All that terrified 23-year-old Ayra were pink notes. Whenever she found one, she ran like hell.
This time, her frantic escape led her to the bustling city of Mumbai, where she enrolled at "Dev Scholars University."
All she wanted was to spend her li...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Elephants jumped in my stomach as I sat in the back of the cab, clutching my phone glancing at the reflection staring back at me.
I tried to force a smile and it looked horrible. I put my phone down in annoyance.
The pretentious smile always looks horrible.
At least the white pants I wore felt a little comfortable, and the striped blue top did little to cover the nervous bubbling in my stomach. My fingers traced the silver watch on my wrist.
Outside, Mumbai was a blur of honking rickshaws, busy people, and tall buildings.
Quite opposite to the life I had in mathura.
As the cab drove past the famous Marine Drive, I couldn't help but notice the couples held hands on the beach walk, their happy voices mixing with the sea air. Kids played with pigeons and frisbees.
City of dreams, more like a happy place!
As the cab whipped past them my gaze shifted from the window to my wristwatch. I don't wanna get late.
After all, today was the day - my first day at Dev Scholars University. The very name whispered exclusivity.
Getting in here was no joke. You either had oil tycoon bucks or a mind that screams intelligence with a capital I.
And, Mid-term transfers? They required both and luckily, I had the whole package. Talent, thanks to me and the trust fund money thanks to my nanu.
The cab stopped in front of these massive iron gates and my jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Whoa," I sat practically glued to the window as the taxi crawled towards the entrance. This place looked like it belonged in a freaking movie.
The driver's voice was blurred in the background. "Here we are, miss. I hope you have a good day."
I thanked him with a warm voice and stepped out.
The campus was sprawling, with buildings of red brick that seemed to stretch forever in every direction.
The one directly ahead of me was the tallest, with a clocktower that jutted up into the clear blue sky. Even from here, I could see the hands on the clock gleaming gold under the sun rays.
In front of the main building, a large manicured lawn stretched out, dotted with trees and crisscrossed by walking paths.
A grand fountain bubbled cheerfully in the center, its spray catching the sunlight and sparkling like diamonds. In the center of the fountain, a bronze statue of a serious-looking man with a book in his hand stood on a tall pedestal.
Off to the left and right of the main building I could see several other buildings, all constructed from the same red brick.
Were those buildings for the business or engineering students? I wondered, already feeling lost. Maybe even both. This place was way bigger than anything I'd ever seen.
