?”

“Yes,” Vanthi said, perking up like a labrador. His forehead furrowed. “Wait, no. I mean… Well, I did go to Madurai first to visit some relatives.”

Arun nodded slowly. “Right.... And how’s the old man?”

Vanthi’s demeanor changed. He leaned forward, a shadow passing over his eyes. “Won’t you come back to Kochi, Arulmozhi?”

Arun sighed and leaned back on his chair. “Vanthi… You know what my answer is. It hasn’t changed.”

“It’s been years!’ Vanthi said, in an almost needling tone. “Don’t tell me you still haven’t gotten over it?”

A surge of annoyance rose in Arun’s mind, prickling the back of his neck in light goosebumps. “‘Gotten over it’? Of course, I still haven’t gotten over it! It’s easy for you to say, you were never a champion, Vanthi!”

The minute the words left his mouth, Arulmozhi wanted to take them back, banish the unease in the air. Vanthi’s jaw hardened, and his eyes flashed with hurt.

“I’m not the same boy you once knew, Arulmozhi.”

Arun shook his head, sweatdrops forming on his forehead. He put up a hand in surrender. “I’m sorry. Vanthi, I didn’t mean it. Please –”

“Fight me.”

Arun gaped.

“I’ll prove to you I can be a champion.”

“Fine, you win. You’re the champion.”

“I challenge you to a Gatta Gusthi match!” Vanthi exclaimed.

“Shh!” someone hissed loudly.

Vanthi ducked his head, then glared at Arun, who calmly said, “No, I’m not gonna fight you.”

“Scared I’ll beat you?”

“I just don’t want to fight you. And I’m not interested in doing wrestling anymore.”

“Then, I guess I’ll just keep showing up every day to challenge you.”

“What.”

“I found work at this university, so you’re gonna see me every day anyway.”

Arun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, Vanthi was looking at him expectantly.

“No, I’m not doing it.” He closed his laptop and started putting it in his bag.

“I’ll show up wherever you are,” Vanthi said. “I’ll follow you wherever you go –”

“That’s stalking. Also, I thought you said you had a job?”

Vanthi pursed his lips. “I’ll follow you during my break time.”

Arun rolled his eyes. “Good luck with that.” The instinctive part of him wanted to gather all the books and return them to their proper shelves, but that would make his exit less dramatic, so he would have to leave this mess to the librarians.

He slung his bag over one shoulder. Predictably, Vanthi also stood up and tried to follow him. Arun smirked at him. “By the way, you’re gonna have to report to your supervisor if you want to keep your job.”

Vanthi’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but Arun beat him to it with a shit-eating grin and a parting line of, “Good luck trying to find me again tomorrow.”

He turned around and quickly walked out of the library, a little bit elated that he didn’t hear any footsteps behind him. Vanthi was going to take up the challenge. Vanthi would find him again tomorrow, Arun was sure of it.

And he was looking forward to it.

***

The pebbles were digging into Leo’s back, but he wasn’t ready to give up his space on the stone bench and attend a class. Sure, he could just threaten someone off another chair, but this one had shade. If he was being honest, though, there was another thing that was keeping him from going back to his classes.

With eyes closed, he thought back on what Max told him about this year’s elections. But before he could dwell on it, RDX rolled in.

“Anna,” the three of them said.

Leo opened one eye.

“Rolex has a new roommate,” Dony said, eyes wide in excitement.

“Last one bailed,” Roby said, looking around furtively before leaning forward to whisper, “Heard this one’s an ex-con.”

Leo opened both eyes.

Xavier nudged Roby. “We don’t know that he’s an ex-con.”

“Well, we don’t know that he’s not an ex-con.”

"So, what's the deal with the new guy?" Leo asked, sitting up.

“He’s name’s Ajith Billa,” Dony said. “He works part-time as a mechanic. He’s taking B. Tech Mechanical Engineering.”

“Check this out,” Roby said. “There's this wild story about him eating someone's liver, but who knows? Some folks say he's even cooler than you."

Leo’s left eyebrow twitched. "Cooler than me, huh? Well, we'll see about that." He groaned as he flexed and stretched his limbs.

“He works at Round Repairs,” Xavier said.

