Abhigya Stories Collection

Professor Student Series 3 - Ban Gayi Woh Humsafar

​Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story.

Previous story Child Marriage 3 - Ek Duje Ke Vaaste (Updated on 4 - Oct - 2022)

I was sitting with someone who was watching the Malayalam version of Shaurya Aur Anokhi Ki Kahani. So, I curiously asked didn't the college management create any issue for the relation between a student and professor. And she replied in confusion, why should that be an issue? Everybody knows they love each other. So, I was surprised, there are some people who don't think a relationship between a student and professor is wrong or unethical. And that got me curious and I decided to write one story like that. So, in a way, this is the actual proper student-professor love story, compared to the previous two stories. And don't be surprised if no one bats an eyelid seeing a professor and student relation in this story.

And I just wanted to have the word Humsafar in the title and this is what I could come up with. It is taken from the song, Ek Ajnabee Haseena Se.

P.S: this could kinda qualify for my Bimbo story.

P.S : Sorry, haven't proofread it. Please ignore the error.

Pragya was busy running around, taking care of the guests and arrangements for her sister's wedding. As she was hurrying towards the mandap, she spotted him and stopped in shock. A second later, his gaze turns to her and he also looks at her in surprise.

Since, he caught her, she decides to talk to him and walks towards him.

"How come you are here?" He asks in surprise.

"It's my sister's wedding. How come you are here, Professor Mehra?"

"Karan is my neighbor." Abhishek informs her.

"Oh." Pragya nods, having nothing else to talk to him.

"Pragya..." Raghu calls her as he hurries to her.

Pragya turns to look at her father.

"Where is your mother?"

"She is with di." Pragya replies and then seeing her father curiously looking at Abhishek, she makes the introduction. "This is Professor Mehra. He is my economics professor."

Raghu looks at her surprised and says, "you didn't tell me you were inviting your college professors."

"Erm... he is jeeju's neighbor." Pragya quickly tells him awkwardly. "Jeeju invited him."

"Ah... I was wondering." Raghu jokes as he extends his hands to Abhishek. "Nice to meet you."

Abhishek shakes his hand. "Nice to meet you too."

"So, you stay in Karan's apartment building."

Abhishek nods. "Opposite to his flat."

"Wow, and Pragya is your student. What a small world." Raghu says conversationally.

Abhishek nods.

"So, how is she?" Raghu asks Abhishek.

Pragya's eyes widen and she quickly squeezes her father's hand.

Abhishek looks at Pragya for a second then he looks at her father and informs him, "Not good."

Pragya looks down, both pissed and upset. Raghu awkwardly nods.

"You really need to have a talk with her." Abhishek tells him. "I doubt she will get a degree anytime soon."

"I will. Soon." Raghu says embarrassed.

"They are calling us, Papa." Pragya lies to get away.

"Oh yes." Raghu latches onto it and quickly ends his conversation with Abhishek and leaves and Pragya runs behind him.

"What was the need for that?" Pragya asks her father in a pissed whisper. "Has any of my teachers ever said anything good of me? And he is the worst! Always picking on me!"

"For a change, you were not running away from a teacher, so I thought maybe you were passing his papers." Raghu replies equally pissed.

"He saw me and I couldn't hide then. And I was curious to find out what he was doing here." Pragya mutters.

"Can you stop embarrassing us and just concentrate on your studies?" Raghu asks her in an angry whisper.

Pragya nods scared and disappointed.

Raghu was starting to walk off, when Pragya quickly tells him, "Don't tell Mama that he is here. Even, she will go to talk to him."

"After what happened with me, she will be hiding from him." Raghu mutters.

As her father walked away, Pragya muttered furiously, "how I hate him!!!"

***********

A month later

Hearing the doorbell, Pragya turns to her sister, "Is it jeeju?"

"Don't think so." Preeta says as she walked to the door. She looks through the peephole and informs Pragya, "ah, it's your Professor."

"What?" Pragya shouts in shock as she jumps up. "Why did you invite him?"

"Relax. He is here to collect his parcel. Delivery guy dropped it here by mistake." Preeta tells her.

"Wait... wait... wait." Pragya says panicking as she chewed the chips she was eating and shoved the cover behind the cushion then she grabbed her college bag and pulled out her economics text and sits down on the sofa and acts engrossed in the book.

Preeta shakes her head and opens the door. "Hello, Abhishek."

"Hi, Preeta... How are you?"

They spoke for about a minute. "Come in, I'll just get your parcel."

Abhishek steps in and spots Pragya studying.

"Pragya, your professor is here." Preeta announces with laughter in her voice as she walks to the side table.

Pragya quickly looks up as she had no other option and seeing him, she politely stands up. "Good evening, Professor Mehra."

"Good evening, Pragya. What are you studying?" Abhishek asks her.

"Economics."

"That I can see. What topic?" Abhishek asks her.

"Erm..." Pragya's eyes widen, then quickly turns to her sister and says, "Di, you didn't offer Professor Mehra anything. I'll make juice."

"It's okay, I am leaving." Abhishek says and then he tells her. "You are not my first student, Pragya. But I am happy that at least to show, you are looking at your text."

Pragya tries to keep a serene expression on her face, though her eyes were brutally murdering Abhishek.

Cheekily, grinning, Preeta hands him the parcel.

"Thanks, Preeta."

As Preeta locks the door, she hears Pragya groaning in fury and the sound of a book hitting the wall.

"You do realize that, if you hadn't acted as if you were studying then he wouldn't have said anything." Preeta points out grinning.

"He would have said I shouldn't waste my time and study." Pragya mutters angrily. "I hate him! He is after my life. I will murder him one day!!!"

"He is a nice guy, actually. We hang out very often." Preeta cheerfully tells her.

"I am not coming here again. Don't ever call me asking me to come visit." Pragya furiously tells her sister.

**********

On Monday, Pragya sighs in dread realizing that it was Abhishek's class. She stands up when he walks into the class. He talked to the students for a few minutes. Just random talks and then clarifying any doubts from the previous day. The moment students start asking their doubts, Pragya looks down at her notebook to avoid eye contact with him, so he doesn't enquire anything about her studies.

Abhishek walks to the front of the class with a book as he started his lecture when one of the student asks him a doubt. He leaves the book on Pragya's desk and walks to the students place to answer him.

Pragya acted as if she was listening to every syllable that fell out of his mouth when in truth, she was thinking about the movie that she had watched the previous night.

Hearing the bell, Pragya comes back to her senses and sits up as Abhishek wound up the lecture.

Abhishek was leaving when Pragya notices the text on her desk.

"Professor Mehra, you forgot your text book." Pragya calls up as she picks it up.

Abhishek turns to her in exasperation and informs her, "that is yours."

Shocked, Pragya turns the book cover and sees her name written on it. Her mouth drops open.

"Your sister sent that. You forgot it at her place." Abhishek tells her as he walks towards her. "Didn't you even realize that it was your book?"

"Erm...."

Shocked, Abhishek asks her "Did you even realize that you forgot your book?"

Pragya gulps.

Angrily, Abhishek asks her. "When are you going to take your studies seriously, Pragya?"

"I didn't think that she would send it with you." Pragya mutters as she darted her glance around the class to see that as usual the whole class was witnessing her humiliation.

"If you are not serious about your studies then why are you wasting your time, our time and your parents' money?" Abhishek asks her angrily. "You've one duty right now and that is your studies, and you can't even do that?"

"Sorry, Professor Mehra." Pragya whispers as she looks down in humiliation and hoping he would accept her apology and stop his rant.

"How many times, Pragya? How many times are you going to shamelessly stand there and apologize and then go back to do the same thing?"

Pragya remains silent, praying for this to end and Abhishek to leave.

"You do remember how much you got for the last test, right?" Abhishek asks her.

Pragya gulps worriedly as she prayed that he wouldn't humiliate her any further by revealing her horrible marks.

"I don't know why, I waste my time with you." Abhishek says, shaking his head and walks off.

The moment he left, Pragya grabs her bag.

"You okay, Pragya?" Disha asks her in concern.

Pragya doesn't reply as she pulls out her mobile and dialed her sister.

"Hi, Pragya..." Preeta answers the call.

"What was the need to send my book through him? Did I ask you to send it?" Pragya asks furiously.

"Why, what happened? I thought you would need it." Preeta replies confused.

"He might be your friend, he is not my friend! So, don't ever do this again." Pragya furiously tells her sister and hangs up.

**********

A month later, Pragya was visiting her sister once again.

"I just don't understand why you hate Abhishek. He is such a sweet guy." Preeta tells her as she washed the dishes.

"Maybe in dreams." Pragya mutters in hatred as she bit into the banana. "He is always humiliating me."

"You know, if you studied well then he won't be scolding you." Preeta points out.

Pragya irately looks at her sister. "When is jeeju coming back? I am not staying here for long."

Preeta rolls her eyes.

"Scared out of her shits to stay alone and begged me to come. And now, praising monster Prem Mehra as if he is her brother!!!" Pragya says as she opened the trash can and dropped the banana peel in then she pulls out the garbage bag from the bin.

"I didn't beg. I just told you we could have sister time alone." Preeta points out.

"I regret it now." Pragya says furiously as she tied the garbage bag.

"Okay, I won't speak of him." Preeta says in an appeasing tone.

"Hmmm." Pragya arrogantly nods. "Where is the garbage chute?"

"Left, second door. You will see the board on the door."

Pragya nods and walks out of the flat. She didn't even look at Abhishek's flat door, because she was not going to give his flat door also any attention.

Pragya was about to open the door to the garbage room when it was opened from inside. She stops and then seeing Abhishek on the other side, she gasps softly. Abhishek also stops in surprise seeing her.

Pragya waits for him to leave when he looks down and seeing her garbage bag, he extends his hand to her.

Pragya, without thinking, hands him the garbage bag. Abhishek steps back into the room and opens the garbage chute, puts the garbage bag down it.

"Erm... thank you." Pragya tells him as she steps aside.

"No problem." Abhishek replies as he walks out.

They walked to their flats in silence. As Pragya was opening her flat door, Abhishek ask her, "Are you going to be here till Karan gets back?"

"Yes." Pragya nods.

Abhishek nods. "If you two need anything, just call me."

"Okay." Pragya replies, surprised.

"Good night." Abhishek says and walks into his flat.

Pragya's eyes widened in surprise. "Good night." Pragya whispers in amazement.

*************

Pragya stops seeing Abhishek waiting at the lift. She was about to go back to her sister's flat so she didn't have to face him so early in the morning.

"What happened? Where are you going?" Preeta asks her confused.

Pragya glares at her as she slyly looks at Abhishek.

Abhishek, having heard Preeta's question, had curiously turned to check and sees her. Since he caught her, she mumbles something to her sister and she walks towards the lift.

"Hey Abhishek." Preeta wishes him, seeing him.

"Hey, Preeta..." Abhishek smiles at her.

"Good morning, Professor Mehra." Pragya wishes him because now, they were making conversations!!!!

"Morning."

Pragya remained silent as Preeta and Abhishek spoke.

They reach the ground floor and Pragya was about to step out when Abhishek asks her, "Going to college?"

Pragya wanted to whack him, because she was sure he was mocking her. Where else would she be going on a Monday morning? "Yes."

"How are you going?"

"Auto or taxi."

"You can come with me." Abhishek offers.

"Oh that would be great. My office is in the opposite direction, otherwise I would have dropped her." Preeta tells him happily, smiling.

Pragya wanted to kill her sister just then. "It's okay. I'll take an auto."

"Don't be silly. Anyway, Abhishek is going to your college only."

Pragya watched as the lift door closed and the lift took them to the basement.

"Bye, Pragya." Preeta tells her as she walks to her car.

"Bye." Pragya mutters and follows Abhishek.

Pragya stops seeing Abhishek sitting on a bike. "Bike?" Pragya whispers in shock.

Abhishek looks at her confused. "You've a problem with bike?"

"Erm no." Pragya replies.

Abhishek looks at her in confusion and says, "if you are uncomfortable then I can take my car."

"It's okay." Pragya says as she walks to him.

"The traffic is bad and I don't want to risk getting late by taking the car." Abhishek explains to her.

"It's okay. It is not a problem." Pragya says quickly hearing him give an explanation. Pragya quickly straddles the bike and grips the bars at the back for balance. He wasn't that horrible.

*************

Pragya was walking to the apartment building when she sees an old lady getting out of the taxi and taking out luggage and grocery bags. Seeing her struggling, Pragya hurries to her.

"Aunty, let me help you." Pragya tells her.

The lady smiles at her. "Thank you, beta."

Pragya takes one duffle bag and puts it on her shoulder then she picks up the heaviest grocery bag. They walk to the lift together.

"Which floor aunty?"

"4." Santoshi replies.

"Even me." Pragya says surprised.

"Are you new here?" Santoshi asks curiously.

"My sister is staying here. I'm visiting her."

"Even I'm visiting my son." Santoshi tells her excitedly.

"Oh nice." Pragya says smiling. "Lot of cooking for son... huh?"

Santoshi laughs, "Yes... he cooks but then I like cooking for him when I am here."

"A man who cooks? I want to marry someone who can cook." Pragya tells her. "I don't like cooking." Pragya confesses chuckling.

"He is just like me, loves cooking."

"Oh then I'll marry him." Pragya jokes and laughs at her own joke.

Santoshi also chuckles though she slyly accesses Pragya like any mother who was bride hunting for her son would.

They get down the flat and Pragya starts walking to the flat. As she neared the flat, she gets a message from her sister. She quickly looks at her apple watch screen and sees a message from Preeta.

Pragya, have to go to the atm, will be 5-10 mins late. If Abhishek is home, stay in his flat or wait in the lobby.

"Oh no... Di will be late." Pragya says loudly.

"How late?" Santoshi asks in concern.

"Just 5-10 mins aunty. I'll wait down in the lobby or in the corridor."

"Why? You come to my flat. My son has given me a spare key." Santoshi tells her.

"Will your son mind?" Pragya asks, staying with this aunty was much better than staying in Monster Prem Mehra's flat.

"Why would he mind?" Santoshi asks her smiling.

"So, what's the menu?" Pragya asks as she peaked inside the grocery bag. "Mutton! I love mutton! If you want to invite me for dinner, then you can. I have no plans for tonight." Pragya cheekily tells her.

"You come home for dinner, I am making mutton biriyani." Santoshi tells her laughing.

"I'll be there!" Pragya promises. "Di always make the same rice and dal for dinner because she has no time to cook." Pragya whispers to her.

Santoshi chuckles hearing that.

"Which is your flat? Can I bring Di too?" Pragya asks excitedly.

"Yes, please. Flat is 405."

"Hey! I know that flat... I've seen that number." Pragya says as she tried to remember. "Every time I see it... is it on the way to the lift?" Pragya stops in shock realizing she sees that number every time she comes out of Preeta's flat.

Her eyes widen in shock and she turns to Santoshi, "Are you Professor Mehra's mother?"

"Yes. Are you his student?" Santoshi asks smiling in surprise.

"Yes." Pragya whispers in horror as they stopped in front of Abhishek's flat.

"That is so nice." Santoshi says happily as she unlocked the flat. "You didn't tell me your name."

"Pragya." Pragya whispers as she followed her in.

Pragya keeps all the stuff in and says, "Okay, aunty. I'll see you later."

"What? Where are you going?" Santoshi asks her shocked.

"No, Aunty... I'll go."

"Wait till your Di comes." Santoshi tells her then chuckling she asks, "Is it because Abhi is your Professor?"

Pragya uncomfortably looks around.

Santoshi smiles at her. "That is okay."

"No, aunty..."

"Stay, Pragya. anyway, Abhi isn't home. He said he has to meet someone."

"Okay." Pragya gives in though she quickly takes her mobile and messages her sister.

Come fast. Stuck in Monster Prem Mehra's house.

"So, how long are you here, Pragya?"

"Till 28th." Pragya replies as she walked to the kitchen with Santoshi and started helping her take out grocery.

Hearing the door bell, Pragya sighs in relief. "That would be Di." Pragya tells her excitedly.

"Come at 8, okay?" Santoshi tells her as she followed Pragya.

Remembering that she had invited herself for dinner, Pragya gulps. "Aunty, that I was just joking."

"That is okay, you come with your sister for dinner." Santoshi insists.

"I'll check with Di, Aunty. Maybe she might have already planned something for dinner." Pragya nervously lies.

"Tell her now itself before she makes anything." Santoshi insists.

Pragya opens the door and stops in shock seeing Abhishek.

Abhishek steps back in shock seeing Pragya. "You?"

"I saw Pragya downstairs. She helped me carry my bags." Santoshi tells him.

Abhishek turns to his mother frowning. "You bought grocery?"

"Yeah."

"Ma... I told you I will take you in the evening. What was the need to go for the grocery shopping directly from the airport?" Abhishek asks as he walked in.

"If I wait for you then dinner will be late. Why waste time?" Santoshi ask shaking her head.

Abhishek sighs and hugs her. "How was your travel?"

"It was nice."

