Truly Madly Deeply

Chapter 1

Misha's Point of View:

"Same, sis, same. I can see our future in pulling all-nighters to get through this coming exam session." I laughed as Zoya kept talking about how we had yet again failed our chemistry assessment. CIES were around the corner and we still had absolutely no idea on how to cope with the increasing amount of homework that was piling up along with the shitty grades we were getting in our mock exams.

"Isn't it extra tough for you, Mish? I mean, you are juggling student council duties and academics." Zoya looked at me with a slight concern and I put my hand on her shoulder, morphing an extremely serious expression as if I was about to say something very upsetting.

"Girl, if I was managing everything so good, I wouldn't be flunking classes so nah, it's not tough for me." The two of us burst into laughter cause we both knew we were screwed in the exams and that our parents were going to whoop our asses if we didn't start getting serious. The grades we got in CIEs decided our scholarships and future colleges. Being a senior in high school was tough. I sighed as I looked at Zoya who was looking at something, or rather someone behind me. She nudged me in the gut, eyeing me to look behind me.

I turned around just in time to look at the boy, no wait, man who was standing right behind me. How did he get in? This was an All-Girls school and guys can't just waltz in. He was wearing shades, aviators to be precise, so I really couldn't tell where he was looking but judging from the facial position and his craned neck, I was guessing he was looking at me. He was tall, 6'2 or something while I stood at 5'3 so I had to quite literally break my neck to look up at him.

"Um, Asalaam o Aleikum, can I help you?" I questioned, a little unsure. He looked intimidating. He was wearing all black shalwar kameez with a shawl draped over his shoulders. His build seemed pretty prominent through his shirt and he had a light stubble growing on his jawline which happened to be perfectly defined as well. I didn't want to appear creepy so I just looked up at his face rather than giving him a once over. He seemed to be in his twenties? I don't know, maybe like twenty one or something.

The fact that he had been staring at me silently was sending subtle chills down my spine, I wasn't exactly used to male company because A, I was studying in an all-girls school and B, my ultra-conservative family wouldn't really let me converse with males apart from my family and cousins. But it wasn't like I was nervous talking to him, I was just surprised and maybe a little uncomfortable. I had talked to boys before, the ones from the boys subdivision of our school, but you know, they didn't look like they would strangle me if I said one wrong word compared to this guy. It was hard to stand in this guy's aura for long.

"Walaikum Asalaam, I noticed you were wearing a student council jacket so I was hoping you could guide me on where the principal's office is? I am a little lost." His voice was low and powerful just like the aura he was emitting. Zoya was awfully silent, I cast a stealth glance in her direction and noticed how she was openly checking him out and rolled my eyes before I looked back at him.

"Uh, yes. You just need to go straight from here, do you see the second building with the red bricks? Once you are there, there will be the administrative staff siting at the reception table who will guide you on where the principal's office is." I explained to him, looking at his Ray-bans to see if I could look at the outline of his eyes behind them but they were pitch black just like his clothes so it was a lost cause. I wonder how he could see through his glasses, they seemed opaque to me.

"Thank you." He gave me a side smile and I gave him a small smile out of formality before turning around to resume my talk with Zoya but judging from Zoya's expression, I had guessed he hadn't exactly left since she was still looking over my shoulder. I turned my head again to look at him and raised my eyebrow at him. He was standing like a statue with his head tilted in my direction, I really couldn't tell what was going on in his head and it was starting to bother me, but before I could ask him what was wrong, he gave me another smile as he turned on his feet and started to walk away in the direction I had explained to him earlier.

Weirdo.

I watched how his broad shoulders and arms moved while he got further away from me, the way he walked was something else, it felt like he knew he was some big shot and nobody could touch him and maybe he was. Did it matter to me? No.

"That was hot." Zoya's squeal brought me back to reality, I turned around to look at her again as she was looking at his back with a playful smile on her face. "Who do you think he was? Some executive? He couldn't be a student. Omg, what if he was a teacher? I think that class will have a full attendance."

"It doesn't matter. I don't like the vibe I am getting." Zoya's family was pretty liberal minded, she had guy friends unlike me and hence I could understand her interest in the man. She actually could talk and befriend the guy if she could while I couldn't even imagine me hanging out with someone like that or any man for the matter. My brothers would probably ground me if they ever caught me hanging out with a man, any man apart from family.

My family thought I was too naïve and innocent for the world, I had turned sixteen and they believed people could take advantage of me since the world was not a beautiful place and it was messed up. However, they promised to give me the freedom to talk to guys and even befriend them when I was in university since by then I would be more 'sensible' and 'aware' by then. I had no problem with their conservative mindset since I had gotten so used to it, growing up with it as a child. I was the youngest with three older brothers who looked after me with their over protective tendencies. I wasn't really weak in mind or body, I could probably take care of myself but for me, family came before anything and I was okay with making such trivial sacrifices to keep them happy.

Zoya grabbed my hand and decided to pull me towards a random direction bringing me out of my trance. On a reflex, I turned to look to where that man had gone and by now, he had disappeared from my sight and I considered that as disappearing from my life as well.