My Teacher

Chapter 4

I quickly got up from my bicycle.

"Mr Ranawat?" I asked.

"Tina, come with me, I'll take you back to the university." he said.

"No Sir, I'll manage." I wiped away a tear.

"It's raining, and I can see that you have a flat tyre. Come." He insisted, pulling me by my arm towards his car.

I sat in the front seat, dazed as Sir loaded my bike onto his boot.

Once he sat in his car he blasted the heater.

"Warm enough?" He asked.

I nodded, unable to speak as I felt as if there was a lump forming at the back of my throat.

"Okay." He said quietly.

I stared out of the window, thinking about my life...

I felt like my life is wearing thin.

Like butter scraped onto toast. If that makes sense.

I've never really had a fatherly figure, he was just my biological father, not a caring, nurturing father which I needed through all those miserable times, especially now.

After a few moments of silence I heard him clear his throat.

"So, what happened back there? At school, I mean." He asked.

"Sir, with all due respect, this is my personal problem and I don't want to share it with anyone." I gazed out the window.

"I was not asking out of curiousity, I was asking out of concern. You look really stressed out, and it looks like you need somebody to talk to. You shouldn't bottle up your feelings, it'll only make things worse. And I'm here." He said, glancing at me briefly then back at the road.

I sighed. "I'm not very comfortabl-" I started but he interrupted me.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, completely catching me off guard.

"W-what?" I asked, I didn't expect him to ask such a question.

"Do you trust me, Tina?" He asked again, looking into my eyes with so much intensity that I had to look away.

I thought about it for a while, I've known Mr. Ranawat for two years. He always helped me with my homework, he never threatened or humilliated me in class, I've attained impeccable marks because of him, his teaching skills are effective and he's only ever treated me with respect.

I looked up at him. His fingers tapped the steering wheel, he was awaiting my answer.

"Yes." I answered honestly.

He exhaled a relief-filled breath.

"So, won't you tell me?" He asked.

"It's a long story." I sighed.

"It's a long drive." He retaliated, raising an eyebrow. Indeed it was.

~~~~~

"What kind of a man is he?" Mr. Ranwat shouted. I shouldn't have told him, he was losing his temper. He almost drove over a dog...twice. "First he withdrew your hostel fees for alcohol and won't even find the love in his heart to allow you to stay at his home. Unbelievable. Un-bloody-believable." He gritted his teeth.

"Yeah I know and-WATCH OUT!" I screamed as he almost knocked over a little kid on the side of the road, he would've been flattened like roti under a rolling pin. "Mr. Ranawat please drive more carefully." I suggested.

"What? That boy was in my way, he should've moved. Damn kids." He mumbled.

"It wasn't his fault, he's only a child. And you were driving very dangerously, Mr. Ranawat." I said.