Always Is Not Forever (Breaking Myself - Part II)

18. The One Where I Teach Him

[ A L I N A ' S P O V ]

"Stop staring at her," I scowled at the sight of Kabir whose eyes were pinned to the girl sitting opposite to us.

Who knew he would be like this? The anger in me was rising, not just because of his stare but how cheap it looked like. For past ten minutes, his eyes were glued to her and I hadn't noticed until she shifted uncomfortably.

He broke his stare, shifted it to mine and said nothing.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. "We're in the airport and you're ogling at her. What has happened to you?"

The Kabir I knew wasn't known for such behavior. I had never seen him pinning a girl with such a stare and to make them feel uncomfortable. What had gotten into him? Was this because I wouldn't let him touch me much? Was he thinking of having fun with someone else and then come to me, confessing the love he had for me?

My anger increased and I hit his head with my book.

"Bookworm," He chuckled. "I wasn't staring at her."

"You surely were. Look how uncomfortable she is. Go and apologize to her."

He rolled his eyes, stretched his leg and slung his arm over my shoulder. "It was just a stare. Don't overreact."

"You eve-teased her," I mumbled, anger laying in my voice. "Go and apologize."

"Alina-"

"What if someone was doing this to me?" I curled my knees on the black airport chair, tired by waiting for an hour. "Go or else I will break up with you."

"Now you're really overreacting. She's fine. It's not like I was forcing her. What if she is beautiful which she is. And I was looking at her clothes, not her."

"Even then it's wrong."

"Explain."

"You stared at her for ten minutes. She felt uncomfortable. No matter how beautiful she is, you're not supposed to stare at her like that. Imagine it's me sitting there or Nisha, and someone is staring at us. I'm feeling uncomfortable but the person thinks it's not wrong, but I'm feeling disgusted, imagining the horrors he will do to me. I feel ashamed that maybe something in me is wrong. He's objectifying me."

"You girls think that?" He asked in surprise.

I nodded back. "It's disgusting. The first thing we think is something is wrong with us. Maybe our clothes attracted them. We blame ourselves and then we feel the anger to slap, but sometimes, we're scared what others will think or how they will blame us. You did wrong, Kabir. Too wrong. That girl is not an object to stare at even if you were staring at her clothes or how appreciating how beautiful she is. Got it?"

He nodded tightly. "I did wrong."

"Too wrong. Go and apologize and mean it. Be the gentleman I fell in love with." He passed me his laptop bag, stood up and sat opposite to the girl. She tried to stand up and he gave me a helpless look. I glared at him. "Can we talk?" He said to the girl. "I won't do anything wrong." She settled, giving him a stink eye.

Kabir, what have you landed yourself into?

"Touch me and I will report to the police," She hissed.

He nodded. "You can, but I won't touch you. All I want to say is sorry for what I did. I know my sorry can't change anything on how I made you feel. But I'm sorry for the deepest of my heart. You can slap me or even scream at me. I realize my mistake."

"Are you stupid?" I chuckled at her tone. "You just ogled me shamelessly and you think a sorry can change?"

"I was staring at your clothes. My girlfriend," he passed her glance to me while I beat red. "doesn't wear Patiala suit. I was imagining her." My eyes widened at his comment. "However, she made me see how wrong I was and I apologize. If you want, I can do sit-ups in front of you, but forgive me or else she'll break up with me."