Leo saluted the three and looked up the shop on his phone. Just a few minutes off campus. It didn’t take him long to find it and ask for Ajith Billa. Leo found the man hunched down near the wheels of a motorcycle, the smell of gasoline in the air.

“Billa?”

Ajith Billa stood up slowly, sharp eyes tracking Leo from his scuffed boots to his silver belt and the silver crucifix on his chest. Then his eyes found Leo’s and he smirked. “Who’s asking?”

Leo cursed internally. Nobody told him this Ajith Billa was a handsome devil. Not to be outdone, Leo cocked his hip and grinned. “You telling me you don’t know who I am?”

Ajith scoffed and pulled out a dirty rag from his belt. He wiped his hands, drawing Leo’s eyes to his bare arms. The black sleeveless top was doing wonders for his physique -- not that Leo would ever say that out loud.

“Yeah, I know who you are, Leo Das.” Ajith shook his head. “I also know why you’re here.”

Leo rolled his shoulders and straightened his back. He was glad to know he was slightly taller than the other man.

“Enlighten me.”

“You and Rolex.” Ajith sighed. “I have no intention of getting dragged into your drama, alright? Just leave me out of it.”

“Or else?”

Ajith placed a hand on the motorbike and leaned into Leo’s space. “Or else you’ll know why people think I’m an ex-con.”

Leo will never admit it on pain of death, but that sent shivers down his spine -- the good kind. He cleared his throat and stepped forward, putting his hand right beside Ajith’s. “Sure there isn’t anything I can do to change your mind?”

Ajith looked him up and down. “Sorry, I prioritize my peace of mind.”

Leo clenched his teeth. “Well, you’re not gonna get that with Rolex as your roommate. He stays up late till dawn, and when he studies, he has to recite everything. Your sleep schedule’s gonna be whacked.”

Ajith shrugged. “I’m a night owl, too, anyway. I already told Chandru about it.”

Leo’s hands curled into fists. That name felt wrong coming from the other man. “‘Chandru’?”

“That’s his name, isn’t it?” Ajith went over to a workbench and shifted through the tools. “Anyway, I’ve still got work to do. Fees aren’t gonna pay themselves.” He grinned at Leo. “For some of us, anyway.”

Leo tipped his head at the man, heart thudding wildly in anger. He walked out of the shop, annoyed at Billa for having a comeback to anything Leo said. He was also annoyed at himself for not keeping a cool head. And, surprisingly, he was annoyed at Rolex.

All the students called him Rolex. Only the teachers and administrators would sometimes call him Chandru. Was Billa special somehow?

Fuck! He rounded a corner and bumped into someone. Another curse was on his lips as the other man took off his sunglasses.

Before either of them could say anything though, a short, curly-haired girl ran up to the other guy and said, “Georgy, where’ve you been? Editor’s been looking for you. Varadha just came back, and word is he's gonna go up against Rolex.”

That piqued Leo’s interest. Georgy gave him a meaningful look and said, “Big news na.” He patted Leo on the arm and ran after the girl.

Leo narrowed his eyes. Looks like it was time for a short visit to an old ally.

***

Not even the sight of the entire campus could fill the void in Varadha’s heart. He raised his wrist, his bangles jingling. He ran a finger on the biggest one. He had gained back his father’s approval, but at what cost?

He placed a hand on the glass window and swore to turn this heartbreak into a legacy. He had already lost the most important person in his life anyway. There was nothing stopping him now from taking over the university. As the student council chairman, of course.

“So, you’re back.”

Varadha raised a brow as he turned around. Leo Das, son of Anthony Das, CEO of Master Pharmaceuticals and a board member of this university. BSc in Mass Communications. Notorious trouble-maker yet somehow well-loved by the student population and many of the staff. And an old ally responsible for helping Varadha find Deva again -- except that one didn’t end the way he’d hoped.

“I thought you were happy back in Khansaar?” Leo asked, putting his feet up on the polished mahogany desk.

Considering the amount of trouble Leo had gone through to help him, Varadha let it slide.

“Things changed.”

Leo swept his hand across the entire room. “Obviously. Using your club’s meeting room as your personal office? You used to be content meeting on the lawn. You and daddy dearest patched things up then?” He nodded at the bangles on Varadha’s arm.

