Forbidden Love

Part 8

Akshara Goenka:

Akshu didn't know what changed but Dr. Birla was, all of a sudden, much nicer. He smiled at her in the mornings and even made small talk about the weather or other random things.  At the NGO, he will come and hang out with the kids and listen to her play the guitar and sing. Akshu was grateful that he never talked about their weekends at the NGO to anyone at the university. It was not something she wanted anyone else to know.

It was 4 weeks since her class with Dr. Birla started. The class was half way done. It was an overly hot Saturday and as Akshu sat down for a break in the shade, she pulled her long thick hair into a bun. "You look nice with your hair down." Akshu turned around to see Dr. Birla behind her. He came and sat next to her on the steps and handed her a cold water bottle. "I mean you look nice either way." He said not looking at her. Akshu wasn't sure how to react.
"Ummm...thanks?" Did her grouchy Professor just compliment her? That too when she was sweaty and covered in paint? He looked at her and smiled.  He was indeed very handsome.  The girls in her class weren't wrong to have a crush on him.
"Akshara, can I ask you something?" Dr. Birla asked her. She nodded. "Why do you not want anyone to know you come here?  Do you think your friends will make fun of you?"
"What?" Akshu looked at him stunned. "Why would they make fun of me? Why would I care if they will even do that?" What was he talking about?
"Then? Why do you hide it? You are doing a very noble thing, you should be proud of yourself. Not many people your age will spend their weekends and summers doing this." Dr. Birla said to her gently.
Akshu smirked. "That's exactly the reason I don't want anyone to know. I don't want anyone to think how...what's the word? Noble? I don't want anyone to think I'm noble. I'm not doing anyone favors by coming here. I come here for my own selfish reasons."
"What selfish reasons?" Abhi looked at her confused.
"I come here because it brings me peace and makes me happy. These kids here are no different than I am. All of us lost someone. The only difference between us is luck. I am lucky enough to be born in a family where my life lacks nothing but my luck doesn't mean I'm better than these kids. It's definitely does not mean I'm more deserving of what I have than these kids.  I can't do much but if I can do even a little bit to help even one of these kids, I'll consider my life to be worthwhile and I don't need anyone to think I'm so noble for doing the bare minimum."
Dr. Birla sat there staring at her for the longest time before turning around to look at the kids in front of them. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Dr. Birla turned around to look at Akshu again. "Who did you lose?"
"Sorry?"
"You said you are exactly like these kids in the sense you all have lost someone. If you don't mind me asking, who have you lost?"
Akshu stood up and smiled at her grouchy Professor. "My break is over. I'll see you on Monday, sir." She walked away and sat next to the kids. She already told him more than she meant to.  Why? She didn't know but she didn't need to share anything else.

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Abhimanyu Birla:

Abhi watched Akshara walk away from him and go to sit with the kids. How more wrong could he be about this girl? The more he saw her, the more he talked to her, the more he knew of her, the more drawn he was to her.  The more he wanted to know about her.  He looked forward to seeing her every morning but his favorites days were Saturdays at the NGO where he felt she was her truest self.

The way she would sing away soothed his soul in a way he didn't know it needed soothing. The way she laughed and giggled away with the children made his heart happy. He found himself pulled toward her a little more each time he saw her. There was something about her that made his heart beat flutter.  He couldn't explain why. He had never met anyone like her. Someone who was so genuinely good, empathic, selfless and kind.  She seemed more and more beautiful each passing day and all he wanted to do was just stare at her and hug her and kis...no she was his student.  He knew he shouldn't be feeling such things for a student. This was against so many rules - his own and the university's.  If he made any move, it would have been abusing his power.  Not only was she his student but she was a lot younger than he was.  There was absolutely no match between them. He knew all that and yet, as he watched her in front of him with a smudge of paint on her nose and a big beautiful smile on her face, playing with the kids, he couldn't help but fall for her.

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Akshara Goenka:

Sundays for Akshu were a day to catch up with all her chores. On this Sunday, Akshu was so exhausted that she slept in and woke up around noon.  She took a quick shower and put on a light summer dress and decided to walk to the local cafe to grab some lunch. The cafe was across the street from her apartment complex and even though her Bade Papa had hired a cook for her, she usually did grab lunch at the cafe few times a week.

As usual, it was very packed as it was a very popular spot for brunch. Akshu ordered her food and found an empty table to sit at. It was the only table that was empty. Just then, her phone rang and she picked it.
"Hi Mimi!!" Akshu answered the phone happily.
"Hello mera bacha. How are you?"
"I'm good. Just about to eat lunch." Akshu stood up to see if her food was ready as she was starving.
"It's very noisy. Are you out? Ooooh who are you having lunch with? Please tell me it's s boy."
"Mimi!" Akshu laughed. Her great-grandmother was something else. "I'm by myself."
"I should know by now that you are useless." Akshu heard Mimi sigh making Akshu giggle. Mimi was always behind Akshu to find a boyfriend. "Beta, girls your age all have boyfriends. Acha, what happened to that boy you went on a date with? Aditya was his name, no?"
"Geez Mimi! That was months ago and it didn't work out." Now it was Akshu's turn to sigh. Just then,her food arrived.
"None of these boys ever work out. Tell me again. What kind of boys do you like?"
"That's the problem, na? I don't like boys. They are too immature for me. I rather be with a mature man...." Akshu stopped. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was that Dr. Birla across the room? "I like the tall, handsome, brooding type. Intellects and all." Akshu continued as she watched her professor look around for a seat. He finally caught her eyes and smiled at her.  Akshu felt a flutter in her stomach. Why did he have to be so bloody handsome? She smiled back at him and motioned him to come join her as she knew all the other tables were taken. Dr. Birla came and sat across her. "Okay Mimi. My food is here. I'll talk to you later. Okay yes. Alright. Love you, too. Bye." Akshu disconnected her phone and looked at the man in front of her. "Hello, Dr. Birla!"
"I told you that you can call me Abhimanyu outside of class, Akshara." He said shaking his head but smiling. "Mimi. That's your great-grandmother, right? How is she doing now?"
Akshu couldn't believe he remembered Mimi. She was touched. "She's better now. Back to her old self, harassing me about getting a boyfriend." Wait. Why did she tell him that? She wanted to smack herself.
"Don't you already have a boyfriend? Mr. Gupta?" Abhimanyu said raising his eyebrows.
"Jai?!? Noooooooo!! He's a good friend but god no!" Akshu said horrified. "I can never dare any of the boys from university. They still have a lot of growing up to do." God, shut up Akshu! Why was she telling him all that? Why will he care about her nonexistent love life?
"Good." Abhimanyu said in barely a whisper. "Anyways, do you live nearby or are you just visiting this part of town?"
Akshu was trying to figure out what he meant by GOOD. "Ummm...no I live in the apartment complex across the street so I come here often."
"Are you serious?" Abhimanyu looked at her in shock. "That's where I live! What building?"
"Really??  Umm building 5." He was her neighbor??
"You have to be kidding. I live in building 5 too. 7th floor."
"5th floor for me! That's crazy.  What a coincidence that we were neighbors all along?" 
"Crazy, indeed." Abhimanyu laughed. He looked even better when he laughed. Oh stop it, Akshu. He's your professor. But what was happening? First the NGO and now they were also neighbors? Was this all a coincidence after all?

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