CHAPTER 4: WHEN EYES SPOKE LOUDER

He was pounding hard, yet she kept smiling just by looking into his eyes deeply with so much love. That soft, mysterious smile was only making him more desperate, more insane. He just wanted to make her his, no matter what…

“Speak up, Rabbit…”

“I love you, Taksh…”

The moment he heard those words, an overwhelming wave of peace and satisfaction swept over him. He closed his eyes, completely lost in that feeling.

But suddenly, Taksh jolted awake from his deep sleep, a sharp pain throbbing in his groin.

“Damn it… For the first time in my life, I’m getting wet dreams about a girl.”

Without wasting a second, he rushed to the bathroom, leaving behind only the echo of his frustration in the room. Moments later his moans filled the room with intense feelings; when he stepped out, he was drenched in sweat. He immediately picked up his phone and began dialing a number—but just as quickly, his fingers froze. He stared at the screen for a few seconds.

He had been about to call a prostitute, but suddenly, he stopped. Without hesitation, he deleted the number from his contacts.

“Not from now… I’m only yours, Rabbit…” he whispered to himself.

He dropped onto the sofa, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and inhaled deeply. His eyes shut as he let his mind drift to her face—Jheel. He could still picture her vividly: confused, smiling, her gaze nervously scanning her surroundings, her expressions constantly shifting between fear and innocence. Her face was etched so deeply in his mind that he knew it wouldn’t fade, not even with time.

“I don’t know what spell you’ve cast on me, but I’m unable to make sense of anything. From the moment I saw you on the street, something inside me surrendered to your innocence completely. God knows how many girls have come and gone from my life; I never cared. I never showed any interest. But you… you’ve intoxicated me in a way that I keep getting pulled toward you. Don’t worry, Angel… no one will ever separate us. I know you might think I’m crazy, that I suddenly said all these things, that I’ve fallen so hard for you in just two meetings. But it’s the truth. Maybe this is what people call love at first sight. Whatever it is, I only know one thing—you are mine… and you always will be. That’s one thing I’m completely certain about.”

With that thought, he lay back on the sofa, eyes closed, completely immersed in her memory.

~~~~

Taksh's eyes were fixed ahead. A large slum settlement stretched before him, but his gaze was focused only on one room—the one where Jheel lived.

Suddenly, she stepped out of her room, locked the door, and began walking down the stairs. The area was bustling. Many people were present, and children were playing nearby, frequently bumping into her. Every time someone came too close to colliding with her, she would instinctively shrink back, holding her breath, and only after the person passed would she relax and move again. Taksh’s eyes were carefully tracking her every move.

As Jheel exited the colony, Taksh—his face carefully covered and wearing a cap—started following her from a distance.

They both arrived at the bus stand. Jheel stood waiting, glancing here and there for the bus, while Taksh stood nearby, eyes glued to her. It was as if nothing else existed in the world worth seeing.

When the bus finally arrived, her face lit up with a delighted smile, like she had received something incredibly precious. She hurried inside and looked pleasantly surprised to find the bus nearly empty today. Excited, she rushed to the front row and sat beside the window. Her childlike joy made Taksh smile as he quietly took the seat next to hers.

She was busy looking out the window, not noticing him. But after a while she noticed something odd, the bus wasn’t stopping frequently like it usually did. When she realized this too, she asked the conductor in a puzzled tone:

“Why isn't the bus stopping as much today? I’ve been taking this bus for five days now, and it always stops at so many places and is packed with people. But today, it’s barely stopping anywhere, and it’s so empty… Is there any problem?”

The conductor glanced nervously at Taksh, who gave him a sharp, intimidating look that made him instantly cautious. Trying to manage the situation, the conductor replied politely:

“Madam, the route has been changed today. We’ve been asked to reach the last stop quickly, and then this bus will be sent for cleaning. That’s why we’re skipping the less crowded areas and stopping only where few passengers are expected. The fewer people we pick, the faster we can complete the route.”

Jheel listened intently and nodded slowly, accepting the explanation. She smiled and softly said,

“Whatever the reason, I’m just glad I didn’t have to travel in a crowd today. Usually, I have to stand the whole way. But today I get to sit and travel peacefully.”

Taksh, sitting right beside her, could hear every word she spoke. Her innocent remarks were leaving a deep impression on him. His attraction to her was only growing stronger with each passing second. Throughout the ride, she remained quietly mesmerized by the passing scenery outside the window. And when her stop arrived, she got down quickly.

Taksh didn’t get off with her, he didn’t want to raise any suspicions. As soon as she disappeared into the distance, the bus drove ahead and stopped again after a short distance. Taksh jumped out and hurried toward the college, ensuring he wouldn’t be spotted. But just as he tried to enter, the security guard stopped him. In an instant, he removed his mask and revealed his face. The guard, startled, immediately stepped back.

Taksh marched forward quickly toward his office. On the way, his assistant caught up to him, hurrying to give him the day’s briefing.

“Sir, you have a few important meetings lined up today, so your first period has been scheduled in Madam’s class. You’ll be free to spend 45 minutes there. After that, we’ll go straight to the office. A few projects need review, and we’ll also need to visit the factory for some details.”

“Fine…” Taksh replied curtly, adjusting his pace.

