As Nick was about to depart the university, a voice from behind interrupted his exit. "Sir, are you going to join us for farewell?" A girl who looked to be in her teens asked excitedly, her eyes locked onto his. He recognized her as one of his students and gave her a brief glance before deliberately trying to read her facial expression.
"Oh, sorry, I have things to do, so I might not make it on time," he declared politely, while rushing out hurriedly. The girl's face fell, disappointment clear in her eyes.
Meanwhile, in another part of the university, a group of students were discussing Professor Nick's absence from the farewell. "We know that Professor Nick acts cold, but at least he shouldn't miss out his own class farewell!" one of the teachers exclaimed. The Head of Department intervened, "As expected, but what's done is done, putting that aside every one should make sure that all the preparations are done perfectly, and carry out a proper last minute check."
After his encounter with the student, Nick left the university and headed to Arcadia to meet Aish. When he reached the main gate of arcadia, he paused briefly to mark his entry in the register. And after signing his name, his eyes instinctively wandered for the security guard who was usually stationed nearby. Spotting him sitting on a chair near a tree, Nick approached him.
"Sir, can you call out for Aish?" Nick requested politely. The security guard greeted him with a warm smile and nodded. He knew Nick well__ The university professor often stopped by to meet Aish, so he was quite familiar with him by now. Therefore, without wasting time , he reached out for intercom. "There you go" he said with a light chuckle "This admirer of yours will call her right away." Just then, his eyes drifted towards the umbrella nick was holding. The guard glanced up the sky, which was perfectly clear, and out of curiosity he added "But sir, what's with the umbrella? The sky is pretty clear. Isn't it?"
"No, you're right, it won't rain. The forecast says so," Nick replied, his eyes scanning the sky. The security guard nodded and made the call.
Aish was lounging on her bunk, engrossed in a book, when a girl from room 1 burst in, excitement radiating from her face. "Aish, someone's waiting for you!" she exclaimed. Aish's curiosity was piqued, and she got up calmly, smoothing out her clothes.
As she walked towards the entrance, she saw Nick standing calmly, his eyes fixed on her. "Hey...." Nick greeted, rising his hand slightly. How is it going? Everything alright?" He spoke casually.
"Hmmm.. yeah, all good."
"I was just passing by, thought I'd stop by to meet you and see how you are doing so.... how are things? And your exams?"
"They went quite smoothly," she replied quietly.
Nick nodded, clearly relieved "That's good."
For a moment neither of them spoke. Then nick glanced up the sky, and said gently " You know... you really shouldn't walk in the rain like that.. it's not good for your health." and pulled out umbrella to hand her over. Aish looked at him with a puzzled look, as she extended her hand.
"Don't misunderstand, I just happened to see you last night." Nick declared.
"Alright, I should be get going then, if you need anything, just give me a call, and don't overdo things....okay."
But as he was about to leave he could sense Aish distantness , so without giving much thoughts he invited her to come along with him. Even though she resisted at first, but ended up agreeing, and quietly followed him as they left together.
They walked side by side in silence, and stopped in front of the small café, at the corner of street.
Nick held the café door open for Aish and followed her in. They chose a cozy table by the window, and Nick ordered for them. Aish raised an eyebrow at the amount of desserts he'd ordered. "You don't like sweet, and this is too much," she said, looking at the waiter as he walked away.
Just then, Nick's phone rang, and Ales's name popped up on the screen. Nick's expression changed, and he cleared his throat. "It's Ales. She came to the country this morning. She might have something important to tell," he explained.
Aish nodded, and Nick answered the call. Ales's voice came through the phone, loud and frantic. Nick listened patiently, his expression calm. Aish watched him, fascinated by his patience. When Ales finally ran out of words, Nick spoke up. "Calm down, and listen. I'll definitely scold them for you. Take a deep breath and chill."
As he spoke, his eyes met Aish's, and he was struck by the sight of her smiling. It was a gentle, genuine smile, and it took his breath away. For a moment, the world seemed to stop. "Listen, Aish is sitting in front of me. Want to talk to her?" he said, his voice low and husky.