The Dare
749 Words
The morning at Silverwood College felt heavier than usual — like the air itself carried a secret.
Students whispered in corners, pretending not to look toward the main gate.
Because everyone knew.
Raghav had challenged Rudra Mehra.
☀️ The Calm Before the Storm
Rudra arrived late, as always. Hands in pockets, earphones in, that slow, easy walk that somehow demanded attention without even trying.
As he entered the campus, Kabir, Aman, and Dev were waiting by the steps, looking unusually serious.
Kabir whistled low. “Bro, looks like the i***t really wants to die today.”
Rudra raised a brow. “Who?”
“Raghav,” Aman replied, shaking his head. “He’s been running his mouth all morning. Says he’s gonna ‘end your reign’ or something.”
Rudra stopped walking. His expression didn’t change — calm, unreadable.
“End my reign?” he repeated, voice quiet but cutting. “Interesting.”
Dev crossed his arms. “You want us to deal with it?”
Rudra smirked faintly. “No need.”
He pulled out his phone, checked the time, and said casually,
“Let him try. I’ve got ten minutes before my next lecture. I can spare one.”
Kabir laughed, shaking his head. “Man, you’re something else.”
“Not something else,” Rudra said coolly. “Just someone they shouldn’t mess with.”
⚡ The Dare Turns Deadly
By the time Rudra reached the back ground, half the college had already gathered.
Raghav was pacing in the center, shouting things he’d never dare say if Rudra was within earshot.
“There he is!” someone whispered as Rudra walked in, his friends trailing behind him.
Raghav’s smirk faltered for just a second before pride took over.
“Well, well. The great Rudra Mehra finally shows up.”
Rudra stopped a few feet away.
“Say what you came to say, Raghav. I don’t have all day.”
Raghav stepped forward, puffing his chest. “You think you’re untouchable, huh? That everyone’s scared of you? Let’s see if you’re still so brave when it’s not ten against one!”
Kabir rolled his eyes. “Here we go again…”
Aman muttered, “Three seconds before regret hits.”
Raghav swung his fist — wild, clumsy.
Rudra didn’t even flinch. He caught the punch midair — and before anyone could blink — his own fist connected squarely with Raghav’s jaw.
One punch.
That’s all it took.
Raghav crashed to the ground, silence spreading through the crowd like a wave.
Rudra looked down at him for a moment, expression cold and steady. Then he turned to the onlookers — the dozens of students who had come hoping for a show.
“You all talk too much,” he said, voice low but echoing across the ground.
“You think fear makes me who I am? No.”
“Respect does.”
He took a slow step forward, his eyes scanning the crowd.
“I don’t start fights. I finish them. So next time anyone thinks they can play brave — remember this.”
“I don’t warn twice.”
No one dared to move.
No one dared to breathe.
Rudra turned and walked away, his gang following silently.
No smirk. No celebration. Just pure, quiet dominance.
💭 Aanya’s Point of View
Aanya hadn’t meant to be there.
She and Jiya were on their way to the canteen when the noise from the ground caught their attention.
At first, she thought it was another silly college argument — until she saw him.
Rudra Mehra.
Standing there with that calm, detached look — like nothing could touch him.
She froze, watching as Raghav shouted, swung, and fell.
It happened so fast she almost didn’t process it — one moment chaos, the next silence.
But what shook her most wasn’t the punch.
It was Rudra’s eyes — steady, sharp, not even angry. Just… powerful.
There was something dangerous in him, yes, but something heartbreakingly human too.
He didn’t look proud of what he’d done. He just looked done.
Like someone who’d been pushed one time too many.
Her chest tightened as she watched him walk away.
Students whispered, fear and awe mixing in the air.
But Aanya couldn’t move.
Who are you, Rudra Mehra?
A gangster? A hero? Or something in between?
She didn’t know.
But one thing was clear — she wasn’t just curious anymore.
She was drawn to him.
And that terrified her more than the fight itself.
- Writer