Abhishek turns to Pragya and tells her. "Thank you."

"Huh... for?" Pragya asks confused.

"For helping Ma." Abhishek reminds her in shock seeing her confusion.

"Oh. You are welcome." Pragya replies.

"Hi." Preeta says from the door.

Pragya turns to her in relief. "You are home!" then she hurries to her. "Bye, Aunty."

"Come at 8 for dinner." Santoshi tells her.

"Dinner?" Abhishek and Preeta asks at the same time.

"I'll see, Aunty. I'll let you know." Pragya quickly says.

"About what?" Preeta asks confused.

Pragya glares at her wanting to escape before any more conversations.

"You both come for dinner." Santoshi tells Preeta.

"Aunty, you just got home today. you'll be tired. We will come another time." Preeta tells her.

"Yes, even I was thinking that." Pragya latches on.

"Anyway, I have to make dinner for Abhi and me." Santoshi tells her. "You both come tonight."

"Ma is a good cook and she makes excess always." Abhishek says as he extended the invitation.

"You sure? We don't want to trouble you." Preeta asks in concern.

"Very sure." Santoshi tells her smiling.

"Thank you, Aunty. You are a savior." Preeta says smiling. "I was thinking of ordering in tonight. I was so lazy to cook. And Pragya is such a bhukkad."

Pragya wanted to kill her sister then while Santoshi and Abhishek chuckles.

"By the way Ma, she is Preeta, Karan's wife." Abhishek makes the introduction. "And Preeta, my mother, Santoshi."

"Oh Karan's wife." Santoshi asks smiling happily. "So, he will also come for dinner?"

"He is not here, Aunty." Preeta tells her.

"Oh okay. so, you both come."

"Sure, Aunty." Preeta tells her.

********

"Didn't you understand that I was trying to dodge the invitation?" Pragya asks exasperated.

"Pragya, knowing you, I thought you might have invited yourself for dinner." Preeta replies.

Pragya embarrassedly looks away.

"Oh my God, you did!" Preeta says in shock.

"I didn't know that she was his mother that time."

"So, you invited yourself to dinner at the house of a lady that you didn't even know?" Preeta asks, confused.

"She had mutton with her." Pragya replies, shrugging.

"So, we are going for dinner." Preeta replies, shrugging.

********

Dinner was a very uncomfortable affair for Pragya. She couldn't even enjoy the amazing mutton biryani because Monster Prem Mehra was sitting opposite to her. The conversation at the table was carried by Preeta, Abhishek and Santoshi.

"Didn't you like it, Pragya? You are not eating." Santoshi asks her in concern.

"No, Aunty, it is very nice." Pragya whispers awkwardly.

"I know... she is missing Coca-cola. She says biriyani is incomplete without it." Preeta tells Santoshi.

Pragya turns to glare at her sister.

"I think, I've some here." Abhishek says as he stood up.

"No, it's okay." Pragya quickly says.

"No, Abhi. you check." Santoshi tells him.

The moment Abhishek went to the kitchen, Pragya turns to her sister. "What is wrong with you?"

"Me? You always say that."

"So, you should say it here?" Pragya asks her, glaring at her.

"What happened, Pragya?" Santoshi asks her in concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Aunty. Everything is fine." Pragya tells her. Then she turns to look at the kitchen and noticing Abhishek was still inside, she leans towards Santoshi and whispers. "You pack me some biriyani and give, aunty. Tomorrow I'll take it to college for lunch."

"Okay." Santoshi says smiling. Happy that Pragya liked the food so much. "When you were silent, I thought you didn't like the food."

"Oh I loved the food. It is amazing."

"Then why were you silent?" Santoshi asks curiously.

"Nothing." Pragya replies awkwardly.

Preeta giggles and says, "She has a love-hate relation with Abhishek."

"Not love, just hate!" Pragya heatedly argues.

"What?" Santoshi whispers in shock.

Realizing what she said, Pragya turns to look at Santoshi and sees her staring at her.

Sighing sadly, Pragya tells her, "Aunty, he keeps screaming and scolding me."

"What?" Santoshi asks, shocked.

"Yeah, Aunty. He shouts at me in front of the whole class." Pragya sadly complains.

"How can he do that?" Santoshi asks, shocked.

"I know!" Pragya sighs, relieved to get a sympathizer for her. "You should hit him and scold him, Aunty for doing that to me. He needs to be spanked for screaming at me."

Just as she finished, Pragya sees a hand keep a glass filled with Coca-cola and ice cubes next to her.

Pragya's eyes widen as she stared at the glass, then from the corner of her eyes, she sees Abhishek walk around the table and takes his seat.

Pragya lightly lifts her head and slyly looks at Abhishek's mother, and sees her covering her face with a napkin and trying to hide her smile.

Pragya, slyly looks at her sister and sees her giggling. She kicks her. Preeta tries to stop but then she couldn't control herself and she bursts out laughing.

Soon, Santoshi also laughs loudly.

Worriedly Pragya looks up at Abhishek and sees him staring down at his plate, she couldn't see his face, so couldn't make out how angry he was.

"Abhishek!" Preeta calls him amidst her laughter.

"Yeah?" Abhishek looks up.

"Do you know what Pragya calls you?" Preeta asks.

Abhishek curiously looks at Pragya while Pragya furiously kicked her sister.

"Professor Mehra." Abhishek replies confused.

"No."

"Shut up... Shut up..." Pragya furiously whispers to her sister.

"Then what does she call him?" Santoshi asks curiously.

"I'll kill you." Pragya furiously tells her sister.

"Come on, tell, Preeta." Santoshi says too curious.

"No... no." Pragya pleads.

"Monster Prem Mehra." Preeta says and laughs out loud.

Pragya worriedly looks at Abhishek and sees him looking at her in shock. Then she sees him starting to chuckle.

Pragya gapes at Monster Prem Mehra chuckling. Shocked, she leans towards her sister and asks, "Is he really laughing? have I gone mad? Or has he gone mad?"

Abhishek bursts out laughing. Santoshi and Preeta joins him while Pragya belatedly realized that she had asked that question out loud.

Seeing him laugh, Pragya couldn't help stare, because for the first time, she realized how handsome Monster Prem Mehra is.

********

Pragya was hurriedly leaving for college early so that her sister won't ask Abhishek to take her with him. she hears a doorbell and she hurriedly opens it and finds Abhishek at the door. She stops in shock.

"Erm... good morning Professor Mehra." Pragya says recovering.

"Good morning. Ma sent this for you." Abhishek tell her as he offered her a lunch box.

"This?" Pragya asks surprised.

"Lunch." Abhishek tells her.

"Oh thank you." Pragya whispers embarrassed that she forgot to get it from there last night, in her hurry to escape.

"Who is it, Pragya?" Preeta calls out to her from inside.

"Erm Professor..." Pragya starts to say and Abhishek cuts her off from behind. "Monster." He calls out.

Pragya turns around to stare at him in shock.

Chuckling, Abhishek cheekily says, "Sorry, couldn't help it."

Hearing that, Pragya couldn't control her blush.

Seeing her blush, Abhishek's breath gets caught in his throat. He had never realized how beautiful Pragya was.

"Did you need anything, Abhishek?" Preeta asks curiously though she was still chuckling about the 'monster' reply.

"Ma sent biriyani for Pragya." Abhishek tells her.

"When it comes to food, your student is a little shameless." Preeta tells him.

Abhishek shrugs. "Ma loves making food and making people eat."

"Oh then Pragya is going to be her new best friend." Preeta laughs.

Pragya glares at her.

Abhishek chuckles. "By the way, whenever Ma is here, Karan always have his dinner from my place. Ma told me to tell you both to come home for dinner till she is here."

"We don't want to trouble her." Preeta tells him.

"Trust me, it is no trouble. She would anyway be cooking." Abhishek tells them.

"What do you say, Pragya?"

Pragya was in deep predicament. What would she choose? Awesome food with Monster Prem Mehra or boring rice and dal?

In the end, awesome food won.

Pragya looks at Abhishek and sees that he was looking at her.

And she had no idea, why that made her blush. She quickly looks away, "Yes, sure."

"Wow! Yesterday, you were screaming at me!" Preeta says surprised.

Abhishek curiously looks at them.

Pragya wanted to kill her sister. She glares at her and sees even Preeta was shocked and embarrassed that she said that out loud.

Pissed, she says, "Well it was a difficult choice between amazing food and bad food. And I picked amazing food!"

Embarrassed Preeta looks at Abhishek and sees him trying his best to hide his smile.

"You are worse than me in cooking." Preeta whispers.

"Okay, I've to leave for college." Abhishek says seeing the sisters gearing up for a fight.

"Are you going with him?" Preeta asks.

Pragya turns to her sister and sees that she was taking revenge for insulting her food.

"I'll leave in 5 mins, if you are coming." Abhishek tells Pragya.

"She is ready." Preeta replies.

"Okay." Abhishek nods.

********

Pragya rings the bell on Abhishek's flat and Santoshi opens the door.

"Hello Pragya... how are you?" Santoshi asks smiling.

"I am good, Aunty. How are you?" Pragya asks smiling.

"Good... good."

"I came to return the lunch box." Pragya tells her as she extended the washed container.

"Oh, you could have brought it when you come for dinner. Come inside." Santoshi tells her as she invited her in.

"Is Professor Mehra here?" Pragya asks in a whisper.

"No, he said he will be late today."

"Okay!" Pragya smiles happily as she walked in. "I also wanted to check if you needed any help with cooking." Pragya tells her.

"No, when it comes to cooking, I like doing everything myself." Santoshi tells her smiling. "But you can give me company."

"Okay." Pragya says smiling as she followed her to the kitchen.

********

Santoshi was cooking while Pragya sat on the kitchen counter chatting with her. Seeing carrots, Pragya picks one and starts eating it.

"Are you hungry?" Santoshi asks her.

"I'm always hungry, Aunty." Pragya tells her.

Santoshi smiles hearing that. "There might be something in the fridge. Why don't you check."

"Okay." Pragya jumps off the counter and walks to the fridge and opens it.

"Grapes!" Pragya smiles seeing grapes and picks the bowl and walks to the counter. She gets on the counter and starts popping one grape after the other as she spoke to Santoshi.

********

Pragya and Preeta were helping Santoshi do the dishes after dinner.

"That's my job." Abhishek tells them.

"Santoshi Aunty made such amazing food. We should do our bit." Preeta tells him.

"We invited you guys." Abhishek says uncomfortably, seeing that his guests were doing the dishes.

"I told them, Pragya threatened that if I don't let them do the dishes then they won't come for dinner again." Santoshi tells Abhishek.

Abhishek sighs and walks to the fridge to get water. He stops in shock and turns to Santoshi. "Ma, where are the grapes?"

"It's over." Santoshi replies.

"All of it?" Abhishek asks shocked.

"Erm..." Santoshi starts and stops seeing Pragya frantically shaking her head. "Yeah, full over."

"She is really a bhukkad." Abhishek says as he closed the fridge.

Pragya turns to look at Abhishek and sees he was smiling and not angry.

Pragya smiles seeing him smile. God! He was so handsome when he smiled.

"There is apple in the fridge. Have that." Santoshi tells him.

"No, I don't want." Abhishek tells her. "I bought the grapes to make wine."

"You make wine?" Santoshi asks surprised.

"I want to try. I am planning to make plum cake from scratch." Abhishek tells her.

"Wow, will we get?" Preeta asks.

"If it is good." Abhishek replies.

"Even wine?" Preeta asks grinning.

Looking at Pragya, he teases, "If I get good grapes and they last long enough for me to make them."

Pragya blushes as she looked away.

Seeing her blush, Abhishek couldn't help look away. God, she was so beautiful. how the hell didn't he ever realize it?

"Have you made wine before?" Preeta asks curiously.

"No... there are lot of videos on youtube. I'm going to try." Abhishek tells her.

Pragya felt her cheeks turn red as an image filled her brains. Abhishek and she crushing grapes in a bowl together.

********

Abhishek opens the door for Pragya. he smiles surprised seeing Pragya at the door.

"Ma has gone to take a shower." Abhishek tells her.

"No, I came to see you." Pragya tells him.

"Me?" Abhishek asks surprised.

"To give these." Pragya tells him as she extended the packet with grapes.

Abhishek looks at the cover surprised. "You didn't have to."

"Please..." Pragya tells him.

Abhishek takes them. "Thanks."

"I got it from the market. The guy said this is the best grapes for wine."

"Yeah, they are." Abhishek tells her smiling. "Come in." Abhishek tells her as he walked to the kitchen.

Pragya follows him.

"I was planning to make them today, actually. Had everything ready also." Abhishek tells her. "But then you got to the grapes before me."

"Sorry." Pragya guiltily says.

"Don't be. I can still make it today." Abhishek tells her smiling as he took a colander and started putting the grapes one by one.

"What are you doing?" Pragya asks curiously.

"Picking out the good ones." Abhishek tells her.

"Are you going to make wine today?" Pragya asks him.

"Yeah."

"Can I watch?" Pragya asks excitedly.

"Yeah sure." Abhishek tells her smiling.

Pragya watches as Abhishek separated the good ones. Few minutes later, she got bored and she moved close to him and started picking out good ones.

He didn't say anything. they silently sorted the grapes.

"You got nice grapes." Abhishek tells her as he walked to the sink and ran the grapes under water and washed it.

Pragya smiles. "Fruit seller selected them."

After he had washed the grapes to his satisfaction, he shakes off the excess water and brings it to the kitchen counter.

"What now?" Pragya asks curiously.

"Removing stems." Abhishek tells her.

"Okay." Pragya starts to take the grapes.

"Na!" Abhishek stops her. "Wash your hands first."

"Oh, sorry." Pragya runs to the sink and washes her hand. "Okay, neat hands."

Abhishek smiles as he took the bowl he had kept for making wine. They start removing the stems and putting the grapes in the bowl.

Once the grapes were ready to be crushed, Abhishek felt his heart beat raising. "Now, it is just crushing the grapes." Abhishek tells her.

Hearing that Pragya felt her cheeks turn red.

Abhishek starts crushing the grapes. Seeing him do that, Pragya couldn't help remember the mental image she had the previous day.

She couldn't fight the temptation, and she nervously keeps her hand on the edge of the bowl.

Noticing her hand, Abhishek nervously gulps and moves his hand against the bowl, giving her space.

Seeing that, Pragya puts her hand in and nervously squeezes the grapes. They crush the grapes, both nervous and an unknown excitement in them. When their hands brushed against each other, they didn't pull away.

Pragya couldn't help and looks up at Abhishek and he looks at her at the same time. Blushing, Pragya looks down and Abhishek looks away blushing and his gaze falls on his mother.

"Ma." Abhishek nervously steps back.

Hearing that, Pragya also looks at the door and sees Santoshi and she moves back.

"I came to give grapes." Pragya tells her nervously.

"Ah nice." Santoshi replies politely smiling.

"I've to go. Di will look for me. I'll come with her for dinner." Pragya says as she hurriedly walked off.

"Wash your hands, Pragya." Santoshi calls out.

"Erm... I will wash at home." Pragya replies and runs off.

Santoshi turns to look at Abhishek. "She was curious about wine making. I was just showing her."

"That was very sweet of you, considering what an expert you are." Santoshi cheekily says and leaves.

********

Later that night, Abhishek and Santoshi were in the bedroom. Abhishek was lying on her lap.

"You should stay here with me, Ma."

"What will I do here? There I have friends. Things to do. My neighbors."

"You have neighbors here too. And a new friend too."

Santoshi chuckles. "Both are 1 person."

"Preeta is also there."

"I meant her only. Whom did you mean?" Santoshi asks with a cheeky grin.

"What Ma?" Abhishek asks embarrassed. "You answer my question, why won't you shift here permanently?"

"It is time that you get married. Once you get married, it is better that we stay separate. You will have your privacy. And there won't be any unnecessary fights or issues. Saas bahu ego clashes. You will get stuck in between. It is better that I stay there."

"All stupid reasons. You just don't want to leave your home and friends. Saas bahu drama! Nonsense!"

Santoshi chuckles. Then leaning down, she tells him teasingly. "By the way, I don't mind Pragya being my bahu. And she already likes me more than she likes you."

Omkaea's heart skips a beat hearing that. He could so imagine, Pragya sitting here and talking silly things with his mother. Noticing, Santoshi grinning at him, he says "go and sleep."

"You are in my bedroom." Santoshi points out cheekily.

"Fine, I am going." Abhishek declares as he got up and walks off.

*******

They come out of their apartment at the same time. they stop seeing each other. Abhishek smiles at her and Pragya smiles at him.

"You ready to leave?" Abhishek asks her.

"Yeah." Pragya replies.

"Let's go."

Pragya nods and turns to look into the flat and calls out. "Di, I'm leaving. Bye."

They walk to the lift together in silence. They were tempted to talk to each other but had no idea what to say. So, all the way to college they had remained silent.

*******

Hearing the doorbell, Abhishek opens the door and smiles seeing Pragya.

"Hi!" Pragya says smiling.

