A veil of hearts

•silent admiration & clueless•

7

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Joshua's POV
I entered the lecture hall, my heart quickening as my eyes immediately sought out Aina. There she was, sitting in the second row, her dark hair neatly tucked into a hijab, her focus on the notebook before her. The first row was empty, offering me an unobstructed view of her delicate features. I felt a surge of warmth in my chest at the sight of her.

As I set up my materials at the podium, I found my gaze continuously drawn to Aina. I couldn't help but admire the way she bit her lower lip in concentration, the slight furrow of her brow as she reviewed her notes. The empty front row felt like a gift, allowing me to openly look at her without raising suspicion.

However, my moment of bliss was short-lived. A few minutes into the class, a tall young man hurried in, apologizing silently with a nod before taking a seat directly in front of Aina. I felt a pang of disappointment as my view was suddenly blocked.

Trying to maintain my composure, I subtly adjusted my chair, angling it slightly to the right. This new position allowed me to catch glimpses of Aina between the heads of the students in the front row. I knew it was unprofessional, but I couldn't help myself.

As the lecture progressed, I found myself standing more often, moving around the front of the classroom. I told myself it was to engage the students better, but deep down, I knew the real reason was to steal glances at Aina.

Every time my eyes fell on her, I felt a jolt of electricity run through me. I noticed the small smile that played on her lips when she was engrossed in the lecture, the way she would occasionally adjust her hijab, the intense focus in her eyes as she took notes. Each detail of her presence was precious to me.

I was careful not to let my gaze linger too long on Aina, conscious of the other students in the room. But I couldn't help the way my heart raced when she raised her hand to answer a question, or how my eyes softened when they briefly met hers.

Throughout the entire lecture, I maintained my professional demeanor, never directly addressing Aina or giving any outward sign of our connection. My interactions with the class remained strictly academic, my voice steady and authoritative as I delivered the lecture.

But beneath this facade of professionalism, my heart was performing a complex dance of longing and restraint. Each stolen glance at Aina was like a secret message, an unspoken "I love you" that only I could understand.

As the lecture neared its end, I found myself both relieved and disappointed. Relieved that I had managed to maintain my composure despite the constant distraction, but disappointed that my time in Aina's presence was coming to an end.

When the class finally ended, I watched as Aina packed up her things. Our eyes met briefly one last time as she left the room, a fleeting moment charged with unspoken emotion. It took all my willpower not to call out to her, to ask her to stay.

Once all the students had filed out, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I gathered my materials, a small smile playing on my lips. Despite the challenges of maintaining our professional relationship in public, moments like these – filled with silent admiration and secret glances – added a thrilling undercurrent to our love story.

With a contented sigh, I headed to my office, already looking forward to the next time I would see Aina, when we could finally drop the pretense and be ourselves. For now, I would cherish these stolen moments, these silent expressions of love that spoke volumes without a single word being uttered. The memory of Aina's presence would sustain me until we could be together again, free from the constraints of our roles as professor and student.