Why are You Here?

Listening Herbert's reply, Vincent cocked his eyebrows. "So Little Young Master Black is unable to know about someone, is that even possible?"

Herbert gave him with a warning glare.

"Oops.. Got it."

Vincent understood it would not be good to provoke him now. He got the hint and shut his mouth up.

***

Meanwhile in the empty corridor

Mantisha was leaning against a pillar and thinking about a thousand possibilities that could arise if her identity was exposed. Actually she was not scared for herself, but she was more concerned about her mother's safety and her newfound happiness. She might just be ready to face the family of Uncle Adi but if the word got out that she had a grown daughter with her, who lived with her and even recognised by Adi Roy himself, things would turn way too complicated.

Nothing scared her more than the complexities between family members. In her life, she had experienced a few which were enough to give a traumatic experience for a lifetime. For these complications, she had not seen her grandmother for so long, she even did not know where she was. She had doubts that even her grandfather knew about her whereabouts or not.

Mantisha looked towards the West side of the campus in a daze. Uncle Adi's family and his food family clan had some people she never wanted to deal with. She had lost a few dear ones from her life, even her dreams turned into nightmares. She had lost a few months memories, even after so many years, she couldn't remember a thing about that time.

The only thing she knew that she was terrified of meeting people, facing them or getting public attentions. She felt sick, suffocated, she felt like someone was choking her and people around doing nothing but staring at her and talking among themselves.

She had sacrificed a lot to get recognitions from her father, she realised many times that he always wanted a son, a heir. She had tried her best to fulfill her duties and meet to his expectations but in the run of getting closer to Danish, she forgot to look at her mother and her silent sacrifices. She could not imagine how much she had suffered into a suffocating household like that.

She could not possibly disturb her mother now, over her baseless social anxiety again, right?

Mantisha closed her eyes as she murmured, "Grandpa, Grandpa... I really miss you! I wonder how are you now? Winter is approaching, are you feeling alright? But why didn't you contact me? Do you not miss me at all? Do you forget me too, Grandpa?"

"If you miss him that much, why not giving him a call?"

Mantisha came back into the reality with the deep voice behind her ear. She looked back at the person and couldn't help but ask,

"Albert! Why are you here?"

Albert looked at her flustered expression and found it funny. Very calmly, he walked in front of her and stood face to face, then told,

"Why? Can't I be here? At my own University's campus."

Mantisha became immediately embarrassed. 'What kind of stupid question is it silly!' She scold herself inwardly.

"Umm I... I did not mean to ask... Um, you know." She could not understand how to answer him. They were not close, they even had not talked that often too. From the last semester, he seemed to be glued with Herbert and Herbert always hangs out with them. Okay, they did not get enough time to hang out but whenever they did, they did it together. But unlike her, the other doctoral candidates did not have to do part time jobs. Either they were always busy preparing about their papers, thesis or assignments, or they went on weekend parties, clubs or pubs.

So the number of her and Albert's interactions could be counted by her fingers. To turn things worse, yesterday's incidents happened.

She realised that deep inside her heart, she felt that Albert was someone reliable. But that idea of her was ruined when he did not do anything at yesterday's party. Listening to her screams, even a flirt boy like Herbert ran to find helps but what did he do? He only stood there, watching everything, like a god standing in heaven and looking at the earthly matters. He did not even came to support her, he knew that she was nervous, she could saw it straight on his face, but he did not came.

'Sometimes people are not as reliable as they seems.' She thought to herself.

"Dozing off? Again?" Albert tried to suppress a thin smile behind his lips. "At this rate, I wonder how you complete your paper overnight."

Mantisha pursed her lips and looked at him. She was disturbed enough and not in mood to get his teasing, okay?

Albert seemed to have noticed her displeasure, so he tried to change the topic.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing much. Just scolding myself for trusting people easily. It can take a lifetime to understand someone, still he can betray you. So trusting someone just based on my instincts, then getting disappointed is actually nothing about him but stupid judgement of mine."

Furrowing his brows, Albert looked at her and realised she was looking back at him straight. He could sense that she was clearly displeased about him and somehow the words she said now, had something to do with him.

Noticing his expression, Mantisha bit her lips. She was not in a position to scold someone for her own thoughts, right? Besides, Albert had always maintained a weird silent personality throughout these years. He even kept silent and kept looking straight at her when Herbert badmouthed him in front of him. He never really laughed, chatted or did anything when he was with them. Yesterday was the only exception. She could not expect a weirdo to open himself up all of a sudden, right?

"Just kidding. Leave it. I was just thinking about moving out and changing my job, though it provides a good ambience to read but pays less and consumes too much time to. Last semester is coming and I have to prepare for my research proposal. So I am dire need of money and time right now."

Mantisha blinks her eyes innocently and smiled bright like she always did. Albert said nothing for a while and looked at her. Almost when she thought he would not say anything else, he said,

"Be it about the article or the future you are worrying, I'm sure help will come in time."

Then he took out a strawberry flavoured milk shake and stuffed it in her hands, and in front of her stunned face, he left.

-----------

Some people are just shy. I can feel his concern for her.

Don't know what's exactly happening! I can't adjust the sequence at all. So I just deleted this chapter and uploaded it again as the new one. Sorry for the inconveniences. Will give You a bonus chapter for it on Monday along with one usual update on Tuesday. Till then,

Give your supports through your votes and comments. Your reviews will motivate me.

Happy reading <3