Pragya's view:

After classes I was making my way to Abhi's staff room. I was anxious. I'm not sure whether I should ask him that he's avoiding me or is it too early to assume as such? Because during the class he didn't pay any attention. It's not like he always smiles at me & treats me special in class. I have this gut feeling that he's avoiding me. My rational mind knows it must not be true. But my heart refuses to understand this. It feels like he had drawn an invisible line to keep me off of his boundary. One time he behaves like I mean something to him. And the other time he completely gives off some other vibes.

I subtly knocked on the door. Door was ajar. Abhi asked me to come in.

"Good evening sir" I greeted him politely. I wanted to know whether Abhi notices I called him 'sir' not 'Abhi'.

He looked at me quizzically for a second yet his mouth didn't utter a word. I sat down on the chair.

"Did you prepare the list of whoever is participating in the fest?" Abhi asked me. Calmness echoed in his voice.

"Yep! The paper is circulating throughout the departments. Day after tomorrow the list will be ready" I replied politely.

"So far how many people are participating?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I checked the list before coming here. So far 90 people enrolled themselves. The number is considerably big because we still have 2 days left" I responded.

"Wow! Just wow!" he was amazed with the numbers. And we started to discuss the other things.

A while later, "Okay Pragya, see you then. Bye!" he bid adieu to me & started to move out of the room.

What the hell? Wasn't he supposed to take me with him? My head became heavy with tons of questions regarding his behavioural change. I spoke.

"Wait! Aren't you taking me with you?" I questioned him.

"Nope! Why would I?" he retorted.

"WHAT??" I was startled & utterly confused with his behaviour. "How am I supposed to reach home then?" I wondered.

"Not my concern" he replied coldly.

I was taken aback by his response. After this he started to walk towards the parking lot. What have happened to him suddenly? Maybe my heart was right? Was he actually drawing an imaginary line to keep me off of his boundary? Or he doesn't want to get involved with his student? Or is he regretting the kiss? Alright! Everything aside. Reaching home safely is important now. I quietly followed him contemplating the choices of reaching home. As we reached the parking lot, I could see it was deserted. I thought to call Bhai. When he picked up, I explained to him that I stayed late & couldn't reach home alone. Thankfully he was on his way to home, so he asked me to wait. I saw Abhi revving up his engine. He didn't even glanced at me once. Before it was just head which was heavy. But I didn't feel any physical pain. But when my chest got heavy because of Abhi's behaviour now, I felt a pang in my chest. Maybe he was angry because Tanu still means a lot to him. Maybe I shouldn't have kissed him. Maybe I shouldn't have fallen for him. Maybe we both should've never came across each other's paths. And tears started to pour down without my concern.

I saw Abhi leaving me behind on the parking lot. My hands reached my wet eyes as a reflex action. When my blurred vision was cleared with the help of my hands, I saw Abhi again. He wasn't going away. He halted his bike near the gate. And stood by its side leaning over it. Took out his phone & started to use. I was dumbfounded by his behaviour. I don't know what he is doing now. Not sure why he halted his bike near the gate. I waited for more than 10 mins then again called Bhai. But he didn't pick up. I felt antsy.

Few minutes later I felt a honking sound & I immediately recognised it as bhai's car. Relief surged through my veins. When bhai's car entered the gate, bhai noticed Abhi yet didn't utter a word. Neither did Abhi. Abhi again revved up his engine to life & started to speed down on the roads. When bhai's car came near me, he signalled me to come in. I climbed on the passenger's seat on the backside. But bhai asked me to sit in the front passenger seat & told me he needed to talk to me. As we ran along the roads, Bhai spoke.

"Pragya, I know you don't like Abhi for some reason. But he's not a pervert. You should get this inside your thick skull" he said in an ordering tone.

"What?? When I said he's a pervert??" I asked outrageously.

"You didn't. But you behaved so" he said in a dark tone. I gasped in shock thinking whether bhai knew I kissed Abhi. Before I conclude anything he continued, "Pragya, Abhi talked to me yesterday night regarding this", my heart slammed against my chest thinking what exactly Abhi told bhai.

