Unspoken Love

Behind the Glasses

As Sir Steven rushed back to the common room, he searched for additional umbrellas, unaware that his interaction with Eva had been observed by Jordan, one of the students. Jordan couldn't help but be suspicious about the nature of their connection. He had been on his way to offer an umbrella to Eva when he witnessed Sir Steven's approach. However, he decided to retreat before being noticed.

Regrettably, Sir Steven found that there were no extra umbrellas available. He resigned himself to walking home in the rain without the protection of his coat or an umbrella. By the time he arrived at his residence, he was thoroughly soaked and shivering from the cold. A hot shower helped warm him up, and a cup of hot chocolate further aided in dispelling the chill.

Meanwhile, Eva returned home later than usual due to the driving difficulties caused by the rain. After changing into dry clothes, she had some hot soup that her mother brought to her room, attempting to regain warmth. 

Both Sir Steven and Eva found themselves preoccupied with thoughts of each other that night. Sir Steven's act of kindness had profoundly touched Eva, while Sir Steven couldn't get Eva's mesmerizing appearance, her soft and sweet voice, her expressions, and her captivating eyes out of his mind.

As morning neared, Sir Steven found himself running a fever and feeling quite unwell. Consequently, he made the decision to take a day off from the university to recover.

On that same day, Eva's mother had cleaned and ironed Sir Steven's coat, as Eva intended to return it to him. When Eva arrived at the university around noon, she discovered that Sir Steven was absent for the day.

In the classroom, Peter relayed the message to the class about Sir Steven's absence, noting that he would provide the presentation schedule the following day. Jordan, observing Eva's reaction, couldn't decipher her feelings, but she was concerned that Sir Steven's illness might somehow be related to her borrowing his coat and umbrella the previous day.

After the class concluded, Eva returned to her car and was greeted by a distinct men's fragrance. Initially perplexed by the scent, she soon remembered that it was the lingering aroma from Sir Steven's coat, which lay on the back seat. The realization brought forth a mixture of emotions.

Eva was genuinely concerned about Sir Steven's well-being and hoped to see him the next day. As the night started to fall, she made her way home.

Meanwhile, Sir Steven, after a day of rest, felt better. His fever had subsided, but he still experienced weakness and a persistent headache. He decided to work on preparing the schedule for his postgraduate class before going to bed. While devising the list, he strategically placed Eva's name at the end, considering her individual presentation needs. With the schedule completed, he sent it to Peter, asking him to convey the message to the rest of the class.

Later that night, as Eva was about to go to sleep, her phone received a message notification. When she checked, she saw the schedule with her name at the end. This placement brought her a sense of relief, as she appreciated the extra time Sir Steven had given her to prepare. Eva hoped that Sir Steven had recovered from his illness as he had taken time to send over the list. 

Both Eva and Sir Steven did not get time the rest of the week to come in contact with each other, in any way. Over the weekend Eva tried to cover most of her work on other subjects as well since it was going to be the start of presentations in the Novel class. She had already read the novels that were to be covered on Monday so she felt somewhat relaxed. 

'Eva, did you return the coat to your teacher?' Mrs. Foster asked sipping her tea. 

'No Mom. I couldn't see Sir Steven for the whole week. I don't know if he had been coming to the university or not.' Eva replied writing her literary theory assignment. 

 'You have his class on Monday, right? You can return it then.' Her Mom replied. "What is he like?' she further asked.

'He is normal like all teachers are.' Eva replied not paying much attention. 

Mrs. Foster didn't reply but thought to herself, 'Normal teachers don't give their coats and umbrellas to their students. There is something more to it than is meeting the eyes.' 

Monday came and as Eva drove to her University in the afternoon she peeped in the rearview mirror at the coat lying neatly in the back seat of her car. The faint smell of Sir Steven's perfume did not feel strange anymore. 'Finally, I'll return it today.' Eva murmured to herself.

There was excitement and nervousness in the air as Eva entered the class. Three groups had their presentations today. There were last-minute revisions and practice going on. Eva took her seat. After about five minutes Sir Steven entered the classroom and Eva couldn't help but notice that he didn't look as lively as usual. He seemed a bit under the weather, which was evident from his slightly subdued voice.

'Good Afternoon, boys and girls,' Sir Steven greeted, his voice lacking its usual brightness.

Sylvia was the first to comment on it, expressing concern about his well-being. 'How are you feeling now, Sir? Your voice doesn't seem so good,' she remarked.

Sir Steven acknowledged Sylvia's inquiry and assuring her said, 'Oh, I am much better now, thank you, Sylvia,' he replied. His gaze drifted briefly towards Eva, who was watching him closely.

After marking everyone's attendance, he addressed the class, explaining that they would aim to cover at least two of the scheduled presentations that day. Due to the break and post-presentation discussions, time was a constraint.

'If the first group is ready, we can start the presentations now,' Sir Steven announced, rising from his chair and moving it slightly behind Jordan's seat to clear space on his desk for the presenters.

The unexpected change in Sir Steven's seating arrangement surprised Jordan, who had been closely observing both Eva and Sir Steven. Jordan had anticipated that Sir Steven would sit beside Eva, but he was now positioned near Jordan himself. He couldn't help but wonder if he had misunderstood the nature of their interaction.

The room's lights were dimmed, and the projector came to life as the first group began their presentation. Everyone in the class was engaged, knowing that a question-and-answer session would follow. Eva, too, was attentively taking notes and was genuinely impressed with the level of detail in the group's presentation. Unbeknownst to the others in the dimly lit room, Sir Steven's attention was focused on Eva. Although he was listening to the presentation, his gaze, behind his glasses, was fixed on her, observing her every movement.

Over the past week, Sir Steven had glimpsed Eva a few times but chose to keep his distance, intentionally avoiding any personal interactions. He was determined not to let anyone, especially Eva, suspect any special connection between them. As far as Eva was concerned, she remained oblivious to any deeper feelings Sir Steven might have had for her. He was committed to ensuring that Eva wouldn't be placed in an uncomfortable position because of him.

The presentation lasted for about twenty-five minutes. The lights were turned on and Sir Steven started questioning the rest of the students to see if they had gotten hold of the concept and themes and ideas of the novel presented by the group. Some cross-questioning with the presenters was also done by the students. Twenty-five minutes went by in all this. 

'I think we should proceed with the break now and we will start with the second presentation afterwards.' Sir Steven said resuming his seat behind Jordan. 

Most of the students left the class. Peter and Nora remained as they were the second presenters. Eva and Jordan also stayed behind. Eva was focusing on her notes but her mind was on the question of how should she return Sir Steven's coat to him. His mood remained somewhat reserved, which did not escape Eva's notice.

There was silence in the classroom except for a slow whispering of Peter and Nora revising their notes when Jodan asked Sir Steven, 'Sir when are we supposed to submit the assignments?' 

Sir Steven looked up from his mobile and said, 'Oh yes, I forgot to mention that. The next Monday after your presentation you have to submit the assignment. Group one and two will submit their assignments next week. Peter, you can convey this to the rest of the class as well.'

'Yes, Sir.' Peter replied. 

As the presentations continued, Eva diligently took notes while Sir Steven continued to watch her from his seat. His silent admiration of Eva went unnoticed by the other students.