Destiny: Time To Fall In Love

Chapter 7 - Let's Remain Professional

Aashi's POV

The morning of the exam felt like a countdown to a confrontation I wasn't ready for. I looked at myself in the mirror, my face still a little pale from the fever, and took a deep breath.

"Come on, Aashi," I whispered to my reflection. "You can't hide in your room forever. At some point, you have to face him. Focus on the paper. No more Aryan, no more neighbor, no more love. Just Chemistry and your goal"

Walking into the examination hall was like walking into a freezer. My eyes instinctively found him. Aryan was already there, arranging the question papers. The moment I stepped through the door, his head snapped up as if he had been waiting for that specific sound.

"You came," he said.

I froze for a second. His voice wasn't the cold, thunderous roar from the resort. It was soft... almost fragile. And his eyes... they weren't narrowed in judgment. They were filled with a heavy, dark emotion that looked suspiciously like guilt.

"Take your seat," he added quickly, clearing his throat and looking away. "The exam is about to start."

Throughout the three hours, I felt his presence like a physical weight. Every time he walked past my desk, I could smell that sandalwood scent. I kept my head down, focusing so hard on the equations that my eyes burned. I didn't look up once, even when I handed him my answer sheet. I made sure our fingers didn't touch.

As soon as the bell rang, I bolted. I didn't wait for Richa; I just wanted to get out of his sight. I reached the bus stop outside the university gates, my head throbbing from the leftover fever and the stress of the exam.

Suddenly, a sleek black car pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down, revealing Aryan. He looked tired, his tie loosened at the collar.

"Aashi, sit in the car," he said, his voice back to that soft, gentle tone.

I clutched my bag tighter, staring at a poster on the bus stop wall. "It's okay, Sir. I can manage. The bus will be here any minute."

I heard the car door click open. He didn't get out, but he leaned toward the passenger side.

"Aashi... sit... in... the... car... right... now."

This time, the softness was gone. It was the stern, commanding voice of the man who lived next door, the one who knew I was still weak from a fever and that the sun was too hot for me to be standing there. He wasn't asking as a professor; he was demanding as a guardian who wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

Knowing that arguing with him in public would only draw more attention, I bit my lip and opened the car door. The silence inside the vehicle was heavy enough to drown in.

The drive home was suffocating. The only sound was the low hum of the engine and the occasional click of the turn signal. I kept my gaze fixed out the window, watching the city blur past, refusing to look at the man sitting just inches away.

When the car finally pulled up to our gates, I reached for the door handle immediately. I just wanted to escape.

"Are you that angry with me, Aashi?"

His voice stopped me mid-motion. It was cracked, stripped of all the Professor authority. I didn't turn around.

"That you're not even going to talk to me anymore? Not even a glance or a bye?" I heard him let out a shaky breath. "Am I that bad? Did I hurt you that much? If I did... then I'm sorry. I am genuinely, deeply sorry. You don't have to avoid me. You can shout at me, you can be angry... do whatever you want. Just... please, don't give me this silent treatment."