"What did he say?" I asked in a bare whisper.

"He talked to me regarding Tanu. And told me she came to our flats" now his voice filled with rage & I heard him cursing her "bitch" under his breath.

"Do you know who tanu is?" I asked curiously.

"Yep! Tanu was a college mate for Abhi. You know Abhi & I are school friends. We stayed in touch throughout the years. When Tanu approached Abhi & proposed to him, I was the one who told him to give a chance to her" this time bhai's voice echoed with a strong guilt. I already know Abhi & Tanu were in a relationship through Nikhil. But now knowing it was all because of bhai, makes me choke my own breath. "And one day they broke up because Abhi couldn't tolerate her tantrums & he thought...." bhai paused for a second & continued "he thought he was in love with someone else & couldn't get over her..tanu couldn't tolerate this. So she was continuously throwing tantrums & Abhi decided to break up".

I was flabbergasted. Didn't utter a single word. What if he's in love with the other girl still? My heart silently started to weep. Abhi was not written in my destiny. Though AC was going on in the car, I felt suffocated. Still I want to know whether someone else is there in his life. I tried to speak, to know who it was actually.

"Who is that other girl?" I couldn't hide the sour tone that reflected in my voice.

"No idea. He once told me he met her when he was 17. And from that day he was in love with her it seems. But he never realised it until he saw her again. From then he realised he was always in love with her & giving tanu a chance was a biggest blunder" purab sighed. "It was all because of me. I thought tanu is a good match for abhi. But I was so wrong. Tanu is a whore. She even tried to molest Abhi. BITCH" now he cursed loudly.

"WHAT? WHEN?" I shouted in rage.

"Remember yesterday you thought they were making out in his room? He was trying to make that bitch understand that he wasn't interested in her. But she started to touch herself through his hands & faked a moan. And Abhi thinks that's the reason you got agitated. Abhi told me all these yesterday" when bhai told me the above sentences I felt like fire was engulfing me. I was so wrong. I thought Abhi was trying to make out with her. But she forced herself on him. A tiny part of her brain told her "even you tried to force him". I felt like tiny worms crawling beneath my skin. My behaviour was nauseating. I should have asked Abhi before reacting. What kind of woman am I? Waise, what else bhai knows about yesterday? I spoke!

"What else did he say?" I asked cautiously.

"He said he doesn't want to deal with someone who thinks of him as a pervert. And that's the reason he refused to take you with him. Yet he didn't want to leave you alone & stood by the gate. He already texted me saying I've to pick you up & when you called I was already making my way to you" saying this he continued "He's a very good person. Don't know why you always misunderstand him!" he twisted his lips at me. So bhai doesn't know we passionately kissed each other. I didn't say anything. I just sat silently till I reached home. When I reached home I ran towards my room & shut it close only to cry my heart out.

Abhi wasn't making out with tanu. I forced myself on him when he was already in love with another girl. It was all too much to take in. That day I didn't sleep an ounce.

.

Next day in college I explained everything to Akshati during lunch break when we were sitting on our usual spot outside the canteen.

"I know it's too much to take in. But there's something else you've to take care of" she said with her eyebrows wriggled.

"What's that?" I asked in a low tone & I palmed my forehead.

"You should ask sorry to Mr. Mehra for kissing him without his consent. Whatever you did was wrong!" she stated.

"I know. I will ask him sorry tonight. He wouldn't like to discuss personal stuffs here. So I will meet him tonight at home & will ask him sorry" I whispered thanks to Akshati for always understanding me & being there for me.

"I don't need your thanks but something else" she said in an apprehensive tone.

"What do you want?" I asked curiously.

"You've to forget Mr. Mehra & move on as there's already someone there in his life" she said in a low tone.

I didn't answer. Instead I asked "why did he kiss me if he was already in love with someone else? Do you have any idea about how much eager he was to kiss me back? He was submissive though he was passionate" Akshati seemed to have no answer for this & stayed silent. I packed my tiffin box & without telling her bye, I started to move towards my classroom. I know she's not wrong. And I know I should forget Abhi. I need some time for myself.

Forgetting Abhi is like declaring war on my own self.