She kept staring at the sky with all those thoughts about this stranger revolving in her mind. Never had she thought that she would have to see her professor as her love interest.

It was only making her feel weird about it. He was young. Yes, he was. But he was still her professor. He was handsome and irresistible. But his little play of this whole game had not entertained her that much than it did to him and Mihir. Maybe, both cousins were playful and this was the first for both of them. But how could they do this to her? Were they not ashamed of even facing her?

"Urgh!" Sakshi groaned while scoffing away and crossing her arms across her chest. The whole scene of facing him in front of his and her family was not leaving her mind. "Not funny. That was really not funny."

"Yes, it was."

She turned around with a gasp but immediately, her jaws clenched and eyes narrowed at him. Yet she could feel how good it felt at receiving such attention from the handsome professor. Only if he hadn't played her, she nearly twitched her lips at the thought.

"It was funny to see you all angry, knowingly at me." He said with a casual smirk on his face, walking towards her.

Sakshi's stomach churned and she immediately looked away. Her mind was telling her that he was coming closer and would talk to her when they were alone on the terrace. She had to leave. She had to.

"I am sorry."

Her mind was shut and now, focus was on that heart which was melting so hurriedly as if he had blew all his inner warmth to her. Yet she was a Rathore and this hunk really deserved her bitchy attitude.

"How dare you!" She said all clear, making him widen his eyes a bit which relaxed just as he let out a soft chuckle. Scratching his nose a bit, he cleared his throat.

"Sakshi, listen to-"

Her jaws clenched at remembering that his all professor mask was down now. "How dare you!" She nearly yelled when he surrendered.

"Woah! Okay! Let me explain!"

Her nostrils flared and eyes narrowed as she tilted her weight on one foot and kept staring at him. Again, he chuckled so softly, making her blink rapidly.

"I-I am exactly how Mihir had told you," he began.

"Loser?"

He shut his eyes while smiling. "Not loser. But shy? Yes."

Sakshi stared at him as he walked forward, leaving three-steps distance between them. "That day, I had no idea how to face a girl. That even you who is my student-"

She opened her mouth in shock. "Oh my God! You are ready to date your student?" Her jaw dropped, immediately wanting to throw a cushion or pillow at him. "Pedophile!"

He looked at her in shock. "Wait! That's too much. Let me speak."

"What is your age? You are a professor. Clearly, you are not a superhuman. You might be gifted with that glowing skin and all but you have your qualifications. You might be as same age as of my brother who has a three year-old kid. You are clearly not young enough to date me and later, marry me." She cringed at her own last words.

"I am twenty-seven. That's nothing comparing to the people who have married ten-twelve years younger than them." He explained.

"But you are my professor." She told him, staring at him confused when he sighed heavily.

"All this time, you were crushing on me. Now when I am chosen by your family, I am your professor." He argued back while putting his hands on his hips.

Sakshi gulped. "You are misunderstood. That was a joke. Okay. You insulted me two times. I still hate you for that." She glared at him when suddenly, she caught the words he had said. "Wait! Chosen. By. My. Family?"

She frowned when he laughed at her. "Yes."

A loud throbbing started happening in her chest. Sakshi was puzzled yet nervous to hear what she didn't want to. She immediately felt her free hands and missed her phone that she had forgotten at the table below. What if Shrey had wished her for Diwali? What if she really have her chances with him this time?

"They all like me as a handsome hunk. Single. Settled. Mature enough to handle you for life." His eyes lowered at her figure, smirking when he found it perfect to his likings. "All they need is your Yes."

But just as he looked back at her. He saw her smiling sweetly at him which was clearly sarcastic. A palm was shown with some words like, "Not even in your wildest dreams, loser."

She started walking away when he called her, "Sakshi. Wait."

She turned around and shook her head with disgust shown on her face. "No. Seriously. The joke has ended. I am not up for this. You are my professor and I can't see you the same way I see-" Shrey.

"The same way?"

She shook her head while looking at him, now actually realizing that how weird this situation was. Days ago she couldn't even open her mouth in front of this arrogant man and now, he was after her.

"You can get girls of your age, of your profession. Why even signing up for me?" She asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Last twenty-seven years, I had my eyes closed for these things called Girls. Now, when I have gotten a good job I wanted to began finally. First one is you," he explained while Sakshi looked away, feeling uncomfortable at his story.

How impossible it was to him being single all this time when he had such good looks? Maybe, he did some makeover before this marriage proposal programme.

"Look, you have all time in the world. We can be good friends and later, it's all your choice. If not, I will still be your attractive professor." He grinned at her shocked face.

"No. You don't understand." She told him as images of Shrey flashed in her mind. "You don't know, it's hard for me."

