Arya's POV

I was looking into his eyes when I realized what a big mistake I had done. As soon, as realisation struck me. I was filled with enormous guilt. I was feeling like a sinner. I could not forgive myself. I couldn’t look into his eyes. I was unable to control my tears.

I felt shattered and hurt. When he called out my name I just wanted to run far away from him as far as possible. So, I just gathered my things and ran away while he didn’t even move an inch from his place.

I think he was feeling guilty as well. But, it wasn’t his mistake. It was all mine. I was the one to blame. I just ran and ran. I wanted to ran away from everything even from myself.

It was 5th times in a single day when I got saved from getting into an accident. But, I wished I was died. I reached my home. Hopefully, no one was there to notice. I escaped to my room quickly. And with shivering hands I opened the door.

Front of me was my room. My room was as dark as my life became. I went into my dark room so, that I could be consumed by its darkness. I had just kissed my professor. This thing was eating me from inside. How could I do that with him? He was such an innocent person. He would be hating me.

I couldn’t control my tears or my quivering heart. I placed my hand on my mouth so no one could hear my screams. And then, I sobbed. I sobbed so hard that some of the times I was unable to breath. I was coughing wildly. Even, my eyes were hurting but I didn’t stop. It was then, when I saw the mirror of my room.

I could make out my dark shadow in the mirror. The shadow was as dark as the deed I had done today. I became furious, extremely furious on myself that I got up and with my bare hand and  panting heavily, I just shattered the mirror. But, still in the pieces of that broken mirror I could see my dark shadow.

As if it was taunting me. Taunting me for who I was and what I did? I cried the whole night. And I didn’t even remember when I dozed off to slumber.

I woke up rubbing my eyes when my alarm started yelling at me. I was lying on the floor surrounded by the broken pieces of the mirror. The floor had my dried blood over it which came out of the wound that I had when I broke the mirror.

The wound was still hurting but I let it be. Because I was angry on myself. I didn’t want to go to college but I had to. Because, I knew I couldn’t avoid professor my whole life. One day, I had to face him. So, it was not worthy to hide from him now.

With my heavy heart. I got ready for my college. The wound had no blood now, but it was still untreated. As I have said earlier it was my punishment.

As I reached to college I didn’t look at anyone. Because I was ashamed of myself and whole day I didn’t even look out of the window. I just lowered my gaze because I was not courageous enough to lift my gaze.

It was the time of the last class. He would soon be in class. And just after a few minutes he was in the class. With shame, I tried to look at him and he was looking at me. And I felt so embarrassed that I just wanted to vanish from that spot. I tried to hide myself by sinking my head as low as possible.

He didn’t utter anything and moved his gaze from me, still my heart was racing too much. As, I felt something was wrong. The silence in the class felt like the silence before a big storm arrives. And just after a few minutes he broke the silence.

“Miss. Arya meet me after the class. I want to discuss something important with you regarding your behaviour.” He said in a very formal tone.

“Regarding my behaviour” I knew which behaviour he was talking about and his words pierced my heart smoothly like a sword slashes foam.

Anxiety crept in my heart gradually. Fear was laughing at me. My legs were shivering. I always wanted the time to move fast and get all the classes over soon. But, today I wished time stopped here and this class never end. So, that I won’t have to face him.

But neither did time listen to me before nor today. The period got over. One by one everyone started leaving while I was froze at my seat. I was sinking deep down in anxiety and fear but from the outside I behaved normal.

All the others day I wanted loneliness but today I wanted someone, someone to stop for me in the class. But no one could hear my silent screams. On the other hand, Professor Riyansh, was staring at me with a monotonous expression.

Little by little, he started moving his pace towards me. For me, it was my death. Now, I could not control myself or my tears. I started crying and hide myself. “I am sorry, I did it by mistake. Please, forgive me.” I repeated again and again while sobbing.

When he was just a few steps away from me. He raised his hand in the air. And I knew he was going to slap me. So, I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and while sobbing with a fearful heart, I was ready for my punishment.

For a moment everything just stopped my heartbeats became dull as his hand came closer to my cheeks. And his rough palm came in the contact of the skin of my cheek. I was ready to feel the pain his hit would give me. But, to my surprise his rough palm just caressed my cheeks delicately.

Riyansh’s POV

I didn’t even know how to enter in my own class. But, I had to. That was why I took a deep breath and entered the class. As soon as I entered, my eyes quickly found her. Her gaze was looking downward showing her guilt.

I was looking at her when she looked at me with shame. Her eyes were all red and swollen and my heart just sank at the sight of her eyes. She must have cried too much last night.

She was looking immensely dull and weak. I wanted to talk to her about what made her so miserable like that? What forced her to kiss me? Why she was so afraid and anxious. Everyone makes mistakes like that. It wasn’t a big deal. She didn’t have to be so fearful and hurt herself.

She tried to hide from me and that made me more worried about her. I knew she was feeling extremely guilty anyone would. But she did not have to be scared from me like that.

So, I asked her to stay after the class for a talk. And the look on her face was like her whole blood dried from her body. When the class got over I went towards her to talk. But she was so afraid of me.

As if I would kill her. She was hiding herself behind her hands, cried and asked me for forgiveness. That made me wonder if she spent her whole day like that after the incident.

It was just hurting my heart looking her like that. And she even had a wound on her hand. I felt miserable for her. I wanted to comfort her. So, I slightly raised my hand to caress her cheek.

But she shut off her eyes thinking I would slap her. I felt like someone stab my heart seeing her like that. I caressed her cheeks softly. And she quickly, opened her eyes sparkling with tears and looked at me.

