The days that followed were a whirlwind of equations and lectures, but Ananya couldn’t shake the feeling that something was brewing beneath the surface. Aarav’s eyes lingered on her in class, his sharp gaze seeming to cut through the walls she’d built around herself. She had been doing her best to keep up, but each time she stole a glance at him, her heart would race, and she would feel an inexplicable pull.

Her mind was constantly occupied with thoughts of the professor—his intensity, his dominance, and the way he had commanded her attention. But there was something more to it, something she couldn't define. It wasn’t just his intellect or authority; it was the way he seemed to see through her, like he knew the deepest parts of her that even she wasn’t aware of.