"Umm... She doesn't meet anyone unless it's really important."
"You don't need to worry about that, just arrange the meeting."
"She will kill me." Arpit was torn and didn't know what to do. He hadn't made any good friends since he joined and had been bullied for the past week. Now that Rian came and told Lamar off, he was pretty confident that staying with this guy would keep him safe. But Divya, the president of Pearl Dorms, wasn't the girl to be messed with.
"Uhh, okay, I will message her right now." Arpit said and sent a message. Immediately, the phone vibrated. "She replied, ummm... she's asking both of us to come to the canteen."
"Let's go then." Rian got up and moved out without looking back.
The first-year students' dorms were called Pearl Dorms. Essentially, they were two buildings: one for the boys and the other for the girls. Similar to the second and third-year students' dorms, they were connected for four floors, forming a 'U' shape. The first floor housed the reception, the second had a general store, the third floor was the canteen, and the fourth floor had the common rooms and a hall. Beyond that were the gyms, separate for boys and girls, and then the individual rooms. Rian looked around, taking in his surroundings. Although he was in an Indian university, it didn't look like one. There was no graffiti, and the lobby was exceptionally clean. The furniture also appeared expensive and regal. 𝘚𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦, he thought.
"I think I should give you a heads-up about the president. Umm... she's good friends with one of the three 'dolls' of the university and the only one who can hang out with them. And uhh... she hates when people waste her time or comment about her height, and she even hates compliments, especially from boys. She doesn't like any of them, even if you are just being polite." Arpit frowned while delivering the last statement.
"Fuck, I was only a week late. 7 DAYS. And what the hell are the 'three dolls'?"
"They are the most beautiful girls of the university. They joined together and were friends even before they enrolled. It's a thing around here. They are ranked at the top among the first-years. They all have cold attitudes and don't bother speaking with anyone. But that doesn't stop the guys from trying to talk to them. They are something else, and if you ever talk to them, just keep your eyes low and be as polite as you can. Don't stare at them for more than 2 seconds, especially not at their chest."
"Fuck! You are turning out to be a fucking creep." Rian pushed his hair back as they reached the 3rd floor.
The canteen featured a buffet with a wide variety of food on display. The ceiling was made of marble and appeared to glow due to embedded lights. Small, decorative light bulbs hung from the ceiling, enhancing the aesthetics.
"On the first day, everyone was taking so many photos, but then they found out that the university had banned all social and messaging apps. All we can do now is read the news and use the university app, which is full of bugs. It pissed everyone off, and now they don't even appreciate the beauty." Arpit shook his head.
"Well, humans are social animals. Now, tell me, where is that girl?"
They started walking around the spacious canteen, and after a minute, Arpit saw her sitting with two other people. All three turned as they approached, two girls and a guy staring at Rian. None of them made an effort to start a conversation, creating an awkward and tense atmosphere. Rian, not minding it one bit, dragged a chair from a nearby table, sat down, crossed his legs, and relaxed. Arpit was at a loss for words but followed Rian's lead.
"Yeah, please sit with us," the guy spoke with a voice dripping with sarcasm.
Rian ignored him and looked at the tall, athletic girl who was silently observing him.
"I will get down to business. My name is Divya, and I am the president of Pearl Dorms. I am skipping my class for this, so may I ask what important thing you wanted to discuss?" Divya spoke, impatience clear in her voice.
"Nothing," Rian spoke and shrugged.
"I beg your pardon?" Divya raised her voice.
"I heard about you and got really curious. You can go and attend your classes. See you later." Rian got up from the chair and started walking away without looking back. He heard Divya ordering Arpit to stay back.