zeal of his love

SHORT STORY

HEY GUYS, THIS IS A SHORT STORY AS A SPECIAL REQUEST...

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"I am on my period",

The edges of Vansh's eyes stretched slightly as the words left Riddhima's mouth. He gulped down his saliva, bobbing his Adam's apple. Riddhima furrowed her brows at the sudden clench she noticed in Vansh's hands.

They were sitting in the library at the farthest corner reserved especially for nerds like her. Student of literature at the top university in the country and in their final year, Riddhima couldn't have been happier. She had everything, perfect grades, a call letter from the best publishing company in New York, all her tuition already paid, and no debt over her head anymore. She just needed to get through this final semester and tsk, fly away to the United States, her dream country, and life was set.

But she was not happy today, having been told that the final article she has to submit to receive the required extra credit points on the student's resume of the final years is not a solo activity but a group project or more like work with one partner at the least and her good luck took the worst having her paired with the bad boy of the school, the Richie rich, Burj khalifa tall and oh-god-out-of-the-world handsome Vansh Rai Singhania—the young heir to the Rai Singhania empire.

She turned her towards him, the crease on her forehead deepening seeing the red hue coloring the tip of bad boy's ears. Her eyes narrowed, making her flinch back at the abruptness with which Vansh got to his feet, almost toppling over his chair.

"Mai bas abhi aya",

(I will be right back,)

Her jaw dropped to the ground. What the hell? Eyes following the retreating back of the school bad boy, Riddhima huffed, her lips turned down in the ugliest scowl. Snapping the diary shut, she banged the pen against the table, making it jump high and land on the floor on the other side of the table. Her elbows pressed on the table, and she held her head in her palms, pulling at her hair as she gritted her teeth.

This is what she was worried about, total disregard for the studies and this project from his side. She fisted her palms, wringing her arms in the air, finally settling down her head on the table, closing her eyes. Both partners needed to provide their input on the project she would have gone ahead and done it all by herself.

But what else can she expect from someone who already has it all, his life was set ready to take over the business the soon he was finished with studies no need to burn midnight oils or go crazy about homework or worry about the basic necessities of life. How can he understand the daily fight of middle-class life?

"Toh apko farak bhi nahi padta ki hum logo ko yeh Manzoor nahi hai?"

(So you don't even care that we don't like this? That we don't want this?)

The fourteen-year-old Riddhima's throat was clogged with emotions as she managed to choke out the words. The moisture behind her eyes blurred her vision as she stared at the old lady, the warden of their orphanage peering down at her from behind those round spectacles.

"Ha koi farak nahi padta. Ab bady ho gaye ho tum log, smajh jao ki tum log koi mayi ne nahi rakhty, tumhari soch, pasand, na pasand kuch mayi ne nahi rkhta. Anatho ki zindgi aisi hi hoti hai"

(Oh, get over yourself, girl. You don't matter, your thoughts and likes, I don't give a shit about them, no one does. That's what the life of an orphan is.)