Hey Dreamers,
Welcome to a new chapter of Hidden Affection.
Happy Reading!
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Chapter 2
And now, you’re all probably wondering — Who is that girl? Why did Athrav react like that? What’s the connection between them? How do they even know each other?
Patience, my curious minds. Kahani abhi baaki hai... But for now, let’s turn the page — the class is waiting.
Because just by Athrav’s reaction, it’s obvious — this girl has definitely messed with him before.
Her classmates? They all know her. After all, they’ve spent the last two years with her. And they can confidently say — she’s walking chaos. Wherever she goes, chaos follows.
And now, both Athrav and she are staring at each other, eyes wide, jaws tight. Pure shock. It’s like the universe played a cruel joke, throwing them together again — something neither of them saw coming.
Athrav (irritated) : “You again?!”
Her (equally annoyed) : “And you here?!”
Athrav : “Maine kuch pucha tumse. Tum yahan… aur kyun?”
Her : “Kya matlab hai aapka kyun? College hai — obviously padhne hi aungi na! And don’t tell me I have to spend this year with you in the same class!”
(She points a finger at him dramatically.)
Her : “New admission? But don’t you think you’re a little too old to study in third year?”
Athrav’s face hardens, pure frustration flickering behind those deep eyes. Only he knows how much effort it takes to control his temper right now.
Athrav : “Aur tumhe aisa kyun lagta hai ke main yahan student hoon? I came here to teach.”
Her eyes widen. Shock hits her like a wave.
Her (hesitantly) : “Professor... Desai ???”
A slow smirk stretched across his face, as if he’d been waiting for this exact moment.
He simply nodded.
“No. No no no. Universe, what kind of twisted joke is this?” Meher screamed internally.
Universe, she didn’t ask for a lesson in karma — especially not from Mr.Tall Dark and Detention.
She wasn’t just caught off-guard — she was practically choking on regret. Because the person she never wanted to see again... was now her professor.
Great. Of all people, it had to be him. Mr. Egoistic Professor Desai. Fantastic.
And she? Let’s just say — she’s currently calculating how to vanish from this earth. Because the person she never wanted to see again... Is now her professor.
After realizing who he is, she already knew — this isn’t just a bad start... this is a disaster. If she could, she’d dig her own grave and vanish into it.
Her classmates? Oh, they were hooked already. The way these two were arguing? It definitely didn’t seem like a first-time meeting. And though they had no clue what this angry young man was going to do next... One thing was clear — they were going to enjoy the show.
Athrav (raising a brow, arms crossed), “So, what are you thinking now, Miss...?”
Her throat dried up.
What am I thinking? That I want the earth to swallow me whole, that’s what I’m thinking!
Oh god. She didn’t want to answer. Seriously, with what face was she supposed to look at him? She’d messed with him — big time. And now... he turned out to be her new professor. What poetic punishment.
She avoided eye contact like a champ — not because she was scared, of course — but because she’d already had a terrible experience with him. And now? She wasn’t exactly in the mood to make it worse. Especially after all the scary (and slightly exaggerated) stories she’d heard about Professor Desai.
Her (muttering under her breath), “Meher Sharma.”
Athrav's eyebrow twitched slightly — and for a moment — just a second — his expression faltered. A flicker of something passed through his eyes.
Was it surprise? Regret? Pain?
But just as fast, his usual cold tone returned.
Athrav raised his brow, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Ohh... so, Miss Sharma — what do you want now?"
Meher mentally rolled her eyes.
What do I want? Right now? A time machine, a portal, or at least an invisibility cloak. But thanks for asking, Professor Egoistic. Still, she kept her tone neutral. "Sir... Sir, I want to attend the class."
Without missing a beat, Athrav coldly declared, "No. You cannot."
What the—?
Gasps echoed in the room. A few jaws dropped.
He’s actually kicking her out?! On day one?! In front of the whole class?!
Meher stood frozen, stunned. Why? Why is he doing this? This isn't fair! She stepped forward, her voice firm with frustration. "Aap aisa nahi kar sakte, Sir. Aap purani baaton ko beech mein kyun laa rahe hai? You can’t punish me like this!"
But Athrav remained unaffected, his tone cold as ice. "I can. So?"
Every word of his felt like a personal attack. Her frustration peaked. "Sir, I didn’t even have the slightest idea that you would turn out to be my professor. Otherwise — "
But he didn’t let her finish. He stepped closer, his eyes locked on hers, voice sharp and louder, "Otherwise what, Miss Sharma? Huh? Looks like you love messing with strangers, right?"
Meher flinched slightly at the sudden shift in tone. "Nn… No! Why would I —"
But again, she wasn’t allowed to complete her sentence. This wasn’t like Meher at all. The class was in complete shock. The girl who never backed down, who had an answer for everything... was now standing quiet? Did they really forget that — this wasn’t just anyone. This was Professor Athrav Desai.
And now… he shut her down completely. "Just shut up and leave!"
Those words hit her like a slap. She stared at him wide-eyed, trying to believe what she just heard.
Athrav turned his back, walking to the podium like nothing happened. Without even looking at her, he said, "I don’t want you in my class. Just. Leave."
Meher stood there, unmoving — like someone had glued her to the floor with Fevikwik. Athrav, now visibly annoyed, added in an anger-laced tone, "I don’t have time to waste on you. I have to complete my lecture. Get out."
That was it. This was too much. He had insulted her. In front of the entire class.
Without another word, Meher turned to leave. But just as she reached the door, his voice echoed once more, "And one more thing — Don’t assume I punished you because of our personal differences. I’m not the kind of person who settles scores like that. You were late. And I don’t tolerate latecomers. If you want to attend my class again... learn to be punctual. Now you can go."
Meher clenched her fists. But she didn’t say a single word. She left the class — quietly.
Did I introduce her? Oh… where are my manners man!
Let me introduce her.
Meher Sharma.
21 years old. Sharp tongue. Sharper brain. A hurricane wrapped in a smile. The kind of girl who doesn’t just walk into a room — she enters like she owns it. Because let’s be honest — half the time, she probably does. Fire in her eyes, and chaos follow her.
People either adore her… or want to throw her into a volcano. No in-between. She’s not everyone's cup of tea — she’s a shot of espresso with a twist of lemon.
She’s the living, breathing proof that beauty and brains can co-exists — Unapologetically. Well, for starters — she looks like an apsara sent straight from heaven. And second — she’s a topper. Tops every exam like she’s playing a game on easy mode. Yes, that topper. Hard to believe? I know. But trust me... it’s all true.
She’s not your typical “good girl” heroine. She argues. She rebels. She questions. And oh — she has a PhD in irritating one particular human being - Professor Athrav Desai.
First meeting, you ask? Ha! That ship sailed long ago — and trust me, it crashed.
What you saw today? That was just the trailer. This duo has history. And let’s just say… their past meetings? Far from pleasant. Yeah... that’s a whole film in itself.
But that’s a story for another chapter.
" Game on, Professor Desai. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
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Thank you for reading.
Your presence here means the world to me.
Until next chapter, stay safe and keep dreaming.
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