Rags To Royals (Royal #1: Book 1) | ✔

58

-• lurking dangers •-

The phrase every action has its equal and opposite reaction came true in the literal sense the very next day of school. Anagha and Atharva were absent and I couldn't stop thinking just what went down between them and their father after mystery man delivered the letter safely. I just hope whatever I did doesn't have bad consequences. What if they are shipped to the States immediately rather than a few months later? What confuses me more is Yuvraaj's decision to call off the punishment so abruptly. If I remember correctly, he made it look like an irreversible decision, but that evening, he practically dared me to go against his words if I wanted to help Anagha.

Frequently, I feel like Yuvraaj is more mysterious than the mystery man. Oftentimes, his actions make no sense to me. He's like a propelling force that impacts your head and fusions your thoughts. I can't understand him no matter how hard I try.

The mystery man must have a reason that he's doing all of this. His identity is hidden from the world, and maybe, even his existence. Vengeance is a powerful emotion, and a person driven by it certainly has a solid reason to choose this path. So somewhere, I want to give him benefit of doubt.

But Yuvraaj?

His involvement in this makes no sense. Is their past somehow interconnected? Does it have something to do with his ex-wife? Who's Virat Rajawat? How does my father know him? Is mystery man one of Rajawats? How was he in the Rajawat Estate that night? What did he ask me to do to Shourya? Is Shourya's lost memory a result of what I did to him that morning?

I swear, everything's such a mess.

"What's wrong?" The science teacher suddenly asks, focusing on me.

"Huh?" I meet her eyes, my head absolutely empty of the context. Did I do something? Or did I speak aloud?

"You sighed," she mutters. "Did you not understand what I just explained?"

"Oh," I look down at the textbook. "I- I did."

"Sure?"

"Yup," I force a smile on my lips.

She nods and resumes explaining the next concept. This time, I focus on focusing to what she's teaching. We're starting final practicals tomorrow and I'm aware of how much I suck at taking readings and handling the apparatus. I just hope they don't make us sit according to our roll call. Because apparently, and that's how unlucky I am, R is the last surname in our class of twenty two students and it belongs to one and only, Mr. Shourya Rajawat. So if we're made to take practicals as per our roll number, I'll be seated right next to this guy, who tests my patience like that's the sole purpose of his existence.

"Now that I've explained this to you, let's take it to the lab. I'll perform the practicals for you so you can understand the concept completely." She gets up and grabs her stuff. "You know where the lab is. I've to stop by the staffroom for a moment, so go ahead and wait for me." She drops the keys to the lab on the table. "Take these with you." And she walks off.

Shourya picks up the keys and exits the private room. I follow him after packing my backpack. "I've a question," I say in a soft voice, not really keen on making a conversation with him, but his surname evokes a lot of questions in my head. And while I've no hope that he might know something, what's the harm in trying?

"Good for you?" He looks at me weirdly.

I roll my eyes. How come someone so smart can be so dumb sometimes? "I mean, I've a question for you."

He sighs. "What?"

"I don't expect you to answer, so you can say no. I'm just curious."

"Is there a probability I'll be offended?" He glances my way.