The days after Rohan's visit didn't return to normal.
They only pretended to.
Kabir still taught his classes the same way. Dev still stayed back after lectures. The flat still sat between them like a quiet bridge no one acknowledged too openly.
But something had shifted in Kabir.
And Dev had started noticing it.
It began subtly.
Too subtly to confront directly.
A pause that lasted half a second too long when Dev mentioned anything about meeting someone outside class.
A slight tightening in Kabir's voice when Dev said he was going to the corridor or stepping out briefly.
Small things.
Almost invisible things.
But Dev noticed them anyway.
Because Kabir had never been inconsistent before.
That afternoon, after class, Dev stayed back as usual.
Kabir was at the desk, organizing papers in a precise stack, but his movements felt slightly more rigid than normal.
Dev hesitated before speaking.
"Sir," he said.
Kabir looked up.
"Yes?"
Dev studied him for a moment.
"You've been… different lately."
Kabir didn't respond immediately.
His hands paused on the papers.
Then, calmly—
"In what way?"
Dev shifted slightly in his seat.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Just… quieter. Or maybe more distracted."
Kabir's expression stayed controlled.
"I'm fine."
Dev nodded slowly.
But he didn't look convinced.
A silence followed.
Not new—but heavier than before.
Kabir closed the file and leaned slightly against the desk.
"You should focus on your exams," he said.
Dev blinked slightly.
"I am focusing."
Kabir looked at him briefly.
"Good."
But the word didn't feel like praise.
It felt like distance.
Dev noticed that too.
That evening, Kabir returned home earlier than usual again.
He didn't plan it.
He just… came back.
And immediately stopped outside Dev's door.
He didn't knock.
Not at first.
Because he could hear voices again.
But this time, it wasn't Rohan.
It was Dev.
And another voice on the phone.
Kabir hesitated.
Then knocked once.
The voice inside stopped.
Dev opened the door quickly.
"Sir?"
Kabir nodded slightly.
"I need something," he said.
Dev stepped aside immediately.
Kabir entered.
The phone lay on the table—screen still lit.
Dev quickly picked it up.
"Sorry," he said. "I was just talking to a friend."
Kabir's gaze flicked briefly to the phone.
Then back to Dev.
A friend.
He didn't ask who.
He didn't need to.
But something in his expression tightened anyway.
"You should study," Kabir said.
Dev nodded.
"I will."
Kabir turned to leave.
But as he reached the door, he paused.
"Dev."
Dev looked up.
"Yes?"
Kabir hesitated.
A rare thing.
Then—
"If anyone makes you uncomfortable," he said carefully, "you tell me immediately."
Dev blinked.
"Okay," he said softly. "But no one is."
Kabir held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary.
Then nodded once.
And left.
Later that night, Rohan came again.
This time, Kabir didn't wait for coincidence.
He was already outside.
Rohan leaned against the corridor wall, smiling slightly when he saw Kabir.
"You're guarding him now?" Rohan asked lightly.
Kabir didn't respond to the tone.
"You're crossing a line," he said.
Rohan raised his hands slightly.
"Relax. I just talked to him."
Kabir's voice stayed calm—but firmer now.
"Stop interpreting things that aren't yours to interpret."
Rohan studied him for a moment.
Then smiled faintly.
"Is that what you think I'm doing?"
Kabir didn't answer.
Rohan stepped closer slightly.
"You're reacting more than usual," he said. "That's not like you."
A pause.
Then, quieter—
"Unless it is about him."
Kabir's expression didn't change outwardly.
But the silence that followed was enough.
Rohan nodded slowly.
"So it is."
Kabir finally spoke.
"This isn't a conversation."
Rohan sighed softly.
"Alright," he said. "But you should know something."
Kabir looked at him.
Rohan's tone softened slightly—but not joking anymore.
"He trusts you," he said. "A lot more than you think he does anyone else."
A pause.
Then—
"And he doesn't realize what you're starting to feel yet."
Kabir's jaw tightened slightly.
Rohan continued, more gently now,
"That's the dangerous part."
Silence.
Kabir finally said,
"Leave."
Rohan held his gaze for a second longer.
Then nodded.
"I will."
And he walked away.
Kabir stood there for a long time after.
Long enough that the corridor lights felt colder than before.
Because for the first time, the thought he had been avoiding stopped being vague.
It had a shape now.
A name he still refused to say.
And somewhere behind the wall, Dev was probably studying.
Not knowing that the quiet safety he felt—
was already becoming something far more complicated on the other side.