"Kiara! Dinner is ready, dear. We are waiting for you. Please come quickly!" her father called out. Kiara hadn't come out of her room since yesterday. She hadn't even eaten her meals properly. "I don't feel like it, Dad. My stomach also feels full... I won't have dinner tonight!" she replied, hiding inside her duvet.
Her father let out a sigh and looked at his wife. "Kya hua hai Kiara ko?" he asked, his voice filled with concern for his daughter. Kiara’s mother shrugged before going towards the dining room, with her husband following behind.
Kiara let out a cry before clutching the pillow tightly with her arms. The tears didn't stop; they kept rolling down her cheeks. Her eyelashes were wet with tears, her eyes slightly red, her cheeks flushed, and her lips swollen from constant biting.
"Why do you want to leave? Why am I feeling so bad... I haven't even shared my feelings with him... please, God, don't let him leave…”
She cried hard, her head started throbbing. She slowly closed her eyes before opening them when she heard her phone buzzing, staring at it. She let out a shaky breath before walking towards her study table.
She looked at the caller ID; it was Dhruv. He was calling her. Her breath hitched for a moment. She kept staring at her phone, thinking whether to answer the call or not.
How will she face him?
But her heart ached to hear his voice, to know if he was okay, to tell him her feelings. With a trembling hand, she finally decided to answer the call, but her phone stopped ringing.
Kiara felt a surge of emotions all over again. She didn't want to be angry at him. She loved him too much for that. Kiara quickly wiped away her tears and was about to switch off her phone when another call interrupted her.
It was from Vikram; she answered the call and kept the phone on speaker. "What is it?" she snapped. "Are you coming? Bhaiya has invited everyone for a farewell party..." he said, making Kiara close her eyes again.
She knows that if she goes there, she won't be able to hold back her feelings. She opened her eyes and grabbed her phone, “I'm not feeling well, I won't be able to come…” she replied before ending the call without waiting for his response.
****
Dhruv tried to call her again, but the line was busy. After some time, he attempted to call her once more, but this time her phone was switched off. He sighed before sitting back in his chair and staring at the study hall. He then glanced at the chocolate cake he had bought, knowing it was Kiara’s favorite.
A small smile formed on his lips as he remembered her waving the bouquet to catch his attention. He let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “How will I manage there in America?” He muttered to himself.
He slowly got up from his seat and started walking around the room, brushing his hands on all the desks. He would miss everything—the room, his students, their funny moments, stupid pranks, fights, and most importantly, Kiara.
He stopped when he heard the door click open, inhaling a deep breath, hoping to catch a glimpse of the one he was yearning to see.
"BHAIYA!"
"SIR!!"
"Congratulations!"
He turned around and saw his students smiling at him with gifts in their hands. He smiled at them and scanned the room, but he couldn't find her. Disappointment flooded through him.
"Thank you, everyone," he said, trying to conceal the disappointment in his voice.
As the students began congratulating him and sharing their memories, Dhruv couldn't shake off the sadness. He wished Kiara was there with him, although he couldn't blame her.
Dhruv noticed Vikram and Reshmi trying to call someone. He approached them. "Why didn't Kiara come?" he asked, trying to maintain composure.
Vikram let out a sigh, "She said she isn't feeling well, but I know there's some other reason, otherwise, she wouldn't miss a chance for free food," he said, prompting Reshmi to roll her eyes at his words.
Dhruv didn't say anything and nodded his head before heading towards his chair. He was now worried about her, his heart starting to beat at an unusual pace. He really wanted to see her right now, to know if she was okay or not.
He couldn't focus on the party anymore. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Kiara and her well-being. He didn't want to leave without seeing her, without making things right between them.
As the party continued, Dhruv kept stealing glances at the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. But she never showed up. He couldn't understand what went wrong between them, why was she avoiding him? Finally, as the party came to an end and the students bid their farewells to him.
***
Inside her room, Kiara heard a knock on her door. She got up from her bed, opened the door, and found Vikram and Reshmi standing there with huge smiles on their faces.
"Look what we've brought for you," he said, showing her the two pieces of chocolate cake. Kiara didn't say anything, just stared at it. Reshmi held her shoulders, nudged her aside, and entered her room.
"Sir asked us to give this to you. How are you feeling now?" Reshmi asked, settling herself on the chair. Vikram also entered the room and sat on the floor.
“Sir ne di?” Kiara asked.
"Yes, his flight is at five today. He must have packed by now..." Vikram answered, stretching his arms.