The Encounter

The morning sun seeped through the sheer curtains, casting a soft golden glow across Aaravi's small but tidy bedroom. She stirred under the blanket, her body aching slightly, a heaviness in her stomach that made her feel uneasy.

And then she realized-she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon.

A sigh left her lips as she sat up on the bed, running a hand through her slightly messy hair. How careless could she be? But then again, wasn't this how life had always been?

Alone.

No one to remind her to eat. No one to bring her food with a scolding yet affectionate tone. No one to fuss over her well-being.

The realization hit like a familiar ache, one she had learned to live with. No parents. No family. No one to call her their own.

She shook her head quickly, refusing to let the sadness consume her first thing in the morning. Pushing herself out of bed, she freshened up, splashing cold water on her face to snap out of the lingering emotions.

Heading to the kitchen, she moved mechanically, pulling out bread and vegetables, preparing a simple sandwich. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep her going.

Back in her room, she settled on her bed with her breakfast, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone when-

A notification popped up on her screen.

Her fingers paused mid-scroll, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes landed on the name glowing on her screen.

Follow request from Ishaan Singh Sooryavanshi.

For a moment, everything stilled.

Her grip on the phone tightened slightly as a strange flutter erupted in her stomach.

He sent her a request.

He searched for her.

A mix of emotions washed over her-excitement, nervousness, confusion. Why?

Why would he send her a request? He was her professor, for god's sake. He wasn't some classmate or a casual acquaintance.

Her heartbeat drummed against her chest, her fingers hovering over the screen, debating whether to open it or ignore it.

After a few seconds of inner turmoil, she locked her phone, refusing to overthink it.

Ignore it, Aaravi.

It's just a request. Nothing more.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to focus on her sandwich, chewing slowly, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat. But no matter how much she tried, the feeling in her stomach wasn't just hunger anymore.

Finishing her breakfast, she finally got up, shaking off the unnecessary thoughts.

She looked fine.

More importantly-she felt ready.

Grabbing her bag, she stepped out of her apartment, inhaling the fresh morning air.

It was time for another day at college.

Another day where she might just cross paths with the man who had sent her heart racing in ways she never expected.

The college was alive with the buzz of students, but inside the psychology class, Aaravi couldn't shake the strange feeling that had settled in her stomach. The entire morning felt like a blur, and her mind kept wandering back to that moment-the follow request from Ishaan Singh Sooryavanshi.

She was used to being composed, to keeping her thoughts in check, but today everything felt different. She couldn't help but feel like there was a magnetic pull between them, even though she didn't want to admit it.

She glanced around the room, her eyes instinctively darting to where he was sitting. Professor Ishaan.

And then, their eyes met.

He was sitting by the door, his sharp eyes locking with hers, and before she could even blink, a small, effortless smile tugged at the corners of his lips. It wasn't the kind of smile a professor gives to his students-no, this one was different. It was as if he were trying to communicate something more, something unspoken.

But Aaravi? She ignored it.

She ignored him.

She ignored that smile.

Her heart might have skipped a beat, but she pushed it away, walking quickly to her seat as if nothing had happened.

Ishaan, however, felt a pang in his chest at her sudden dismissal, her refusal to acknowledge his smile. But he didn't let it show. Instead, he simply stood there, letting her walk past him without a word.

"She needs time," he thought to himself. "I'll give her space."

With that, he turned and left toward the staff room, his first lecture of the day being free.

Inside the staff room, he relaxed into a chair, scrolling through his phone, but his mind kept wandering back to the interaction with Aaravi. There was something about her that tugged at his thoughts.

Meanwhile, in the classroom, Aaravi was in a similar state of restlessness.

She kept checking her phone, unlocking it repeatedly for no reason, just to see if something-anything-would distract her from the chaos inside her head.

But it didn't.

The lecture began, but Aaravi was barely listening. Her eyes kept drifting back to the door, to the staff room where Ishaan must have been resting. And then, out of nowhere, she realized something-he would be teaching her next.

Her heart began to race, an unease settling in her stomach.

She couldn't bear sitting through the lecture. Not today. She didn't want to face him again so soon.

Without thinking twice, Aaravi made a split-second decision. As soon as the lecture ended, she would leave.