"Hi... didn't go out anywhere?" Abhishek asks curiously as he stepped aside to let her in. it was a Saturday and all of them had off.

"Di is on video call with Jeeju." Pragya tells him as she walked in. "Where is Santoshi Aunty? Did she make any snacks?" Pragya asks as she headed to the kitchen.

"Didn't you have lunch?" Abhishek asks in concern.

"Chinese. We ordered." Pragya replies and frowns seeing kitchen empty. "Where is Santoshi aunty?"

"In her room. she is not forever inside the kitchen."

"She didn't make any snacks?" Pragya asks shocked.

"No. Why she told you she was making?" Abhishek asks confused.

"No... I thought you are home so she would make some snacks for you." Pragya says disappointed.

"We don't make snacks like that. only if either of us is craving something." Abhishek tells her.

"Hmmm... what did you have for lunch?" Pragya asks curiously as she opened the fridge.

Abhishek shakes his head amused. "Keema Paratta."

"Wow! Do you have any left?" Pragya asks excitedly.

Abhishek gestures to the casserole on the kitchen counter.

Pragya closes the fridge and walks to the casserole. She opens it and takes a paratha and bites into it.

"Is Preeta starving you?" Abhishek asks chuckling.

Pragya chuckles. "I'm always hungry." Then relishing the paratha she says, "This is amazing. How come there is still left?"

"We stop eating when we are full." Abhishek cheekily tells her.

Pragya gives him a look then she shrugs it off. "I am never full." Pragya bites into the food. "Yummy."

Pragya was savoring the food with her eyes closed. Abhishek couldn't take his eyes off her. the bliss and borderline ecstasy on her face was taking his thoughts to those territories that he shouldn't be thinking of.

"I turn my attention to something else, and you two are up to something." Santoshi says from the door.

Abhishek and Pragya turn to the sound in shock.

"Ma!" Abhishek calls her in an admonishing tone.

"Di was talking to jeeju, so I got bored. I came to see if you had made some food." Pragya quickly says.

"Okay." Santoshi grins teasingly.

Abhishek glares at his mother to make her stop it.

"Anyway, are you both going out? Any plans?" Pragya asks them.

"No, we went out in the morning." Santoshi tells her.

"Great. Let's play games. I'll call Di and get the games." Pragya tells them excited as she finished off the paratha.

"No plans to study?" Abhishek asks her with a slight smile and shaking his head.

Pragya's smile drops and she worriedly looks at Abhishek.

Santoshi lightly slaps his hand. "Stop it, Abhi. Go and get your game, Pragya."

Pragya worriedly smiles at Santoshi and started to leave. Then she stops and opens the casserole and picks the final paratha and go as she told Santoshi, "I'll wash that later, aunty."

*******

"I got phase10 and monopoly deal." Pragya tells Santoshi as she walked in while worriedly glanced at Abhishek.

Noticing how worried and nervous Pragya was, Abhishek casually says. "I don't know how to play both the games. You will have to teach me."

Pragya smiles hearing that. "I'll teach you, Professor Mehra. It will be a change."

Abhishek chuckles.

"Even me." Santoshi tells her. "And where is Preeta?"

"She is coming." Pragya tells her. "Do you guys play rummy?"

"Yes."

"Then we'll play phase10 first, it is a lot similar." Pragya says and then proceeds to explain the game to them, she tells them the basic rules and phases of the game. "This is wild card, it is like a joker, can be substituted for any card. And this is the skip card, if you keep this in front of someone that person's next turn will be skipped. When someone finishes all their cards and if someone still has a wild or skip in their hand then wild will be 25 points and skip will be 15 points. Understood?"

Abhishek and Santoshi nod.

"Once we start playing, you'll understand it better. Now where is Di?" Pragya asks loudly then turning in her seat, she looks at the direction of Preeta's flat and loudly screams. "DDIIIIII"

Santoshi covers her ears.

Abhishek also covers his ears. "Stop shouting! My God! I would have gone and called her!"

"She said she will come in 5 mins." Pragya tells him shrugging.

They hear the doorbell. Abhishek was about to get up to open it when Pragya shouts out. "It's open."

"You are so loud, Pragya." Abhishek says sighing.

Preeta opens the door and walks in. "Before you used to run the other way when you see Abhishek and now you are practically living in his house!" Preeta says exasperated.

Pragya turns pink hearing that and she nervously looks at Abhishek. and sees him also uncomfortable then his gaze falls on her. he grins at her and Pragya shyly smiles back.

Abhishek turns to look at his mother and sees her grinning at him then she winks at him. Abhishek glares at her. "Let's start." He says.

*********

Pragya contemplates for a few seconds and then sighing she discards a wild card.

"What are you doing?" Abhishek asks shocked. "Why are you giving Ma a wild card?"

"Di has only one more card to discard. I am full, I am trying to reduce my points." Pragya explains.

Santoshi happily takes the wild card. "Thank you, Pragya."

"She is going to win!" Abhishek tells her in exasperation. "And I am also full here!"

"I won't be able to complete the phase, I need 4 cards minimum. So, I am reducing my points." Pragya tells him.

"So? You would discard a wild? What if the game goes for 5 rounds?" Abhishek asks her.

"Let her play her game, Abhi." Santoshi tells him cheekily as she played the wild and discarded a card.

"Can't believe that you would discard a wild." Abhishek mutters.

The game goes for one more round and Pragya draws a skip card. She turns to Abhishek and glaring at him, she keeps it in front of him.

"Seriously?" Abhishek asks offended. "Me? I am full! Those two have only 1 card each!"

"You are screaming and shouting at me!" Pragya argues.

"Because you are playing absolute nonsense!"

"I taught you the game!"

"And I am playing it better than you!"

Pragya glares at him. "You are getting the skip card. You sit there!"

"Fine! You are going to get all my skip cards!" Abhishek says pissed.

Santoshi and Preeta look at each other and grin.

*********

"I am stuck in phase 8 and they are in phase 10. Why are you giving me skip?" Abhishek asks Pragya offended.

"You said you will give me all your skip cards!"

"But I didn't give you any!"

"Because you didn't get a skip card!"

"Not playing this game with you ever again." Abhishek says pissed.

Pragya scoffs. "Screaming at me here just like in class!"

"Don't forget, Monday you are going to be back in my class!" Abhishek reminds her.

Pragya turns glares at him angrily.

Abhishek quickly looks away. God, when she glared at him like that, he wanted to kiss that glare away.

"Done!" Preeta says with a sigh as she finished her cards.

"Thank God." Santoshi sighs in relief. Abhishek and Pragya were fighting like cats and dogs. "We should play some other game, not this."

Pragya and Abhishek glare at each other. Then Pragya starts gathering all the cards.

"Did you bring any other games?" Preeta asks Pragya as she helped her pack up.

"Monopoly Deal." Pragya tells her as she kept the phase10 pack to the side.

"Do you guys know how to play?" Preeta asks.

Abhishek and Santoshi shakes their head in negative.

"Di, you explain the game. I am hungry. I'll get something to eat." Pragya tells her as she got up from her seat.

"Okay." Preeta nods. "So basically the aim of the game is to get 3 sets of properties." Preeta frowns seeing Pragya walking to the kitchen instead of her flat. "Pragya, where are you going?"

"I'll just get something to eat. You explain." Pragya tells her.

"Pragya, this is not our house!" Preeta tells her in shock.

"Huh? Santoshi Aunty and Professor Mehra won't mind, Di." Pragya tells her shaking her head.

"That doesn't mean you be shameless!" Preeta tells her in shock.

Chuckling Abhishek tells her. "Pragya considers our kitchen an extension to your flat."

"Pragya, go and take whatever you want." Santoshi tells her smiling.

Pragya smiles at her and walks to the kitchen.

"Sorry, Aunty... Abhishek... when she likes some people she just becomes like this." Preeta tells them embarrassed.

"No formalities, Preeta. Just be like how Pragya is." Abhishek tells her smiling.

"And, this might become Pragya's house one day." Santoshi cheekily tells Preeta.

"What?" Preeta asks confused.

"Ma!!" Abhishek shouts in shock.

Santoshi cheekily points at Abhishek.

"Stop it, Ma!" Abhishek glares at her.

"What? Pragya and Abhishek?" Preeta asks shocked.

"She is just making up stories. Nothing like that." Abhishek tells her embarrassed.

"I tried a lot to fix you guys up. She was in that 'I hate Professor Mehra' phase because of you screaming at her in class. This is so great." Preeta says excitedly.

"She is friends with Ma and I am here... that is all... Ma is just making up stuff." Abhishek says feeling awkward.

"And you know, I think your father also hates him." Santoshi tells Preeta laughing.

"Oh yeah, Pragya told me, you complained about Pragya to him, right?" Preeta asks laughing.

Abhishek chuckles. "He asked me and I couldn't lie."

"He doesn't hate you. he was scolding Pragya." Preeta tells him then winking she says. "So, you are safe in that aspect."

"Just stop!" Abhishek says feeling a blush creep up as he looked away. "Explain the game."

Preeta was explaining the game when they hear microwave sound. They all stop for a second and curiously look at the kitchen door.

"We were planning to have left over food from the last few days for dinner tonight, right?" Preeta asks worriedly.

"Yeah." Santoshi nods wondering whether Pragya was having that food. "You both only said not to cook anything and we'll finish off the remaining food."

"God, this girl." Preeta says in exasperation. "She might finish the food."

"Preeta, it's okay. let her eat. If there isn't enough, we will order something." Abhishek quickly tells her.

"What kanjoosi is this, Professor Mehra? No snacks at all." Pragya says as she walked towards them with a bowl.

"What are you eating?" Preeta asks her as she glared at her.

"Noodles. I found a packet in the back of the shelf." Pragya tells her as she took her seat. "Anyone wants?"

They shake their heads in negative.

Pragya keeps the bowl to the side. "Did you explain the rules?"

"Yeah, doing that." Preeta tells her as she continued to explain the game to them.

Pragya eats the noodles while Preeta explained the rules.

Abhishek curiously turns to look at Pragya and she also looks at him.

"You want?" Pragya asks him.

Though he wasn't much of a noodles person, Abhishek was so tempted to share that noodles with her. Abhishek nods and Pragya passes the bowl to him.

Abhishek takes the fork and takes noodles and eats it. he could have sworn that noodles were extra yummy that day.

"I'm so excited to eat the fish curry from yesterday, Santoshi aunty." Pragya tells her excitedly.

Abhishek turns to Pragya in shock. "How, Pragya? where is it all going?"

"Oh... nazar na lage." Pragya says shaking her head in worry and a frown.

Abhishek grins and passes her bowl.

Pragya takes it and eats it. only after she took a fork full, she realized that they had shared a fork, Pragya couldn't hide her blush.

"Tell me when you are hungry, Pragya. I'll serve dinner." Santoshi tells her.

"Then we will have to eat now itself." Preeta says dryly.

"Not now. maybe after 10-15 mins." Pragya replies as she ate.

Abhishek stares at her in shock.

"I hear there are lot of credit cards now that give good cash back for grocery shopping, Abhishek." Preeta cheekily tells him. "You will need it in the future."

"Lots." Santoshi says shaking her head.

Abhishek glares at his mother.

"It is waste for him. I had to get inside the cupboard to find this noodles packet." Pragya says shaking her head, her full concentration on the noodles.

*********

Abhishek plays the rent card.

"15 million." Abhishek declares smugly.

The ladies wait with baited breath to see who he is going to pick to pay rent.

"Pragya." Abhishek says smiling.

"What?" Pragya shouts in outrage. "Take from Di. She has money. I've no money."

"He can pick whoever he wants." Preeta quickly says. "You have to give."

"I have no money." Pragya tells Abhishek with a frown. "SEE!"

"Pay with properties." Abhishek tells her smiling.

"You are such a bully! Why can't you take from Di. She has lots of money."

"The aim of the game is to get properties. Give."

Pragya starts sorting her properties and checking Abhishek's to see how she can give without letting him have a complete set.

"I hate you." Pragya tells him as she gave him most of her properties.

"Give that pink instead of this orange." Abhishek sweetly tells her.

"Why? So you can have two complete sets?" Pragya glares at him.

Grinning smugly, Abhishek takes another card. "My second turn is sly deal." Abhishek then smiles at her.

"Why me?"

"Because you have what I want." Abhishek says grinning.

Growling, Pragya gives him her property. "Take!"

"And my third turn is wild property card and I win."

"I haven't won even one game today because you are after my life!" Pragya says glaring at him.

"Don't be such a sore loser, Pragya." Abhishek tells her smugly.

"We'll play team games from now on and put them in same team. So, they won't fight so much and we can play peacefully." Santoshi says.

"We've sequence. We'll play that after dinner. We will be one team and they will be one team." Preeta declares.

*********

"Why are you building over there?" Abhishek asks Pragya in shock. "I am building this side."

"No, discussion!" Preeta warns them.

Pragya looks at Abhishek and tells him, "I can build only with the cards I have."

"At least, try to co-ordinate." Abhishek tells her.

"No discussion!" Preeta tells them glaring.

"Okay... sorry." Abhishek says in an appeasing tone. "Pragya, play well."

"Professor Mehra!"

"Yeah?"

"You build around me." Pragya tells him.

"Stop discussing, you two!" Preeta tells them fed up.

"We are not discussing." Pragya tells her. "Just telling. Build around me." Pragya tells Abhishek.

"I can only play with the cards I have." Abhishek tells her exasperated.

"Same here!" Pragya tells him. "Now, let me concentrate." Pragya tells him as she looked at her cards and bend down and looked at the board to find the spot.

"We are never going to play any games with these two." Santoshi tells Preeta.

Preeta nods. "Never. Even if we die of boredom, no playing with them."

"Stop looking that side and look at this side." Abhishek tells Pragya seeing she was again going to build on the empty side of the board instead of where most of their tokens were.

"No talking!" Santoshi glares at him.

"Fine!" Abhishek mutters.

"Sorry to tell you this, Santoshi Aunty. If this is how it is going to be, you will not have any grandchildren." Preeta tells her.

"I can see that." Santoshi replies tired.

"What is wrong with you two?" Abhishek asks them exasperated.

Then they hear Pragya's voice.

Pragya was still bend over the board and she says, "If he is going to be this competitive about baby making then his wife will be forever pregnant."

There was silence in the room. Abhishek had turned completely red. Santoshi's mouth fell open. Preeta stares at Pragya.

Pragya quickly grabs Preeta's hand and pulls her towards her. and asks in a worried whisper. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yup."

Pragya worriedly looks up at Abhishek and sees him looking at her awkwardly. "I..."

"Just play." Abhishek tells her shaking his head.

*********

Abhishek walks into the class and his gaze automatically goes to Pragya's seat. Pragya smiles at him and he smiles back at her. then he turned to the class and started talking.

Confused Disha turns to Pragya and looks at her.

"What?" Pragya mouths to her.

Disha shakes her head and turns her attention back to class wondering whether she had imagined that exchange.

Class ends and Abhishek starts to leave the class and just before he left, he looks at Pragya. Pragya smiles at him. Abhishek smiles and leaves.

"What is happening?" Disha asks shocked.

"What?" Pragya asks confused.

"You and Professor Mehra."

"We are kind of friends now." Pragya brushes it off.

*********

Few days later, Karan came back and Pragya goes back to her house.

After spending time with her parents, Pragya was kind of feeling a sense of missing and homesickness. Pragya checks the time and sees that it was dinner time at Professor Mehra's.

Meanwhile, at his house, Abhishek just couldn't concentrate on the conversation at the table. They had invited Karan and Preeta for dinner, but his thoughts were going to how they used to have dinner the previous days.

"Abhishek, where are you lost?" Karan asks curiously.

Abhishek shakes his head and smiles.

"I think Abhishek is missing someone." Preeta teases.

"Stop it, Preeta!" Abhishek says tired. "There is nothing between Pragya and me."

"I didn't say Pragya." Preeta replies acting shocked. "I thought you were missing your other friends."

Abhishek embarrassedly looks at her. "I am not missing anyone."

"You were silent, Abhi." Santoshi gently tells him.

"I was just listening." Abhishek says dismissively as he turned his attention back to his food.

"What were we talking about?" Santoshi asks him.

"What?" Abhishek turns to his mother, raking his brains on what they were talking and sees her grinning ear to ear. "You need to stop it!" Abhishek tells her.

"What is happening?" Karan asks Preeta. "Abhishek and Pragya?"

"No!" Abhishek says while Preeta nods her head grinning.

"Oh man!" Karan turns to Abhishek in surprise and shock. "You have one uphill task." Karan tells him chuckling.

"She doesn't hate him anymore." Preeta informs Karan with an exaggerated wink.

"Really?" Karan ask shocked as he turned to look at Abhishek and sees Abhishek lightly blushing.

"Nothing like that." Abhishek argues.

"Pragya was practically living here!" Preeta tells him.

"How long was I gone?" Karan asks shocked.

"Will you people stop it?" Abhishek asks exasperated. "Pragya came here for food and Ma."