Varadha scoffed. “What do you want, Leo?”

The other man took his feet off the table and leaned closer. He placed his hands under his chin and grinned. “I heard you’re going up against Rolex in the elections.”

Varadha grinned slyly and placed his arms on the table. “You heard right.”

“He’s not gonna be an easy opponent.” Leo raised his hands like a showman. “I can help you out.”

Varadha could already tell where this was going. He could just reject Leo’s offer outright, but he always paid his debts, and he owed Leo a lot.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” he said, leaning back on his chair and narrowing his eyes at Leo. “I don’t see him as a threat. He’s all bark and no bite.”

Leo chuckled. “Don’t underestimate him, Varadha. He’s smart.”

Varadha raised his brows. “He’s irritable and runs around with other irritable people who like to growl and order people around.”

The mirth in Leo’s eyes disappeared. “He has a presence. People listen to him.”

“I wouldn’t call yelling and shouting signs of exceptional leadership.”

“He makes good plans and knows how to delegate. He doesn’t micromanage, but those under him don’t want to disappoint him.”

Varadha let his grin grow wide with every word coming out of Leo’s mouth. “You know him so well, don’t you?”

Leo tilted his face away, running his tongue behind his cheeks. He let out a chuckle tinged with derision.

Victory, Varadha thought smugly.

“I owe you a favor, Leo,” Varadha said solemnly, “so let me offer some free advice. This shit between you and Rolex? Sort it out before you do something you’ll regret.”

***

Leo - 0. Everyone else - 1 .

Leo's shoulders felt heavy as he gazed up at Rolex’s room. He could see him moving behind his curtains. He was near his bookshelf, probably rearranging the titles according to genre or author or some shit, anal-retentive that he was.

After fucking with his library, he was going to get himself some hot chai – not from outside, no. He would make his own because of his stupidly specific tastes. Leo scoffed. What a princess.

“Hey, what’re you doing here?”

The deep, rough voice made Leo think he’d be facing a seven-foot-tall monster of a man. Instead, he was face to forehead with a younger guy glaring up at him.

Leo raised a brow. “Do I know you?”

“What’re you up to?”

“What?”

“You’re spying on Rolex sir, aren’t you?”

Leo narrowed his eyes, and then he grinned. He remembered Max’s information. “Wait, you’re Anbu Thirumani, aren’t you?”

“ Po! ” Anbu said, pushing him in the shoulder. “Get out of here.”

“Whoa,” Leo said, unable to stop from laughing at the audacity of someone leaner and shorter than him. “Calm down, Anbu. Maybe you’re not aware of this, but Rolex doesn’t actually own the university. I’m free to stand out here for however long I want.”

“If there’s anyone here who thinks they own the university, it would be you.”

Leo chuckled, then dropped his voice, saying, “Really.”

“Rolex told me all about you.”

Something ugly curled in Leo’s stomach. “Yeah? Rolex tells you lots of things, huh?”

Anbu stepped forward, unintimidated by their height difference. “You think you’re such a hot shot, but you’re just hot air.” Anbu mimicked his chuckle. “All you do is blow –”

Leo grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “Hot air burns too, motherf–”

“Leo!” Someone wrenched his hand away. Prabhanjan appeared in his vision. “Your sister’s looking for you.”

“What happened?” he asked, his worry taking its cue from the younger man’s anxious face.

“She’s fine, she’s fine,” Prabhanjan said hurriedly. “She sent you a text, and you didn’t reply.”

Prabhanjan glanced in concern at Anbu, who was glaring daggers at Leo. He took out his phone. 5 missed calls and 5 texts. All from his sister. And then 1 missed call each from RDX. He sighed.

He opened his sister’s texts. The first one read, There’s a beer can here with your name on it .

He rolled his eyes. She called him five times for this?

The second and third were just pictures of the beer. The fourth one read Simbu has new info . And the last one read Stop pining already .

Fucking fuck!

He wasn’t fucking pining. He was over it. He was over it as soon as it ended. He wasn’t even that into it in the first place.

He put his phone in his pocket and jerked his head at Prabhanjan. “C’mon, where is she?”

Prabhanjan threw one last look at Anbu before leading Leo to his sister.

Simbu’s information better be worth it.