Page 120 of Storm
I was outraged, but before I could say anything, Aariz arrived from behind us. Apparently, it was time for the lecture to begin and everyone else had already gone in the classroom.
“Everything all right ladies?” Aariz smiled giving me a curiously questioning look.
Perhaps he saw something on my face.
I smiled at him nodding slightly, as Rose couldn’t see the exchange, having had turned around completely to face Aariz, thus making me stand behind her.
He tried to pass us and go inside, gesturing us to do the same since we were blocking the doorway. I moved, but Rose did not.
Rather she let out an overly happy giggle,
“Of course Prof Aariz we are good. You look really nice today by the way.”
I stopped in my tracks as she then brushed at his shirtsleeve saying in a soft tone,
“This colour really becomes of you. Is it your favourite?”
Aariz gulped, moving his hand away and said hurriedly,
“No I hate it! But it was a gift. And I was in a rush this morning so I wore it. Waste not, want not, you see.” He chuckled nervously, while giving me a look of discomfort as if saying, ‘Get me out of this. Please.’
“What’s your favourite colour then?” Rose gave him a sweet smile.
As if, they were so close.
Aariz smiled slightly at her, before giving me a onceover with admiration in his eyes and said,
“Sparkling navy and black.”
Just like that, my heart soared. Knowing he meant the colour of my eyes, and the black top I was wearing.
My sadness due to Rose’s words flew out of the window when Aariz gestured her to move into the class and passed me the slightest of the winks. Coming behind me to enter the classroom, he gave a lingering push at the small of my back, making me shiver in this cosy intimacy.
During classes, I avoided Rose, though she tried talking to me many times. But I was not ready to forgive her. I knew I would eventually, just not yet. Besides, it wasn’t like Rose fell over herself for my forgiveness anyway. She never cared much when she was in the wrong.
So it was quite a surprise to me when along with few of us who went to Aariz’s office to show the status of our group assignment later in the day, Rose came too, although she was not in our group. And of course she did not bother to give any explanation as to why was she joining us, even when Sahil asked her. I did not care either way.
We reached Aariz's office. He was alone in there. I sat down looking through a few presentation slides I had prepared on my laptop, while Sahil and others showed Aariz the first draft of the assignment we had made. They were just about finished as Aariz pointed out a few things that we must include in it, when Rose pushed them aside, literally jumping on her heels like a kid, saying,
“My turn now. My turn.”
Aariz gave me an exasperated look, then turned to Rose with what seemed to be a forced smile and sighed heavily,
“What is it I can help you with?”
She placed a few papers in front of him and instead of taking a seat, she bent herself on his desk to point out what she had written, as if he couldn’t see it, or she couldn’t show it by sitting across the desk at a considerable distance from him.
She just had to lean on the table and how much ever I did not wish to think like that, I couldn’t stop from feeling that she was trying to give him a peek down her shirt. At her cleavage.
I was right to think so as Aariz instantly leaned his head backward, staring at the ceiling, while she spoke,
“Prof Aariz what do you think about this?”
“First of all take a seat and stop breathing in my face.” Aariz's voice came biting, as if he was angry and grinding his teeth.
Sahil and a few others sniggered.
Rose sat back with a put out expression and Aariz finally faced the front. I kept my focus on my laptop, my expression neutral. Glancing at them from the corner of my eyes, I wondered if Aariz would have been this uncomfortable had I not been in the room, or he would have enjoyed the view.