Hearing her mobile ring, Preeta curiously checks her phone. "Talk of the devil."

"Pragya?" Abhishek asks unable to hide his smile.

Everyone burst out laughing as Preeta answered the call.

"You guys are having fun." Pragya accuses them frowning at them.

"We were just talking." Preeta tells her chuckling. "What's up?"

"What's for dinner?" Pragya asks.

"You called for that?" Preeta asks exasperated.

Santoshi and Abhishek chuckle.

"It's so boring here." Pragya tells her sadly.

"Whom do you miss the most?" Preeta asks cheekily.

"Hmmmm Professor Mehra's house."

"Santoshi Aunty?" Preeta asks cheekily.

"Yeah, I miss her."

"And Abhishek?" Preeta asks as she looked at Abhishek.

Abhishek's heart skips a beat hearing that and though anxious, he glares at Preeta.

"Yeah, him too. Show me them! I called to see them!"

"Oh!" Preeta turns the phone screen.

"Hi Pragya..." Santoshi sweetly smiles at her.

"Santoshi Aunty! I miss you!" Pragya tells her excitedly.

"Aww I miss you too Pragya."

"Hi Professor Mehra." Pragya tells him smiling.

"Hi Pragya, how are you?" Abhishek asks her smiling.

"So bored!" Pragya says sighing. "You know, Professor Mehra." Pragya says chuckling. "I am missing Santoshi Aunty's food so much that I even miss you."

"What?" Abhishek asks shocked. He didn't even know whether he should be offended or happy.

Pragya laughs. "Yeah, of all of them, I will see you tomorrow. Still I am missing you. how silly is that?"

Abhishek turns slightly red hearing that. "Erm... yeah."

Abhishek looks at everyone and sees everyone grinning at him.

"Are you guys missing me?" Pragya asks eagerly.

Everyone looks at Abhishek to reply.

"Yeah... we were just talking of you." Abhishek says uncomfortable with everyone's attention on him.

"Very much." Preeta says cheekily.

Pragya smiles.

"Pragya, is that Preeta you are talking to?" Sarala asks curiously.

"Mama... meet Santoshi Aunty and Professor Mehra." Pragya says excitedly as she ran to her with her phone.

Sarala smiles at Abhishek and Santoshi and they also smile at her as they got introduced.

"Pragya hasn't stopped talking about your place and the food there." Sarala says.

"I'll get Papa." Pragya excitedly says and runs to call her father.

As Sarala was talking to them and thanking Santoshi and Abhishek for the homely care they showed Preeta and Pragya, Raghu joins them.

"Hello Sir." Abhishek awkwardly says remembering their previous meeting.

"Hello Professor." Raghu says smiling. "Hello Santoshiji. Pragya was telling us about you both. She really enjoyed her stay there."

"It was nice to have Pragya here." Abhishek says ignoring all the teasing stares.

"She was like a family member here." Santoshi tells them.

"Even she felt the same." Raghu says then chuckling, he says, "She was saying even though Professor Mehra is a monster in college, outside college, he is a sweet guy."

Abhishek turns pink hearing that.

Chuckling Raghu tells Abhishek, "We almost fainted. This is the first time, Pragya has ever said anything nice about a teacher."

Abhishek turns completely red as he looked at Pragya and sees her smiling at him.

"Professor Mehra is chill, Papa. We made wine together. But he is a bully when we play games."

Abhishek chuckles hearing that.

************

Pragya couldn't sleep at night. The sense of missing was engulfing her. She takes her mobile and thinks of calling Preeta, but she didn't feel like talking to her. she wondered whether to call Santoshi Aunty and she realized that she wasn't really in the mood to talk to her.

Professor Mehra?

Pragya wanted to talk to him.

She takes her mobile and looks through her contacts. Not finding his number, she messages Preeta for his number. And Preeta shares her his number and asks why she wanted his number.

Pragya had no reply to that question.

Why did she want to call him? she didn't know. She wanted to talk to him because she realized that she was missing him the most.

so she replies, Simply.

Abhishek was in his bed as he thought of Pragya. when he was alone, he admitted to himself that he missed Pragya. but how did things come to this? what changed between them?

Hearing his mobile ring, Abhishek curiously picks the call noticing it was an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Erm... Professsor Mehra?" Pragya nervously.

"Pragya?" Abhishek asks shocked, his heart skipping a beat.

"Erm yes. Did you sleep?"

"No... what happened?" Abhishek asks feeling nervous.

"Nothing... felt like talking to you."

Abhishek gulps and he takes a nervous breath.

Pragya waited for him to say something, when he remained silent, she worriedly asks "Did I disturb you?"

"No. I am glad you called." Abhishek confesses then he couldn't control and he smiles happily. "Even I wanted to talk to you."

"Really?" Pragya asks smiling happily. "Talk to me then." Pragya tells him excitedly.

Abhishek chuckles. "About what?"

"Anything."

"Hmmm. How does it feel to be back home?"

"Nice, but I am missing everyone there. did you all miss me?"

"Yeah." Abhishek tells her smiling.

Pragya smiles and they spoke for some more time.

*********

Few days later, it was time for Santoshi to leave for her home town. So, Pragya decided to visit her and her parents and Preeta also joined her.

"When will you come next, Santoshi Aunty?" Pragya asks her.

"Haven't decided, Pragya." Santoshi tells her. "You should come to my home."

Pragya nods thoughtfully smiling. "When is Professor Mehra coming? Di, Jeeju and I'll plan and come with him."

"He will be coming for vacation." Santoshi tells her smiling. "You should come."

Pragya nods then she gets up and asks curiously. "Where did Professor Mehra go?"

"He went to get a few things for me." Santoshi tells her.

"Ah okay." Pragya nods.

Though they met in college, Abhishek would be mostly busy with his classes and students, and she would be busy with her classes and friends. They would only see when he could come to her class and that time, they wouldn't be able to talk. Only after class hours and in the evening, they spoke on the phone.

Pragya walks to the kitchen and opens the fridge to check whether she had anything to snack.

Finding sweets, she takes them and starts snacking on them as she walked back to the living room.

Seeing that, Sarala looks at her in shock. "Pragya?"

"What Mama?" Pragya asks curiously.

"What are you doing?" Sarala asks her in whisper as she glared at her.

"I found kaju katli in the fridge. You want?" Pragya asks her.

"Did she just raid their fridge?" Raghu asks Sarala confused.

"Stop making a big issue. Santoshi Aunty doesn't mind." Pragya tells them as she sat down.

Sarala and Raghu look at each other, wondering what glutton did they create.

Hearing the door open they all turn to look curiously and Abhishek walks in.

The moment he stepped in, he notices Pragya. "Hi." Abhishek says smiling happily seeing her.

"Hi!" Pragya says smiling happily seeing him.

Santoshi smiles seeing the way they were smiling at each other.

Noticing Preeta, Raghu and Sarala, Abhishek walks to them smiling. "Hello... Pragya didn't tell me you all were coming."

"I thought to surprise." Pragya tells him.

"You should have told me. I would have been home then."

Hearing that Raghu quickly says, "Please... we can imagine the last minute shopping and all. We were actually planning to come here for quite some time now, and only today Pragya told me that Santoshiji was going, that is why we came unannounced."

"Pragya and Preeta told us how you both took care of them when Karan was away." Sarala tells him smiling.

Abhishek politely smiles, having no idea how to reply to that.

They all spoke for some time.

Noticing Pragya, Raghu says amazed. "First time, I am seeing Pragya not trying to run away from a teacher. Actually second time." Raghu chuckles remembering his first meeting with Abhishek.

Abhishek chuckles hearing that. Pragya also grins.

"How is Pragya doing in class?" Sarala asks curiously.

Pragya glares at her mother hearing that while Raghu also worriedly looked at Abhishek, ready to be insulted once again.

Abhishek looks at Pragya and sees her very uncomfortable and nervous. He smiles at Sarala and tells her, "Tomorrow they have a class test, let's see."

Sarala and Raghu nods.

"You didn't tell us that you had to study, Pragya." Sarala tells her.

"I'll study at home." Pragya quickly says.

"We should leave. Pragya has to study for her test and you will have last minute packing and many things to do." Raghu says as he stood up.

Soon they bid their byes.

"Bye Santoshi Aunty." Pragya says hugging. "Call me when you reach."

"Bye Pragya, take care." Santoshi says hugging her.

Pragya turns to Abhishek and smiles at him. "You will call later?"

Abhishek quickly looks at his mother and sees her gaping at him. he awkwardly smiles at her.

"What happened?" Pragya asks curiously.

Abhishek shakes his head. "I'll call you."

"Okay, bye." Pragya says smiling and leaves.

Abhishek uncomfortably looks at his mother and sees her staring at him.

"We are friends now." Abhishek tells her. "You go, get ready otherwise you will miss your flight." Abhishek tells her in a bid to escape.

*********

Hearing her mobile ring, Pragya switches off the music and answers the call. "Hey Santoshi Aunty left?"

"Yeah, just got back after dropping her off at the airport... were you studying?" Abhishek asks her wondering whether he should call later. "Should I call later or tomorrow?"

"No... no... I'll study later." Pragya tells him.

"Hmmm..."

"Or you can tell me what to study." Pragya cheekily tells him.

"How convenient, Pragya." Abhishek chuckles.

Pragya laughs. "I was just joking. How does it feel to be back home without Santoshi Aunty?"

"House is so silent." Abhishek tells her sighing.

"Aww... I didn't realize, otherwise I would have stayed at Di's place and given you company."

"How sweet." Abhishek says smiling. "When are you coming here next?"

"Hmmm soon. Papa and Mama are going to go away for a few days. So, I'll be staying at Di's place mostly."

"Ah nice." Abhishek says smiling, feeling excited about Pragya's next visit.

*********

Pragya was walking to her class when she hears Purab call her.

"What?" Pragya asks as she walked to him.

Purab gives her a letter. "Give this to Disha."

"Letter? Message her on WhatsApp duffer! Who writes letter now?" Pragya asks shaking her head.

"Idiot!" Purab says as he lightly hits her on her head. "I message her all the time. she wouldn't expect me to write a letter for her. it will be a surprise for her and she would feel happy."

"Because you took the trouble of writing it down?" Pragya asks confused. Purab was her senior and he was dating Disha.

"It's romantic, idiot." Purab says as he flicked her nose. "Give her."

Pragya takes the letter from him. "Okay."

Pragya turns to go to her class when she notices Abhishek watching her. he turns and starts to walk off.

"Shit! Is he going to complain?" Purab asks worriedly.

"Why should he complain?" Pragya asks confused.

"Some teachers are so narrow minded and a pain." Purab says.

"What would he complain?" Pragya asks confused.

"that I gave you love letter, duffer!" Purab tells her exasperated. "Anyway, let me know if he asks you anything." Purab tells her and walks off.

"What?" Pragya shouts in shock. Her heart skipping a beat wondering whether Professor Mehra thought that there was something between Purab and her.

Without thinking, Pragya runs after him.

"Professor Mehra!" Pragya calls him.

Abhishek stops and turns to her. "Yeah?"

"This is not for me. Purab gave it for Disha." Pragya tells him.

"You snitching on your friend, Pragya?" Abhishek asks her with a teasing grin.

"What?" Pragya asks confused.

Abhishek chuckles seeing her confusion. "What what?"

"That letter was not for me. I don't want you to think that." Pragya hurriedly explains to him.

"Oh." Abhishek didn't ask her why she cared what he thought, because he knew just like she did that things were changing between them. they were not yet ready to address it. So, he instead tells her. "I've seen Disha and Purab together around the campus. Disha is your best friend. So, I assumed it was for her."

"Purab scared me." Pragya sighs in relief, smiling. "By the way, you are not going to complain about them, right?"

"What? Whatever for?" Abhishek asks shocked. "It's their personal matter. College shouldn't interfere in that."

Pragya smiles then she asks him. "So, how is it at home without Santoshi Aunty?"

"Boring." Abhishek tells her.

"Oh... and your food?"

"Ha... ha... You always come around to food. I am cooking now."

"Oh yeah, Santoshi Aunty told me that you cook well." Pragya says smiling then frowning in displeasure she tells him, "But you never cooked for me."

"You come home, I'll." Abhishek tells her smiling.

"When? Tonight for dinner?" Pragya asks excitedly.

"Tonight... no. Tomorrow. I need time to cook to fill you up." Abhishek tells her jokingly.

"That you can never!" Pragya says waving it off.

*********

"Professor Mehra!" Pragya calls him as she ran behind him.

Abhishek turns to her as he stopped.

"You were going without me?" Pragya asks him shocked.

"What?" Abhishek asks confused.

"I am coming to your place for dinner tonight, right?" Pragya asks him.

"Yeah... I thought you would come home later in the evening. I didn't know you were coming with me." Abhishek tells her smiling.

"Good thing I saw you leave." Pragya tells him. "Otherwise I would have waited outside the staff room."

"Come." Abhishek tells her as he headed to his bike.

"I have to be home by 10:30 since it is a college week." Pragya tells him as she stood by while he got on his bike.

"Oh I thought you would stay with Preeta." Abhishek tells her as he reversed his bike.

"Jeeju just got back home last week after being away for so long. I didn't want to intrude on them." Pragya tells him as she hopped on the bike.

"Oh yeah." Abhishek agrees a little disappointed.

"Anyway, I would be coming when Papa and Mama would go away." Pragya tells him as she kept her hands on his shoulders and held him.

Abhishek smiles for both her holding him and for her coming to stay with Preeta.

*******

While Abhishek went to freshen up, Pragya went to meet Preeta.

"Mama and Papa knows that you are having dinner at Abhishek's?" Preeta asks curiously as she watched Pragya dry her hair after her shower.

"I told Mama that I won't be home for dinner tonight. she didn't ask any questions. Just said to be back by 10:30." Pragya tells her.

"Hmmm so she might have thought you are going for dinner with your friends."

"Professor Mehra is my friend." Pragya tells her.

"Just friends?" Preeta asks her curiously.

Pragya stops as she looked at Preeta thoughtfully through the mirror. "I don't know." Pragya says shrugging thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Preeta asks her.

"He is not just a friend. He is more than that." Pragya tells her as she turned to look at Preeta. "But I don't know how much more."

"And he feels the same?"

"I think so. We never spoke of it." Pragya tells her then smiling she says, "What's the hurry? There is time. we'll take our time and decide."

"So, this is not a date?" Preeta asks her teasingly.

"Does it matter what we call it?" Pragya asks her grinning.

*******

"You are early." Abhishek tells her as he opened the door.

"I thought I would help you." Pragya tells him as she smiled at him.

"I'm almost done." Abhishek tells her as he closed the door after she had walked in.

"So, what's special for me?" Pragya asks excitedly as she walked to the kitchen.

Abhishek smiles as he followed her.

"Mutton!" Pragya excitedly says as she opened one of the dish then opening the next, she smiles ever more, "Mushroom? Oh my God, prawns. All these are my favorites."

"I know." Abhishek grins.

"How?" Pragya asks shocked.

"Pragya, we used to have dinners almost every day." Abhishek tells her.

Pragya smiles. "So, what's left?"

"I was about to set the table." Abhishek tells her.

"Let's do it together." Pragya tells him smiling.

*******

"Hmmm.... This is amazing." Pragya moans as she relished the food.

Abhishek smiles hearing that. "Thank you."

"You should be a chef, Professor Mehra."

Abhishek chuckles hearing that.

"Why didn't you? why did you become a professor?" Pragya asks curiously.

"I started cooking after I became a professor and started living alone." Abhishek tells her.

"This is not ready yet but I thought." Abhishek says with a shrug as he poured wine.

"Wow!" Pragya excitedly takes it and takes a sip. "Not bad."

"It needs to sit for some more time." Abhishek tells her.

"Can't believe that I made this." Pragya says proudly as she sipped it.

"You?"

"Us." Pragya corrects as she chuckled.

They were talking when Pragya remembers and tells Abhishek, "I forgot to tell you. It is Jeeju's birthday this weekend. Di is planning a surprise party for him. just few friends and us."

"Nice."

"She asked me to stay that night."

"That's great. This Friday?" Abhishek asks her.

"Yeah. We'll go out on Saturday?"

"Where?"

"Don't know." Pragya replies shrugging.

"We'll plan something." Abhishek tells her smiling.

Pragya smiles excitedly.

After dinner, Abhishek had dropped Pragya to her house.

*******

Next day, the bell rings, and Pragya excitedly looked at the door because it was Abhishek's class.

"We might get our marks today." Disha tells her.

Pragya's heart skips a beat hearing that. Abhishek had been busy preparing for their last night's dinner that he hadn't got time to correct the papers. She didn't ask him, but over conversation he had mentioned it. Pragya sighs as fear gripped her heart.

Abhishek walks in and Pragya worriedly looks at him. the moment she looked at him, she knew he had finished correcting the papers.

Pragya nervously looks down, her heart slamming against her chest.

Abhishek distributes the papers. When he calls out her name, Pragya nervously looks up. Ready to hear his scolding. Abhishek looks at Pragya and hands her the paper.

