Fated To Love You

Chapter 49

"Khaane ke baare mein zyada nahi sochti main, sab hi theek lagta hai," Himani replied, her voice steady but distant.

"Theek hai, phir ghar chalte hain," Sumedh said, glancing at her with concern.

"Aap kha lijiye, agar aapka mann hai toh," she added, trying to maintain some normalcy.

"Mera bhi mann nahi hai, main bas tumhare liye soch raha tha," he responded, his tone softer.

She gave a faint smile. "Thank you, but really, I'm fine."

Once they reached home, Sumedh asked, "Tumhe kuch chahiye? Juice, fruits... kuch bhi?"

She shook her head, "Nahi, I'm fine... lekin aapke liye chai bana dun?"

"Main bana lunga, tumhe padhai karni chahiye," he insisted, not wanting to burden her.

"Seriously, it's no trouble. Main bana deti hu," Himani offered again, her voice more earnest this time.

"Koi zarurat nahi, Himani," Sumedh gently insisted. "Tum jao, kal test hai... focus on that."

She paused, feeling his concern, and finally nodded. "Okay... thank you."

As she turned to leave, he added, "Aur Himani, agar kabhi kuch chahiye ho... ya mann na lag raha ho, to bas mujhe bata dena. Main yahin hoon."

Himani quickly freshened up and sat down to study, but her mind refused to cooperate. The frustration had been building for days, and with a sigh, she shoved the books aside and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Moments later, Sumedh entered the kitchen, made some tea, and prepared a few snacks. Placing everything on a tray, he headed to the room and knocked on the door.

"It's open," she called out, her voice lacking energy.

Sumedh stepped inside, immediately noticing her lying on the bed. "What happened? Tabiyat kharab lag rhi hai kya?" he asked, concern evident in his tone.

She responded with a non-committal hum, still not meeting his gaze.

"Pakka na?" he asked again, setting the tray on the side table and pulling a chair close to her bed.

"Bar bar poochke answer badal jaayega kya?" she retorted, her irritation seeping into her voice.

"Mood off lag raha hai," he muttered, feeling uneasy. "Sorry," he added quietly.

"Aap tag hi laga lo na sorry ka," Himani shot back, finally looking at him. "Phir punishment dene ke baad bhi sorry bolne ki zarurat nahi padegi."

Sumedh's expression softened as he processed her words. "Punishment?" he echoed, then, after a pause, continued in a calm tone, "You know right... you were at fault, and I have certain duties as your teacher."

"Bina matlab punish karna bhi duty hi hogi? Aur fir sorry chipka do. Anyway, ab se aapko mujhe punish karne ka koi mauka nahi milega," she replied, her frustration clear.

Sumedh looked at her intently. "Bina matlab? You think I punish kids without reason?"

Himani's frustration boiled over as she spoke, her voice laced with hurt and defiance. "I had done my assignment, it got stolen; it wasn't my fault. Maine nahi socha tha ki aisa hojaayga. And you saw me doing the assignment, but still, you didn't trust my words for once. Was I at fault for this... or was I? According to you, did I really ask Rohan to steal my assignment?"

Sumedh's expression was stern, though his eyes betrayed a hint of remorse. "You should have taken care of your belongings. Assignment kiya tha, to sambhal ke rakhne ki zimmedari bhi tumhari thi. Or do you think it's the teachers' responsibility to look after your things? Haan, ghar par maine dekha tha ke tumne assignment kiya hai, but how could I know if you forgot it at home or took it with you? Wasn't it your responsibility to ensure your things were safe?"