Chapter-8

PRESENT DAY

In the morning, Navya got ready to go to campus. She has been absent from college for three days because of all the problems that happened to her yesterday: being arrested by the police, her dad's arrival, and an unexpected wedding.

"Ups...." Navya uttered. Her hand stopped when she was about to open the bedroom door. Almost forgot that she has to go out through the door of the main room, which is now her room and Mohit!

Slowly, Navya turned the key and opened the connecting door between the two rooms. The master bedroom which was bigger than her own room was empty. The bed has also been perfectly set. Pillows, bolsters, and blankets are neatly arranged on the jumbo sized bed and are covered with pure white sheets. All beds in this house are equipped with mosquito nets, just like old beds. Even the bed frame is still made of solid iron.

Navya came out of the main room, and walked all the way to the front. It turned out that Mohit was sitting on the front porch of the house reading the newspaper. A cup of coffee and a plate of snacks traditionally located on the table. Mohit turned his head when Navya sat on the chair beside him.

"Good morning Navya, have your breakfast. Do you want to go to campus?" Mohit asked in a deep voice.

"Yes....sir." Navya said to Mohit.

"Yes, Mohit" Mohit corrected, giving her a sharp look.

"Eh.....yeah, Mohit...." Navya said hesitantly. She felt awkward, she was not used to calling him by the name Mohit. "It's all because of a sudden marriage!" She thought in her mind.

Suddenly Mohit thrust a small silver heart-shaped jewelry box into Navya's hand. Navya was surprised when she saw the box.

"This is your wedding ring, keep it safe. Don't forget to wear it when dad or family comes," Mohit said in a half-whispered voice.

Navya opened the box, silently staring at its contents. A ring of white gold with a round diamond in the center. There was a feeling of sadness in Navya's heart.

"Even though the ring is very beautiful, it doesn't suit me at all on my thoughts on marriage. Why did I have to accept the wedding ring in this way? No romance, no happy tears..." Navya said in her mind and became sad.

When Navya lifted her head, she realised that Mohit was already wearing a ring. A plain white gold ring without diamonds, with a larger ring circumference, stands out on the ring finger of the man's right hand.

"Uh...are you a lecturer from long time?" Navya asked Mohit to change the subject.

Mohit looked at Navya again. "Since I graduated from college. It was your father who suggested me to become a lecturer, he said my brain is better if I use it to teach other people. After all, almost all of my undergraduate and postgraduate studies were funded by your father. So I took your dad's advice. I also like teaching." Mohit explained to Navya.

Navya was stunned by his answer. Mohit always feels indebted to her dad. "Is that why he also agreed to their marriage? Did Mohit doesn't feel that his sacrifices were too much?" Navya thought in her mind.

"Why did you choose for studying doctoral degree from London ?" Navya continued to ask curiously.

It feels like a lot hasn't she knew about her 'husband'. She only found out after reading Mohit's CV which was presented at the seminar.

"Yes, I got a scholarship from the government to continue my doctorate in London, three years ago. I studied in London for three years," Mohit replied. His hand grabbed a piece of biscuit from the plate, then chewed it deliciously.

"How was yesterday's seminar? Do you think the topic was interesting?" Mohit asked back to Navya in a relaxed tone.

Navya was taken aback. "How.... how did you know I was attending the seminar?" Navya asked him surprisingly.

"I saw you in the second row from the front." Mohit said and smirked.

It turned out that Mohit had seen her in the seminar. It's useless for Navya to feel anxious throughout the seminar!

"I just found out that you're a lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy," Navya replied in a low voice. "From the beginning, I didn't even know what college you studied, where did you go, what did you do..." Navya said with her head down.

Mohit smiled understandingly. "I think you're right, we really need to get to know each other better. Otherwise, people will get suspicious. Tomorrow is Saturday, you have an event right? If you don't have one, I'll take you to see my house, okay?" Mohit asked Navya.

Navya's mouth was locked. She just nodded to him. She also never knew where Mohit's house was. Naturally, because previously she only considered Mohit as his course teacher, without any desire to know Mohit further, but as now he is her husband she have to know about him.

Mohit puts down his newspaper and got up. "I have to go now. I have a lecture in my first class. You please don't mind."Mohit said to Navya politely and then he walked towards his black SUV.

Navya looked at the back of Mohit which looked dashing in a brown batik shirt and black trousers. In her heart, Navya couldn't help but admit, Mohit's face and body were indeed very interesting to look at. No wonder the students are so fond of him. A moment later, Mohit's car drove away from the house.

(At college)

Around eight thirty, Navya arrived on the campus. Since the incident at the night club until today, Navya has never contacted Sonia again. She did not know what happened to her friend, other than that Sonia arrested with Rahul.

Now Navya feels alone in the campus. She sat alone in the corner of the classroom, waiting for the lecture to start. Her bad experiences with some friends made her a bit reluctant to mingle with others. First Priyanka, now Sonia. "Why does I always hang out with the wrong friends?" Navya said to herself angrily.

Suddenly her cell phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. Suraj's name appeared on the phone screen. She answered the call.

"Hello" Navya said on the call.

"Hello, Navya. How are you? I'm really worried about you, especially if you don't reply to my chats or calls. Where are you now?" Suraj's voice spoke hurriedly across the phone.

"I-I'm fine, Suraj... I'm in college," Navya replied.

Suraj had indeed contacted Navya many times since a few days ago. But Navya's confused mind made her not reply to all Suraj's chats and calls.

"I'm so sorry, Navya. That day, I didn't want to leave you at the police station. But my uncle came and got angry, he released me on bail. I was confused because you are also unconscious and being treated. I had to go with my Uncle," Suraj tried to explain his situation to Navya.

"The next day I went back to the police station, but the police said you were free, then I was told to go back to Australia with my parents. They were afraid that I'd get in trouble again in Delhi. Now I'm still in Australia. But I will definitely come back to Delhi. I want to meet you Navya." Suraj continued.

Navya took a deep breath. What should she say to Suraj? Because of the disaster at the party, her life suddenly changed drastically. She is not Navya the single girl, she is now wife of Mohit.

"It's all right, Suraj. You didn't do anything wrong." Navya calmed herself and said to Suraj.

"I'm still sorry Navya. I also didn't know that Rahul and Sonia were taking drugs. They are really stupid!" Suraj cursed them. "Thank God you're back in college. When I will be back in Delhi, I'll let you know again, okay?" Suraj said to Navya.

"Okay." Navya replied. She talked with  Suraj for a while, then she hung up. Suraj is not wrong, but does she still want to meet Suraj? She couldn't able to find the answer of this question.

She remembered her agreement with Mohit. Mohit did not forbid her to be friends, even dating, as long as she told Mohit. But something in her heart seemed to forbid her to have contact with Suraj again. "Ah..... why does everything have to be so complicated?" Navya said to herself with frustration.