Pragya takes the paper and looks. She had got 7 out of 50. She looks at him and Abhishek doesn't say anything, he just sadly looks at her and moves away as he called the next name.

Pragya couldn't take his silence, the sadness and the disappointment in his face. the whole class, she had sat through engulfed with guilt and regret. If he had screamed at her like usual then she wouldn't have felt this horrible.

The moment the class got over, Abhishek leaves the class. Pragya runs behind him.

"Professor Mehra!" Pragya calls him.

Abhishek sighs and stops. He turns to look at her.

"I am sorry." Pragya tells him, her eyes filling up in regret and pain seeing his disappointment and hurt.

Abhishek shakes his head.

"I'm really sorry." Pragya tells him.

"I don't know what to tell you, Pragya."

"I'll study well for the next exam." Pragya promises him.

Abhishek looks away. "You've said that before."

Pragya regretfully looks down.

Seeing her upset, he says sadly. "You used to hate me for screaming at you, but I never hated you, Pragya. no teacher hates their student. All I wanted was for you to do well. The least, pass for your tests."

"I'll pass. I promise." Pragya tells him.

Abhishek sighs.

"I'll make you proud of me. please give me one more chance." Pragya pleads him.

"Don't cry." Abhishek tells her as he wiped her tears.

"Please?" Pragya asks him again.

Abhishek nods. "Okay. There is still time, Pragya and you can do well."

"I will." Pragya vows.

*******

That weekend they all had met for Karan's birthday. Abhishek and Pragya were back to normal, neither spoke of the test marks. After the cake cutting and dinner, they all decided to play games.

They were playing truth or dare.

"Truth." Pragya declares.

"Okay, tell us who do you love the most here." Karan cheekily asks her.

Pragya looks at Abhishek and sees him watching her.

"Pragya?" Karan calls her.

"I think di." Pragya replies.

"You think?" Preeta asks.

"You're my sister."

"Apart from Preeta." Karan says.

"How do I answer that? Di is my favorite sister. you are my favorite brother. Professor Mehra is my favorite teacher."

"Tough choices you had from the one million brothers and sisters you have." Karan points out. "So, the real winner, I guess is Abhishek."

Pragya and Abhishek grin hearing that.

After few rounds of truth and dare, it was finally Abhishek's turn.

"Truth." Abhishek decides.

"I've a question for you." Preeta tells Abhishek, and she asks, "Who is your favorite student?"

Abhishek immediately looks at Pragya and she also looks at him.

"Teachers never have a favorite student." Abhishek says.

"Still you'll have that one student who is above other students, a little special." Preeta cheekily insists.

Abhishek looks at Pragya and realizes that she was waiting for his answer. "Pragya." he says as he looked at her.

Pragya blushes shyly as she looks down.

*******

Abhishek notices Pragya standing outside in the balcony and walks outside.

"What are you doing here?" Abhishek asks her as he stood next to her.

"Thinking." Pragya replies as she looked at the night sky.

"Thinking about what?"

"About you, about us."

Abhishek smiles hearing that.

"I wanted to say your name." Pragya tells him.

"It is just a game."

"Abhishek..." Pragya calls him softly.

Abhishek turns to her in shock. "what?"

Pragya turns to him and looking into his eyes, she again says, "Abhishek."

Abhishek gulps and he says softly. "I'm your Professor."

"Not forever." Pragya points out.

"True."

Pragya steps close to him and nervously asks as she looked into his eyes. "Do you want me to be yours forever?"

Abhishek nervously sighs. Then he softly replies. "Yes."

Pragya's face breaks out into a smile. She half laughs and sighs as her eyes filled up.

Seeing her like that, Abhishek couldn't control his smile. He smiles as he stepped closer to her. then he gently cups her face and leaning down, kisses her forehead.

Pragya keeps her hand over his, then leaning up, she kisses his cheek.

"Pragya... Abhishek... what are you..." Preeta stops in shock seeing them like that.

They both turn to look at her.

"Oh..." Preeta embarrassed looks at them then recovering, she says. "Behave, okay?" then she runs back inside.

Abhishek and Pragya look at each other and chuckle.

*******

After everyone had left, Preeta walks into the kitchen and sees Pragya.

"So..." Preeta says with a smile.

Pragya smiles seeing her.

"What happened to your taking time and deciding?" Preeta asks with a teasing smile.

Pragya smiles at her and says with contentment. "I love him, di."

Preeta walks to her and hugs her. "I'm so happy for you both. ever since I met him, I wanted you both to get together."

Pragya smiles hearing that.

"What are you making?" Preeta asks surprised seeing that Pragya was boiling water.

"Black coffee."

"How will you sleep if you have black coffee?"

"I don't want to sleep. I am going to study."

"WHAT?" Preeta shouts in shock.

Pragya sadly looks at her. "I had a class test and I failed."

"Abhishek's subject?"

Pragya nods as she turned to look at the water. "He was so upset. So hurt. Seeing him like that, it killed me. and I realized that this was no longer friendship or more. I love him."

Preeta smiles hearing that. she lovingly keeps her hand on Pragya's shoulder.

"I am going to study, di. I am going to do well. I want Abhishek to be proud of me. proud that he loves me like how proud I am that I love someone like him."

"Aww my baby." Preeta hugs her from behind.

"In a month and half, I have my mid semester exam. I am going to pass for all my papers. I want to get good marks."

"You will."

"And Abhishek is going to be so happy." Pragya tells her smiling in excitement.

*******

Hearing the doorbell ring, Abhishek opens the door. "Hey."

"Good morning." Pragya tells him smiling then she moves towards him and hugs him tight.

For a second, Abhishek was taken back by the hug, then he happily hugs her.

"You ready to go out?" Abhishek asks her as he closed the door.

"Oh we were supposed to go out today." Pragya remembers surprised.

"You forgot?"

"I didn't exactly forget." Pragya says smiling as she hugged him again. "I was just thinking about us."

Abhishek smiles as he hugged her. "So, where do you want to go?"

"Can we stay in? just the two of us?" Pragya asks him.

"Yeah." Abhishek smiles liking the idea.

They sit on the couch facing each other.

"I'm so happy." Pragya tells him as she took his hand.

"Me too." Abhishek tells her.

Pragya looks at him and asks him a little worriedly. "This is forever, right?"

Abhishek cups her face and promises her, "It is."

Pragya smiles. "I love you."

"I love you too." Abhishek tells her.

Pragya leans to him and gently pecks his lips. Abhishek pulls her close to him, and gently takes her lips in his. Pragya nervously kisses him back.

*******

Hearing his mobile, Abhishek picks his phone to check.

"It is Ma."

"I'll answer." Pragya says excitedly as she takes the phone and answers it. she changes her voice and says "Hello."

"Erm... hello... is Abhi there?" Santoshi asks confused.

"He is busy."

"Oh... who is this?" Santoshi asks confused.

"Aapki hone wali bahu." Pragya tells her laughing happily.

Abhishek chuckles hearing her.

"Pragya?" Santoshi asks surprised and excited.

Pragya laughs happily hearing Santoshi's excitement. "Wait I will put it on speaker."

"Ma..." Abhishek says.

"Abhi, is it true?" Santoshi asks excitedly.

"Yes." Abhishek replies as he happily looked at Pragya. "We love each other."

"I knew it. I don't know why it took you both so long."

"We just didn't want to rush into anything, Ma." Pragya tells her.

"Ma?" Santoshi and Abhishek asks surprised.

"Yeah... why are you two shocked? After marriage I'll be calling her Ma, so I'm starting now itself." Pragya explains.

Abhishek smiles hearing that.

"I am so happy." Santoshi says happily.

They spoke for a few more minutes.

*******

Abhishek was in Pragya's class teaching. As he was explaining, his gaze falls on Pragya and she was watching him with a big smile on her face. he couldn't help it, he smiles at her and continues teaching. As he looked at the students, he couldn't control himself and his gaze again goes to Pragya.

Pragya gives him a flying kiss.

Abhishek stops in shock for half a second then glaring at her, he turns his gaze away from her. rest of the class, he didn't look at her.

*******

"Abhishek!" Pragya calls him as she ran behind him.

Abhishek stops in shock and turns to her. Pragya stops near him gasping for breath.

"Pragya, this is college, call me Professor Mehra here." Abhishek whispers to her in shock.

"No." Pragya replies shaking her head frowning.

"What?"

"Aren't you my Abhishek?" Pragya asks him.

"Yes."

"Even when we are in college?"

"Yeah but..."

"Ah then I will only call you Abhishek." Pragya declares.

Abhishek sighs as he shook his head though he smiles.

Pragya smiles. "Are you free after class? Disha and Purab are going out. They asked me to join them. do you want to come with us?"

"Erm..." Abhishek hesitates as he didn't know whether he should hang out with them as Disha and Purab were his students and even they wouldn't be comfortable with him.

"They are my best friends." Pragya tells him in a bid to convince him.

"Okay." Abhishek gives in.

*******

Pragya watches as Abhishek sat with her and Purab and Disha opposite to them. Disha and Purab were unusually silent and kind of uncomfortable.

"Why are you all silent?" Pragya asks in shock.

Abhishek shrugs.

"Er... nothing..." Disha says as she awkwardly looked at Abhishek.

"None of you were saying anything." Purab says uncomfortably.

Pragya looks at them in shock then turns to Abhishek and tells him, "This is what happens when you are a strict professor."

"What do you want me to do?" Abhishek asks her exasperated.

"Be with them like you are with me!" Pragya orders him.

Cheekily grinning, Abhishek tells her. "I really don't think Purab will like if I behave with Disha the same way I behave with you."

Pragya's mouth drops open hearing that.

Purab and Disha look at each other in shock then they start laughing.

"Pragya is right, you are fun." Disha tells him laughing.

"Enough... enough... you don't like him as much as Pragya likes him." Purab jokes.

They all laugh, now comfortable, they start talking to each other.

*******

Karan frowns seeing Pragya. "Why do you keep coming here?"

"What?" Pragya asks chuckling in confusion.

"I want to know now! do you come here to see us or Abhishek?" Karan asks her suspiciously.

"What jeeju?"

"Tell me!" Karan stubbornly insists.

"Hasn't Himmat Singh taught you, jeeju? Ask no questions and hear no lies?" Pragya cheekily asks him.

Abhishek grins hearing her while Karan gives her an exasperated look.

"Then why don't you just stay with Abhishek?" Karan asks her.

"Okay. You'll cover for me with Papa and Mama?" Pragya asks as she turned to head to Abhishek's flat.

Karan quickly grabs her and pulls her back. "Where are you going? Go inside!" Karan tells her shocked.

Pragya laughs as she went inside. Karan and Abhishek grin at each other.

*******

"I was talking to Di." Pragya tells Abhishek over dinner.

Abhishek curiously looks at her.

"It is Papa and Mama's 25th wedding anniversary. So, Di and I were thinking of gifting them a trip."

"Nice." Abhishek says smiling.

"So, this Thursday they are going for the wedding. Then mostly from there they would go. Di and I'll have to plan and book everything." Pragya excitedly tells him.

"So, you guys don't want to be with them for the anniversary?"

"If they are here then we will wish in the morning, give gift and just do our normal routine. This way, it would be something special for them. and they get to spend time alone."

"Yeah, true." Abhishek says smiling then he asks, "and you would be staying with Preeta?"

"Obviously." Pragya says excitedly. "Almost a month."

After dinner, Abhishek dropped Pragya home.

*******

Once her parents went off, Pragya shifted to Preeta's house. every morning, she went to college with Abhishek and evening, they returned home together, spending every second they could get together.

"You are late!" Pragya accuses the moment Abhishek walked into the coffee shop.

"The staff meeting went on forever." Abhishek tells her tired. "Let's go?"

It was a weekend and they had planned to go for a movie with Disha and Purab.

"We are late already." Disha says as she stood up.

"I'm so hungry." Pragya grumbles as she stood up.

"You didn't eat anything?" Abhishek asks her.

"They were so sure that you would come any second now, they didn't let me order anything. I had a brownie only."

"And coffee too." Disha reminds her.

"I am still hungry." Pragya glares at her as she grabbed her bag.

Abhishek chuckles and tells Disha and Purab. "You guys go."

"What about you guys?" Purab asks confused.

Abhishek holds Pragya by her shoulder. "I'll feed her and come otherwise, she won't let us watch the movie peacefully."

Pragya makes a face as Abhishek took her to the counter.

When Pragya didn't order anything, Abhishek curiously looks at her and sees her reading the menu.

"Pragya, choose something from the shelf." Abhishek tells her as he pointed at the sandwiches and croissants.

Pragya disinterestedly looks at the sandwiches. "I'll take 2 chicken sandwich." Pragya tells the Barista.

"I don't want." Abhishek tells Pragya.

"It is for me!" Pragya tells him shocked.

"Oh okay."

Pragya shakes her head in exasperation.

Chuckling, Abhishek hugs her from behind. "My darling glutton."

Pragya chuckles hearing that.

Abhishek was casually looking around when he notices two students looking at them in shock.

"Shit... they are my students." Abhishek whispers as he moved away from Pragya.

Pragya turns to look and sees two seniors watching them. she turns to Abhishek and asks confused, "So, what?"

"They will tell everyone, Pragya." Abhishek tells her in concern.

"What is wrong in that? we love each other. We are not doing anything wrong. So, why should we hide our love?"

"It's not that, there would be gossips." Abhishek tells her.

"if we hide and people see us together, they will make up one million stories. If we are open about our love, then there won't be dirty stories about us." Pragya tells him.

Abhishek nods realizing that if they were open about their relation then there would be only one story about them and that would be the truth. And he knew, how much ever they tried, they will not be able to keep their relation a secret because someone or the other would see them together.

*******

"You didn't sleep?" Preeta asks as she poked her head in.

"I'm studying." Pragya replies without looking up from her book.

"It's really late, Pragya." Preeta tells her as she walked in.

"You didn't sleep?" Pragya asks her.

"I got up to drink water that is when I noticed the light in your room. you are getting dark circles, go to sleep."

"I'll. After I finish this module. Too much to study and too little time." Pragya tells her yawning.

"Okay, good night."

*******

Abhishek sighs in irritation as he heard the crunching sound. Pragya was sitting on his lap as they watched the movie. He increases the volume.

"It is too loud." Pragya tells him as she reduced the volume then taking the chips from the bag, she shoves it into her mouth and loudly crunches.

"Can you stop eating so loudly?" Abhishek asks her exasperated.

"What?" Pragya turns to him frowning.

"You are eating into my ears!" Abhishek tells her. "I can't hear a word, all I am hearing is crunch crunch crunch."

"I can hear everything!"

"Because your mouth is not near your ear."

"How rude?" Pragya asks offended. "And my mouth is on my face! How can you hear more than me?"

"I can't!"

"I meant my eating sound!"

"Maybe because you are forever eating and got immune to the sound." Abhishek tells her.

"Get lost!" Pragya says pissed off and walks off.

*******

Hearing the knock on the door, Pragya opens the door. She stops seeing packets of chips on the floor in the shape of a heart. She looks up and sees Abhishek cheekily winks at her with Preeta and Karan sitting on the couch and watching them.

"Took you long enough!" Pragya mutters as she bend down and started picking the chips packets.

"Had to finish watching the movie." Abhishek tells her shrugging.

Pragya scowls at him.

Grinning, Abhishek tells her. "Check out what I got for our next movie section?"

"What?" Pragya asks frowning at him.

"Popcorn."

*******

Abhishek was in the middle of teaching when Neil comes to the door. "Excuse me, sir? Can I come in?"

"You're late." Abhishek tells him shaking his head.

"I went to pay exam fees." Neil tells him.

"You should have done it during break or after class. You shouldn't be doing it during class." Abhishek tells him in a dismissing tone.

Sighing, Neil walks off.

*******

"Why didn't you let Neil in?" Pragya asks Abhishek as she ran up to him after the period.

"Don't you have class?" Abhishek asks her.

"I've... but why didn't you let him in?"

"He was late. Now, you'll be late."

"Why can't you be a little friendly to your students?" Pragya asks him frowning.

"They are my students, Pragya. I am not their friend." Abhishek tells her.

"But you don't have to be so strict. Even you were a student once."

"What is the problem, Pragya?" Abhishek asks as he turned to her stopping.

"I want everyone to like you like I like you." Pragya tells him frowning.

Abhishek smiles hearing that.

"Remember, how I used to hate you because you were horrible to me."

"Didn't you deserve it?" Abhishek asks her grinning.

Pragya glares at him. "Did that help? Did I improve my grades because you were screaming at me?"

"You should be studying for your exams." Abhishek tells her.

"that I will... tell me, when you were a student, which teacher did you like the most? The strict one or the kind one."

Abhishek thoughtfully leans on the railing hearing her. he says with a shrug. "My father was the Principal of my college. he was very strict in college while at home he was a fun guy. I guess, I just followed how he was."

"If he wasn't your father, would you have considered him as your best teacher?"

Grinning, he tells her, "Everyone used to call him Rakshas."

