Accidentally, In love ( UNDER EDITING )

Chapter 3 : Introduction

  Chapter 3 : Introduction

  “Okay, Zoya. Calm down. Deep breaths. In, out, repeat."  

It's not working.  

I'm still worried, although there is nothing to be worried about. I keep telling myself  I'm an old shoe.

    'I know this very well. I have done it before. I was born with that gene. Both of my parents have the same profession. It’s no big deal,' the right side of my brain screams.

  The left half, not wanting to be silenced, yells, 'There is a huge difference. They were kids, and these are adults.'  

The left half of my brain is debating with the right half as I  nervously walk towards the assigned classroom at the end of the corridor to teach my first Statistics lecture.  

To be honest, I’m a bit nervous. There’s a huge difference between teaching kids at an NGO and adults at this level, but as Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), it’s something I have to do. It’s for my PHD, I constantly remind myself... well,  reassure myself is more like it. All of this will be history when I become Dr. Zoya Subramaniam.  

The sheer thought of it makes me smile and sends a tingle through my spine.  

Pausing at the doorknob, I take a minute to steady my nerves and put on my game face and my most  charming smile. I want to make a good first impression, one that says 'friendly yet means buisness.'  

In my glory days as a kid, I remember taking lenient substitute professors for a jolly ride. I now realize how mean that was. I send a quick prayer to any benevolent god to have pity on me.  

I open the door to greet the class.  

Thankfully, it’s a small number. It will be easier to remember their names. I send up a quick prayer to any of the Gods who are free. Yes I’m religious, but not very pious.

  There are around eighteen of them.  Some are sitting on their seats, others on the desks, and they are all engrossed in one activity or another. The guy sitting closest to the door is busy reading 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley.

  "Nice book," I tell him and he looks up, startled.  

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you enter. I would have put the book away immediately," he says, getting worked up.  

"That's alright. I'm quite an avid reader myself so I understand," I tell him.  

 I  walk further into the room, introduce myself and ask the class to do the same. It’s surprising how much one can learn by just observing the people around them. Right now, I can see a class made up of a mixture of students : typical nerds, the all-rounders, the socialite kind. Everyone brought and bound together by a common love for Statistics. This make me so happy.

  Formalities over, I get down to business, or in my case, teaching.

  Midway through teaching basics of Statistics, I hear a knock at the door and someone comes in.

  "How nice of you to join us. I would have liked it if you would have made it a little earlier, because the party is almost over. I'm really sorry you missed the best part," I say sarcastically with my back to the new entrant.  

I did not receive an answer.

  I turn around to look at him or her. It's here that I get the shock of my life.  

It’s none other than Mr. Mystery Man himself.  

I can’t believe it.

  He is a student, and out of all the classes held in Michigan, he has to be in mine.  

Just my luck. Or maybe it's just my Karma.

  He sees me and slowly recognizes me. I can see his grey cells making the connection, linking me to the night at the party and remembering me as the girl who danced with him and who he gave a ride home.  

No surprise there.  

He breaks into a smile and his golden eyes light up. He looks really cute in dark blue jeans and an Arties t-shirt. When he speaks, I can make out a slight  French acent.

He says, “Bonjour. I’m so sorry I’m late, but I had some important work that could not be postponed. Anyways, enchanté , pleased to meet you. I’m Arnaud Tatou. I look forward to your lectures,” and he winks at me.  

The nerve.  

"Please take a seat, Mr. Tatou, and try not to be late for the next class."  

All the while I think to myself, 'It’s going to be one hell of a long year. I better brace for myself for whatever is about to come next.'   

 

AN : Hope you like this chapter. Do comment and give me your feedback on it. Picture on the side is Arnaud. The actor is Gaspard Ulliel. He is a French.