Usha was 16 when she was called to the principal's office along with her parents. She knew she was going to get the lecture of a lifetime, but she was happy? Her chest felt warm.

Her mother - Janvi and her biological father - Veer sat sour faced in front of the principal. They had had a long discussion in the car, about how the school had planned to blame her. She was 16 and innocent. Why didn't they protect her? And they had related the exact same speech to the Principal.

"You have to understand, Ma'am and Sir that it wasn't the male teacher who entered the girl's washroom. It was your ward who entered the staff washroom and harassed him."

Her mother crossed her arms and said, " I don't believe that!"

Veer said, " Damn right! From your talks you might think we've raised her with no values."

The principal sighed, turning the laptop he let them see the CCTV footage from outside the washroom. They clearly saw her entering the washroom after the teacher, there was a girlish scream, which was not her. Then she came out laughing and seeing the camera, she flipped the bird.

" I..." Veer was lost for words. Her mother glared at her.

After much prostrating, she was let off with a suspension. Her mother had tore into her the moment they exited the school.

" Janvi please.... she's a child!" Veer had taken her side.

" A child? This is what a child does?! I am mortified!"

" It's okay we'll talk young lady!" He told her sternly.

"This is clearly from your side of the family."

"Excuse me?" Veer was aghast.

Usha couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah...your sister. Like Aatya like Bhatiji!"

"How can you?" Veer gasped. "Well how about your sister, Khushi? She wasn't a paragon too, was she? Like Maasi like Bhanji!"

Usha rolled her eyes, they'd fight like this all the time but then she knew that they loved each other.

"Why did you do it, Usha?" Veer asked her once they dropped off her mom at her workplace.

For attention. Well, she couldn't say that, so she shrugged. But then she decided against..

" I was curious....like about the male anatomy....all these hormones."

She laughed internally as Veer cringed. "I get it. Teenage hormones are difficult to pass through. But that wasn't right."

And then he was silent for the whole ride. His hands brushed the trinket hanging on the rear view mirror. He was thinking of her. Asha.

Usha dug her fingers until her nails dug in her palms.

***

Rudra kept his face impassive, a smile effortlessly masking everything underneath.

Boarding school had been a B.S. place, but it had taught him one thing well.

Never show emotion.

Emotions were a weakness. The more you showed, the more people could use them against you.

Like this brat.

He had expected her to come today.

Rich girls like her loved him. They always thought they would be the ones to reform him. That their love would somehow turn him into a saint, and he would proclaim his undying love before they rode off into the sunset together.

They were always wrong.

There was no fixing him.

He was fundamentally broken.

And then she walked in.

She was wearing a dress short enough to barely cover her thighs, the neckline threatening to spill over with every movement.

At least she was sober.

"Hey!"

When he didn't answer, he watched her expression falter.

That was what he expected.

Rich girls like her were always almost attention-deprived.

"Was the money issue resolved?" she tried again. "I see you've fixed the table."

She knocked on it with her knuckles.

"I only take cash."

Rudra pulled the card from his pocket and tossed it onto the table. It skipped twice before landing on her lap.

She looked down.

Then slowly raised her head.

There was a flash of fire in her eyes.

He was thrilled.

She was mad.

He knew she was irritated as hell.

And secretly, it pleased him.

He waited.

The bass thumped around the club.

Even his heart raced in anticipation.

"Let's check the durability, now shall we?"

She walked towards him, holding onto his arm as she climbed onto the table in her pencil heels.

Then she stood, looking down at him.

🥀 ── ✦ ── 🥀

Usha walked around the table once, slowly tracing her fingers over his shoulders.

Then his jaw.

She grabbed his chin and tugged his face upward.

His smile didn't falter.

"Pretty durable."

In an instant, she was on her back.

He loomed over her, one broad palm cupping the back of her head, the other resting on her waist.

Her fingers wandered over his chest.

Then lower.

Oooh. Abs.

"Is this what you want?"

His palm moved over her stomach.

She nodded absentmindedly.

Go lower.

She silently prayed.

He leaned down.

Finally.

She had broken through him.

He was going to kiss her.

Usha closed her eyes and tipped her chin upwards.

"Well, you don't get everything you want..."

His lips brushed close to her ear.

"Lesson one."

He smirked.

When she opened her eyes, he was already standing.

He withdrew from her, gave her one last look, and walked out of the private booth.

Usha stared after him.

Then-

"How dare he?"

She spent an extra hour boxing when she got home.

Every punch carried her humiliation.

The bag swung violently with every kick.

