Kiara Mehta never expected her final year at university to turn into a whirlwind of temptation and desire. When the dangerously charming Agastya Agarwal steps in as an intern professor, he becomes the center of every whispered conversation and stole...
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The next morning, Kiara walked into class determined to ignore Agastya entirely.
She wasn’t intimidated. She wasn’t affected.
At least, that’s what she told herself.
But the moment she entered the lecture hall and saw him standing at the front, casually flipping through his notes, her heart did that annoying thing again, skipping a beat when she least expected it.
Pathetic, she scolded herself. He’s just a professor. Get a grip.
She slid into her seat beside Aisha, who immediately leaned in.
"So, how was your private library meeting with our dear professor?" she whispered, wiggling her brows.
"Drop it," Kiara muttered.
"No. Because I heard from a very reliable source that he called you out. Alone."
Kiara groaned. "Rohan talks too much."
"Correction. Rohan knows juicy gossip when he sees it. Spill, woman!"
But before Kiara could respond, a deep, familiar voice cut through the chatter.
"Silence."
The room fell quiet in an instant.
Agastya’s gaze swept over the class, his usual cold authority in place. But when his eyes briefly met Kiara’s, something flickered in them. Recognition. Challenge.
Or maybe she was imagining it.
"We’ll begin today’s discussion with an analysis of landmark cases," he said, rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt. "Ms. Mehta."
Kiara stiffened.
What now?
"Since you were so… engaged in conversation yesterday, let’s see if you’ve done your reading."
Aisha let out a small gasp beside her. "Oh, you’re dead," she whispered.
Kiara straightened her spine, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "Which case, sir?"
His lips twitched at her defiance.
"Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala," he said smoothly. "Explain its significance in constitutional law."
She exhaled slowly, her fingers tightening around her pen. He was testing her. Trying to see if she’d fumble.
Not today.
"The case established the Basic Structure Doctrine," she answered, her voice steady. "It held that while Parliament has the power to amend the Constitution, it cannot alter its fundamental structure."
Agastya’s expression remained unreadable, but she didn’t miss the slight shift in his posture.
"And what, in your opinion, is the most controversial aspect of the ruling?" he pressed.
Kiara smirked. "That’s subjective, sir. But some argue that the judgment gave the judiciary unchecked power, limiting Parliament’s authority over amendments."
A beat of silence.
Then, the slightest nod.
"Adequate response," he said, turning away. "For now."
Kiara let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
Beside her, Aisha gawked. "What the hell was that?"
"Nothing," Kiara muttered, pretending to take notes.
But deep down, she knew.
That had been something.
After class, Kiara was the last to leave. She had just finished packing her things when Agastya’s voice stopped her.
"Ms. Mehta."
She turned slowly.
He stood by his desk, arms crossed, watching her.
"You enjoy pushing boundaries, don’t you?"
She tilted her head. "Only when someone challenges me first, sir."
He let out a soft, almost amused huff.
"Be careful, Ms. Mehta." He took a slow step forward, his presence overwhelming in the empty lecture hall. "If you push too far, you might not like where it leads."
Her heart pounded, but she refused to back down.
"Then maybe you shouldn’t push first, sir."
For a second, something unreadable flashed in his eyes.
Then, just as quickly, it was gone.
"See you next class, Ms. Mehta."
With that, he turned, leaving her standing there, pulse racing.
Kiara didn’t know what game they had just started.
