IN LOVE WITH YOU [SLOW UPDATES]

13

PHI's POV

I was paralysed with feelings of affection, unable to understand why I couldn't shed them away. I craned my neck now and then in the class to get her glimpse, my heart beating frantically like a teenager, hoping our eyes would meet. They did meet sometimes, only for her to look away. I felt her gaze on me in the library, it made me feel warm, warm enough to turn snowflakes into water. It was special when she was around, merrily laughing with her friends. Many times I caught her looking at me, in a second she would turn away, embarrassed. When I approached her, she made small talk and excused herself. She was trying to drift away but it only made my feelings stronger. No matter how hard I wanted to get rid of the feelings, they lingered in my heart. Tortured I was with the distance, happy I was with her smile.

"I still don't feel good.." Seth stopped mid-sentence and made a face that implied he was about to shit in his pants.

I was standing in the office of Mrs Carlson. She was a well-renowned faculty and was appointed to teach us some specific topics of macroeconomics. Only three weeks had passed since she started teaching but she piled up many project works, bound to be submitted every week. The office was large with reddish-brown hardwood flooring, the wooden closets were lined with books and the beige coloured walls adorned graduation, post-graduation, and doctorate degrees along with other certificates framed in dense hardwood. The large glass windows had white cotton drapes tied at one side; sunlight poured on the green succulents in small white ceramic pots, lined on the table adjoining the windows. Her office table was cluttered with papers and folders. There were five wooden chairs placed around a centre table on one side of the room. I visited Mrs Carlson to clarify my doubts about the next project, it was almost done and I was about to leave when they barged into the office. I decided to stay back to ask some more doubts, an excuse to hear their story. We had to submit our assignments today by 9 in the morning but Naina and her group showed up at noon with their peculiar excuse, diarrhoea. They stated the burgers which they ate at the fuel station on the way to college had caused their agony. I wondered what made them pick this excuse, couldn't they find a better one?

"Okay, you can all leave. I'll consider your work but this is the last time," Mrs Carlson said in a stern but hasty tone. I can't blame her, Seth was a wonderful actor. 

Or maybe he wasn't acting!

They walked out of the room, Omer bit his lips to push back a giggle and Naina hung her head low looking at the other side, trying hard to hide her grin.

I walked out of the office after some time, heading to the library in hope of finding Naina. The distances between us made me feel hollow from inside, something which I never experienced before. I was unable to understand the impact she had on my life in such little time but I knew I wanted to be with her, at least as a friend.

I checked in every nook and corner of the library, but couldn't find her. I was about to go towards the cafeteria when I bumped into Lisa.

"Hey, Lisa! How are you doing these days?" I started with small talk. 

"Uhh! I'm good. What about you?" She was thrown off guard.

"I'm doing well too. Where's Naina?" 

"She has gone to the senior wing to inquire about the grading patterns of Dr Carlson. I hope she goes easy on these dumb folks." 

"Yeah! Can you do me a favour?"

"What am I gonna get in return?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Um... I don't know, what do you want?"

"Nothing, I was just kidding. Tell me what do you want me to do?" she laughed. 

"Can you call Naina and ask her to come to the garden right now? Don't tell her I said this, otherwise, she won't come," I had to talk, I was getting uneasy with her behaviour.