Her muscles burned, but she couldn't get over what had happened.

She had lost.

Badly.

What was wrong with her?

This had never happened before.

If she wanted a guy, she got him.

Even Krish.

That man with the emotions of a cardboard box.

Her great triumph.

And yet, somehow, this stranger had gotten under her skin.

She was going to bring him to heel.

That bastard.

That-

Wait.

She froze.

She didn't even know his name.

🥀 ── ✦ ── 🥀

On the last Friday of every month, the families gathered at one of their mansions or at The Elite.

This month, The Elite Hotel was their parents' haunt of choice.

They had been doing this since childhood-the Ranes, the Sandhinis, the Raizyadas and, of course, the Kapadias.

The adults usually drank, danced and had their fun.

The children had sleepovers.

But now that all of them were over twenty-one, they had their own drinking sessions in another suite.

"I heard Krish dumped you."

Rina sat beside Usha on one of the couches, a vodka martini in her hand.

Usha rolled her eyes.

Rina was the one most like her.

It didn't surprise her.

They were cousins, after all.

"Yeah. And he's not here, is he?" Usha took another sip of her margarita. "That coward."

She glanced towards Tina, who was currently murdering a karaoke song.

"And what is up with her? Is she high?"

Mina laughed.

"I guess."

"How is it going with that guy of yours?"

As far as Usha knew, Rina and the guy were both in law school. They had been in a situationship forever.

"Ugh. We're gonna break up very soon. I can feel it."

Usha rolled her eyes.

They would get back together soon enough.

That was their pattern.

It had been their pattern since school.

"So..." Rina leaned closer. "What will you do now? Date someone else?"

He flashed before Usha's eyes.

Mr. Club Owner.

"I have designs on a guy."

"Ooh."

"Do you know X Club?"

"I do!" Rina perked up. "It's very high-end. I've heard."

Usha finished her margarita and stood.

"I'm gonna fuck the owner."

She walked towards the mini bar and stared at the collection of bottles, deciding what to drink next.

Rina followed her in heels.

"Really? Who is it? Are you sure it's not some old guy?"

She pulled out her phone.

"No way. Let me Google."

Usha settled on a vodka tonic.

A few seconds later, Mina frowned at her screen.

"Eugh... it's an old guy?"

She flipped the phone around.

Usha grimaced.

"Eww. This guy is like a hundred years old. That's definitely not him."

Rina narrowed her eyes.

As if she didn't believe her.

The door clicked open.

"RIAAAAAAN!"

All three girls yelled at once.

The baby of the group had arrived.

Riyan had recently turned twenty-one and was already in his second year of medical school.

Usha watched him turn the shade of a tomato.

"Baba, come here."

She used her elder-sister voice.

He obediently walked over.

Rina had joined them too.

"Hi," Riyan said awkwardly. "So... Krish isn't here?"

Usha laughed.

"Don't worry. That emotionless robot isn't here to ruin the fun."

She tapped the caps of the bottles.

"Now, what would you like to drink? Something manly?"

She pointed at the bottles.

"Fruity?"

"I think a beer will do," Rina said, ruffling his hair.

"Aww. You're all grown up. Your first drink!" Rina teased.

Riyan turned the shade of a traffic cone.

Usha grabbed a beer from the ice bucket and opened it before handing it to him.

"Oh, come on! Take a sip!"

She whined.

"We won't gobble you up. No matter how cute you are!"

The girls laughed.

Riyan couldn't help but turn two shades darker.

He took a sip.

Then gagged.

"Aww. How about a mojito?" Rina asked, taking the beer away.

"You'll like it."

Riyan nodded.

As far as Usha knew, Riyan would probably drink hot lava if Rina suggested it.

Everyone knew about his crush on Rina.

They just didn't take him seriously.

"Are you still a virgin, Riyan?" Tina asked casually.

Riyan choked.

"Wh-What?"

"Aww... kuchu puchu! Please stay this way!"

Tina stood on her tiptoes, pinched his cheeks and dragged him towards the flat-screen.

"Come, come. Sing a song with me!"

Riyan looked longingly at Rina.

She didn't even notice.

🥀 ── ✦ ── 🥀

"Anyways, I wanna see

your guy."

Rina turned back to Usha.

"What's his name? You know my internet-stalking skills are good."

"I don't know his name."

Usha groaned.

"But..."

She grinned.

"We can go to the club."

"I'm game."

Rina immediately rushed off to call Tina and Riyan.

🖤 ── 🥀 ── 🖤

I know I know it's been long. But my psych has put me on new meds so let's hope this can beat my depression's was.