Chapter 4

Koeli

@Koeli

I can't believe Professor Hotness will be staying at your house, Imz. I'll be there 24-7." Mishika exclaimed. "You'll see him in his gym clothes, those ripped muscles flexing in front of your eyes as he works out." "OMG! He'll be half-naked!"

"Hush! Mish! I am not interested in looking at his half-naked body. He is one annoying jerk. Today he lectured me about my skirt. "That creep looked at my undergarments," Imlie muttered.

"That skirt was too short, Imz. He would have noticed underwear. After all, he is a man. And don't give me bullshit about losing interest in him. Even you will admit that he is ridiculously hot.

Anyway, I might try to persuade him to give me tuition.

Damn! Those muscles." Mishika twirled her hair batting her fake eyelashes.

"Are you in his team or my team? Mish?" Imlie glared at her angrily.

"Oh, my baby boo. I am always on your team Imz. No question asked. But Mr Prof..."

"That's it. I don't want to listen to your rants anymore." Imlie shut her off.

~*~

"Mom, I am hungry. Why can't I eat?" Imlie said while nibbling on her popcorn.

"Behave yourself. We have to wait for our guest." Imlie's mom said while arranging the table.

Imlie rolled her eyes. "He is not our guest mom. He is practically our housemate for the next six months. If we wait for him every day, I will starve to death. He is staying in our house, so he needs to maintain our house rules." Imlie deadpan.

"When did I teach you to be so mean, Imlie? Is this the way you behave with a guest?" her mom scolded her.

Imlie dropped her head on the table and halved a sigh. The ring of the bell jolted her murderous thoughts about ASR. She looked towards the doorway and thought, stay outside the house and rot to hell asshole.

"Ab beythi kya ho Jao jaake darwaza kholo?" (why are you sitting and sulking. Go and open the door now).

"Hi!" ASR said upon seeing Imlie who opened the door for him. Imlie gave him a I-am-bored smile.

~*~

Imlie's mother was excited to hear all the stories of her village. She told Aryan that she misses his mother and that they shared a great bonding. She also said that she was indebted to his family for doing so much and without their support they would have never been able to archive such a luxurious life.

"I am so happy that you are here. Imlie is weak in economics. Do you mind giving her tutions after class? I am sure she will do good under your guidance."

ASR choked on food and imlie looked at her mother angrily. "Mom, it is fine. I have spoken to Ritesh. He will be giving me tuition. He is here to teach for six months. What will happen when he leaves?"

ASR looked at Imlie while he drank water to put down the food.

"Don't be so stupid, Imlie. You have a professor at home, and you should utilize this opportunity. Also, he happens to teach you in your college."

"Aunty, I was going to ask for a  favour. Some students want to take tuition from me.  Is it okay if they can come here for an hour or two? Imlie can definitely join if she wants. I would love to teach her." ASR requested Mr Malhotra

"No, you can't. This is our house. And I don't like unknown guests in my house. My mom might know you and your parents but I don't. What if you are some..." Imlie glared at ASR angrily, but before she could finish, her mother scolded her.

"Stop it, Imlie. I have no issues with it, beta. You can definitely take tuitions here.

"Mom, this is my house as well. First, he comes and takes my room, and now you are asking him to bring other people into our house?" Imlie makes strong eye contact with him. "What if he is a criminal and he is hiding in our house for a reason?" Aryan stiffens visibly. The comments definitely made him uncomfortable. Well, who won't?

"You are overreacting, darling. You should go and sleep. It's already very late. And don't forget that I am your mother and I know what is right and what is wrong at the end of the day. You better behave yourself. This is not what I have taught you to behave rudely with our guest." Aryan looked down at his plate. He has lost interest in his dinner.

~*~

Imlie changed into her nightdress and picked up the book that she was reading when she suddenly remembered that she left her ear pods in her room which is occupied by Mr Asshat aka ASR at the moment.

Without knocking she entered the room when she saw that it was slightly open startling ASR who was sitting on the desk with his head on it. His eyes were bloodshot red and his mood seemed to be bad. For a moment he looked a bit scary making imlie reconsider her decision. But then it was her room she thought. She can enter whenever she wishes to.

"Erm, I forgot my ear pods in the bedside drawers," he said nothing.

Was he crying? or was he mad? Imlie tried to judge by his appearance. She did insult him today during dinner by calling him a criminal. She didn't like her mother's affection towards him and like a jealous girl, she spat. But Imlie was too high on her heel to apologise for her behaviour so she decided not to.

ASR didn't utter a single word and kept on staring at her.

"Are you deaf? I said I left my ear pods here. I need them."

He still didn't react or say anything. He got up and went inside the bathroom leaving the whole room for Imlie. She bit on her lips, unable to comprehend his lack of reaction. She checked out her room and found everything was as it is when she left, except he hung his clothes inside the closet and kept stacks of economics books on the reading desk. His glasses lay on the bedside table where her ear pods were kept. The only thing that changed is the smell of the room. It was musky, like an addictive kind of musky. Probably his perfume, she thought. Slowly she walked towards the bedside table and grabbed her ear pods and left the room.

Aryan stood below the shower and let the water cascade through his body. His mind was on riots. Given a choice he would have never come here, and he knows that. But, he doesn't have any other choice. He banged his hand on the tiles and then covered his eyes as the memories of her scream started to haunt him. No, he can't let this happen. He laughed looking towards the ceiling. Fate is a bitch. Imlie is dangerous for him he knew the moment he laid his eyes on her. "Criminal", the word sent chills along the spine. He fisted his palm and silently screamed under the water hoping it will wash away all the pain only that it cannot and that he knew very well.

Thank you all for liking my story. Do like and comment if you like this part. :)