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She heard his motorbike approach her, the sound of the engine soft. “Varma, get back on the bike.”
“Buzz off, bastard. I don’t want to see you again.” She was livid.
“You know I can make that happen with a click of one button.” Rana laughed but there was a threat in his voice.
Chapter 1
London, United Kingdom
Nami sat at her desk, reading the email she had received an hour ago for the hundredth time, unable to believe her eyes.
Invitation to Participate in the Exchange Program at Simha University
She blinked as she reread the message she wasn’t expecting, especially when she was supposed to return to Cambridge in a few weeks to continue studying architecture. She had forty-eight hours to accept the invitation and not taking the opportunity wasn’t an option. No way was she going to give it up.
It had been her dream to go to Simha University since she was a little girl because her dad and uncle had attended the prestigious institution. Hearing about their adventures in college was what got her interested in the school. Also, seeing how good her dad and his brother were at anything they took on, she wanted to be like them.
Unfortunately, she did not get accepted when she had secretly applied to it over a year ago. The university needed an alumni recommendation, and it was not something she could get from her father or uncle. A family rivalry had kept them away from the Simhas for over a decade.
Her father was insistent on her attending a university close to London and was happy she was accepted to a top university there, but it bothered her that she was going to miss out on the Simha experience. Not giving up on her dream, she enlisted herself as an exchange student for one semester.
If she could not get the full Simha experience, she was okay to go for one semester, but even that would be a challenge. She had to tread carefully and strategically.
As she sat before her computer, she heard voices from the lower floor of her parents’ home. Her uncle’s family was there for the weekend as was her grandmother. She formulated a plan in her mind to get her dad’s mother to help her go to Simha. With her uncle around, she hoped she would have enough support to get her father to agree.
She looked at the university logo sticker on her computer. “Simha, wish me luck.” She shut it down and went to meet her family.
As the evening progressed, even as she spoke to her uncle and cousins, she was trying to figure out how she would bring up the conversation concerning her attending Simha. Was it best to bring it up in front of everyone or when her dad was alone?
She debated about it every minute, and as if she got her answer, her father excused himself to take a phone call. He stepped into the study, and Nami watched through the glass wall on one side of the room as he spoke on the phone. She was sure it was a business call—over the years, she learned her dad’s mannerisms and when he was about to wrap up a conversation.
Just when she knew he was getting ready to wind down the chat, she stepped away from the rest of the group and quietly walked into the study. She closed the door behind her just as he ended the call.
“What’s going on, Namrata?” Just like how she was good at reading her dad's mannerisms, he knew hers too. “You’ve seemed pretty distracted all evening.”
There was no point beating around the bush, so she took one deep breath. “I need to talk to you for a few minutes.”
“Sure.” He gestured toward his desk. “Let’s talk.”
Her father’s demeanor was pretty casual, although she knew a work call over the weekend meant something was up at the company. “Everything okay at work for you?”
He shrugged. “The usual fun.” A small smile formed on his face. “You have something to tell me?”
She hesitated, debating if she needed to add to what he was currently dealing with but knew she would not get another chance. “Daddy, I just got an email stating I was chosen to be an exchange student through Cambridge.”
There was a delight in his eyes. “That’s exciting. I didn’t know you had applied for the program.”
She smiled. “I wanted to surprise you, and I got the confirmation just an hour ago.”
“That’s marvelous. We should share this with everyone.” He looked over to where everyone was gathered in the family room.
“Not yet.” She fidgeted with her fingers, feeling nervous. “I have something else to tell you first.”
“You know you can tell me anything,” he assured her.
“Daddy, I’m planning to go to Simha University as a part of my exchange program.” She kept her eyes on her father, expecting him to be upset or angry.
Instead, he looked at her for a long moment. “Didn’t we agree you would attend college close to London?” Her father stayed extremely calm, but she was sure he was not happy with her.