"So, he was no better than you." Pragya mutters.

Abhishek smiles. "Okay, I will try to be not so strict."

Pragya smiles hearing that. "I love you."

Abhishek smiles even more. "Now, run before you are late for class."

"Okay, bye."

*******

Abhishek and Pragya were passionately kissing each other when they realize that Abhishek's mobile was ringing.

"Ignore it." Pragya tells him as she kissed him when he turned to check his phone.

"Let me just check who it is."

"Would be some kabib mein haddi." Pragya says.

Chuckling Abhishek checks the phone. "Oh, it is Ma." Abhishek tells her. "I've to take it, Pragya."

"Okay." Pragya sighs.

"Get off my lap." Abhishek tells her.

"Why?" Pragya asks frowning.

"It's a video call."

"So?"

Abhishek stops in shock. "Get off, Pragya. Ma will see." Abhishek says as he scooted her off his lap.

Pragya glares at him as she got off his lap. "She knows about us. Why are you acting like this?"

"Still..." Abhishek says as he adjusted their appearance and answered the call.

They spoke to Santoshi for a while then hangs up. Abhishek turns to Pragya and asks her curiously, "When are you going to tell your parents about us?"

"They are not here." Pragya shrugs.

"Yeah... I want to meet them when they get back."

"You already met them." Pragya reminds him, shocked.

"Yeah, but I want to tell them about us."

"Mama will come back soon but Papa has some work travel. We'll tell them when he gets back."

"Okay." Abhishek replies smiling, then he holds her ankles and pulls her over his lap and with a sexy smile, he asks, "Where were we?"

*******

One night, Pragya was studying when she gets a message from Abhishek.

Finished! *Phew*

Pragya quickly messages him, okay, send me the questions.

He replies immediately. You wish! Going to sleep. see you tomorrow.

Good night. Pragya replies and smiling she keeps the phone aside.

She was studying when she gets a message from Disha. it was a photo of Disha wearing a new tshirt.

Purab gifted me this.

Nice. Gaurs replies.

I found it inside my bag. I didn't know when he kept it.

Pragya smiles, Purab was an old fashioned romantic. Writing love letters and giving surprise gifts to Disha.

I want to get him something. Will you come with me tomorrow for shopping?

Pragya sighs and messages her. Abhishek just told me that he finished setting the questions for the exams. I've to study.

Oh he is done? How is it this time? easy or hard?

I didn't ask him.

Hmmm okie... anyway, I'll go alone. You work hard on your surprise for him 😉

Pragya smiles. Then thinking of the Purab's surprise, she wanted to surprise Abhishek.

She quickly tears out a page from her notebook and writes on it.

*******

Hearing the door bell, Abhishek wakes up. He sits up drowsily as he tried to listen if there was indeed a door bell.

Hearing the bell again, Abhishek goes to check.

"Pragya.... What happened?" Abhishek asks in concern.

"Did you sleep?" Pragya asks him smiling.

"Yeah... all okay?"

"Yes.... I realized that I never saw your bedroom."

"What?" Abhishek asks confused.

"Can you believe it? I've been coming here for so long and I never saw your bedroom." Pragya tells him as she pushed him aside and walk in.

"What?" Abhishek asks shocked as he followed her in. "Are you here to see my bedroom?"

"Of course not!"

"Then?"

"I am here to see my future bedroom." Pragya arrogantly tells him.

Hearing that Abhishek couldn't help the smile. He follows her as she walked into his bedroom.

Pragya stops in the middle of the room.

"So?" Abhishek asks her.

"I want water." Pragya tells him.

"What?" Abhishek asks shocked.

"I am thirsty. I want water."

"You serious?" Abhishek asks shocked.

"Yes... get me water."

Abhishek points at the water bottle kept on the side table. "There."

Pragya turns to look where he pointed and stops in shock for a second. She had expected him to go to the kitchen to get her water. Then recovering, she asks faking outrage. "You won't give me anything to eat?"

Abhishek sighs. "How can you eat so late at night?"

"I'm feeling hungry."

"Let me check what I have." Abhishek tells her as he walked out, lightly closing the door shut.

"You will find something." Pragya tells him smiling, lately, he kept his kitchen stocked so she would always have something to munch on when she visited him.

Pragya looks around and sees his study table. She runs to the table and takes out the letter she had kept in her pajama pocket. She picks one of the books on the table and keeps the letter inside and moves back excitedly.

Smiling excitedly she looks around the room. His room was neat and organized just like him.

"Got chips." Abhishek tells her as he opened the door and walked in.

"I like our room." Pragya tells him smiling as she stared at the paintings on the wall. "But these paintings have to go."

"You didn't like them?" Abhishek asks curiously.

"We'll put my photo. Big one."

"Yours?" Abhishek asks chuckling.

"Fine! Both of ours." Pragya gives in.

Abhishek rolls his eyes as he closed the door.

Hearing the door close, Pragya turns to him. Realizing they were alone inside his bedroom, Pragya started feeling nervous. She had been alone with him, but never inside the bedroom and that was freaking her out.

"Pragya, you okay?"

Pragya nervously looks at the closed bedroom door then to the bed. She started shivering freaking out.

"Pragya?" Abhishek calls her curiously as he walked to her.

"I don't want to make love before marriage." Pragya blurts out.

"What?" Abhishek stops in shock.

Pragya worriedly looks at the door. "I love you, Abhishek but that..."

"Pragya... the stopper is not working. So, I closed the door otherwise it would slam shut." Abhishek tells her as he walked to her.

Pragya worriedly nods.

"Relax, Pragya. I didn't mean it like that." Abhishek tries to reassure her.

Pragya nods. "I'll go home." Pragya worriedly tells him.

"But why? Stay for sometime."

"No... no... I will see you tomorrow." Pragya tells him as her heart was slamming against her chest. She starts to walk out then she turns and grabs the chips packet from him without looking at his face. "I forgot this. Good night." Pragya tells him and runs out, leaving an amused Abhishek behind.

*******

Next day morning, Pragya and Abhishek step out of their flats at the same time.

"Got it?" Pragya asks him excitedly.

"What?" Abhishek asks her confused.

Realizing that he didn't find her note, she sighs disappointed.

"Got what?" Abhishek asks her again.

"Nothing." Pragya says shaking her head. "Let's go."

********

Abhishek walks into the class and smiles at Pragya. She also smiles at him. She notices that few of the students were looking at them. She ignores them. Even Abhishek ignores them. They have been getting these looks lately, people were noticing about them. Many knew that they were together now.

Pragya smiles seeing the way Abhishek was smiling and chatting with the students. Ever since, she told him, he had been making an effort and trying to build a relation with the students and not be strict like before.

"Professor Mehra, I hear you finished setting the question paper." Disha says.

Abhishek grins and cheekily says, "I believe you heard from a very reliable source, Disha."

Pragya grins seeing that Abhishek also was no longer conscious about people finding out about their relationship.

"Is it tough?" Disha asks him.

"I am afraid, it is." Abhishek tells her.

The students groan.

"It's the new HOD rule. One exam should be hard and one should be easy. So, I thought if this exam is hard then for the semester exam it can be easy." Abhishek explains. "But please study hard everyone." Abhishek says his gaze ending on Pragya.

Pragya nervously looks down realizing that she has to work even more harder now as the exam was going to be tough.

*****

Pragya was studying when she hears the mobile ring. Seeing it was Abhishek, she answers excitedly. "Found it?"

"What?" Abhishek asks confused.

Pragya sighs, how long was it going to take him to find her note? If it was going to be like this then she will definitely forget about it by the time he finds it. "I thought it was Disha... what's up?"

"Ah okay... what you doing? Coming over?" Abhishek asks her.

"No..." Pragya says disappointed as she noticed her study material.

"Busy?" Abhishek asks her.

"Yeah... I'll talk to you later."

"Okay then. See you later."

********

"You are so busy lately, you've no time for me." Abhishek complains to Pragya one day as he hungrily kissed her.

"What? I see you everyday." Pragya replies against his lip in shock.

"Only in college and then when we go and come from college." Abhishek tells her as he frowned at her.

"That I am busy with di." Pragya lies.

"Busy with what?"

"Erm... Di and I am watching Game of Thrones. You know the sequel... actually prequel is out. So, we need to watch that before we watch the prequel."

Abhishek looks at her confused. "Shouldn't you be watching the prequel first?"

"Erm..." Pragya looks at him confused. "We want to watch it in the order it is out. So, I am busy as we have to finish it before I go back home."

"Hmmm."

"Let's go. We are getting late for college." Pragya tells him as she turned to walk out of his flat.

"Pragya..." Abhishek gently calls her.

"Yeah?" Pragya turns to him.

"Exam is nearing, please study." Abhishek tells her.

"I will." Pragya quickly promises and turns to leave, so that he doesn't talk much on it and ruin her surprise.

"And... do make time for me, I miss you, love." Abhishek gently tells her.

Pragya turns to him and smiles hearing him. She leans up and kisses him hard. "You are my biggest distraction in my mission."

"Mission?" Abhishek asks chuckling. "Are you living, breathing, game of thrones?"

Pragya chuckles and walks off.

******

"Hey Pragya." Tanu calls her as she sat next to Pragya in class along with Ishana.

Pragya curiously looks up at her. "Hey Tanu... what's up?" Pragya asks smiling.

"Is it true?" Tanu asks her in an excited whisper.

"What?" Pragya asks confused.

"That you and Professor Mehra are dating."

Pragya grins hearing that and blushing slightly, she confirms. "We love each other."

"Oh my God!" Tanu shouts in shock.

Pragya chuckles hearing that.

"But he used to scream at you always." Ishana tells her shocked.

"Not anymore." Pragya smugly replies.

"But you and him." Ishana says shocked. "He is so serious."

"But he is so hot." Tanu dreamily says.

"He is mine." Pragya tells her good-naturedly smiling.

Tanu chuckles hearing that. "I can't imagine him as a boyfriend. He is so strict."

"He is fun." Pragya tells her. Then seeing them not convinced, she says, "Ask Disha. And he is not strict like before, right?"

"And we have you to thank?" Tanu cheekily asks her.

Pragya smugly nods.

*********

Few days after that, Pragya left for her house when her mother got back and she got busy with her studies. She met Abhishek in college and spent every free time she got to study.

The day the exams got over, Pragya was free while Abhishek got busy with the paper evaluations.

Abhishek was walking to the staff room when Pragya catches up with him.

"Now I am free, you are so busy." Pragya complains to him.

"I'm busy with correcting papers not watching game of thrones." Abhishek replies cheekily.

"When will you finish?"

"Almost done. Will finish by tonight."

"Corrected my paper?" Pragya asks nervously.

Abhishek looks at her surprised as she had never asked him before whether he corrected her papers. "Tonight. Kept it for last." Abhishek tells her, because even he was a little nervous about correcting her paper, fearing that she would not pass once again.

Pragya nods taking a deep breath. Then she asks him excitedly. "So, tomorrow, after class I'll come to your place?"

Abhishek grins hearing that. "Yeah... wait, when do I get to meet your parents?" Abhishek asks her.

"Let's see. I am not sure whether I should tell them first or we should do it together."

"We should do it together."

"Hmmm... let me see. I will ask di 's opinion also."

"Okay." Abhishek nods then hearing the bell he tells her, "Go, you'll get late otherwise."

"Only you throw students out of the class because they are one minute late." Pragya rolls her eyes cheekily and walks off making Abhishek chuckle.

Abhishek continues to walk to the staff room when he hears two students whispering. "What's up with them?"

"Tanu said they are dating. Pragya told her it seems."

"But didn't Pragya hate him?"

Abhishek grins hearing that and was about to walk off when he hears the other reply. "That is what even I was wondering. Who knows, maybe Pragya is just trying to pass for her exams. You know, acting as if she is interested in him."

Abhishek stops in shock and turns to the students behind him furiously. Noticing that he caught them, they quickly hurries off. Pissed, Abhishek walks off, wanting so badly to punch those students for degrading Pragya like that.

********

The moment, he saw the handwriting, he knew it was Pragya's. Heart slamming against his chest, Abhishek takes the answer paper.

"Please pass, Pragya." Abhishek prays then taking a deep breath, he starts reading what she had written.

Abhishek frowns as he turned the pages again and again and checked. He keeps the answer sheets aside and looks through the rest of the sheets. That was Pragya's handwriting. He wouldn't make a mistake in that. He looks through the bunch of papers and then he picks the one he knew was Pragya's and stares in shock. 84 out of 100.

As he stared in shock, trying to make heads or tails of it, the student's voice resonated in his brains.

To pass for exams. Acting as if interested in him.

*********

"Hey!" Pragya excitedly says as she ran to Abhishek in the college parking lot. "Why did you ask me to meet you here so early?" Pragya asks as she hugged him.

Abhishek steps back from her as he accusingly looked at her.

"What happened?" Pragya asks him confused.

"This..." Abhishek extends her answer sheets.

"Is that my paper?" Pragya asks excitedly then she looks at him and seeing his expression, her smile drops and her heart skips a beat. she asks him "I failed?"

Abhishek scoffs loudly as he extended her the answer paper.

Pragya takes the paper and checks her mark. Seeing her marks, she squeals in excitement. "I can't believe that I got so much marks. You know, I have never got this high marks." Pragya excitedly says as she turned the paper to check.

"The highest that you've got is what... 9?" Abhishek asks her.

"Yeah." Pragya replies and looks at him, and seeing his expression, she asks him, confused. "Aren't you happy?"

"How did you get this mark, Pragya?"

"I studied, Abhishek. Like I promised you. Why are you asking me that?" Pragya asks him confused.

"You studied?" Abhishek scoffs.

"I did, Abhishek." Pragya tells him shocked. "Do you think I copied?"

"The day I told you I finished setting the question paper, you had come to my flat. Why did you come?" Abhishek asks her, his eyes filling up.

"To see you, why else would I come?" Pragya asks him shocked.

"You went to my room and left right after that. You were shivering."

"What?" Pragya asks shocked, trying to recollect the incident.

"I closed the bedroom door and you got scared about love making." Abhishek reminds her.

"I don't want to make love before marriage, Abhishek." Pragya tells him softly.

"Or where you there to steal the question paper?"

"What?" Pragya shouts in shock.

"You had asked me to tell you the questions for the exam."

"That I was just joking." Pragya argues in shock.

"Was this all to pass?" Abhishek asks her, blinking away his tears.

"What all?" Pragya asks hurt, her eyes filling up.

"Do you love me? Or are you acting?"

"You think I am acting?" Pragya asks her heart breaking, and tears falling down her face.

"You used to hate me, Pragya." Abhishek says in pain. "How did you suddenly start loving me? I should have known."

"What are you say, Abhishek?" Pragya asks him hurt. "I love you."

"Why did you come that day, Pragya?"

"To see you, Abhishek. Why else would I come?" Pragya argues hurt. "You think my love is an act?"

"You keep procrastinating when I talk about meeting your parents."

"They were not here."

"Ever since the night I set the question paper, you've been avoiding me, Pragya." Abhishek accuses her.

"I was studying!" Pragya angrily tells him. "I promised you I will pass, so I was studying."

"Or you got what you needed so you didn't have to continue being with me?"

"I was with you! I am always with you!"

Abhishek shakes his head. "Not like before that night. I've to report you, Pragya."

"What?" Pragya asks in shocked whisper.

"I've to inform the Principal everything. I don't care if they take action against me. I can't let this happen. It is unfair to other students who studied hard for their exams."

"I studied hard, Abhishek. I swear I did. I didn't cheat." Pragya tells him crying. "I love you, Abhishek. Please believe me."

"I don't believe you."

********

Pragya was in the Principal's room with Abhishek.

"I didn't cheat." Pragya argues as she cried. She turns to look at Abhishek helplessly, "Why won't you believe me?"

Abhishek gulps as he looked away.

Pragya turns to the Principal and tells him helplessly. "I love him. I went to see him, I didn't steal the question paper."

Principal looks at Abhishek confused, not knowing what to believe. Hearing the knock, he looks at the door.

His assistant pokes her head inside, "her parents' are here."

"Ask them to come." Principal tells her.

Pragya looks at Abhishek in shock. "Why are you doing this?"

"I called them." Principal informs her.

The door opens and Raghu and Sarala walks in. Pragya turns to look at her parents and they glare at her angrily.

"Please sit." Principal says as he gestured to the seats.

Raghu and Sarala sits down shamed face, and noticing Abhishek, they sigh embarrassed.

"This is Pragya's marks for her Economics exam." Principal says as he extended the answer sheets.

Raghu takes it and dreadfully looks at it. Seeing the marks he stops in shock. "She passed?" Raghu asks smiling happily.

"What?" Sarala asks shocked as she took the papers from him. "She passed!" Sarala exclaims in joy. "She passed!"

"Oh my God, never thought this day would come." Raghu says laughing happily as he turned to look at Pragya. He stops in shock and confusion. "If you passed why are you crying?"

