"Now, Vikram. Mere bhai, did you tell aunty about my result?" Kiara asked, with a proud smirk on her face. She got more marks than her cousin this time, all thanks to Dhruv's teaching.
Vikram glanced at her with a fake tight smile. "I did, and she's happy for you," he replied, and walked ahead without waiting for her. Kiara followed behind, "then why didn't she call today? Maybe she forgot, no worries, I'll tell my mom to ask aunty to call," she taunted, earning a glare from Vikram.
Soon, they arrived at Dhruv's house, and both of them didn't say anything. They went towards the study room and sat there without exchanging any words. After some time, Dhruv entered the room. He was wearing a blue shirt with white shorts. Kiara looked at him, he was looking handsome, perhaps a little too much...
His cologne was manly yet calming at the same time. Kiara noticed that he had gotten a haircut. His face was glowing too, why? Why was she noticing every single detail about him? Her heart skipped a beat when he raised an eyebrow at her.
It felt like time had slowed down, everything was moving at a slow pace, giving her time to admire him. She saw him frown a little with a small smile dancing on his lips. He... he looked unreal, wait what???
"Earth to Madam Kiara, with which alien were you telepathizing huh?" He joked, shaking his head at her distracted state. Kiara blushed and realized she had been lost in her thoughts. "Which alien? Wh-why would I telepathize with aliens?" she stammered, feeling embarrassed.
Dhruv chuckled and walked over to his desk. "Well, that's because you're an extraordinary person, out of this world, you know. Who knows, maybe you have contact with aliens," he teased, smiling at her. Kiara felt her cheeks grow warmer and she looked down, trying to hide her blush.
Why does he look so good today?
Vikram, who had been silent all this while, cleared his throat and spoke up. "Bhaiya, will you start a new topic today?" He asked, taking out his book. Dhruv nodded and sat down at his desk, flipping open his own book. "Of course, let's dive into the next chapter," he said, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
Kiara couldn't help but admire his passion for teaching. She was grateful to have such a dedicated tutor like Dhruv. His words flowed effortlessly, making even the most complex concepts seem simple. He had a way of breaking down information and presenting it in a relatable manner. It was no wonder that she had improved her grades under his guidance.
But there was something else stirring within her. She couldn't shake off the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach whenever he looked her way or whenever their eyes met.
She tried her best to focus on the lesson at hand, but her mind kept wandering back to Dhruv. She wondered if he ever felt the same way, if he ever saw her as more than just a student. But she quickly brushed those thoughts aside, reminding herself of the boundaries that existed between them.
Dhruv was her tutor, and she was merely a student. It wouldn't be appropriate to entertain such fantasies, but she couldn't deny the growing attraction she felt towards him.
"Why does light travel faster than sound, Kiara?" He asked, finally blessing her with his gaze. She snapped out of her reverie and stared at him awkwardly, "huh?" She genuinely seemed out of the loop right now.
Dhruv sighed before leaning back in his chair. He then looked at Vikram, "you tell me, your sister seems to have had a brain short circuit, go ahead, you tell me," he said, his voice a little harsh.
Vikram nodded his head, "light travels faster than sound because light waves can travel through a vacuum, whereas sound waves require a medium, such as air, water, or solids, to travel through. Additionally, light is made up of electromagnetic waves that move at incredibly high speeds, while sound is made up of mechanical waves that travel at a much slower pace. So, even though they both travel in waves, light has the advantage of speed." He answered, as if he had been waiting for this day.
"Very good, learn something from Vikram... stop getting distracted. What were you lost in thought about, huh?" He folded his arms over his chest, gazing at the poor soul who was just admiring him.
"Nowhere," she said, breaking eye contact with him. She herself didn't know why she was behaving this way... why was she getting butterflies in her stomach??
"Okay then, let's wrap it up for today, we'll cover the next topic in the next class. And you, Kiara... try to focus more on studies..."
*****
"Finish you dinner first," Kiara's mother gave her a look, stopping her from getting up from the dining table. She glanced at her father for help but he just shook his head defeatedly.
"Mom, I'm really full, I can't have any more, please... I need to complete my homework too" she said, pleadingly. Her mind was still filled with thoughts of Dhruv, making it hard to focus on anything else.
"Kiara, you need to eat properly. Your health is important," her mother insisted, placing a plate of vegetables in front of her.
"I know, mom, but I'm really full, too full," Kiara replied, picking at her food with no real appetite.
Her mother sighed and sat down next to her. "Fine then, go and finish your homework, aur jaldi soh Jana late maat hona...."
Kiara retreated to her room and sat at her desk. She opened her textbook and tried to focus on her homework, but her mind kept wandering back to Dhruv. She couldn't understand why she couldn't get him out of her thoughts.
Was it his charming smile? His mesmerizing eyes? Or was it something deeper, something that went beyond his physical appearance?
"Stop! Stop! Kiara! You'll get crazy!"
She abruptly closed her note book and went towards her bed before slipping inside the soft covers...
"He's distracting me, and I'm liking it..."