I couldn't believe that he was here, in this very place, after I had thought he had left the university.
Why was he here? What could have possibly happened to bring him to this place?
"Let me do it for you," he declared holding the empty cup in his hand.
He tossed it into the nearby bin and approached me with a warm smile. "How are you? It's been a long time since I saw you."
Despite his friendly appearance and kind words, I was unaffected and kept my emotions guarded. His smile did not reach me.
"What are you doing here?" I ignored his friendly inquiry and instead demanded an answer to my own question.
"That's not the answer to my question, princess," he drawled as he took a step towards me.
Even though he spoke softly and gently, I couldn't shake this uneasy feeling creeping in. Without even thinking, I took a step back, putting some distance between us. His closeness was making me feel all kinds of uncomfortable, and I sure as heck didn't want him hovering too close.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with disappointment and sadness.
"Ah, come on. I thought you would be so happy to see me here after so long." His words were tinged with a sense of hurt.
But I saw right through his act of playing the wounded innocent, because I knew this guy was anything but gentle and kind-hearted. Those soft words and sweet tone were just a cover-up for his real self, a side of him I had no intention of buying into.
I felt his gaze travelled up and down my attire, taking in every inch of my being. It was deliberate, calculated, meant to unsettle and discomfort me, just like it always did.
Feeling overwhelmed and not wanting to stand in the same space as him, I reached for my bag and made to leave. However, before I could take a single step, he quickly moved to block my path.
The suddenness of his movements had caught me off guard. I looked up into his eyes to search for some indication of his intentions but his expression was unpredictable.
I reminded myself that he couldn't do anything to me, not here in broad daylight and in the university. Still, my heart was pounding in my chest with unease.
I took deep breaths to steady my nerves and slowly lifted my chin, determined not to show any fear. "Move aside. I need to go." Though I strove to sound unshakeable, a light quiver could still be detected in my words.
"Go where?" he clicked his tongue, taking a step forward, causing me to instinctively retreat.
"That's none of your business! Just leave me the hell alone!" I spat.
I held my breath, waiting for him to move.
I let out a sigh of relief when he finally stepped aside, letting me pass. I didn't waste a second, bolting out of there as fast as my legs could carry me, just itching to put as much space between us as humanly possible.
The tears that threatened to fall streamed down my face and I wiped them away quickly, not wanting anyone to see the raw emotions I was feeling. Upon reaching the administration building, I leaned against the wall.
Why? Why was this happening to me? Why couldn't I escape from him?
I wiped away my tears with the sleeves, but fresh ones continued to flow. Even the open area felt suffocating and I despised experiencing such emotions.
My gaze was drawn to the gate in front of me, and there, I spotted Adwait. Our eyes met, and I saw his eyebrows furrow in concern as he took in my disheveled appearance.
The last thing I wanted was to have to explain myself or relive the events of the encounter with him. I knew that I had no more strength left to fight, so I made a quick decision to leave.
I began to stroll away, though, I could feel the weight of his eyes upon me. I had no energy left to face his questions or his worry. All I desired was escape, a quiet place where I could be alone with my thoughts and emotions.
I headed over to the campus grounds where students were all over the place, chatting and hanging out in groups. I spotted a bench under a big tree. Once I plopped down, I closed my eyes and took in some deep, soothing breaths of that fresh air.
I kept myself occupied with a book or my phone—anything to keep my mind off the fact that he might still be lurking around campus. The story in those pages did wonders to distract my racing thoughts.
When the next lecture was just 10 minutes away, I figured it was time to head to the scheduled hall.
I entered the empty lecture hall and took a seat near the window that would allow me to gaze outside and let my mind wander.
I was lost in my thought all the while looking out of the window when a figure entered the lecture hall, breaking my trance.
I turned my attention to the door and there he was, Adwait.
He stopped in his tracks and our eyes met. I quickly looked away, focusing on my hands that were resting on the desk, hoping he wouldn't come near me.
To my surprise, I saw him advancing towards my desk, causing my heart to race with anxiety.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone filled with concern.
I was taken aback by his question, my eyes widening in surprise.
Since when did he start caring about me?
"I'm fine. What could happen to me?" I tried to keep my tone steady but the fear in my heart was evident in my voice.
"Your expression gives you away," he pointed out. "I saw you at the pavilion earlier, looking fit and fine. But when I saw you again near the administration office, your eyes were red and puffy," he added, suspicion heavy in his voice. "Is it because of that guy?" he pressed on.
My breath caught and I felt like all my defenses were crumbling. He'd seen me at my lowest, and I was feeling so vulnerable, so exposed.
A tear slipped down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away not wanting him to see me cry.
"You can sha-" his sentence was abruptly cut off by the sound of the bell ringing for the next period.
I observed how his expression shifted as if he was emerging from a trance.
Students began to file into the classroom and Adwait made his way to a seat in the middle row, his friend joining him soon after.
I couldn't help but wonder what he was about to say next.
A moment later, I caught sight of Arushi and Virat entering the lecture hall.
Wait. Virat? What was he doing here in this class?
I raised my hand to signal them to come over to me. They approached me with smiles on their faces, but the smiles soon morphed into concern when they saw the expression on my face.
I knew that I had to pull myself together and try to hide my distress from my friends, but it was easier said than done. The weight of my emotions was just crushing me, and I felt like I was on the verge of falling apart.
Arushi took a seat next to me. "What's the matter? Have you been crying?"
I hesitated, debating whether to tell them or not. But the thing was, there's nothing I could keep from them, and honestly, I didn't even want to try, especially since my dumb decisions could land me in some risky situations, which I definitely want to avoid.
