The Love Maze

Chapter 8

Rishi's POV

The lecture room buzzed with academic fervor,but nothing compared to the intensity of the one sat beside me

She was fidging through the pages of the notes.Her long hair effortlessly flowed, adding to my distraction

The determination in her eyes made her even more attractive.

A subtle nibble of her lip in moments of concentration sent my thoughts spiraling into uncharted territories

"Are you catching up?",she nudged me with her elbow

It sent a jolt of electric wave,breaking my imagination

Caught off guard,I attempted composure

"Yeah..?"

"Really???Then tell me what I was talking about",she challenged giving me a stren look

"About how much you love me?",I teased

She closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath

"For god's sake,Rishi!!!Please try to focus"

"I am focused......just not on the subject",I said staring at her

"You're so cliche,Mr.Sharma",she concluded,concealing a smile

Her disapproving nod and concealed smile were a delightful contradiction to me,every time

"It's called being romantic, moonbeam",I corrected, gleaming

With a swift jerk,my daydream came crashing down.The vibrance and blissfulness in the room disappeared within the blink of an eye

And the vacant seat beside me was a blow in the gut

Merely a fragment of my memory

The pages of my journal flipped due to the breeze from the window,bringing my mind back to reality-the only place where I am right now.

The Strategic Management lecture hasn't started yet and few students sat,scattered across the room.

I noticed Vivan didn't arrive yet.He hasn't even responded to any of my texts since last night

Has something happened?
Did uncle—no....

Fortunately,he put an end to my overthinking as he walked into the room.

"Good morning bro",he yawned, streching his body

"Seems like the night wasn't good",I joked as he sat beside me

"Yup....a little",he replied smiling,but a tint of sadness crossed his eyes

He's got better over the years but still the consequences of being forced not to feel miserable resides deep within him.

"Could have given me a call",I said

"Didn't wanna pull you out of the depths of your dreamland ",he teased me back

I smiled at him, focusing back on the journal on my table

Daydreams never hurt,till the transition back to the reality beckons

I scribbled a brief note when the lecturer enter the room.

"Man.....I thought we would have a free hour today",Vivan groaned in disappointment

"Do you ever think of actually learning?",Aditi questioned, sitting in front of us

"Don't start now.... I'm already tired",he said dramatically