#Three Years Back#

*Haritha Pov*

"Where will you be joining after graduation?" I asked looking at the Senior who is going to attend his graduation ceremony soon and he will not be going to come to college anymore that hurts a bit for sure to not see your crush anymore.

"I got a very good opportunity but that's because of the guidance I got from Swapnil Sir. I am glad he chose to mentor you next. Even though it will be for a year, it is very helpful just like how it was for me." He replied smiling.

"Thanks for recommending me." I mumbled which made him frown.

"I didn't recommend you near him. I heard you were the one who approached him with the doubts you have and he was glad someone else is there to think out of the box regarding the subject they are learning and when he asked me how are you with your studies I just told him that you are good at them." He explained and this time I frowned at him.

"I was asking you about my doubts and not him." I mumbled feeling confused.

"I never got your mails and he said you were mailing him from the past year regarding your doubts and thoughts." He said and I stood there feeling shocked this time.

"Isn't this your mail id?" I asked opening the mail account I have been sending emails all this time.

"It's Swapnil Sir's Id. I wrote this in your class explaining it is Sir's mail Id. You misunderstood?" he asked before waving at his friends who are calling him and excused himself while I just stood there.

I rushed back to my class and found the person I am searching for before asking her, "Why did you tell me that it is the mail ID of our senior when it is the ID of Assistant lecturer?"

"You still think that? Didn't you get it cleared all this time? I thought you were close to him and it was just a small prank." She asked frowning at me.

Prank? Does she know what did she made me do? It was just a point of attraction until last year but after interacting through emails like this, the feelings were completely different. And it was just a prank for them?

"But someone else said the same thing. How can I not believe it?" I asked her feeling lost.

"Because I asked that person just half part of the question wantedly and he replied the same but as you didn't know the whole scene you believed it." She replied shrugging.

I remember she asked him who wrote the ID and whether our doubts will be solved if we mail to that ID. He said it is our Senior and that's why I was sure it is his ID all this time.

Oh god! I even thought he recommended me to the Assistant lecturer to guide me and I accepted it. Now, I can't even back away from it.

****

You have gone mad, Haritha! You have definitely gone mad and need to join a mental hospital. I thought still staring at Swapnil Sir when he is taking the class for us as the main lecturer took a leave today.

I couldn't help but remember the interactions we had through so many emails and they were completely pure but they tugged my heart for sure and I can't believe they are from him as he looks really stiff in general.

After finishing the class, he stared at me before gesturing me to follow him and I immediately stood up before following him out while trying to control my feelings.

"Recently I found you are not asking any doubts either through emails or directly. Is everything fine?" he asked looking at me.

"I am fine, Sir!" I replied and I can't actually say that I may have started liking you unintentionally, right?

It passed just like that for a few months and I tried my best to suppress no matter what kind of thoughts entered my mind I pushed them away while trying my best to help him with any errands he asks and even getting his guidance for free.

However, being this close to him is wrecking me for sure and I am going towards the wrong path for sure with my thoughts.

So, I took a chance during the semester end holidays before confessing everything to him from beginning to end when he called me to review a few books which can be added for the subject reference for a few topics.

"Let me get this straight. You were sending emails all this time not knowing it was my ID and now you like me." He cut everything into a single sentence and I nodded at him.

"Don't forget that I am still your lecturer and it's better if you remove such feelings. Now, concentrate on what you are doing." That reply from him was not expected by me for sure.

Somehow that snapped me more than I thought and I stopped the work he is asking me to continue before leaving the place while trying to cover the hurt showing in my expressions.

I didn't expect him to accept my feelings but I didn't expect him to just shrug my feelings as something that can be brushed off too.

After that incident, I didn't approach him again myself and just run errands for him but stopped listening to his classes or anything related to the topics we exchanged earlier completely to forget everything soon.

And that definitely impacted my studies and I ended up losing too much during internals even though I passed for sure.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked frowning at me when he found out the marks as I had to tell him the moment he asked about my marks after the class finished by calling me near the desk where he is packing the system.

"Nothing!" I replied glancing over his shoulder while hoping he can stop asking such questions in front of a few students that are still here even though the classes are over.

"I was being patient with you all this time and this is what you are going to do? This is last semester and after this, you will be going out there. Will you let your feelings affect you like this? How stupid can you be?" he suddenly started shouted and I immediately turned to stare at him feeling shocked.

"Sir!" I mumbled hoping he can remember there are students here.

"You are the one to cross the line and you are the one acting like it is my fault. The half interest you have on liking your lecturer would have been enough for you to score better marks than this." With those words, I struggled a lot to even stand there before him and the curious eyes of others.

"Stop it right now." I warned him letting all the respect I was showing him all this time and he blinked hearing that before looking over my shoulder.

"I..." he started but I walked away from him to pack my things before leaving the room while ignoring the stares from others.

#End of Past#

"Then?" Mihira asked with her eyes widen making me smile.

"Then I tried coming back to college but the stares and everything was too much for me and it felt suffocating. So, I stopped coming to college after that and just attended the exams. I was always a good student who never misses a class and that's why it didn't impact much." I replied but she frowned hearing that.

