Chapter 8 : The White-Blazer Bully & The First Round
Days went by in the blink of an eye, and I was standing in front of the entrance of the college that held the University Chess Competition.
"Sigh!"I let out a big breath of nervousness.
Take a deep breath, Rahul… let's go and win this competition, I mumbled to myself, trying to give myself courage.
As I stepped forward, a guy bumped into me from behind.
"Look where you're going," a well-built guy with a strong physique and good height said as he looked back at me.He was wearing a white blazer over white pants, which made him look elegant and arrogant at the same time.
"Care for yourself?" I replied.
"Huh!" He smirked and nodded his head as if agreeing with his own arrogance.
As he walked ahead, I ended up following him—not because I wanted to fight him, but because we were heading in the same direction.
He bumped into someone again.But this time, the guy he hit was small in height and had dropped his bag because he was taking something out of it.He was wearing ordinary plain clothes—maybe he was from one of the local colleges, I think.
"Hey! Can't you see? Do you have eyes or marbles?" the small student shouted.
But the white-blazer guy didn't listen. He kept walking and stopped only when one of the things the small student dropped rolled to his feet. He bent down and picked it up.
"That's mine," the small student said.
The guy threw it away in one swift motion.
"Yeah, that was yours. So go take it. Don't just stand here," he said and walked away.
I went toward the thing he threw, picked it up, and returned it to the small student.
"Here, it's yours."
"Thanks. My name is Sai."
"You're welcome. My name is Rahul."
We picked up the rest of his stuff and walked toward the main building. We talked a bit and got to know each other. He was from another college and had also come for the competition.
"So we're opponents, huh?" I said.
"Yeah. If my opponent is also this good with the game, then losing the game to him is worth it."
"You're quite the thinker."
"Yeah, I get that a lot."
"Hahahaha. So then let's give our best."
We confirmed our entries in the competition and parted ways after wishing each other good luck.
The battleground awaited—strategy and skill ready to collide.
My first impression was dramatic:The air is electric, players determined, a battlefield of minds…
But the hall was dead silent.
Only the rhythmic ticking of an antique clock mounted high on the wall filled the room.The audience sat in neat rows, barely breathing, as if they were attending a funeral.
Honestly, it felt like a funeral.
....
The Match Begins
The chessboard lay between me and my opponent.The squares polished to a mirror shine—I could see my face in them.The pieces carved from bone and onyx.
I greeted my opponent and took my seat.
My first opponent was a girl named Rajeshwari Rathore.
Her personality matched her name—royal, elegant and beautiful She was stunning, with long black hair, and from her uniform she seemed to be from an all-girls' college.
Before the match began, we shook hands.Her hands were soft and cold, and she smelled like expensive perfume.
"Let's give our best," she said.
"Same here," I replied.
White — RahulBlack — Rajeshwari