Chapter 2

After getting done with all the important paper work I sauntered towards the cafeteria. I had decided to take a tour of the institute, but after my horrid encounter with those man-eaters, I obviously tried to calm down.

I was still a bit restless. I’ve always been so calm and rested. I never get impulsive and let the other person take advantage of it. However, what happened a few minutes ago ---------I am unable to process it. All the four guys were weird, yet they were intriguing. Especially the one who was so close……. him.

Well, I hope we never cross paths again, I’d like to only focus on my work.

I was just thinking to myself, when someone brought me to earth.

“Is this seat taken?”, a girl asked me.

“Yeah…I mean no, please sit,” Shit!

“Thank you, by the way I’m Erika, I am an Arts student. And let me tell you, you gathered quite the attention on your first day” She remarked.

“Yeah, tell me about it, well it wasn’t intentional. Anyways I am Vinni Arora and I am a fashion designing student” She seemed friendly.

 “Don’t worry, just be a little safe from the gladiators, I ‘d say.” She suggested or warned.

“Gladiators? , seriously?”, I scoffed. “ Are they some gangsters or mafia or what?

“Bingo! they are the sons of the biggest mafia families of America, they are kind of colonials, they handle mostly everything in New York. Even the police respect them or rather fear them.” She mused

Wow, really now..

“What do mean the police fear them, they should be under someone’s control right? I mean ----how can they just be in charge of everything? Is this even allowed?” I asked annoyingly.

“Its not that simple, this entire mafia base is ancient. They have been indirectly controlling the city for ages now. And they do it in a manner that might gather attention but never damages anything. Well you can also call them vigilantes, the only difference is, no law applies to them and they can do anything. If you have a problem, deal with it or be docile enough to ask them for help”.

Oh my god !, This isn’t a movie right?

“Amazing, my first day and I bump into a bunch of gangsters, who can do whatever the hell they want and I can’t do anything about it. Great! Phewww!” I hushed

“It’s not such an issue though, they never really disturb you until you obviously intrude on them, like you did. They just mind their own business and ask you to do the same. The thing is their business can be really messy and if it involves you in anyway, you’d have to oblige” She pressed more into the topic.

“I just don’t understand this, how can they treat us like objects. Just because they are some rich spoiled mafia dons, they can’t ill-treat us. They can’t be above the law, no one is right?” I asked suspiciously

“Well, the law has never stopped them, and the tragedy with you is that-----you share the same institute as them. It wouldn’t be a problem if you were in a different institute” She said.

I got heated up and bellowed

“So because of their nuisance I ‘can’t even study in the college of my choice. Is this even fair. Who gave them the rights? Money can’t be the license to just about everything”

I was fuming with anger now. I was already processing what happened in the hallway today and now this shit. I couldn’t take it anymore.

I was now standing in my seat and I had again invited eyes on me. So much for the fresh start.

“Okay, fine just calm down now” Erika asked me to sit down and drink some water. I was so riled up but I had to sit down and drink some water.

“See I know its difficult to digest, but no one’s asking you to be their slave, because if you can fight them, then go ahead by all means, but if not then just do your work by avoiding them. That’d be much easy and peaceful, I bet” She vouched

“Yeah, I don’t care about them anyway, so I ‘ll keep my distance, but if they trouble me I will take a stand, I won’t let them dominate me”, I said

“See, its not that complicated, we can enjoy all we want. Now lets just go for our classes as its almost time”.

We started to leave but just then a group of guys in black hoodies walked into the cafeteria and the atmosphere again got tensed. They took their table and sat, owning it and chatting amongst them.

They prance around like tigers and create an unpleasant environment around. But its also true that you can’t take your eyes off them. They literally take your breath away.

Just as I was musing, one of the gladiators glanced at me with his big black eyes, and again I had that uneasiness wrapping me. We both stared at each other like hunters, well I was more like his prey but I won’t let him have that over me.

“Hey, let’s go,” Ericka shook me.

“Yeah, lets.” I deter my stare from him and went along with her. I could still feel his eyes on me but I didn’t turn back and walked out for my first class.

 
I walked into the class with all my stuff.
I had my classes in the C-block all the opposite the cafeteria. I didn’t get late though, as the professor hadn’t arrived and I took my seat in the front. Settling in I looked around the whole classroom, which was a off white well-furnished room with proper seating arrangements. I liked my desk and the vibe was so positive. It helped me cool down the tension I had just felt.

