Chapter 25: CHAPTER 25

Mornings were supposed to be peaceful. A slow start. A warm cup of coffee. A quiet drive to university. A normal day.

But no.

Not when you had Kruti Thakur in your life.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the lecture hall wasn't the pile of papers on my desk.

It wasn't the half-asleep students waiting for me to begin the class.

It wasn't even the headache creeping up my temple after an already exhausting morning.

No. It was Kruti. In my T-shirt.

I stopped mid-step, my grip on my books tightening as I took in the sight of her casually sitting in the second row, scrolling through her phone like she hadn't just turned my entire world upside down.

My black T-shirt, slightly oversized on her, hung loosely around her frame, the sleeves rolled up just a little, exposing her wrists. She had no idea what she was doing to me.

I cleared my throat, turning toward the board, refusing to let my face betray me.

This wasn't a big deal. She probably just grabbed it from my wardrobe without thinking.

She wasn't doing it to mess with me.

Right?

I snuck a glance at her, only to find her looking directly at me—grinning.

She knew. She fucking knew.

I immediately looked away, opening my book and pretending to skim through it. My ears felt warm. I refused to react, refused to let her get a reaction out of me.

I was her professor. Her husband, sure—but a secret one.

Blushing in the middle of class because of her wearing my shirt was not an option.

Did she wear it on purpose? Was she trying to mess with me? Or was she just too lazy to pick something else?

I shook my head. Get it together, Devansh.

"Professor?"

I snapped out of my thoughts. "What?"

The student in front of me hesitated. "Um... you just wrote the equation wrong."

I glanced at the board.

Shit.

I erased the mistake quickly. "Focus on your own work," I muttered.

From the back of the room, I heard Kruti snicker.

I clenched my jaw, refusing to look at her.

I ignored the smirk she threw my way for the rest of the class, forcing myself to focus on the lecture, forcing my eyes not to linger too long on her.

And somehow, I made it through class.

Or so I thought.

Because whatever little dignity I had left? Kruti ruined it completely an hour later.

The university campus was big, filled with trees, gardens, and small paths leading to different buildings. It was a quiet afternoon, students hanging around in small groups after class, some heading to the parking lot, some grabbing snacks.

I had just finished a staff meeting and was walking toward my office when I heard her voice.

I had almost recovered from the morning t-shirt incident when the day took a turn for the absolute worst.

I was walking through the university hallway, heading toward my office, when I heard a commotion.

Students were gathering around, whispering excitedly. Some were laughing. Some looked... terrified.

"PROFESSOR SINGHANIA!"

I stopped.

The familiarity in her tone made me sigh. Now what?

I turned, expecting to see her grinning at me.

What I didn't expect?

The snake.

A REAL FUCKING SNAKE!

A. FREAKING. SNAKE.

My soul left my body.

I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart racing as I took an instinctive step back.

She was smiling, her eyes glowing with excitement, while the other students backed away in horror.

"What the hell is she doing?" someone whispered.

"Is that... a real snake?"

"Why is she so calm?"

Meanwhile, I was trying to keep myself from screaming.

I hated snakes.

Not just hated—I was absolutely terrified of them.

And Kruti?

Oh, she looked way too happy about this.

I took another step back, trying to be subtle, but she spotted me immediately.

"Dev! Look!" she called out, holding up the snake proudly.

I went rigid.

Students turned to me, expecting me to say something as her professor.

I forced a tight smile, my face completely betraying the sheer panic I was feeling inside.

"Thakur," I said in my strictest professor voice. "Put. That. Down."

"But it's harmless!" she argued. "I found him behind the building. Thought you'd wanna see."

SEE?

SEE WHAT? MY DEATH??

I gritted my teeth, trying to not visibly run for my life in front of the entire student body.

"Kruti," I said, slowly stepping backward. "Let it go. Now."

"But, Dev, look at his tiny face! He's adorable!"

Adorable.

ADORA—WHAT?!

I was losing my mind.

The other professors were approaching now, their eyes darting between me and the insane woman holding a snake.

I needed to leave. IMMEDIATELY.

With all the dignity I could muster, I nodded at the nearest staff member. "Please handle this."

And then—

I walked away.

Correction: I power-walked away.

I heard Kruti laughing behind me, but I didn't look back.

If she followed me with that snake, I would quit my job.

She was holding it by its neck, her eyes practically glowing with excitement as she waved it around like some kind of trophy.

I spotted my office door and rushed inside, locking it behind me.

Safe.

Or so I thought. Until I heard knocking.

"PROFESSOR?"

Silence. More knocking.

"Why did you run?"

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Maybe if I don't respond, she'll go away.

A few seconds passed. And then— The door handle turned.

Shit.

I ducked under my desk.

Because what else was I supposed to do?

The door creaked open, and I held my breath.

Silence.

Then, her confused voice— "Dev...?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. Don't breathe. Don't move.

Maybe she'll think I left.

Maybe— "Why the hell are you hiding under your desk?"

Shit.

I opened my eyes to see Kruti standing there, snake-free, hands on her hips, looking at me like I had lost my mind.

Which, to be fair, I probably had.

"I—" I started, then stopped, because there was literally no good excuse for this.

She blinked. "Dev. Are you seriously—"

I cleared my throat, standing up and dusting off my clothes like I hadn't just been cowering like a five-year-old.

"I was—" Think, Dev. "—checking for a loose wire."

"Under your desk?" she deadpanned.

"Yes."

She raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Technical issues."

She folded her arms, looking deeply unimpressed.

"You were hiding from me, weren't you?"

I scowled. "No."

She grinned. "You were totally hiding."

I ran a hand down my face. "Can we just forget this ever happened?"

She tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Hmm. I don't know. This is some really valuable blackmail material."

I groaned. "Fine. Keep your stupid secret."

She laughed. "Oh, don't worry. I plan to."

I sighed, shaking my head.

I needed to get out of here before she found a way to make it worse.

By the time we finally got to the parking lot, the sun was setting, casting long shadows over the pavement.

Kruti was still grinning like an idiot.

I refused to make eye contact.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" I muttered.

She tilted her head, pretending to consider. "Nope."

I exhaled sharply, unlocking the car. "You're the worst."

She hopped into the passenger seat, smirking. "And yet, you love me."

I froze for half a second. She must've noticed, because her smirk widened.

I shook my head, starting the engine. "Keep talking, Kruti, and I'm leaving you here."

She gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

I looked at her, dead serious. "Try me."

She laughed, throwing her head back, and somehow, despite the embarrassment, the headache, the absolute chaos she had caused— Because this was Kruti.

And somehow, against all logic, I wouldn't have it any other way.