She stepped back, feeling stupid to even have such conversation with a stranger. That even so creepy who came out of his shell.

"I. . . Just. . . I have to go."

She turned around and took the stairs to go downstairs and check her phone, ignoring the professor's calls for her.

______

The Guests had left and in the midnight, it was finally peace in the Rathores' mansion.

But for Sakshi, this wasn't over. This celebration had turned out to be an adventure because of her professor being the perfect bachelor in her families' eyes.

It wasn't like her Tai ji had started showcasing Kabir as the targeted groom. She was giving equal attention to Mihir too while they were all dining. But it was visible how there was something different in Kabir.

He was mature, successful, achiever and now, when she had seen him mixing with her family too-he was a family man too.

But that beauty wasn't the only thing Sakshi could go for.

She had eyes but a heart too. Her stubborn heart that couldn't be satisfied at being noticed by an attractive professor.

What could even be the reasons in her mind? She didn't know him very well. Immediately, her heart would ask her if she knew Shrey that well?

A smile would appear on her lips. A sad one.

Even while lying on her bed, she couldn't stop thinking about her greatest secretive wish. Her cute little nephew was lying beside her, sleeping peacefully. But that flash of Kabir Nair ending up here in her home, had ruined her sleep.

"How in the hell. . . " She kept murmuring to herself.

Now, how would she face him again? In the University, whenever she would see him again, they both would remember her rant at the terrace. But she had clearly seen her Tai ji giving that dreamy look to her and she knew that in the future, this much wanted bachelor might be chosen for her surely.

Sakshi shook her head immediately. Even the thought of it was making her cringe. She couldn't see that professor as her life partner. In no particular way.

Do you see Shrey as your life partner?

She couldn't answer her own heart. She didn't know. He was a broken man, punished badly for mistakes that many people do.

As if someone had opened the doors of her mind, Sakshi widened her eyes.

Mistake

Shrey was accused of a crime that didn't suit his nature. He had girls after him, he never lusted for girls that seriously. He was never that creepy. But then, the Shrey she knew was a fake one. He was playing a game with her. He was playing her.

She couldn't just judge him, support him on the basis of those days. Fake days. But in the parking lot of the hospital, that Shrey seemed different.

Sakshi breathed slowly, remembering how he was so overwhelmed at seeing her. He wasn't shocked by her crying out because he knew her nature. He knew that she was empathetic and kind, different from what he used to think of her or maybe, he still had such views about her. Or maybe, he was used to people crying for his bad luck.

But he seemed genuine.

Sakshi bit her lip at shaking her head slowly. Why she was trying to make out good from a man who could be a rapist? Why she was finding a way to believe in his words? Why would he try to kill himself? Was he guilty?

If he would have been innocent, he would have fought more. He was rich. His father had great contacts. He could have been saved. But no.

Shrey seemed like a loser.

Loser?

Sakshi frowned. Her eyes widening at her own thoughts. Yes, he did seem like a loser and she still loved him. But why couldn't she have a confidence in naming him as a perfect candidate for being her life partner?

Life partner?

She let out a scoff. He might be a loser but he never loved her. His standards were still high and who would know if he still thought of her a rich brat. Maybe, she was just ruining her time thinking about him, expecting from him.

Him. He tried to commit suicide but got saved. Even then, he had that case on his head. His life was tainted with this big case and in no world, even if Shrey come up to love her back, her brother would never agree for him.

Not that her life would become that filmy. Miracles like those could only be fiction. In reality, we must believe in our parents and elders.

Her brother and Aunt would choose a much better option than Shrey. She had that believe in them. He would be a man with whom her life would move ahead. She wouldn't be dwelling into her regrets and bad fate. She would be just happy with what God had gifted to her.

Handsome, mature with a bit of humor but a more of kindness in his heart, and someone who would love her like her father loved her mother, like her uncle cared for her aunt, like her brother lived for her sister-in-law.

A smile lit her lips in deep thought. Too bad, that man was her professor.

But still there was so much to find about him, before bringing him into her dreams.

_______

Covering both of their sweaty bodies with the sheet, Raghav breathed harshly. On his one arm laid his beautiful wife who was surely not shy anymore after years of their marriage yet her cheeks were crimson, showing how flushed she was.

After all, what he was craving for days had been achieved tonight. Pihu didn't seem to mind at all. He knew that she missed him as much as he did. Taking care of their son all the time, they haven't got moments for themselves.

But finally, Sakshi was here and there was no way Riaan would not try to sleep in her room as he loved her aunt and missed her.

"You okay? Did I hurt you?" He murmured while removing wet strands from Pihu's forehead, kissing there lovingly.

