‘Maddy baby,’ said a simpering voice from behind him. It belonged to a girl wearing denim shorts and a tight black top that complemented the curves of her body. Tanmay said hi to Meera and left.

Meera Raheja, Madhav’s junior in college, was a gorgeous twenty-two-year-old with kohl-black hair that skimmed her shoulders. Her plump lips and slender eyebrows perfectly framed her face.

She had moved from Agra to Delhi after doing BCom to study management, but along the way, the speed and glamour of the city had shifted her focus towards other things.

Madhav first saw Meera at her fresher’s party, where she was voted Miss Fresh Face. She had been surrounded by besotted classmates, but had eyes only for him. He was rich, attractive and intelligent and, thus, had all the prerequisites to hook up with Meera. Although she was fed up with Madhav’s moodiness, she put up with it because she got everything she needed from him. He would pay her bills, her rent and fulfil all her weekly shopping requirements. Meera had often told Madhav that she had fallen in love with him, but he had never reciprocated her feelings.

Madhav tried to summon up some enthusiasm as he greeted her.

‘You’re looking dope AF, baby.’ Millennial slang was her preferred language. ‘I wish I could devour you.’

Madhav grabbed her waist and pulled her closer, drawing stares from the sexually frustrated crowd of single boys and girls.

‘Look at her ass, bro,’ said a boy in the crowd, staring at Meera’s behind. Madhav overheard the lecherous comment and, handing his file to Meera, stormed off in his direction.

‘What did you just say?’ he asked the scrawny, pimply boy. Madhav was known for his short temper. He had had innumerable fights for no apparent reason in his two years at college and this was partly the reason why he had no friends.

‘Nothing, bro. Just look at her ass. I feel like spanking her hard.’ The guy clearly didn’t know that Madhav was her boyfriend. His friends asked the guy to shut up but he continued laughing. That was the last straw. Madhav grasped his collar, punched the gangly boy’s nose and kicked his ass. The guy and his friends fled to escape Madhav’s wrath.

‘Run home and you’d better watch your swollen ass,’ Madhav said as the crowd laughed nervously. Meera ran towards Madhav and tried to calm him down.

‘Easy, baby! Your interview is coming up. Let people stare.’ She couldn’t deny the pleasure she derived from any sort of male attention, a trait that Madhav had never been able to handle.

Meera was one of those girls who were admired from afar by everyone on campus. Guys would stare at her while girls were envious of her looks. Madhav’s academic profile and dark poetry had caught her attention shortly after she began college. As for Madhav, she reminded him of someone from his past.

By the time Meera joined college, Madhav had become notorious for his capricious temper and frequent brawls. Madhav wasn’t sure why she was with him. People said that she was simply using his popularity to remain relevant in the college gossip circuit. Madhav didn’t pay any attention to this sort of talk. Although, he had to admit, the physical pleasure she gave him was pretty much the only reason he wanted to be with her.