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...
Before reading the chapter please read this. I know it's been long since I last updated because I can't think of the next plot. Any plot doesn't meet the standards I want to. So please do tell me if you are liking this and if what you want next. Also it's currently 2:28am so there might me mistakes so do let me know if any!! Happy reading!!!💗
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The campus was quieter than usual. The bustle of the trip had faded into the back of Kiara's mind, replaced by the weight of the past few hours. Agastya’s cold words played on a loop in her mind, each repetition making her feel more hollow inside.
She wasn’t sure when the line between teacher and something more had blurred, but now, after the ordeal at the resort, she had the sinking feeling that it had always been a line he was never willing to cross.
Kiara paced her dorm room, the afternoon sunlight spilling across the floor. She needed answers, but every time she thought about confronting him, something held her back. What was she supposed to say? Sorry for the misunderstanding? How could she apologize for something that had been out of her control?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door.
“Aarohi?” she called, recognizing her friend's voice.
The door opened, and Aarohi stepped inside, her eyes scanning Kiara’s face, already sensing the shift in the air.
“You okay?” Aarohi asked softly, dropping her bag by the bed and sitting next to Kiara.
Kiara swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just... everything feels weird."
“About Agastya?” Aarohi’s voice was gentle, but there was a sharpness to it, like she was treading carefully.
Kiara nodded, folding her arms tightly across her chest. "He... he didn't even ask. He just saw me with Trish, and that was enough for him. He assumed...."
"He's not always the best at understanding situations," Aarohi interrupted, her voice sharp with an edge Kiara wasn’t used to hearing. “But you need to talk to him, Kiara. I know you’ve been trying to keep things between you two casual, but it’s clear there’s more going on here. You can’t keep dancing around it.”
Kiara felt the truth in her words, but the thought of speaking to Agastya made her stomach twist. “I don’t know what to say. Every time I try to talk to him, it’s like... he pulls away more.”
Aarohi placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. “You’ll figure it out. But don’t let him walk all over you. Not after everything you two have been through.”
Kiara blinked back tears. “I don’t want to be hurt anymore.”
Aarohi nodded, her gaze softening. “Then don’t wait for him to come to you. Go to him, Kiara. Tell him how you feel.”
Before Kiara could respond, Aarohi stood, walking toward the door. “I’ll leave you to think about it. But don’t stay stuck in this silence.”
🦢
The next day, Kiara woke to the sound of hurried footsteps in the hallway and the constant murmur of students walking to class. Her head throbbed from lack of sleep, but her mind was clearer than it had been in the last few days.
She had to talk to Agastya.
Not to explain herself....she wasn’t going to beg for his understanding, but to make him see that whatever was between them couldn’t just be swept away by a misunderstanding.
As she entered the university building, Kiara’s heart skipped a beat. There, standing in front of the lecture hall, was Agastya, deep in conversation with a new face.
Kiara’s eyes narrowed, the newcomer was young, probably around Agastya’s age and carried herself with the same authoritative air. But there was something about her that felt... off. Too confident. Too smooth.
“Who’s that?” she muttered under her breath, watching the way Agastya’s posture softened as the new teacher spoke to him.
For a brief moment, Kiara felt a jolt of jealousy, an emotion she couldn’t shake. She had never been this territorial. She hadn’t known what it meant to want someone so badly until now.
As if sensing her gaze, Agastya looked up, his expression unreadable. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly in acknowledgment, but there was nothing warm in his eyes. He turned back to the new teacher and said something Kiara couldn’t hear.
She stepped back, just as another student passed by, blocking her view.
She had the sudden urge to leave, to avoid facing him completely, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. Every part of her wanted to run in the opposite direction. But she couldn’t.
Not again. She would talk to him maybe not now but later .
🦢
When she entered the staffroom, Agastya was sitting at the far end, papers scattered across his desk. The door closed softly behind her, but it was enough to catch his attention. He didn’t look up, didn’t acknowledge her presence at first.
She stood there, hands trembling at her sides.
Finally, his voice broke the silence. “Kiara.”
His tone was cold. Professional.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “We need to talk.”
He didn’t respond right away, only looked up from his papers, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of something. Regret? Anger? It was hard to tell.
“I’m listening,” he said stiffly, clearly not wanting to engage more than necessary.
Kiara stepped forward, taking a deep breath before speaking. “I’m not the person you think I am. What happened at the resort—”
“You don’t have to explain,” Agastya interrupted, his eyes hardening. “I already know what happened.”
Kiara clenched her fists. "No, you don't! You just assumed, without asking, without giving me a chance to explain myself. And that’s not fair, Agastya."
His gaze flickered, but only for a second. “You shouldn’t have been in there with him. It looked bad.”
She bit back a laugh, though it came out bitter. “You think I don’t know that?”
Agastya’s eyes darkened. “I didn’t say that.”
“No,” she shot back, her voice rising. “You didn’t have to. You made it clear enough. You think I’m just some girl who can’t be trusted.”
He stood, the chair scraping against the floor. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?” Kiara’s heart pounded in her chest, her chest tightening with frustration. “Because if I’m being honest, I don’t understand you anymore, Agastya. You’ve made everything so complicated.”
Agastya froze, his gaze fixed on her, not with the coldness she had grown used to, but something deeper, something raw. For a brief moment, the distance between them seemed to evaporate.
Then, he turned his back to her. “I don’t want to do this right now.”
Kiara stood there, her hands trembling, her heart breaking. "Then when, Agastya? When?"
He didn’t respond. The silence in the room felt heavier than ever before.
---
To Be Continued...
Note to readers: What happens next? Will Agastya finally open up to Kiara? And who is the new teacher, and what role will she play in all of this? Stay tuned to find out!