“Hey”, the guy in my right waved.

“Hello”, I smiled at him. He was looking smart, with his casual T-shirt and khaki pants.

“I’ am Carter, so glad to have someone in the front row finally”. He chuckled

“I’m Vinni, and why don’t people sit in this row? Its quite good comfortable actually. And wouldn’t even have to be vying for the teacher’s attention” I said

“Yeah, but still people never sit here, actually the professor’s really strict. She won’t leave you anyways and sitting in the first row-----makes you an easy target” He warned

“Umm, I see, but its cool. I ‘ll do my best to impress her” I confidently said.

 
After the class I and carter walked out in the hallway talking about the assignments.
The class was pretty good actually. Yes, the professor Calvin is quite strict and believes in first impressions. However, my first impression was a mixed one. Seeing me for the first time in the class, I was already under her radar and being over excited made her a little annoyed. But my knowledge with styling concepts impressed her and my collection of fashion work also added a feather in the cap. So, I was quite happy.

I went to my room after discussing everything with Carter. I was lucky that I didn’t have to share my room with anyone.

 My scholarship won’t cover my hostel and overhead expenses. So, I would need to find a part-time job as of now.

After getting freshen up I went sight-seeing, moving through the streets I already fell in love with this city. I got my dinner packed and tried for job in a few book stores and fashion gallery. I got the job in the book store, and the fashion gallery’s timings clashed with my college time. So unfortunately, I had to let it go. In the book store I’d be working for 4 hours after college, which would give me enough time after that to work on my assignments. Salary wasn’t much so I still had to think of how-to workout my hostel fees.

I came back to my hostel at 9pm and had dinner. As I was going to take a shower, I heard a noise. It was coming from the garden from the basketball court. I went towards the window to take a closer look. I saw two guys in black hoodies were laughing about something. And as far as I could see I realised these two were the same guys from the morning. I looked at them for some time, as they were laughing and talking the other two of the gang members joined them. My eyes dropped to him. Being at the first floor I got a better view at the garden. These guys were extremely shady, but I couldn’t understand why I was so interested in knowing about their activities, when I should be keeping my distance.

Just when I was about to leave, one of the guys glanced at my way. My whole body shivered. For a moment he kept staring at me but then continued talking to his friends.

I went for a shower and got into my night-suit. I started working on my assignment which was quite tricky and I had no experience about its technicalities. After some time of working and thinking suddenly the light went off. I went out in the hallway to check and there was an overall power cut. As I was walking back to my room, I heard a noise, as if there was some movement of furniture. And after a moment the sound got louder, and I realised it was coming from the other side of the hallway. I moved towards to see what was happening. As I got closer, I heard a sound of a girl’s screaming and thumping of furniture.

“Ah! ...Harder. Harder you monster” The girl was shouting. And I realised they were having sex. Oh god!

“Give me more, I want to you Black. Fuck me” She kept moaning and shouting. She was calling that guy Black.

I tried moving towards the room and toward the door. I saw the door was slightly open. I should be going back to my room and I knew I’d regret this. But I just wanted to see what was happening.

As I went closer and peaked through the door, I saw the girl was half naked and was holding the table and the boy was standing behind her and was pushing her rapidly. I felt shocked at first for I had never seen people having sex in reality. Yes, I had seen porn but in real it was disturbing, gross actually.

But at the same time, I wanted to feel what she was feeling.

 “Yeah! Yeah! I need more you fucker” She panted and moaned. “Black”

She shouted his name again. No, I shouldn’t be doing this. As I decided to leave,I lost balance and stumbled into the room opening the door. The boy turned around looking at me, he wasn’t shocked just looking who I was, as though it so normal for him.

But looking at him I was gobsmacked. He was the same guy from the gladiator gang. The same weird one with black eyes who tried to chase me away this morning. Looking at me he seemed irritated but also grinned smugly.

I was so breathless that I instantly stood up and ran out of the door, through the hallway like a shot into my room. I was panting so rapidly that I could have a heart attack. Watching people fucking was already embarrassing and now being caught watching is like dying. I just kept standing there for a moment and then just as I was going to bed, my door was thrown open with such force that I got pushed towards the floor.

 I was already coping with one shock and now this.

 I turned around and saw…….

 Black was standing at my door.                    

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