A Bond Of Intellect

Chapter - 13

It had been the third day after the announcement of the trip in college, and Riti still hadn't been able to talk to Evan about going. Nor had Evan discussed anything about it.

In college, the maximum number of students had already given their fees for the trip, as it was going to be a little luxury trip that the college couldn't afford on its own, so they had set a fee for it.

Kavya was insisting Riti for the trip and was forcing her to talk to Evan about the trip. "Riti, please talk to Sir; if you won't go, I too won't go," she said persistently.

Riti replied, "No, please, don't cancel your plan because of me; it's okay, I will try to talk to him today, so don't make that face."

At home, Riti changed into her comfortable clothes and waited for the perfect moment to talk to Evan. However, she still didn't seem to have the courage to approach him. It had been almost a month since the incident, and Riti couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

Evan changed into different clothes, which caught Riti's attention. He wore a white T-shirt and black formal pants, a departure from his usual casual attire at home. He grabbed his phone and car keys, and as Riti watched his movements, she realized he was staring back at her.

"I'm leaving for a short period," Evan said. "Come and lock the door from the inside when I leave. And as I told you, don't even go to the balcony, okay?" Riti's mood turned hurt, but she didn't show it. Instead, she replied with a simple "Okay."

As soon as Evan left, Riti locked the door and retreated to their room. She tried to distract herself by scrolling through her phone, but her emotions soon took over. A single tear dropped onto the screen, followed by more, as she began to sob uncontrollably. "W-why can't I... ask him?" she stammered between hiccups. Overwhelmed, Riti lay down on the bed, clutching her phone, and unexpectedly fell asleep.

An hour passed before Evan returned home. He parked his car and went upstairs, using his spare key to enter the house quietly. He made his way to their room, where he found Riti lying on the bed. Evan changed into comfortable clothes and then approached Riti, gently placing a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. It felt slightly warm, but normal. He carefully took her phone and placed it on the table, then covered her with a blanket.

Riti woke up around 6 pm, feeling a bit tired. After her exams, Evan had been teaching her only occasionally, sometimes giving her a break. As she sat up on the bed, she noticed Evan sitting beside her, watching TV. Their eyes met, and Evan stared at her, taking in her swollen, red eyes.

"Did something happen?" Evan asked in his normal voice, his tone neutral. Riti flinched at the sudden question and replied, "No." But Evan pressed on, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Then why were you crying?" Riti's nervousness grew, and she became embarrassed. "I-I was not crying," she stammered.

Evan ignored her denial and asked again, "Tell me, why were you crying?" He muted the TV, and Riti clenched her hands under the blanket, her eyes welling up with tears. "I w-was really not crying," she insisted, but her voice cracked. As she spoke, tears began to fall, and she tried to wipe them away.

Evan's hands grasped her arms, pulling them away from her face. He gently wiped away her tears with his own hands and cupped her face. "Tell me, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle, his eyes filled with concern.

Riti felt better with his touch. Then she replied, "In college, my friend Kavya was persisting me to join the trip, so I-I don't know how to tell." Her eyes didn't match Evan's, and she said it with very little courage.

Evan heard it and realized that she felt so distant from him that she couldn't even ask him about the trip. He also felt relieved that she hadn't asked her parents for the money. He replied, "Well, I had forgotten to tell you about that, but I have already filled out your fees, so don't worry."

As Riti heard it, she looked up at him. Her eyes sparkled; anyone could tell by her eyes how happy she had gotten. Then she replied, "Oh! Then thank you." In the college riti informed kavya about it and she get very excited.

On the day before the trip, Evan stopped the car on their way home and said, "Mom said you might need to buy something, so buy anything you want." Riti felt relieved, thinking to herself, "Thanks to my mother-in-law." She got out of the car with Evan and went to the shopping mall. They separated, with Riti going to the women's section and Evan to the men's, agreeing to meet at the payment counter. Riti chose some clothes and tried them on in the trial room. Since the temperature at the trip destination was similar to theirs, she didn't buy any warm clothes. After purchasing everything she needed, she met Evan, who took her clothes and paid the bill.

On the day of the trip, Riti arrived at college, met Kavya, and they took their seats on the bus provided by the college. Meanwhile, Evan was driving his car with his friend, who was slightly older but treated Evan as an equal. They were traveling in a personal vehicle, unlike most teachers who were on the bus.

The group left college at 8 am and arrived at the hotel around midnight 12 am . After getting off the bus, students were introduced to their rooms, which were separate for girls and boys, with three students per room. Kavya and Riti were thrilled to be rooming together, and when the third girl assigned to their room went to stay with friends instead, they were even happier. After dinner, they chatted and went to sleep.

The next day, everyone had to wake up at 9 am and leave for sightseeing. The students gathered outside the hotel in the garden, where the teachers briefed them about the area. Kavya and Riti started their day by visiting shops selling antique pieces, for which the place was famous. They also explored other shops, and Riti remembered that Evan had given her cash, but she didn't buy anything. After lunch, they continued roaming around, visiting more places. By night, all the students were exhausted, so they fell asleep after dinner.

The next day, they boarded the bus to head to their next destination, a museum located a bit far away. They had a packed lunch on the bus and arrived back at the hotel around 4 pm.

As they stepped out, Students and staff milling around the garden, taking pictures, roaming, or sitting on the ground like Riti and Kavya.

The two friends chatted about their daily lives, and their conversation turned to Evan. Kavya said, "I just can't imagine Evan sir being the youngest child in his family.

I thought he'd be the eldest with many younger siblings." Riti smiled and replied, "Yeah, he's the youngest.

You know Vivan bhai and Ruhi bhabhi's kids, Arun and Adhya? They're scared of Evan and only listen to him.

They won't even listen to their parents when they're determined about something." Unknownst to them, a girl had been eavesdropping on their conversation from behind.

As Kavya moved, she spotted the girl, who quickly walked away. Kavya whispered to Riti, "Oh, I think she overheard us!"

Riti turned around, noticed the girl, and realized it was the same girl who had borrowed her notes, which contained a love letter , they were one of a group of girls who are obsessed with Professor Evan.

Riti and Kavya exchanged worried glances. Just then, three girls approached them, and one said, "What's up, long time no see, Riti!"

Riti forced a smile and replied, "I'm fine, what about you guys?" Another girl responded, "Yeah, we're fine, thanks to someone who complained about us to our parents."

Riti and Kavya realized that Evan must have informed their parents about the incident with the love letter.