"What happened, Pragya?" Sarala asks confused as she walked to Pragya. "We thought you failed like usual and that is why they called us. But you passed."

Pragya hugs her and bursts into loud tears.

"What happened, Pragya?" Sarala asks as she hugged her worriedly.

"Pragya..." Raghu quickly stands up then turning to Abhishek, he asks, "What happened?"

"You know about your daughter's closeness with Professor Mehra?" Principal asks him.

"Yeah, he is my son-in-law's friend. They are like family friends now." Raghu replies confused.

Principal looks at Abhishek and Pragya awkwardly then he turns to look at Raghu.

"What is the problem?" Raghu asks.

"Seeing her marks, aren't you surprised?" Principal asks him.

"Of course, I am. She used to fail."

"Exactly."

"What?" Raghu asks confused. "What do you mean?"

"We think that she stole the question paper from Professor Mehra's house." Principal tells him.

Raghu turns to Pragya in shock. "You cheated?"

"No, Papa. I didn't. I studied hard." Pragya tells him as she cried out. "I stayed up at night and studied."

"Stop crying, Pragya." Raghu sternly tells her.

"Sshh.... Calm down, Pragya." Sarala gently tells her.

Raghu turns to the Principal and Abhishek tells them. "My daughter has very rarely passed for her exams. At times, we have had to beg her teachers to promote her to the next class. But never has she ever cheated. Pragya might be lazy but she is not a cheat. If she makes a mistake, she has always accepted the mistake, how ever big or small it is. So, if she says she didn't cheat then we believe her."

"She has been studying hard." Sarala tells them. "I've seen her study. She stopped going out and used to stay at home and study."

Abhishek gulps in shock hearing that as he looked at Pragya in confusion.

"But how can you explain this mark?" Principal asks confused.

"We just explained!" Raghu furiously reminds him.

"Instead of congratulating her for her good work, you are accusing her?" Sarala asks him angrily.

Principal looks at Abhishek for guidance.

Abhishek looks at Pragya helplessly, unable to make up his mind.

Seeing his confusion, Pragya tells her parents sadly. "I love someone. He wanted me to pass for my exams. He was so heartbroken when I failed last time. I studied for him, so he would be proud of me like I am of him."

Abhishek's heart breaks hearing that. His eyes fill up hearing that, realizing that Pragya had been telling him the truth. "I believe her." Abhishek whispers in guilt as he stared at Pragya.

Pragya accusingly looks at him as she gulped her sob.

"I am sorry, Pragya." Abhishek whispers as he started to walk towards her.

Hearing the door open, he stops and sees the HOD walk in.

"I've asked all the other Professors to correct her papers asap." Pammi says.

Principal nods hearing that. "If she has really studied then she would definitely pass for those exams too."

Pragya worriedly looks at her parents and says, "I mostly studied for Economics. I won't get this mark for other papers."

"It doesn't matter." Raghu reassures her.

"It matters." Pammi says. "She was a regular visitor to his house."

"She went there to meet them and have her meals. Not steal question papers!" Sarala furiously tells her.

"I was wrong. Pragya didn't cheat." Abhishek regretfully says. "I shouldn't have accused her without any proof." Abhishek says filled with regret, wanting to hug and console Pragya, ask for her forgiveness for accusing her like this.

"Proof is her marks." Pammi says.

"All this while, you had issues when she failed her exams. And now, she has passed with good marks, you have issue with that too?" Raghu asks angrily.

"Nobody passes like this after failing miserably for so long." Pammi says.

"Pragya worked hard for this marks." Abhishek argues.

"You are the one who came with this suspicion." Pammi reminds him.

"And it is cleared now. I was wrong and Pragya was right." Abhishek argues.

"Your proof is she said she studied?"

"Yes." Abhishek furiously replies.

Pammi shakes her head.

"Anyway we will know when her other marks come. If she passes for those paper we can know that she didn't cheat for this exam." Principal says.

"Not this high marks." Pammi argues.

"What do you want her to do? Write the exams again?" Sarala asks angrily.

"Yes."

"Are you serious?" Abhishek asks her in shock.

"Very. Prepare a question paper fast. She will rewrite her exam now." Pammi declares.

"Is that necessary?" Principal asks.

"it is. If one of the students complaints then we will be in trouble." Pammi tells him.

Principal nods giving in. "Professor Mehra..."

"No." Abhishek replies sternly.

"What do you mean no?" Pammi asks frowning.

"It means no. I trust Pragya and I will not do this to her." Abhishek tells her.

"You are the one who accused her." Pammi reminds him.

"I did and I was wrong!" Abhishek furiously tells her. "So, I am not going to to continue making this mistake. I will not take her test."

"Fine. There are is one more Economics Professor in our college." Pammi tells him.

"Do you have some enmity with my daughter?" Raghu asks her in shock.

"I don't. But it is our duty to make sure there is no cheating happens in the college. I find no joy in this." Pammi tells him. "I am the HOD and it is my duty."

Raghu furiously turns to Pragya and then holding her in a loving way, he tells her gently. "Pragya, you've to write this exam. If not for anything else, then to shut their mouth. They are accusing you of cheating and you've to prove them wrong."

"Why should I, Papa? I studied for this mark." Pragya tells him sadly.

"I know, Pragya. It is wrong to ask you to prove your innocence but at times, we have to, so no more fingers raises on us." Sarala tells her.

"Will you do it?" Raghu asks her.

"Please don't, Pragya." Abhishek requests her regretfully. Hearing him, Pragya looks at him. "It was my mistake. You don't have to take the punishment for it. I am so sorry."

Pragya looks at him for a few seconds then she turns to Raghu and nods. "I'll write, Papa."

"Pragya..." Abhishek calls her as he started to walk to her. "Please don't do that."

"I've to." Pragya tells him as she wiped her tears.

Abhishek helplessly looks at her, wanting to kill himself for the torture that Pragya had to go through because of him.

"I'll get the previous year's question paper. You can sit in the library and write the exam." Pammi says.

Pragya looks at her then Abhishek then she finally looks at her parents and says, "I used the last few years question papers to prepare for this exam."

Sarala turns to Pammi and asks her, "So, if she gets more marks for this exam then that would be considered, right?"

"Whatever she gets for this exam. Yes." Pammi agrees. "come with me, Pragya."

"You can leave. We will inform you the result." Principal tells them.

"We are staying." Raghu replies. "till she gets the result for this exam, we are staying."

*********

Abhishek helplessly waited outside as Pragya rewrote her exam. The guilt for the pain he had caused Pragya was killing him. He had acted without thinking and now, Pragya was paying the price for it. He had accused her of faking her love for him when she did all this because she loved him.

Seeing her walk out, Abhishek hurries to her. "Pragya..."

Pragya looks at him, then she walks by him as she walked to her parents.

Abhishek guiltily watches her walk off.

********

Abhishek looks at Pragya's mark sheet and sighs regretfully. She got the least for French, which she managed to scrape through with just 1 mark. Rest everything, she had scored between 50-60 marks. Fighting his tears, he walks to Pragya. Pragya looks up at him and he extends the mark sheet to her.

Pragya takes it and looks at it. As Abhishek watched her, he sees a drop of tear falling on the paper. Then he sees her shaking as she gripped the piece of paper.

"Pragya..." Sarala gently holds her, Pragya quickly hugs her and cries.

"I'm so sorry, Pragya." Abhishek tells her as he knelt down.

"Pragya, stop crying. Your Professor made a mistake and he is trying to apologize." Raghu gently tells her.

Abhishek nervously looks at Raghu wondering whether he should correct him.

"Professor Mehra, they are calling you inside." One peon informs him.

Abhishek nods and looking at Pragya for a few seconds, he walks off.

*******

"Stop crying, Pragya. It is all going to be over soon." Sarala tells her.

"Yes, for the first time you passed for all the papers. We should party not cry like this." Raghu tells her as he gently caressed her hair.

Pragya sniffs as she tried to fight her tears.

Wanting to distract her, Raghu teasingly asks her, "By the way, you love someone and you never told us."

"Who is that boy, who managed to get our lazy and irresponsible daughter to want to be serious about her studies?" Sarala asks her. Then smiling at Raghu, she says, "We already love this wonder boy."

Hearing them, Pragya bursts out into tears as she broke down completely.

"Pragya... baby.... What happened?" Raghu asks shocked seeing her reaction. "Who is your boyfriend?"

"Oh my God..." Sarala whispers in shock as realization was quick. "You love your Professor Mehra?"

Pragya nods as she cried.

"And he thought you cheated?" Raghu asks shocked and outraged.

"He thought I was acting as if I love him." Pragya tells them in anguish.

Raghu and Sarala look at each other, helpless and angry seeing their daughter's condition.

********

They walk into the Principal's room. They sit down while Pragya stood behind them. Abhishek yearningly looks at her, hoping she would look at him. But Pragya was looking down.

"She got 96." Principal uncomfortably informs Raghu and Sarala as he passed them her answer sheets.

Raghu and Sarala accusingly looks at him.

"This mark will be recorded for her." Principal informs them.

"You can go to class, Pragya." Pammi tells her.

"Class? You tortured our daughter for no fault of hers. Whole day the mental and emotional torture she went through, you expect her to go to class?" Raghu asks angrily.

"You can take her home. Anyway, only one more hour is left." Principal tells him.

"And you're going to mark her present for the full day." Raghu tells him angrily as he started to get up.

"We heard her Professor apologize to her, we didn't hear you both do that." Sarala tells them challengingly.

"What?" Pammi asks in shock.

"You accused her of cheating and made her retake her exam. And she scored more marks and proved her innocence." Sarala points out to them.

"You are right. We are sorry, Pragya." Principal says.

"It's okay." Pragya replies.

Sarala pointedly looks at Pammi. "We don't have whole day."

"Sorry." Pammi mutters. "I was just doing my duty."

"You were torturing an innocent girl." Sarala reminds her.

"Innocent girl? You know about her relation with her professor?" Pammi asks her.

Abhishek turns to Pragya's parents in shock hearing that. This was not how they had wanted her parents to find out about them. He worriedly looks at Pragya and sees her staring at Pammi in shock.

"So, that was your problem?" Raghu asks her in disbelief.

"There is no sanctity to teacher-student relation now." Pammi says in disgust.

"My daughter loves someone." Raghu angrily tells her. "Her life, her love, her decision and her relation. Who are you or this management or this college to dictate who she loves?"

Pammi looks at him in shock.

"You bloody stay out of her personal life. If you so much as hissed at her private life, then I am going to rain down on you like hell. And there won't be much left of you to do your so called "duties". Let's go, Pragya." Raghu warns furiously and gets up.

Holding Pragya's hand, they walk out.

******

Karan opens the door for Abhishek. "Abhishek!" Karan sighs uncomfortably.

"Is Pragya here?" Abhishek asks him.

"No." Karan shakes his head in confusion.

Abhishek sighs disappointed. "I thought she would come here." Abhishek says in a disappointed whisper. He had hoped maybe that she would come here and they could talk.

"No, man. She is at her place." Karan says then noticing Preeta furiously glaring at Abhishek, he tries to joke. "I would have invited you in, but I am scared my wife would poison you."

Abhishek humorlessly sighs as he looked at Preeta. "Is she okay?"

"Why do you care?" Preeta asks him angrily.

"I'm sorry, Preeta. I don't know what I was thinking." Abhishek regretfully tells her.

"She wanted to surprise you. She wanted you to be proud. And she worked her ass off. She pushed herself, for you. And you..." Preeta stops as she looked away.

"Preeta..." Karan gently calls her to calm her down.

"I thought you were perfect for her. Calm, mature and caring. But you hurt her the most." Preeta accuses him. "God, she is an innocent girl. She says she hated you but she didn't even realize that hate is a strong emotion and she was only fed up with you. I thought you were mature enough to understand that. But you turned out to be the worst! Go away, Abhishek."

*******

"Abhishek is here to see you." Sarala informs Pragya.

"I don't want to see him." Pragya tells her as she sadly lay on the bed.

"You haven't done anything wrong then why are you hiding out here? Go and talk to him."

Pragya sadly gets up and walks out of the room.

She sees Abhishek waiting for her in the living room. Seeing her, he hurries to her. "Pragya..."

"Why did you come here?" Pragya asks him without looking at his face.

"I am so sorry, Pragya. Please forgive me. I don't know what I was thinking. When you scored so much, I don't know why I thought you cheated. When these thoughts started, it wouldn't stop. I am so sorry, Pragya."

"I am not angry with you for thinking I cheated. I understand that." Pragya tells him as fresh tears filled her eyes. She wipes her tears and says, "You thought I was acting. You have so little trust in me and my love?"

"Pragya, it is not that... I heard these students talking." Abhishek tells her about the conversation he had overheard. "And that time I knew they were wrong but that night when I corrected you papers, their words, it kept haunting me." Abhishek helplessly explains to her.

Pragya shakes her head. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters, Pragya. We love each other." Abhishek tells her as he held her hand.

Pragya shakes her head and frees her hands from him. "We jumped into this without thinking. This was wrong."

"Pragya, please don't say that." Abhishek quickly holds her hand.

"We will just stay away from each other." Pragya tells him as she freed herself and walks off, not listening to his pleas.

**********

Abhishek sighs helplessly as Pragya cut his call again. Sighing, he calls her again and she cuts his call again. Hearing a message notification, he sees that Pragya messaged him.

Please stop calling me. I don't want to talk.

Screaming in agony, Abhishek furiously throws his phone away then screaming, he starts throwing whatever he could get his hands on.

*********

"She is not talking to me." Abhishek helplessly tells Santoshi.

"Did you listen to her when she asked you to?" Santoshi gently asks him back.

Abhishek regretfully sighs.

"Give her time. You know she loves you." Santoshi tells him in a consoling way.

"Hmmm." Abhishek nods. "I've to go to college." Abhishek tells her as he started picking up the books from the floor.

"Okay... don't worry, everything will be fine." Santoshi tells him and hangs up.

Abhishek was keeping the old books when he notices a paper sticking out of it with a heart sign. Curious, he pulls it out. The page was filled with hearts.

You're my Honeybunch Sugarplum

Pumpy-umpy-umpkin

You're my sweetie pie

You're my Cuppycake

Gumdrop Snoogums-Boogums

You're the Apple of my Eye

And I love you so and I want you to know

That I'll always be right here

And I love to sing sweet songs to you

Because you are so dear

I love you, Abhishek.

p.s you're my mutton biriyani too.

Abhishek chuckles as he started crying. How like Pragya to write the cupcake song as a love letter.

Then he stops realizing that she had come that night to keep this letter, because she hadn't come into his bedroom before or after that night.

He falls on the ground as he broke down.

***********

She didn't come to class that day or the next few days. Since, she was still not in the mood to talk to him, he hadn't attempted to meet her. So, everyday, he hopefully went to college to meet her.

"Good morning."

Abhishek looks up and sees one of his colleague. "Good morning."

"Your Pragya was in class today." He informs him as he walked to his table.

"She was?" Abhishek asks surprised as he checked his timetable and realized that after next hour, he had Pragya's class.

"Yeah." He says as he sat down. "I hope her marks doesn't go back to what it was. She had done so well in the last exam."

Abhishek nods as he stood up. The whole college pretty much knew, what all had happened.

He hurries to Pragya's class, eager to see her.

*********

She wasn't in class.

Abhishek looks around for the third time and couldn't find Pragya amongst the students. He turns to Disha and asks her in confusion. "Pragya didn't come?"

"She did." Disha uncomfortably replies.

Abhishek's heart skips realizing that she had decided to skip his class. "Where is she?"

"Library." Disha replies.

Abhishek nods and starts taking the class though his mind was on Pragya. Ten minutes before the bell, he ends the class and hurries to the library.

He looks around the library and sees he slouching on the table, busy studying. He hurries to her.

"Pragya..." he softly calls her.

Pragya stills in shock and then she slowly looks up at him. Seeing him, her eyes fill up, even his.

He keeps the letter she had written for him. "I found it." Abhishek tells her fighting his tears.

Pragya looks at the paper, it took her a while but she finally remembered that she had gone to keep this letter.

"I wanted to make you feel special." Pragya whispers as she read through the lines. "I was so silly." Pragya whispers realizing what a silly letter she had written.

"This means the world to me, Pragya." Abhishek tells her.

Fighting her tears, Pragya gently pushes the letter back to him.

"Please stop punishing me." Abhishek pleads her as he sat opposite to her.

"I'm not punishing you."

"You are avoiding me. You are not talking to me."

"I told you, we should stay away from each other." Pragya tells him.

"Please don't do this, Pragya. I know what I did was wrong, but please don't punish me like this." Abhishek urges her.

"I am not punishing you. It is better that we end this."

"Why?"

"Tomorrow if I get good marks then again..."

"I won't, Pragya. I promise."

"What if, I accidentally see the question paper? I can't go through this again."

"Pragya, I will not misunderstand you again." Abhishek swears to her.

"I can't trust you." Pragya tells him as she fought tears. "You will lose faith in my love again. I can't go through this pain again."

"Pragya... please don't say that." Abhishek holds her hand seeing her get up.

