Love Me

37

Sitting at the dining table, Daksh was angrily stabbing at his breakfast while Ayaan tried hard not to laugh out loud.

"Have your breakfast and get out," Daksh snapped, glaring at him.

"Why are you taking out your anger on me? I didn’t run away from you," Ayaan chuckled, finally laughing openly.

"She didn’t run away from me. And why did you send that message saying you booked the appointment? If she hadn’t seen it, she wouldn’t have run away," Daksh said, pointing his knife at him.

Ayaan smirked. "She didn’t run away, dude. She just went to college. Buy juice on your way back and give it to her there. After evening classes, call me you all come back together, right? I’ll be home after you. So bye. I’m also running away oh, I mean going to the hospital."

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　

At college, Daksh’s eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Roshni. He even asked Deepak if he’d seen her.

Meanwhile, Roshni was walking toward her class, nibbling on a piece of bread. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty classroom. She gasped, ready to scream, but his hand covered her mouth.

"Shhh. Don’t scream," Daksh whispered, slowly removing his hand.

"What’s your problem? You almost gave me a heart attack," Roshni hissed, glaring at him.

"How are you now? And why are you eating just bread?" he scolded, pulling a juice box from his bag. "Here, drink this. And listen if you ever run away just to avoid something again, then see what I’ll do."

He pressed the juice into her hand, then tapped her forehead lightly. "We have to go in the evening now, all because of you. Why don’t you want to go? Do you think the doctor will eat you?"

"I won’t come with you," she muttered, taking a sip. Then she wrinkled her nose. "Eww. You drink it yourself, don’t expect me to." She shoved it back at him.

Daksh pushed it back to her lips. "Fine. Then go alone. Or take Ayaan. Or maybe one of your friends the ones you sit with every day, talking nonstop. Take her with you."

She bit his finger playfully. "I even have boys in my friend group. I’ll take them. Now let me go."

He placed both hands against the wall, trapping her between them.

"Daksh, let me go," she pleaded, pressing her hands against his arms.

"First finish this," he ordered, nodding at the juice.

Roshni sighed, shut her eyes, and gulped it down in one go. "Done. Now let me go." She showed him the empty box.

"Good girl," he said, patting her head. "Let’s go."

They were about to slip out, but students began entering the classroom. Panicked, they ducked down, hiding behind the desks.

"What will happen now?" Roshni whispered, biting her nails.

Daksh caught her hand and pulled it away from her mouth. "We’ll try to sneak out. I’ll go first, then you follow. If not, leave through the main gate no one will suspect you."

He slipped out the back door quietly. A moment later, Roshni followed and hurried back to her class.

"God saved us today," she muttered, clutching her chest. "I’m so confused… should I attend class or just hide in the library?"

She kept mumbling to herself when Deepak suddenly tapped her head.

"Keep standing here, because even if you attend class, I’m marking you absent," he said dryly.

"Why? You don’t do this with other students!" she pouted.

"Actually, I want to. And you can’t do anything about it. If you don’t attend, I’ll complain to Daksh that you skip my lectures even though you’re weak in theory," he replied, walking into class.

"Rude freak. Why do I get stuck between idiots? Rude, arrogant, fuck—"

"Miss, what’s your name?" an unfamiliar voice interrupted.

Roshni turned and froze. A female teacher she’d never seen before was standing there.

Her mind raced. Did she just hear me cursing? No way… if she did, I’m dead.

"Just now, you were using very colorful language. What happened suddenly?" the professor asked, folding her arms.

"I’m sorry, ma’am," Roshni blurted nervously.

"Who were you cursing? Call your teacher outside," the woman said coldly.

"Ma’am, it won’t happen again," Roshni begged. But the lady only glared. With no choice, she went and called Deepak out of class.

Confused, he stepped into the corridor and stopped short when he saw the professor. "Hey… why are you on this floor? To meet me? But we planned on Monday, right?"

The teacher’s lips curved faintly as she leaned toward him. "I had some work," she whispered.

Roshni blinked. "You… you know her?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah. She’s Akansha. She doesn’t teach your batch she’s from another department," Deepak explained.

Akansha narrowed her eyes at him. "Why are you explaining to her? Do you know I just heard this girl cursing you? Her language was really colorful."

"I’m sorry," Roshni mumbled quickly.

"Sorry won’t do. Come with me. I’ll show you how to respect teachers," Akansha snapped.

Roshni glanced desperately at Deepak for help.

"Akansha, you go. I’ll deal with her, since she was cursing me, right?" he said smoothly.

"No. You attend your class. I’m taking her to the head," she argued.

"No need,. I’ll handle her. Don’t stress."

Akansha softened at his words and walked away.

The moment she left, Roshni’s eyes widened. "She likes you!" she whispered, thrilled at the gossip.

Deepak rolled his eyes. "Worry about yourself. You were cursing, right? I’ll tell Daksh. Now get back to your seat. If you curse again and someone hears, I won’t save you."

"Don’t tell him. He’s already upset about this morning," she pleaded.

"Oh yeah, I remember. He was searching for you earlier."

"You won’t tell him, right?" she asked hopefully.

"I already did." He flashed his phone at her.

"Freaking busted," she muttered.

From inside the classroom came Deepak's voice "I heard that too. Come inside."