And I could swear I never saw something more innocent than her. She was looking like a 5 year old child. At that moment, I wished I could hug her to tell her that she didn’t need to be afraid. She didn’t need to be afraid of anything. Everything would be alright.

“I am really sorry.” She uttered in her sobbing voice. And I couldn’t help myself. I just smiled at her innocence looking kindly in her eyes. Then I wiped her tears with my thumbs and cupped her cheeks between my hands and said, “You don’t have to be”

She looked in my eyes like she felt comforted by my words. She placed her wounded palm on the back of my one hand which was cupping her cheeks and said, “But, I kissed you without your permission and you are my professor.”
After listening her words, I slightly caressed her cheek once more with my thumb and said in a kind voice, “About that, I must tell you. That you are 6-7 years younger than me. And even my younger sister is of that age. For me, my younger sister is a child. And when she was 3. She used to kiss me like that. You are also a small child for me. So, I took it as your childish mistake, okay.” While looking kindly at her

“Bu... t... But...” She stammered trying to say something else. But, I interrupted her by shushing her silent. Because, I knew she would say something stupid blaming herself.

And then she didn’t say anything. She just looked in my eyes with still a little bit guilt.

“Leave all these things and don’t think about them.” I comforted her.

“Tell me one thing, Arya. What is that which always tortures you? I have seen so many times. And you always seem hiding something from everyone else and from yourself. Is there something that bothers you, some emotion, some past.” I asked her with questioning eyes.

As soon as I asked her. The innocence in her eyes displaced with fear. She quickly left my hand. And lowered her eyes hiding them from me. I stood up and moved away from her.

I turned the other way so, she didn’t have to hide her eyes from me. “You don’t have to tell me right now. It is fine. I know sometimes, it’s tough. But, if you ever feel like you need someone to hear you. I am always there. Remember, one thing Arya, You are not alone.” I assured her.

She stared at the back of my head as I was saying this. And then she just lowered her head as usual. It was her habit. She used to lower her head whenever she used to feel like she had to conceal her emotions.

She didn’t say anything. And at that moment, I knew no matter how much I care about her. She wouldn’t tell me what was wrong with her. I just took a breath in disappointment. And just started going out of the class room. When I heard a deep sigh accompanied with a sob.

“I am afraid, Sir.” She said while her tears dropped in her lap. I quickly turned behind. Because, this was the first time she told me her actual feelings.

I went to her and sat in front her. “What are you afraid of?” I questioned her in a caring voice holding her non-wounded palm tightly in mine and looking at her with a worried face.

She looked at me with a painful expression and said, “I am afraid of everything, Sir, everything. I am afraid of people, I am afraid of myself. I am afraid of you. I am afraid of telling anything to anyone. I am just afraid, extremely afraid.” She said in frustration letting her pain flow out.

I quickly wiped her tears and caressed her head. “Don’t cry. Arya, don’t cry. You don’t have to be afraid of anything. I am here for you. I promise, I will protect you.” I said to assure her and also to comfort her.

She instantly looked me in the eyes. And with a questioning stare she asked, “Will you?”

Her eyes were just looking in mine with brimming curiosity waiting for me to give her the answer. I felt like her eyes didn’t ask me a question but asked me a chance to live.

As if she was asking me to protect her, to protect her innocence and to protect the child in her. And I couldn’t deny those eyes ever. Even if those eyes had asked the same question from God. He won’t be able to deny them. So who was I?

“I will.” I said to her with determination. And I didn’t promise it to her but to myself as well. That I would protect her no matter what.

“Now, tell me what is your fear?” I asked her in a calm soothing tone.

She looked at me and lowered her head on my hand. Her wet cheek was against my hand. Her tears were glistening on the back of my palms.

“I am really, really sorry, Sir. But I am still not courageous enough to tell you everything.” She said with replacing her cheek with her chin on my hand and looking at me with apologizing eyes from below.

I could not say anything anymore. It was enough for me that for the first time she didn’t hide her fear from me. So, I could not force her anymore. I was happy for her.

I looked at her and said, “It’s okay. Tell me when you want to. And when you get courage. And also, I promise you don’t have to be afraid of anyone or anything from now onwards.” And smiled at her.

She just rested on my hands and closed her eyes listening to this. I caressed her head softly, when I remembered about her wounded hand. I quickly get up and brought my bag in which I always have a small first aid kit for emergency.

She just looked at me with blank eyes. Her eyes were looking tired. I quickly took her hand and started treating it properly. “How did you get this wound?” I asked her curiously.

She didn’t say anything and moved her eyes away. I knew by then that it was not any usual wound. After a few minutes, “ It was an accident.” She uttered looking in other direction.

“More of a self-made accident.” I commented and she just nervously avoid my eyes.

In the whole process of treating her wound she just flinched a bit but didn’t let out a single sigh or change in her stone cold expressions. “It’s okay to feel pain, Arya. You are not weak if you feel pain. It just means you are alive.” I said to her kindly while I was at the end of treating her wound.

Hearing my words she looked at me and just stared at me for a few seconds with misery in her eyes. As I finished I took her hands closer to my lips and just blew on her wound lightly. Her palm shuddered at my breath. And she flinched a bit.

“Blowing on wounds heal them easily, My two elder sisters used to do it when I was a child.” I said and smiled at her while she was looking at me nervously.

To be continued...

Author's Note:-

I love you all and I care about you like Riyansh do for Arya. Well, do you like this part of story. Feel free to review and rate. ☺😉 Your reviews are Omago turu lobe for me. 😍🥰😘