She raised her head from his forearm, kissing his cheek and smiling softly. "No. It was great. But you," she let out a soft chuckle. "We have whole night. Why were you rushing so much?" She gave him a loving look.

Raghav stared at her, roaming his fingers on her cheek. "You don't know what I was going through all these days," he murmured in a husky voice.

The familiar nervousness engulfed her when she saw the same want in his eyes. But she remembered his words from the party.

He had promised that for the time being, their main focus would be on their son and Sakshi. But moments like these when he would finally be the thoughtful husband, weakened her heart. She would get melted and feel guilty even when she was right all the time.

She turned fully to face him, thinking how he had tried to relax her by not making that wish again but it was actually depressing her more. She could never feel happy by pushing back his wishes.

But this was the matter where she didn't want to push her own wishes back. If she could be independent in her mind, why not for real. But why her heart was so weak that she couldn't be relieved about it.

"Thank you," she told him. It took no seconds for Raghav to understand the reason behind her words.

"You don't have to," he murmured. "It was my fault to just care about my wish. But I want you to be ready for it, mentally and emotionally too. Your wish matters to me more than anything."

Her eyes glistened with emotions as she lowered them immediately.

"But that doesn't mean, I would stop doing the process. What if you accidentally becomes pregnant? You won't blame me, nor would I blame you. It would be your God signing you that I was so humbled with my requests all this time."

She chuckled while fake glaring at him. "Not funny."

"It surely will be if it happens," he said huskily.

Pihu turned around from him, yawning and shaking her head. "Don't scare me. Right now, I just have to be worried for Sakshi. Mummy is trying to set her up with Kabir or Mihir."

Raghav wrapped his other arm around her, staring far at the wall while snuggling his nose into her neck. "Sakshi is young," he twitched his lips at remembering how Pihu had gotten offended last time. "I mean, she hasn't find someone she loves or sees as a life partner."

Pihu hummed while listening to him attentively. He smiled to himself at her adorableness. Yet he mentioned his point, "But Kabir is a humble one."

"I know right. He is classy and too handsome to be ignored. He doesn't have that raw look you know. He didn't face struggles. He did hardwork and achieved what he wanted. Life is easy and calm which is what will be best for Sakshi."

Raghav hummed with a raise of eyebrows. "True. But let her get to know him. After all, he is a teacher."

"Professor," taunted Pihu.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. He has a great family. Rich and smart. Not business men like us but actually settled with full job security and all. There is nothing satisfactory than that."

A sudden memory of Sakshi crying for her first love in her teen days flashed in Pihu's mind. She bit her lip in thought. "There is no worry about money or riches if she has a brother like you, Raghav. Mummy will take care of that. But we are young and can understand Sakshi's point of view, remembering our own days."

Raghav felt amused at what she was trying to convey. "Okay!" He emphasised. "How?"

Pihu smiled shyly but told him, "Don't you remember? Your main motive to marry me was to have your love for whole life," she giggled when he kissed at her cheek. "I want same for Sakshi. I want her to marry someone whom she would love endlessly and get loved too."

Raghav hummed, while remembering their days of wedding. The time from then till now replayed in his mind and he couldn't help but cherish all of it.

"Right," he told her, secretly thanking her for everything. Especially, making his dreams turn real.

When he didn't hear a reply, he focused and heard her soft breaths. Chuckling to himself, he closed his own eyes and snuggled more to her, thanking universe for giving a busy man like him these leisure nights.

But all this thankfulness got far away from his heart when the first thing he saw early in the morning, was the box of contraceptive pills near a glass of water which was more than half empty, left on the drawer on Pihu's side.

_______

"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

___

I know it is very late but I don't know what to say. With new year, came new responsibilities and opportunities. As I had told before, my main goal of this year is to study and prepare for my tests and interviews, which is what taking most of my time.

But I will try my best to give you regular updates. All I want is your sweet words and motivation to manage my time to not let you all down.

Thank you guys for always being there. I am so happy that many of you are mentioning their opinions regarding Sakshi's choice and people around her. Some are so fond of Aarush already and it reminds me of the quotes which say, "Most valuable people are in front of our eyes but we never really see them because our eyes are for other people for whom we are not as valuable as we dream of."

Let's see what happens.

Will be updating soon.

___

And to all those who have their boards coming up. This is January. Only two months left for preparing. January itself has pre-boards and tests. Study hard and Revise till Feb and don't forget to put your hearts in projects given, and in solving previous year questions. And Revise again.

All the best.

Wattpad is going nowhere.

But seats in prestigious colleges/Uni will surely go.

BE RUTHLESS