~~~~

Jheel was walking toward her class with a soft smile on her face, but as soon as she reached near the classroom, she saw a large group of students gathered outside. The moment her eyes fell on them, she instinctively closed her eyes tightly and then slowly opened them again, only to find them all staring at her with smiles on their faces. Priyank stepped forward with an exaggerated grin and said,

“You thought it would be that easy, didn’t you?”

“No… Nothing comes easy… You have to work for it.”

Jheel replied without skipping a beat. Priyank glared at her in response, but she completely ignored him and began walking toward the classroom. Just then, the seniors positioned themselves at the door, blocking her entry. While the rest of the students had already taken their seats inside, these seniors stood outside, evidently to prevent her from entering.

Priyank stepped right behind her and leaned in close, whispering in her ear,

“There are sixty students in this class. Thirty-two of them are girls. Thirty-one of them didn’t say a word to me. They gave their tokens, and I let them pass. But you? You refused. You pushed me away. And the ritual that should’ve been over by now? You made me wait…. So you really think you’ll just walk into this class like that?”

After hearing his words, Jheel clasped her hands together and began to think deeply. What should she say? What should she do to avoid this ragging and still get into class? Filing a complaint wasn’t an option either. Just then, a firm voice echoed through the hallway.

“What’s going on here?”

Jheel immediately turned around at the sound. Priyank remained frozen where he stood. Jheel glanced at Priyank, then looked past him, and then back at Priyank again. He still hadn’t turned around, which oddly made her feel a bit relieved. Priyank, now visibly uneasy, tried to smile and turned toward the voice, saying,

“Bro… Sorry, sir… We were just taking introductions…”

“But didn’t that happen yesterday in front of everyone?”

Before Taksh could say anything, Jheel interrupted quickly, making both Priyank and Taksh turn to her. Looking at them both, she said in a clear voice,

“Yes, sir. Introductions are important. Maybe it wasn’t complete yesterday, so they’re doing it again today. I already told them I’m Jheel… But all the other girls gave him a kiss… I didn’t.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Jheel covered her lips with both her hands. Priyank spun around to look at her, then looked at his brother, who was already staring at him. Priyank, now trying hard to salvage the situation, chuckled and said,

“It was just a casual kiss on the cheek. All gave it willingly.”

“Liar… I didn’t want to kiss you—then why did you come asking for one?”

Jheel again slapped her hands over her mouth, frustrated with herself. She didn’t know why she kept blurting things out, making her own situation worse. She had realized yesterday that the two of them were brothers, but as always, her habit of overspeaking was now out of control. She quickly lowered her head, feeling embarrassed. Taksh looked at her carefully before turning to Priyank and said firmly,

“A ‘casual’ kiss under the name of ragging still counts as ragging. And you know very well that I do not tolerate any of this. When it has been clearly stated that there will be no ragging, then why did this happen? You are being restricted for seven days.”

Priyank couldn’t say a word to his brother before the punishment was declared. He knew very well that protesting would be pointless now. He turned to look at Jheel, who was still standing with both her hands over her mouth. She hadn’t expected this outcome, but there was undeniable joy in her eyes.

Without saying anything, Priyank quietly walked away. Slowly, the rest of the group dispersed as well. Jheel, still a little stunned, looked at Taksh and smiled.

“Thank you, sir…”

And with that, she hurried into the classroom. Taksh allowed himself a small smile but quickly masked his expression and walked into the class with composed authority.

“Good morning, sir…”

As Taksh entered the room, Jheel turned to look at him. A seat right in front was empty, and she quickly walked over to it. Taksh gestured for everyone to sit, and without wasting a moment, pulled out a topic and began teaching. His method of explanation was so clear and powerful that it deeply engaged the entire class.

Jheel, too, had her full attention on him, diligently listening and taking notes. After finishing the main lecture, Taksh stepped forward to explain some concepts in more detail. Taksh leaned slightly over Jheel's desk, drawing closer as he continued his explanation. Jheel, now able to see him up close, found herself completely engrossed—not just in the topic, but in him.

Taksh seemed to have calculated his position perfectly; standing so close to her was no coincidence. After wrapping up the topic, he turned back to the class and said,

“This was a basic topic. Tomorrow, I’ll be asking questions based on what I explained today. And based on how attentive you all looked, I believe you understood everything well. So tomorrow, it’s my turn to see how many of you actually listened.”

Jheel smiled faintly. At the same time, Taksh glanced in her direction and let his gaze linger for a few seconds. Jheel didn’t quite understand the way he was looking at her and gradually lowered her smile.

Taksh turned and walked out of the classroom. The moment he left, the girls erupted in dreamy sighs and whispers.

“Oh my God… I heard he only gives guest lectures sometimes. I wish he took our classes all year long…”

“Honestly, I spent the entire lecture just staring at him. I didn’t hear a word. Now how do I even try to impress him?”

“He was standing so close… I just wanted to eat him alive. He’s insanely handsome!”

Jheel could hear all of their chatter, but she chose to stay focused on the notes she had taken.

Meanwhile, Taksh, now out of the classroom, walked toward his car with a satisfied smile. The moment he sat inside, he pulled out his phone and began watching the classroom’s live CCTV feed. He quickly zooms out the camera and fixes it on Jheel. And now… that smile had fully settled on his face completely, permanently.