Virat sat on the chair in front of my desk, facing me. He took my hand, trying to give me the courage to open up to them.
"I saw him," I uttered, my lips quivering with anxiety.
"What!" Arushi nearly screamed, making a few heads turn in our direction.
Upon noticing the curious gazes of other students in the classroom, she sheepishly smiled and apologized. The students quickly returned to their own conversations and chattering.
"What did he say? Did he do something?" Virat bombarded me with questions.
I hesitated for a moment before telling them everything that had happened with that guy. They listened attentively, the expressions on their faces changing from concern to anger.
Virat squeezed my hand reassuringly, a warm smile spreading across his face. "We're not going to leave you alone from now on, munchkin. We're in this together."
I nodded, feeling grateful to them. I wondered what I would have done without their support. I was glad they were by my side.
"By the way, what are you doing in this Literature class?" I finally asked Virat, taking note that the bell had already rung for the lecture and the professor would be arriving shortly but he was seated in the room.
Virat's grin stretched from ear to ear as he replied, "I also opted for Literature."
"What? Really?" I asked, feeling shocked.
"Yes, really!" he spoke, his grin spreading even wider across his face. "I was a bit uncertain about what to choose at first, with my course already taking up a lot of my time. But then I thought, why not take the same subject as both of you, so you can help me with the notes and lectures? It'll make things easier for me."
"So, that's the only reason?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.
I knew he wanted to spend some time with Arushi. They both barely spend time on campus as they have separate courses and years. This might be a good opportunity for them to be together.
I noticed how Arushi's cheeks turned a shade of pink at my statement, while Virat rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, now that his true motives were exposed.
"Well, that's a perk, but the main reason is to make studying easier for me." Virat replied with a smirk, trying to hide his real motive of spending more time with Arushi.
They settled back into their seats when professor walked in.
My eyes flicked towards Adwait who was studying me curiously as if he was trying to decipher what was wrong. Upon catching sight of me watching him, he quickly averted his gaze to look straight ahead.
Had he been paying attention to our conversation all this while?
Once, the lecture ended, I gathered my things and walked behind Arushi and Virat who were conversing with each other.
When I passed by Adwait's desk, I caught his eyes flicking towards me before he redirected his attention back to his friend.
My eyebrows furrowed together in a tight knot of confusion. It was the third time I caught him looking at me with expression filled with concern. I couldn't shake the nagging question of why he would bother, especially after our recent disagreement.
Was he genuinely concerned for me? And if so, why?
Shaking my head, I banished these futile thoughts from my mind. I couldn't afford to dwell on his intentions, especially not after Virat's warnings. It was best to keep my distance from him, as much as possible.
"The library. Let's go there." I proclaimed, as we stood in the hallways.
The two of them nodded in agreement with my suggestion.
"My brother's marriage is finally fixed, and I can't contain my excitement!" Arushi's face lit up with enthusiasm as she shared the news.
Virat let out a snort of amusement, observing Arushi's face light up like a child receiving a candy. "You seem so happy, as if it's your own wedding."
"Unfortunately, that scenario will never come to pass because I will marry you," she sighed with a hint of dejection.
My eyes widened thoroughly amused by her statement.
"Did you just say you'll be unhappy marrying me?" Virat retorted with surprise and disbelief.
Arushi simply shrugged her shoulders and hastened her steps.
"Hey, you, come here!" Virat called out, chasing after her, and she playfully ran away, laughing and screaming.
Deciding not to interrupt their moment, I made up my mind to head to the library solo. Stepping into the quiet atmosphere, I headed straight for the third floor, where the mathematics section was. Retrieving the book I needed, I settled into a seat and began practicing the material taught in today's lecture.
I was deeply engrossed in my task when a hand suddenly snatched my book from me. I looked up, craning my neck, to see Ishana holding my book in her hand.
Her eyes were filled with contempt and disgust. Beside her stood another girl, with arms crossed across her chest and amusement shining in her gaze.
She was the same girl I had seen in the cafeteria who was laughing at me for getting into a fight with Adwait. It appeared that the two of them are friends.
"Stay away from Adwait. It's for your own betterment." Ishana spoke in cold and commanding voice.
I frowned.
What was the basis for her statement? Why was she acting as if I was intentionally getting close to Adwait, which I definitely was not?
"I don't have anything to do with Adwait," I stated firmly, not about to beat around the bush. "Give it back," I demanded, feeling pretty annoyed by her audacity without any real reason.
"You better remember your words, Miss Scholarship," she hissed, leaning over a little towards me.
I narrowed my eyes as anger flared up inside me. I couldn't stand this girl, reminding me of my background by bringing up my scholarship. Like seriously, what a stupid thing to do. Getting a scholarship isn't a walk in the park, even if I am from a middle-class background. But how would she even know?
Brat with IQ of negative integers.
"Let's go, Riya."
She threw the book on the table and made her way towards the exit.
Riya's smirk spread across her face as she shook her head in disapproval, providing me with a signal of disapproval in the form of a downward-facing thumb before trailing Ishana out of the library.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. There was no point in engaging in a futile argument with a person who was devoid of reason and logic.
I shook my head, feeling sorry for Ishana and her delusions.
It felt like today was shaping up to be the worst day yet, full of unpredictable twists and turns. First, Adwait took interest in my matters and now Ishana was warning me to stay away from him.
And then, to cap it all off, he appeared before me, the very source of my greatest dread.
Your views on the chapter?
The mystery guy that appeared?
And lastly about Adwait's sudden change?
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