Page 41 of Born in Sin

Naveen’s smirking face appeared on the screen, his pupils blown as was the norm for him. He sniffed, wiping the back of his hand under his nose, as his gaze swept over Amay.

“Did you alter your father’s tuxedo to fit you, Aatre?”

“Are you still in seventh grade, Kumar?” Amay drawled, sounding bored. “Your supposed insults haven’t grown along with your paunch.”

Majid appeared behind Naveen, placing a hand on his shoulder. Whatever he murmured was inaudible over their headsets. Naveen nodded and shrugged.

“Bhabhiji,” Naveen said next, a sneer twisting his lips. “Widowhood looks good on you.”

“Being an asshole doesn’t look good on you.” Dhrithi’s serene voice came through clearly though she wasn’t visible on the screen. “But then nothing really looks good on a cokehead loser.”

Virat watched the vein in Naveen’s head throb as he glared in the direction of Dhrithi’s voice. Ishaan leaned forward in his seat, tensing.

“Amay’s there,” Virat murmured, even as his own senses went on high alert. Ever since Mayukhi had been kidnapped by the Dusty Devils, Virat and his friends did not make the mistake of underestimating them.

A flash of yellow appeared in the corner of the screen, sunshine in a slim frame. A strange voice interrupted the toxic conversation taking place.

“Dr. Aatre, I’d like to introduce you to Ms. Cara Ferns and Mr. Kabir Raizada, our primary donors for the new, not for profit, pediatric cancer wing.”

Virat watched Naveen and Majid’s faces as the conversation continued without them. There wasn’t a flicker of recognition on either of their faces as they stared in the direction of Cara and Kabir, only the same awe struck, gormless expression people generally adopted when in the presence of movie stars.

A lilting laugh percolated through the airwaves and Majid’s eyes sharpened for a second as he glanced at Cara but then he shook his head and turned away, looking to drag Naveen away from the conversation that pointedly excluded them.

Don’t play games with me, whoever you are. This won’t end well.

That was the last message Majid had sent Cara’s burner phone in response to her taunting messages.

“Excuse me, I don’t believe we’ve met,” Cara’s voice stopped Naveen and Majid’s exit. She stepped into view of the camerastitched into Amay’s tuxedo. “We didn’t mean to be rude by interrupting your conversation with Dr. Aatre. I’m Cara Ferns.”

Virat tensed, his fist clenching by his side.

Naveen’s mouth fell open when Cara addressed him, making him look like an even bigger idiot and giving Virat and Ishaan a view of half chewed chicken kabab. Majid just watched her, an intent look on his face. He had always been the bigger danger in the group, the most intelligent of the lot after Varun. Quiet and deadly, his vindictive depths as yet, unplumbed.

“I-I-I-“ Naveen stammered.

Ishaan snorted. “Dickhead.”

Before the conversation could go any further, the squeal of a microphone being tested echoed through the room. There was general, shared laughter and the crowd began an exodus towards the stage set up at the front of the room.

A sense of disquiet swam through Virat as he watched Majid watch Cara. He couldn’t possibly guess at her identity, could he? There was nothing of Celina in Cara, not on the outside.

“Amay.” Virat leaned into the microphone on his end. “Keep an eye on Majid. I think he suspects something.”

“On it,” Amay murmured, his voice barely audible.

Virat’s skin itched, an uncomfortable knowing settling through him. This whole plan was going to go sideways, again. And he’d just brought Cara into it for nothing.

Crestwood

It was Parents Day. The final one for their tenth grade class. They were due to go home for study leave and only come back when it was time to write the board exams.

Celina dawdled through the halls, a part of the controlled chaos and yet, a step out of sync. With her mother being a teacher, the concept of Parents Day was lost on her. Her mother just collected her report and then berated her about it over dinner. Studies was not where Celina shone. She frowned. At the moment, she wasn’t sure exactly what she shone at. But she was sure she’d find it…whatever-

Her thoughts scattered as she caught sight of Virat. She looked for his father’s manager, Sharan Chacha, but the older man was nowhere to be found. Celina frowned. Had he not come? It was almost lunch time. All the parents and guardians had already arrived.

She was about to go up to Virat when she saw the man beside him shift and turn, the light from the window hitting his stern profile. Her breath caught in her chest as she stared atthe older man, a mirror image of the boy she loved. Virat’s father, Raghuvansh Jha, had come! Her stunned gaze darted to Virat’s face, but she saw no expression on it. Father and son watched each other, their faces impassive, eyes blank.

Then Raghuvansh Jha gestured with one hand to the door that led to the school gardens. Virat followed him without a word. Alarm flared within Celina as she watched Virat. Something wasn’t right. He looked stiff, emotionless, like a puppet whose strings were being pulled. She followed at a distance, hoping to be of some help to Virat.

---