"Please let me be, Professor Mehra."

"Am I not your Abhishek anymore?" Abhishek asks her in shock.

Pragya shakes her head in negative and walks off.

*********

Pragya was studying when she gets a message from Abhishek.

Pragya... I'll not trouble you in college but please don't skip my classes. You already have so many arrears to clear, please don't add more to it. Don't let what happened between us, affect your studies.

Pragya sighs seeing the message. She quickly messages him.

Okay.

Thank you. He replies.

********

Next day, she was in class. Abhishek sighed in relief though, he could see that she was looking depressed and was looking weakly. Since, he promised not to disturb her, he didn't say anything to her.

*********

"Pragya, come and have dinner." Sarala tells her as she stood by the door.

"I'll have later, Mama." Pragya replies as she continues to study.

"You didn't have dinner yesterday also."

"I wasn't hungry."

"Have dinner now."

"I am not hungry, Mama. You keep it on the dining table, I'll have it later."

"You are full time studying." Sarala gently tells her.

Pragya looks at her and says, "I've lots to study."

"But you are stressing yourself." Sarala gently tells her worriedly.

Pragya looks at her mother for a few seconds then looking away, she says, "I just want to be busy."

"Then go out with your friends. Spend some time with them." Sarala gently tells her.

Pragya stops as she thought of Purab and Disha, she couldn't imagine sitting with them and see them be so happy with each other, it would kill her. "I'll." Pragya lies.

Sarala sighs and starts to leave. "Don't forget to have dinner."

"Okay."

Morning, Sarala notices the food had been left untouched.

********

Abhishek was walking to the classroom when he notices Pragya coming from the opposite side. Seeing her, he stops.

"You've my class now, right?" Abhishek asks her curiously.

"I've to pay my fees. I was going for that. Today is the last day." Pragya tells him.

"Okay... pay and come fast." Abhishek tells her and starts to walk to the class.

Pragya stops in confusion."But you don't let students in if they are late."

"That was before." Abhishek tells her. "Come fast."

******

Abhishek was in the middle of the lecture when Pragya comes back.

Seeing her waiting at the door, he says, "Come in, Pragya."

Pragya walks in and walks to her seat.

"Oh my, Professor Mehra is letting a late comer in." Someone calls out jokingly.

There were a few chuckles while Abhishek ignored the comment and was about to resume the class when Neil says loudly. "That is because it is Pragya. If we come, we will be kicked out. Pragya gets special consideration."

Abhishek stops hearing that. He looks at the class and there was an awkward silence. Abhishek looks at Pragya, and sees that the comment had made Pragya uncomfortable and she was disturbed.

He turns to Neil and furiously stares at him. Without taking out his eyes from him, Abhishek says. "Everyone close your books."

Then he walks to the white board and starts writing questions on it. "Arjun, please go to the staff room and get papers from there." Abhishek tells her.

Arjun gets up and asks confused. "Are we going to have a test?"

"Yes and it will be counted for your internals."

********

Abhishek opens the door and stops in surprise seeing Karan. Ever since his break up with Pragya, Karan had been avoiding him.

"You look like shit." Karan says in shock.

"I feel like it." Abhishek mutters as he walked back in.

Karan closes the door and follows him. "What happened?"

"I did something horrible." Abhishek tells him filled with guilt.

"What happened?" Karan asks him as he sat next to him.

"I am losing it, Karan." Abhishek helplessly tells him. "I am losing control over myself."

Karan curiously looks at him.

Abhishek looks away and says. "Today, I misused my position as a teacher."

"How?" Karan asks confused.

Abhishek explains what had happened. "I know I was wrong. I knew it then but all I could do was if I didn't put a stop to it then they might target Pragya again."

"Hmmm... you were wrong, Abhishek. What are you going to do?"

"I should apologize to them for what I did but a part of me knows that if I do that then they would continue to do this. And I can't let Pragya go through that."

"One boy did that, Abhishek. Not all the students." Karan points out.

"I know." Abhishek helplessly sighs.

Karan looks at him thoughtfully. "What happened between you two, Abhishek?" Shivery asks helplessly.

"I am trying to figure that out." Abhishek says helplessly.

"The families knew each other and she is your student, because of that Pragya and you took your time before taking a decision right? Then what was the confusion?"

Abhishek shrugs. "Some boys were gossiping and I let it get into my head."

They remained silent for a while then Abhishek says reminiscing. "Pragya didn't ask me whether I love her, she had asked me whether I wanted her to be mine forever."

Karan nods.

"And that is the moment I realized how much I wanted her to be mine. That I wanted to belong to her and wanted her to belong to me. That is the moment I realized that I love her. And I forgot all that when I heard a gossip."

"You should sort it out with Pragya." Karan tells him. "She is also miserable. Full time studying. Preeta was saying she doesn't eat much."

Abhishek gulps hearing that. "She doesn't want to talk to me."

"I guess she needs time." Karan tells him patting on his shoulder as he got up and leaves.

******

Hearing his mobile ring, Abhishek answers the call.

"Ma... "

"Abhi... what happened?" Santoshi asks in concern.

Abhishek sighs and helplessly tells her what had happened in class.

"You know, the students are going to keep a grudge on Pragya for this." Santoshi tells him in shock.

Abhishek's heart skips a beat hearing that. "What am I going to do, Ma? I feel like just taking a break from college."

"Do you want to run away?" Santoshi asks him in shock.

"I feel like it, Ma. Without Pragya, I feel like I losing my grip on things."

"You haven't lost Pragya, Abhi." Santoshi tells him.

"She doesn't even talk to me."

Santoshi sighs and says, "I am not supposed to tell you this."

"What?" Abhishek asks confused.

"Pragya had called me. She said that you were upset and that I should call you."

"She did?" Abhishek asks surprised.

"She did." Santoshi smiles hearing his joy.

"Karan came today." Abhishek whispers in surprise. "Pragya called him too?"

"I don't know... maybe." Santoshi replies.

"I think she did." Abhishek smiles.

"So, see, nothing is lost. You just be a little patient and let Pragya take her time and decide."

*********

"Hi..." Abhishek says as he noticed Pragya.

Pragya stops in surprise noticing Abhishek. They rarely talked to each other now.

"Thanks for sending Karan and calling Ma." Abhishek tells her smiling.

Pragya stops in shock hearing that. "That.."

"You don't have to explain." Abhishek tells her. "I understand. You still love me but you have reservations. Take your time. I'll wait."

********

"Professor Mehra, did you correct the papers?" Tanu asks him.

Abhishek looks at Pragya and sees her anxious. He looks back at the class and says regretfully, "I am sorry. I misplaced your answer papers."

He could see the relief on many students' face.

"Next monday, we can have a retest. Modules 4 and 5." Abhishek says.

********

"How is everything going, Pragya?" Raghu asks Pragya conversationally as they sat down for dinner.

Pragya looks at her father and smiles softly. "All good, Papa."

"How is Disha and Purab?" Sarala asks. "They haven't come over in a long while."

"They are fine... I see them in college." Pragya replies as she took a roti and started eating.

"You should invite them home someday."

Pragya nods.

Raghu and Sarala look at each other seeing Pragya's silence.

Hearing the chair scrapping sound, they both look up and sees Pragya getting up.

"You are done?" Sarala asks shocked seeing the half roti left on the plate.

"I'm full." Pragya tells her and leaves the table.

Raghu and Sarala sighs sadly.

*******

Later that evening, Raghu and Sarala visited Preeta.

"Pragya is so silent now. Very reserved." Sarala tells her sadly.

"I know, she doesn't talk to me also much." Preeta says worriedly. "Always busy studying."

"It is like she doesn't want to think about anything else, so she keeps herself engrossed with her studies." Sarala tells her.

Preeta sadly sighs.

"We were thinking that Pragya needs a change. So, we are considering sending her to your Bua for a few days." Raghu tells her.

"What?" Preeta asks in shock.

"She likes it there. Always wants to visit her for vacation. So, maybe it will change her mood."

"Papa..." Preeta starts reasoning with him. "I'm so mad at Abhishek. I feel like hitting him for what happened. But the moment Pragya and he sorts out their issue, he is going to be my dear friend again."

"Seriously?" Karan asks exasperated.

"Yeah, I am mad at him because Pragya is hurt." Preeta tells him.

"Preeta, what are you saying? You think Pragya and Abhishek will get back together? Pragya was really hurt after what he did." Raghu asks confused. "And it's been a month or so."

"They love each other, Papa. And I have seen how happy they were with each other. Abhishek was so good with Pragya." Preeta tells them.

"Then why haven't they solved it?" Sarala asks confused.

"Pragya is not talking to Abhishek and here, my husband told Abhishek to give Pragya space and time." Preeta says glaring at Karan.

"Time and space?" Raghu asks shocked. "So, they don't talk and just procrastinate the issue?"

Karan awkwardly looks at everyone. "Abhishek said Pragya wasn't ready to talk to him... so, I thought..." Karan ends with a shrug.

Raghu shakes his head in exasperation. "We should get them to talk to each other."

"How?"

*******

"But di's birthday is in three weeks." Pragya says confused.

"Karan wants to throw a surprise party for her. He says he is going to be out of town that time." Sarala tells her.

"But..." Pragya looks at her confused.

"We've to go in the evening." Sarala tells her and leaves.

******

"I don't think Preeta would want me there." Abhishek tells Karan.

"Come on, you are our friend." Karan tells him.

"I really don't think, Preeta would be happy to see me. Specially when Pragya and their parents are there."

"I don't want to hear all that. You are coming and that is it!" Karan tells him and hurriedly leaves.

*********

There were very few people for the party. Abhishek noticed Preeta's family, Karan's parents and their very close friends. Abhishek watches Pragya as she stood by her sister's side, silently.

After the cake was cut, Abhishek watched as Pragya went into the guest bedroom. Abhishek sighs seeing that.

"My daughter was not like this." Raghu tells him as he stood next to him.

Abhishek turns to Raghu and guiltily looks at him.

"If there is a party, she would be in the middle of it." Raghu says. "Now, she prefers to stay alone."

"I didn't want any of this to happen." Abhishek tells him.

"But you are not doing anything to change it." Raghu accuses him.

"I don't know what to do." Abhishek helplessly tells him.

"Don't you love her?"

"I do."

"Then go and talk to her."

"She asked me to give her space."

"So, you would let her be miserable?" Raghu asks him angrily.

"No." Abhishek whispers.

"Then go and talk to her. Sort out the issues between you both." Raghu orders him.

Abhishek nods and starts to walk to them room when Raghu holds his hand. Abhishek turns to him curiously.

"One more time you hurt my daughter, I'll kill you."

Abhishek nods then he couldn't help the smile that escaped his lips.

********

Hearing the door open, Pragya curiously looks up from her book. Seeing Abhishek she stands up in shock.

"What are you doing here?" Pragya asks him.

"I came to talk to you, Pragya." Abhishek tells her as he walked to her.

"There isn't anything to talk about." Pragya tells him sadly.

"I know what I did was wrong but is it so unforgivable, Pragya?" Abhishek asks her sadly.

Pragya looks down sadly.

"I know you still love me, Pragya. And I love you too. Can't you please forgive me?" Abhishek asks her.

"How could you think that I was acting?" Pragya asks him her eyes filling up.

"I don't know." Abhishek says helplessly. "When I heard those boys and like they said when you scored so well for your exams, I couldn't help think of it. Then I remembered how you used to hate me, and I think I just go insecure. You are such a fun and vibrant person and I am a boring lecturer, I couldn't help wonder how you could love me."

"Because in my eyes, you were the best." Pragya tells him angrily as her tears spilled.

"I'm sorry, Pragya. I got insecure and I got so confused." Abhishek tells her as he cupped her faces. "Please forgive me, Pragya."

"You broke my heart." Pragya complains to him as she broke into tears.

"I am so sorry, love."

Hearing him, Pragya hugs him and cries.

"Please don't cry, Pragya." Abhishek pleads her.

"If I hadn't hid from you about studying then you wouldn't have misunderstood." Pragya laments.

"You wanted to surprise me."

"And I shocked you instead." Pragya wails.

Hearing her, Abhishek bursts out laughing.

Pragya stops in shock hearing him laugh. "You are laughing?" Pragya asks angrily as she wiped her tears.

"You are so funny, honey." Abhishek tells her still laughing.

"Get lost!" Pragya says angrily as she pushed him and walked out of the room.

Pragya opens the door and stops in shock seeing her family curiously outside the door and Santoshi also with them.

"Ma? When did you come?" Pragya asks surprised.

"Ma?" Abhishek asks curiously as he followed Pragya out. "When did you come?" Abhishek asks shocked seeing her there.

"That is what I asked!" Pragya points out to him. "You are so dumb, how are you my professor?"

Abhishek rolls his eyes.

"I see, you guys are fine now." Raghu asks.

"Yes." Abhishek replies grinning.

"You all planned this?" Pragya asks shocked.

"We had to do something." Sarala says.

"Even you?" Abhishek asks Santoshi.

"Raghu and Santoshi called me told me what they were planning. So, I thought even I will come." Santoshi tells them smiling.

Abhishek and Pragya smiles hearing that.

Raghu walks to them and tells them gently. "Santoshi was talking about your marriage. But I told her, it is both your decision. If you two feel that you both need time to get married then take your time. There is no hurry."

Pragya and Abhishek nods hearing that.

"You both might have lots to talk about, you guys talk." Preeta tells them then turning to Abhishek, she warns him. "If you do anything stupid again, I'll slap you senseless."

Abhishek grins hearing that. "I've wisened up."

"Good."

Everyone starts to move away, when Raghu warns Abhishek. "Remember what I told you?"

"Yes." Abhishek replies with a smile.

Raghu nods and smiling he also walks away.

"So, what do you think?" Abhishek asks Pragya. "You are still studying... but I don't think that would be a problem in marriage..." Abhishek starts as he turned to Pragya. He stops seeing Pragya staring ahead, lost in thoughts. "Pragya, what do you think?"

"What?" Pragya asks confused.

"About marriage."

"You know what?" Pragya asks him.

"What?" Abhishek asks curiously.

"I'm hungry." Pragya tells him as she turned to stare ahead again.

Abhishek follows her gaze and sees that she was looking at the food counter.

"I'm starving." Pragya tells him as she walked off to the food counter.

Abhishek follows her to the food counter and smiles seeing Pragya stuffing her mouth with food. Finally, his Pragya was back.

*******

A year later

"I love you." Abhishek sighs as he hugged Pragya and pulled her close to him.

Pragya hugs him and says, "I'm hungry."

"So fast?" Abhishek asks with a sexy smile as he rolled over and gently nibbled on her lips.

"Abhishek... I'm very hungry." Pragya tells him as she kissed him.

Abhishek leans up and asks confused. "Not for me?"

Pragya looks at him in shock. "Erm for food."

Abhishek sighs with a loud groan.

"After that for you." Pragya quickly tries to appease him.

Abhishek gives her an exasperated look.

"I need energy, right?"

Abhishek shakes his head as he sat up. "Come, lets go find something for you to eat."

"I'll go by myself."

"First night and leave my wife alone for even a second?" Abhishek asks her.

Grinning Pragya sits up and asks, "Or you want to make sure that I don't get distracted with all the food in the kitchen and not come back fast?"

Abhishek chuckles as he picked his kurta pants and shook off all the flower petals. He wore his pant and starts looking for his kurta.

"Let's go." Pragya tells him.

"I can't find my..." Abhishek stops seeing her wearing just his kurta.

"What? I am not going to wear my wedding dress to go to kitchen." Pragya tells him shaking her head and walks off.

Abhishek sighs as he watched Pragya ransacked the kitchen as she ate the banana.

"What are you looking for?" Abhishek asks her.

"That fried rice was nice. Where do you think Ma kept it?" Pragya asks as she poked her head inside the fridge.

"The fridge was full and I heard her ask Preeta whether she could keep a few stuff in their fridge." Abhishek tells her.

Pragya groans loudly.

"What are you two..." Santoshi stops in shock seeing both Pragya and Abhishek partially dressed.

"Erm... Ma." Abhishek awkwardly looks at her.

Santoshi embarrassed looks away.

Oblivious Pragya, asks her curiously. "Ma, where is the fried rice?"

"Green container." Santoshi says and quickly hurries off.

"Great!" Pragya says excitedly as she picked it up. "You want som...?" Pragya stops realizing Santoshi already left.

"Hurry." Abhishek whispers to her.

"What happe..." Pragya gasps and asks in shock. "Do you think Ma understood we came to snack in between sex?"

"Just know this, Pragya. If a burglar comes into our house, Ma is not going to come out of her room and check, because she would be terrified that she would find us instead."

*** The End ***

I know the story was a going haywire after a point, I've been writing this story for almost 3 weeks now, and at some point, I kind of lost interest in the story. I guess it shows in the story. Very sorry about that.

The reason, why they got married while Pragya was still studying was because the other two Professor-Student stories, they were married while Pragya was still his student, so thought to keep it like that.

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- Lazy