An Innocent Crush ✓

25 | Odd behaviour.

Dhruv couldn't sleep the whole night; he didn't even blink for a moment. Many thoughts were racing through his mind. He should have been happy that he received the scholarship, that he was reaping the rewards of his hard work, but he wasn't. He didn't even know why.

He thought of Kiara at every turn, something that had never happened before. Was he starting to love her? A simple liking had turned into love.

Dhruv took a deep breath. “No, how could it be love? She's my student, younger than me... Yes, she seemed lovely because she was different, but how could I be in love? I must have gone crazy,” he was talking to himself.

‘Why do you worry so much about her if you don't love her?’ his inner self asked.

"She's my student, of course, there would be worries!" He replied, gripping his head with both hands; his head was throbbing with pain.

‘Hasn't there been such worry for anyone else before?’ his inner self chuckled.

"Enough! Enough! I can't love her!" He shut his eyes tightly.

“I…. I can't, I… it's… hurting!” He let out a growl and slid down the wall, still clutching his head.

****

Kiara rang the doorbell, a smile adorning her face, her cheeks slightly pink. Soon, the door was opened by Dhruv. Kiara grinned, but his face remained neutral. He didn't say anything and moved to the side to let her in.

Kiara didn't notice the change in him; dark brown eye bags were starting to form under Dhruv’s eyes.

As Kiara stepped inside, her eyes twinkled with excitement, oblivious to the turmoil brewing within Dhruv. He managed a faint smile, masking the chaos in his heart. Leading her to the study room, he tried to appear composed, yet his mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

"Sir, are you okay? You seem a bit off today," Kiara inquired with genuine concern, noticing the subtle change in his demeanor.

Dhruv hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to confide in her or to conceal his inner turmoil. "Just a bit tired, long night," he responded, trying to brush it off.

"Did you have to go to the hospital again?" She asked with a smile, but Dhruv remained silent, staring at her without saying anything. This made Kiara a little concerned. Dhruv had never been this quiet before; he was always playful with her.

“Dhruv sir?” She called him again. Dhruv snapped out of his trance and nodded. “Yes? Yes! I went to the hospital again. What were your doubts?” He asked as he started to walk past her.

Kiara frowned a bit but shrugged it off and followed behind. “Physics numericals! I seriously don't understand anything!” She said, pouting a little while staring at his back. Dhruv nodded and entered the study room with her.

He sat on his chair and started taking out his pen, but his mind was still occupied with different thoughts. He knew he had to distance himself from her, but the more he tried, the more he found himself drawn to her.

"I wish! Instead of an apple falling on Newton's head, a coconut had fallen. Then he wouldn't have discovered any laws, and we wouldn't have to study so much—"

As Kiara continued to talk, Dhruv tried to concentrate, but his inner turmoil was too distracting.

“Can you stop being childish for a second?” He snapped, giving her a stern look. Kiara's playful expression faltered, and she blinked in surprise, her eyes widening. "I... I'm sorry, sir," she mumbled, feeling a bit hurt by his sudden change in behavior.

Dhruv immediately regretted his outburst and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Try to focus on what I'm teaching Kiara," he said, his tone softening a little.

Kiara nodded, but the hurt in her eyes didn't completely fade. She tried to focus on the study material, but the awkward tension between them lingered in the room.

Dhruv forced himself to focus on teaching, trying to push his conflicting emotions aside. But every time he looked at Kiara, he couldn't ignore the growing affection he felt for her.

When the tutoring session came to an end, Kiara gathered her things and stood to leave. "Thank you for today, sir," she said, mustering a smile, though her eyes still held a hint of sadness.

Dhruv watched her leave, feeling a weight of guilt and confusion settle in his chest. He knew he had to sort out his feelings and distance himself from Kiara, for both their sakes. But as she walked out the door, he couldn't shake the ache in his heart.

As the door closed behind her, Dhruv leaned against his chair, closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh. His mind was in turmoil, and he knew he had some difficult decisions to make.

He inhaled a deep breath and took out his phone from his pocket before dialing a number. “Hello? Bhai, please get my passport and F-1 visa ready…” he said before ending the call.

***

"Bipolar person! Does he even understand himself?" Kiara said, gritting her teeth as she looked at the picture she had taken the previous day.

"Just because you're dear to me doesn't mean you can do anything! Sometimes you talk so nicely, and then harsh and distant. What's wrong with you, sir?”

She stared at the photo of Dhruv, feeling a pang of hurt and frustration. She couldn't understand his sudden change in behavior, and it was beginning to affect her own emotions.

She let out a sigh. "Just when I had started to feel a little closer to you, you pushed me away again... you're very harsh," she whispered.

Closing her phone, she placed it on the side table and pulled the duvet over her head. "Don't come in my dreams again, otherwise, I'll punch you! Dhruv ke bacche! Good night!"