𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

Chapter 26

I should sleep.

I need to sleep.

But here I am, lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling like some lovesick idiot, with a stupid grin on my face.

Maya Raichand aka My Little furball likes me.

I exhaled a soft chuckle, running a hand through my hair. I still couldn't believe it. The way she had blurted it out, the way she panicked right after—it was the most Maya thing ever.

And the jealousy? That was the cherry on top.

Her mimicking that external teacher, the exaggerated batting of her eyelashes, the over-the-top dreamy sighs—it was so ridiculous that I should have laughed. But all I could focus on was the fact that Maya had been jealous.

Over me.

I smirked, turning to my side. So, Miss Raichand ,you finally admitted it.

She could deny it all she wanted, but the truth was out. And now? Now, she couldn't take it back.

A part of me wanted to tease her endlessly about it, to watch her fumble with her words, try to cover it up, throw her usual tantrums.

But another part of me—the part that had been fighting this growing pull towards her—felt something else entirely.

Warmth.

Because for the first time, I wasn't the only one feeling this.

I wasn't the only one affected.

And damn if that didn't make me want to see her even more.

Sleep was impossible.

No matter how much I tried, my mind kept circling back to one thing—Maya.

Her confession. Her jealousy. That stubborn, adorable pout when she tried to act like it didn't mean anything.

I smirked, staring at my phone. Should I text her?

No. Let her stew in her embarrassment for a while.

But the thought of her rolling around in bed, probably screaming into her pillow, made me chuckle.

I sighed, rubbing my face. This girl...

I wasn't supposed to feel this way. She was my student. I was her professor. There were boundaries—strict, unbreakable ones.

And yet, here I was, thinking about her when I should be grading papers.

I sat up, running a hand through my hair. Maybe a drink would help clear my mind.

But just as I was about to stand up, my phone buzzed.

Little furball : You're a menace.

I raised a brow, smirking. So she was thinking about me too.

Me: Missing me already, Little Furball?

She didn't reply immediately, but I could practically see her fuming.

Then—

Little furball : Go to sleep, Khadoos!

I chuckled, shaking my head. Cute.

Me: Sweet dreams, jealous Raichand.

The typing bubbles appeared, then disappeared.

I waited.

Then—

Little furball : I hate you.

I laughed, locking my phone. No, you don't, Furball. Not even close.

And for the first time in a long while, I lay back down with a smirk—knowing that the game had just begun.

I shut my eyes, but the smirk on my lips refused to fade.

Damn this girl.

Even in my sleep, she was there—her voice ringing in my ears, her annoyed little huffs, her dramatic mimicking of that external teacher.

"Oh, Professor Singhania, you're so intelligent. I wish I had a tutor like you."

I chuckled to myself, turning onto my side.

The way Maya's nose scrunched up while saying it, the way she crossed her arms like a stubborn child—it was ridiculous. She was ridiculous.

And yet, here I was, lying in bed, grinning like an idiot.

I liked her. No—I was absolutely gone for her.

And tonight, her jealousy had only made it worse.

The way she refused to look at me, how she clenched her jaw and huffed every time I teased her—it was the best damn entertainment I'd had in years.

"I hate you, Khadoos!"

I could still hear her voice echoing in my mind.

No, she didn't hate me.

She was just as messed up as I was.

I turned again, exhaling deeply, my smirk softening into something more... real.

What was I even doing?

She was a student. My student. This was dangerous—stupid even.

But for once, I didn't care.

Because as I finally drifted off to sleep, I realized something—

No matter how much I tried to push it away, one truth remained.

Maya Raichand was slowly becoming my favorite problem.

I woke up feeling... lighter. It was strange, almost unsettling.

As if sleep had somehow erased all the chaos in my mind—except for one thing.

Maya.

That annoying, impossible, infuriating girl.

A smirk crept onto my face as I ran a hand through my hair. So much for keeping my distance.

Shaking my head, I got out of bed, freshened up, and made my way downstairs for breakfast. The smell of freshly brewed chai and aloo parathas filled the air, signaling that today was going to start on a good note.

Unfortunately, my little brother had other plans.

Veer, my ever-so-annoying younger sibling, was already sitting at the dining table, scrolling through his phone. The moment he saw me, a knowing smirk spread across his face.

"Oh look who finally decided to wake up. Must've had some sweet dreams," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes, grabbing a plate. "Shut up, Veer."

He gasped dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. "Bhai, you're telling me to shut up? That too, in the morning? Matlab kuch toh gadbad hai. (Something is definitely fishy.)"

Before I could respond, he continued, "By the way, I saw that book you left in the study last night—Haunting Adeline?"

I nearly choked on my tea. "Why were you looking through my books?"

Veer grinned. "Because I was SHOCKED! The great Rudra Singhania reading Haunting Adeline? A dark romance? Matlab sach batao, kisne recommend kiya? (Tell me the truth, who recommended it?)"

I didn't answer. Because the answer was obvious.

Veer gasped again, dramatically slamming his hand on the table. "Oh my god. It's Maya, isn't it?"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Veer—"

"No, no, wait. THIS makes so much sense! The reason you've been smiling like an idiot, the reason you're reading a book about a stalker romance! Bhai, just say it—YOU LIKE HER."

I shook my head, ignoring the heat rising up my neck. "You're insane."

Veer laughed. "And you're obsessed."

I glared at him, but he only leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Acha batao, kal ka scene kya tha? (Okay, tell me, what happened yesterday?)"

I sighed, giving up. "She got jealous."

Veer's eyes widened. "Wait, Maya got jealous? Like, of another girl?"

I nodded, a small smirk forming. "Yep."

"Oh my god, this is better than any novel." Veer looked like he was ready to write an entire Wattpad story about my life.

"Shut up and eat," I muttered, but even I couldn't wipe the smirk off my face.

Because no matter how much Maya tried to ignore me—no matter how much she glared and huffed—she was mine to haunt now.

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*Target comment 15 +

(Hey sweeties! Do you like this chapter? If yes then please drop a Vote and comment your opinion on it. And about Veer and dark romance book..i didn't add that scene because I was more focused on Maya and Rudra scenes. Hope you understand)