ASSIGNMENT: LOVE YOU

CHAPTER 9

The whole day had been a mess. I had been running around, handling papers, preparing lectures, and barely keeping up with everything.
   Being a professor came with its share of frustrations, and I had learned to deal with them. But nothing prepared me for what had just happened—what had just slipped past my attention.
   “Aditya and krutika.”
   I truly regretted saying it.
   A simple mix-up. But to her, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to tease me.
   She had that glint in her eye, that mischievous smile. I saw it, but I chose to ignore it at first. I told myself it was nothing. That it didn't matter. But deep down, it gnawed at me.
   Aditya was a good student, sharp, confident— everything I hated in a student who could potentially outshine me. But it wasn’t his intelligence that bothered me. It was the way Krutika laughed when he said something. The way she looked at him. My stomach twisted, and I could feel the weight of something I hadn't let myself acknowledge until now.
   Jealousy.
   It was ridiculous, right? She was just my wife—my wife in name, in public, but this marriage was a mess of contradictions. We had no real bond, no connection. Not like this.
   But yet, my mind refused to stop. I told myself it was because of the damn marriage contract, but the truth was much more complicated than that.
   I wasn’t sure when it happened, when this... thing between us had changed, but something had shifted, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with it.
   Later that afternoon, Krutika strolled into my office, unannounced, as usual. Her eyes glinted, that mischievous look still lingering.
   "Professor," she said, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. "You know, you look cute when you’re jealous."
   My blood ran cold. Jealous?
   "Jealous?" I asked, trying to play it cool. "What do you want?"
   “I just wanted to check on my favourite professor,” she sang.
   “Since when am I your favourite?” I raised an eyebrow.
   “since you started being jealous.”
   “I'm not. Do I need to repeat it?”
   Her lips curled into that smirk I’d come to both love and hate. "Really? Because I saw the way you looked at me and Aditya during the class session. I thought you were going to burst into flames."
   I gritted my teeth. I was angry at myself for letting her see it, for letting my emotions get the better of me. But I wasn’t about to let her know how much it was affecting me.
   "I don’t care about your group work, Krutika," I muttered. "I just made a mistake in grouping you two together. It’s no big deal."
   "Sure," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just a mistake, huh? Then why are you looking like you’re about to explode? You’re acting like I’m some precious gem and Aditya’s going to steal me away."
   I clenched my fists, feeling my temper rise. "Stop playing games."
   She didn’t stop, though. No, she leaned in closer, practically taunting me. "I think you’re cute when you’re jealous, Dev. Like a grumpy bear protecting his little cub."
   That’s when I realized—she knew. She knew exactly what she was doing to me. And worse, she enjoyed it.
   "Get out," I snapped, my voice sharp.
   She raised an eyebrow but didn’t back away. "Fine. But I’ll leave you with this thought: Aditya seems to be enjoying your little meltdown. Maybe I should give him more attention."
   I didn’t respond. Instead, I watched her leave, the door closing behind her with a soft click. And that feeling—the jealousy, the irritation, the sense of possessiveness—grew even stronger.
   It wasn’t long before the day ended, and I found myself in the parking lot, watching from the front seat of my car. Krutika was talking to Aditya outside the building, laughing at something he had said. They were both walking toward the street, side by side, oblivious to the fact that I was watching them.
   I hated it.
   I told myself I shouldn’t care. She wasn’t mine in any real sense. But then why did it bother me so damn much? Why was I still sitting there, unable to tear my eyes away?
   As they approached the corner of the street, I saw them part ways. And for the first time, I could breathe. But then, something inside me snapped. Without thinking, I threw the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot, following them at a distance.
   I didn’t even know why I was doing it. All I knew was that I had to see her again. I had to make sure everything was fine.
   I drove down the street, keeping a safe distance until they reached a more secluded part of the area. As Krutika turned to walk down a side street, Aditya stopped, adjusting his bag, probably unaware of what was about to happen.
   Without thinking, I parked the car and stepped out. My heart was pounding in my chest, adrenaline pumping through me. I walked toward them, not thinking about what I was doing.
   Aditya was still standing there when I approached. He turned, his eyes widening when he saw me. "Professor?"
   Before he could say anything more, I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him into an abandoned alleyway, pushing him against the wall.
   “Stay the hell away from Krutika,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “I don’t care what you think is going on, don’t get too close to her. Understood?”
   Aditya’s face was drained of color. He stammered, trying to speak but failing. "I—I’m not—"
   "Don’t play dumb with me," I interrupted, my grip tightening on his collar. "I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to get in her head, and I won’t let that happen. So stay. away."
   "I didn’t mean anything by it! I swear!" he pleaded, his voice shaking.
   I loosened my grip but didn’t let go entirely. I could feel the anger boiling inside me, but I also felt a sick sense of satisfaction in seeing him scared. I needed him to understand.
   "Don’t tell anyone about this," I warned, my voice low and firm. "You say a word to anyone, and I won’t hesitate to make things difficult for you. Got it?"
   "Y-Yes! I’ll stay away from her, Professor!"
   I took a deep breath, letting go of his collar. Aditya stumbled back, straightening his clothes as fast as he could. His wide eyes never left me.
   I turned away without saying another word. I didn’t want to hear his apologies. I didn’t want to see him again.
   As I walked back toward my car, the reality of what I had just done hit me. I had just threatened a student—my student—over something I couldn’t even explain.
   Why had I done that?
   I couldn’t answer. But I knew one thing for sure: I was in over my head.
   “fuck… why are you being like this, dev?” I muttered under my breath, getting into the driver’s seat.
   I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to find some peace in the silence when my thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of my phone. 

   I could feel the heat of my cheeks rising. I should've been more careful and let her go home first.
   I let out a soft sigh, knowing that I have to go through a teasing phase once I reach home.