𝕌𝕟𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕕 ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕆𝕗 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖

9

𝗥𝗜𝗛𝗔𝗔𝗡'𝗦 𝗣.𝗢.𝗩

I observe her closely from behind. It is quite unusual to see her shaking her head like that. She is usually very talkative and never the quiet one.

When I saw her with her dad at college, I felt frustrated. It pains me to see her in this state, but unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about it. I thought about suggesting iv drips for her. Became she seems to week and the way she avoid food during her cycle affect her more , but my mom told me that Ayushi despises drips with all her heart.

This reminded me of the time when my mom connected her to an IV. It was the first time I saw her cry so loudly. Even my mom was surprised because she had told me that Ayushi wasn't scared of needles, but the IV made her cry. I never found out the reason as my mom never told me.

A soft moan caught my attention, and I looked down at my hand, realizing that I had forgotten about it.

"Is it painful?" I asked, and she shook her head without giving a verbal response again.

After spending a considerable amount of time, I moved my hands to her inner thighs. I pressed my hands gently, waiting for any response from her. When she seemed okay, I continued.

"Here, Rihaan, have some tea," Auntie make her appearance and said placing a tray on the side table and giving me a smile.

I glanced down at my hand, feeling awkward about it in front of her mother. I immediately withdraw my hand and place it on my lap.

"Ayushi, I have prepared a buffet for you. You didn't have breakfast, right? You two can enjoy it. Call me if you need anything," Auntie said before leaving the room.

I placed the tray between us, and Ayushi sat up properly, picking up her chocolate milk cup.

"Do you still like chocolate milkshake?" I asked, and she looked up at me. Her eyes met mine, and they seemed so innocent now. In the past, her eyes used to be mischievous. She herself was a walking trouble, and getting scolded by her dad was her second hobby.

"Yeah," she replied with a small response, which made me feel upset. She has changed a lot, but she is still mischievous and causes a lot of trouble.

"Why aren't you talking?" I asked softly.

She played with her fingers for a while before meeting my eyes again.

"You stopped talking to me you got busy. You didn't want to meet me . I don't want to irritate you and make you leave now with my all crap talk. That's why i'm quiet." Her statement hurt a lot more than I can imagine, her chirping like a bird never irritated me.

But I need to make distance between us. It was the right thing to do. I had developed a crush on a teenage girl. What would her parents, mine, or anyone else think? I felt like a pervert. She was seventeen when I realized I liked her, but it was when I stopped talking to her that I understood I loved her. I needed to put an end to this. I would only end up hurting everyone.

"Yeah, I've been busy with college," I muttered. She shrugged and leaned back against the headrest.

"Have you found a girlfriend or something?" she asked. I shook my head.

I didn't want to give her the wrong impression, but I was curious if she was seeing someone.

"What about you?"

"Me? A boyfriend? No way," she mumbled, setting her cup down and reclining once more.

"Do you want me to keep going?" I inquired. She glanced back at me before lying on her back.

"Rub my belly," she whispered. I nodded and slipped my hand under her shirt. I rested my hand on her bare stomach for a few moments, my heart started racing. I knew I was being inappropriate, but I needed to put a stop to this. I had to treat her like any other patient.

I began massaging her belly, keeping a safe distance. Suddenly, she chuckled and grabbed my hand.

"Never mind, just pass me the hot water bottle," she said.

I quickly placed the hot water bottle on her stomach and covered her with a blanket.

"When will this pain stop? It hurts to see you in pain," I blurted out. She chuckled again and closed her eyes.

"I miss our regular conversations. You may be my professor now, but you should at least be my friend," she said, For a moment, I felt like she was unhappy with the idea of us being friends. I couldn't deny that the idea upset me as well. I didn't want to be just friends with her. I knew I loved her and still do .

I should probably keep my distance from her, otherwise those butterflies will start fluttering in my stomach again. She'll invade my dreams and I'll start daydreaming about us.

"Is everything okay?" Ayushi asks, squeezing my hand. I glance down at our hands, intertwining them. I answered her question.

"Everything's fine. Just focus on the class. I like having your attention on me during class," I mutter, locking eyes with her once more.

Will I ever gather the courage to confess my feelings for her, or will I just admire her from afar? I don't want to just admire the moon from a distance; I want to be right beside her. When will I find the strength to tell her how I feel?

"You should try to get some sleep," I softly suggest, my fingers brushing against her cheek. I give her a gentle smile.

"Take care. We'll have another basketball game like before. I miss playing with you," I whisper, leaning in to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"Stay until I fall asleep," she murmurs, placing my hand under her head.

I wish time could just freeze in this moment, but it doesn't. She drifts off to sleep.

"She's asleep," her mom's voice interrupts my thoughts. I nod, gently removing my hand.

"I'm going home, Auntie," I mumble softly she nodded her head as soon as I got approval I walk out of her house.