But as soon as the lecture did end, she didn't anticipate what was about to happen.

She tried to sneak out.

Trying to slip out as inconspicuously as possible, she grabbed her bag, her eyes fixed ahead. She was determined to make it to the door without drawing any attention. But she didn't expect what was waiting for her just beyond the threshold.

Ishaan.

The moment she opened the door, she bumped right into him.

She quickly side-looked at him, her face flushed. His gaze was warm, affectionate, and he couldn't suppress a chuckle at her obvious attempt to escape. She was so determined, but now she had been caught.

He stood there for a moment, his eyes softening as he took in the sight of her, clearly amused by her awkwardness.

Aaravi, flustered, immediately composed herself. She cleared her throat and gave a small, formal nod.

"Good morning, sir."

She didn't wait for his response, her face turning a little more red as she hurried past him, rushing back into the classroom to take her seat.

But Ishaan-he couldn't help it. This was the perfect opportunity.

She was trying to run away from him.

That was his chance.

With a slight grin, he followed her into the room, making sure to linger just a little longer than needed. His eyes met hers once more, the playful glint in them unmistakable.

Now, the game was on.

This time, he wasn't going to let her slip away so easily.

🌷

As Ishaan walked into the classroom, the usual ripple of greetings filled the air. A chorus of voices echoed, "Good morning, sir!" but today, there was something different about his demeanor. He wasn't the laid-back, approachable professor that everyone knew. Instead, there was a subtle tension in his posture, an air of unspoken intent that hung around him like an invisible force.

He nodded calmly, returning the greetings with a composed smile.

"Good morning, everyone," he said, his voice low but firm.

But his eyes, those piercing eyes, were locked onto Aaravi as soon as he stepped inside.

For a brief moment, there was a flicker of something unspoken, something between them. But he hid it behind a professional mask, turning his attention to the rest of the class.

Today, he wasn't just going to give the lecture-he was going to test them.

"I hope you're all prepared," he said, a slight edge to his tone. "We'll be doing some quick-fire questions today. Let's see how well you know the material."

His eyes swept across the room as he asked a few students questions, each one answered with varying degrees of confidence.

And then, he stopped.

His gaze landed on Aaravi.

It was as if the entire room held its breath.

"Aaravi," he said smoothly, "Would you please stand up and answer this question?"

For a moment, time seemed to freeze.

The question was simple enough to anyone who had prepared, but for Aaravi, it was a nightmare.

She froze. Her mind went completely blank, her heart suddenly racing as the blood drained from her face.

She hadn't studied this chapter.

The entire chapter was unfamiliar to her, and she was now standing in front of the class, under the scrutiny of Ishaan's gaze.

Her hands trembled as she tried to find something, anything, to say. The words stuck in her throat. Why did she have to be put on the spot like this? Why did he have to pick her?

She could feel the weight of the class's silent gaze on her, everyone watching her in anticipation. But there was no one to help her. No one would interrupt. No one would come to her rescue.

Ishaan, still standing in front of the class, never took his eyes off of her. His gaze was steady, calm-but there was something beneath it. Something like a quiet challenge.

Aaravi's heart pounded in her chest, her palms sweaty as she tried to gather her thoughts. The longer she stood there, the more it felt like the world around her was closing in.

But Ishaan didn't speak. He didn't pressure her. He simply watched her, his expression unreadable.

It was almost as if he wanted to see how she would handle the pressure, how she would react to being caught in a moment of vulnerability.

The silence in the room was deafening.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Aaravi's voice barely broke through the tension.

"I... I'm sorry, sir. I-" she stammered, her words faltering as she struggled to find an answer.

The rest of the class remained silent, no one daring to speak up or offer help. It was as if the unwritten rule in this classroom was to never interrupt when Ishaan decided to make a point.

Aaravi's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she stood there, unable to provide a satisfactory answer.

She could feel Ishaan's eyes on her, and though his expression remained calm, there was a glint of something deeper in them.

Satisfaction? Amusement?

Maybe it was a little bit of both.

Finally, Ishaan broke the silence, his voice still calm but tinged with an undercurrent of something else.

"It's alright, Aaravi. You can sit down."