"Didn't the principal say anything as the rumors were spread everything." She mumbled and I nodded at her doubt.

"He called me before the exams and asked me for the details. I told him it was just a misunderstanding and it was my fault. But still, the rumors spread like this and they are still popular. They made sure my name doesn't get dragged and that's why no one knew it was me." I explained and she nodded hearing that.

"I am sorry for thinking it was your mistake when it was just a stroke of bad luck for everyone." She said sighing.

"It is very silly, right? I still can't believe all that happened and I even feel guilty that he had to work hard for another year before becoming a full-time lecturer because of that incident." I mumbled not knowing why I am spilling everything near her.

"It's not your fault, Maam." She assured me while patting my hand with a smile covering her face.

"And there are worse replies to the proposals in this world. Trust me on this." She added confidently and it seems like she has her own story to tell.

"I heard he didn't want to guide anyone after that incident as I was just the second student he decided to guide. But he ended up guiding a student who is not in her final year which was his pattern and actually from the first year itself." I mumbled and she cleared her throat.

"He did that because I was disturbing him too much with my doubts and nothing else." She replied in a hurry.

"Don't worry! I am not doubting you but just want to thank you for pushing him like that otherwise he wouldn't have done this again and many students would have missed the chance. I am sure he will be guiding others after you. The Senior I told you about is at a high position right now and he still says it is because of Swapnil Sir." I explained and she slowly nodded at those words.

"Maam! I have another question or maybe a repeated question." She mumbled staring at me and I gestured her to continue.

"I can see that you respect him so much then why are you avoiding him like this and making me a bridge between you guys like this to pass notes and all." She asked and I smiled leaning back.

"I don't want him to feel awkward. It was on instinct to join here even though I know I shouldn't but I couldn't stop myself. Now, I want to make sure that my presence will not disturb him and I am trying to change the college by next year to correct my instinct." I mumbled and she stared at me with a shocked look.

"You still like him, Maam?" She suddenly asked making me cough while trying to cover my shocked look.

"Of course not!" I replied clearing my throat but she continued to stare at me with a doubtful look.

"Don't you want to go home? You don't know how to respect your lecturers and asking such personal questions." I started scolding her to which she just sighed.

"I didn't ask you to tell me everything, Maam. Please mail me the changes he asked." Saying that she rushed out of the empty department room before I can scold her more.

Like him? I don't know but I definitely feel guilty and I wish I can help him somehow and if it is by stopping another set of rumors then I am ready to do everything.

*Mihira Pov*

They are supposed to be adults, right? I shook my head while walking out of the building still thinking about everything Maam just told me and I am glad she did.

Even the most amazing person can be stupid sometimes as per this then as I still can't believe Sir's reply to her proposal. If he had just scolded her at that time then it would have been fine but just brushing it off as if it is something negligible and which can always be changed is not what I expected from him and let's not talk how his emotions got the better out of him by bursting out at her before witnesses like that.

I still respect him and admire him as my mentor but as a man, he is not at all perfect. Why am I judging someone else's relationship here when my own was... I shook my head and got startled finding the person whose thoughts I just stopped in my mind but he is right now standing near my vehicle.

He smiled looking at me and I checked my watch which showed it's already one hour past the usual college timings. What is he still doing here?

"I was waiting for you to give me a lift, Mihi." He said when I just stood there without moving a bit and his words caused me to shift closer to my vehicle.

"Why? Vikesh is supposed to give you a lift home, right?" I asked him frowning.

"We both will be going the same way and it is difficult for him to travel in another direction for my sake. So, it is better if we both go together." He replied while I took out my keys.

"I didn't accept that change." I mumbled taking my vehicle out of the parking lot but he calmly followed me.

"We are good acquaintances and didn't I gave so many lifts for more than a year for you?" I frowned hearing those words after getting on the scooty.

"I am not good at driving someone else like this. It is better if you take a cab or ask Principle about it." I mumbled starting the engine to drive off.

"I am feeling tired today. So, just do it for today." Saying that he suddenly sat behind me while I nearly fell down with his sudden weight on the vehicle as I was not expecting it at all.

"What are you doing?" I asked turning around but he just stared at me without saying a single word.

"Just for today." I mumbled looking at his tired eyes before I drove us out of the campus and I nearly slipped again when he suddenly circled his arms around me.

"What are you doing? Don't you want to go home in a safe form?" I asked stopping the vehicle.

"You said you are not that used to doing doubles and that's why I am holding on to you so that I can be safe." He replied but didn't remove his hands.

"Abhilash!" I mumbled patting his hands while feeling tired right now as his proximity is not what I want right now or even later.

"Just drive, Mihi! I know you can do it as you already drove us like this while learning how to ride itself. So, trust me and just drive." He whispered and I tried to ignore his presence and those words completely before driving us to our places while praying not to get into any kind of accident. Trust you? I don't think that will ever happen again for sure.

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So, when I told you guys yesterday I will be writing the past I thought I will do it by writing a long chapter just about them... Then when I actually started I felt this is enough as we shouldn't get deviated... There will be a small part after for them like during this story for the two characters and so it is better to not go too much into past and just explain in simple words... I hope it is not disappointing...

How is the chap?

comment plz and vote...