Dastaan Jo Likhun

Ch 30. Predatory Players

___________ Context __________

I have used images to aid in storytelling, so please read through the texts to get the subtext and play the bgm attached when prompted to get the full experience.

Note: This chapter involves multiple time jumps so please follow along and enjoy!

##########################################################################

Random Tuesday, in June

Time: 3:23 pm

[Clear skies in the impending rainy weather]

[2 months after]

High school, a time for youthful awakening. 

A joyride where childhood often transitions to hormonal haywires of harmonious hellfire. Burning bright bubbles bursting with hopeful highlights of mellow maple memories.

Much like the foundations of a formative friendship... budding within the rose bush with thorny threads. A pink bud, aglow of a recent disbelieving acknowledgement... connected to a bleeding red bloom, cloaked with the past veiled into the present.

Shrouded in lush greenery, where honey eyed predatory glares remain watchful... Observing from their vantage, how other runts cover their trail to circle the prey they had their eye on.

With a sneer, he touched his tongue to the roof of his mouth as he observed a bumbling fool approach his object of affection. 

Cornering her near her locker. The 4th time this month.

You see, any fresh face usually captures the attention of the stale observers with a glance.

Like a new portrait on an art exhibition. 

Waiting to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, unless it's an exclusive... already marked off by a unique collector who wants no other.

Much like our main character, aka, Abhimanyu 'totally not ok' Birla, who leaned near the entrance like a watchful guard dog... not approaching as he was on a tight leash. Her horrendous clauses.

'One kick to the head and he'll go down like a domino,' he scoffed as he rolled his eyes at the utter tom foolery happening in front of him.

The tom mumbled off something about her refreshing performance, which it was, and how he really liked her rendition of it. 

And his clueless prey, just took it as a compliment and politely shook her head in her humbleness. Just one sign of discomfort from her and he'll bare his teeth to ward off the incoming threat.

'Gaav basa nahi aur lootere pehle agaye!,' he mused, mouthing curses at the idiot he stared down from a distance.

Meanwhile, a hesitant Akshara just wanted to take her bag from her locker, when a classmate from the music department who had observed her performance approached her.

Not one to be impolite she just accepted his compliment humbly, not really inferring any nefarious intentions. Because how could she when it was her first time in a social setting with the other gender.

Wasn't it polite to make small talk ?... Naïve

You would think her intuition would take charge... but all she could feel at the moment was the glare on the back of her head... that was not really aimed at her but the idiot blocking t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶  her time.