She quickly dropped her gaze, her cheeks still burning with humiliation as she returned to her seat, the weight of her failure pressing down on her.

But Ishaan-he wasn't done.

As she sat down, he continued, his eyes scanning the class. But this time, his gaze lingered on her, just a little longer than necessary.

It was as though he was letting her feel the weight of the moment, letting her stew in her own discomfort.

And Aaravi?

She sat there, her heart still pounding, trying to regain some semblance of composure, but she knew this wasn't just about the question anymore. It was about him.

About his control over the situation. And about the fact that, for the first time, she felt like she was losing the battle.

🌷

As the lecture finally drew to a close, Aaravi felt a sense of relief wash over her, but it was short-lived. Ishaan's words, spoken in his calm and commanding tone, echoed in her ears.

"Aaravi, please meet me in the staffroom after the lecture," he had said.

The words weren't harsh, nor were they a direct command, but there was something about the way he said it that made her stomach churn. His eyes had lingered on her longer than necessary, and she couldn't help but feel the weight of that silent request.

Her heart beat faster, a mix of nervousness and something she couldn't quite define. Was it excitement? Was it dread? Maybe a little bit of both.

"What does he want from me?" she wondered, her mind racing. She had never been summoned to the staffroom before, and there was a gnawing feeling in her gut that told her this wasn't just a casual meeting.

The classroom slowly emptied out, and Aaravi gathered her things, her hands shaking slightly as she stuffed her notebook into her bag. She wanted to leave, to run far away from this feeling that seemed to settle in her chest.

But she couldn't.

She had no choice but to head toward the staffroom, each step heavier than the last.

As she walked down the corridor, her thoughts raced in overdrive. She had tried to push away the tension, tried to ignore the fluttering sensation in her stomach when their eyes had locked. But now, with every step closer to the staffroom, it all came rushing back.

What if he was upset about her failure to answer the question? What if he was disappointed? She couldn't handle it. She had to get this over with.

But there was one thing she couldn't ignore-the staffroom was empty.

She knew that everyone else would be teaching classes, leaving Ishaan alone in his cabin. She'd be walking into a space where the only focus would be the two of them, him and her.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she reached the door to the staffroom. She stood there for a moment, her hand hovering over the handle. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, the nervousness crawling up her throat.

But no, she couldn't back down. Not now.

"It's just a meeting," she told herself, taking a deep breath. "There's nothing to be nervous about. You'll just apologize for the mistake and get it over with."

But even as she tried to reassure herself, her stomach didn't agree. The butterflies were still there, fluttering wildly inside her, and her nerves were all too visible.

Finally, she pushed the door open, her breath catching as she stepped inside.

The room was silent, almost too silent, with only the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead. Ishaan was sitting behind his desk, his figure calm and composed as usual, but there was something different in the way he looked at her.

He didn't say anything immediately, just watched her, his eyes unwavering.

Aaravi's palms were clammy as she stood by the door, unsure of what to do next. She tried to muster the courage to speak, but her throat felt dry.

"Sir, you wanted to meet me?" she finally managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ishaan didn't respond right away, instead studying her, his gaze soft but intense. He could see the nervousness on her face, the way she was trembling, even though she tried to hide it.

He knew exactly how to play this-how to make her feel the way she was feeling now.

"You seem... unsettled," he said slowly, his voice low but filled with a quiet amusement. "I thought you'd be more prepared, considering today's class. You seemed quite confident until I asked you that question."

Aaravi winced at the reminder, her cheeks turning crimson once again. Of course, he would bring that up. How could she have forgotten?

"I-" she started, but the words caught in her throat.

What could she say? She had already failed once in front of him. What if this meeting turned into another failure?

Ishaan leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting as he continued, "There's no need to be nervous, Aaravi. It's just a conversation."

But Aaravi couldn't help but feel the weight of his gaze, the way he studied her so carefully. There was something in his eyes, something that felt both comforting and disconcerting at the same time.

Aaravi took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down, but she could feel her hands trembling.

Her heart was still battling in her chest, the unease not easing. And yet, there was a strange sense of anticipation building in the air. Something was shifting between them, something she couldn't yet grasp.

But whatever it was, she knew that this meeting would change things. She just didn't know how.