IGNITING BLAZE

Part 1 Cynic Professor

Dehradun / Uttarakhand 

Dehradun is the capital of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is one of India's most popular holiday destinations, known for its pleasant climate, stunning scenery, and diverse educational institutions, attracting tourists and students.

Dehradun offers a relatively low cost of living as a tourist destination compared to other Indian metropolitan areas. Accommodation, food, and transportation are all reasonably priced, making it easier for students to manage their budgets.

AR Arts and Science College / MA English Literature Class

It was the first day of college, and students gathered in the classroom. A girl with a fair complexion sat alone on the front bench, capturing everyone's attention with her beauty. She looked modern. Her silky, hip-length hair made her more attractive. Her hazel eyes were expressive yet held a hint of sadness.

A girl entered and looked for a place to sit. She noticed the girl sitting alone on the first bench and approached her. 

"Is anyone sitting here?" she asked, pointing to the empty space. 

The girl shook her head. "No." 

She sat down and extended her hand. "I'm Jane." 

The other girl shook her hand with a mild smile and replied, "I'm Khushvi." 

"Nice to meet you, Khushvi! Where did you complete your undergraduate studies?" Jane started conversing with Khushvi casually.

"In Delhi,"  Khushvi replied.

"Delhi? Isn't Dehradun your hometown?" Jane questioned.

Khushvi shook her head. 

"Oh, did your father get transferred to Dehradun?" Jane guessed.

"No, I joined here for a change. Delhi is too hot, unlike Dehradun. I like this climate," Khushvi replied.

"Don't jump to a conclusion. You can't stand the Dehradun climate in November and December. It will peel your skin mercilessly." Jane smiled.

"Mmm, after all, this is near the Himalayas foothills" Khushvi agreed.

"Yeah, I completed my UG at this college, too. It's my hometown. My father is a businessman, and my mom works in the private sector. I'm the only daughter."

"That's nice." 

"Are you staying in the college hostel?" Jane inquired.

"No, I'm staying with my aunt." 

"Oh, but our college hostel is really nice. The food is also good. You can get many friends there."

"Oh, but my parents don't prefer a hostel. They want me to be safe and sound."

Jane suggested, "I think your parents want you to be under their supervision. Right?" 

"Yes, but at the same time, they want me to feel comfortable. They know I can't be comfortable in the college hostel, only at my aunt's place, even though she is strict." 

"Is your aunt very strict?"  Jane asked.

"Yes, she is unimaginably strict. She won't let me roam with friends. I should be at home on time. If I'm late, she starts from home looking for me. So I won't prefer an outing with friends,"  Khushvi said without feeling it hard.

Jane understood Khushvi would not be available for friendly activities.

"Are you an introvert? You seem a bit rigid." 

Khushvi smiled without answering.

"You should be nervous about starting at a new college. If you are, don't be—this college is the coolest place you could ever imagine. The professors are jovial and friendly—except for one: one of our professors... Varnav sir"

"Oh,"  Khushvi seemed still disinterested.

"It's not all about him. That man doesn't even know the meaning of the word 'smile.' If he smiles, he acts like his property will be transferred to someone else. He’s very bad-tempered. Students have nicknamed him 'Cynic,' 'Bitter Gourd,' and 'Grumpy.' His class would always be silent. We should be careful in his class," Jane warned.

After hearing much about him, Khushvi asked, "Oh... will he teach well?"

"Excellently! If we pay attention in his class, we won't need to reread the material. We can go directly to the exams. He is a REAL MASTER at explaining things."  Jane stated proudly.

"Everything sounds fine, but how does he keep students in check? There’s always one or two troublemakers in every class who never get controlled by anyone!" Khushvi raised a valuable question.

"You’re right, but his tactics make students think twice about pulling pranks."  Jane chuckled.

"What does he do?" 

"He visits their homes and meets their parents to complain..."  Jane laughed.

"What? He goes to the students' houses?"  Khushvi was shocked.

Jane nodded. 

"Doesn't he have anything else to do? Won't he spend time with his family? How does his wife and children allow him to do that? Is he strict with them, too?" Although she was a good student, Khushvi asked about the professor because he seemed different. She had never heard of such a professor who behaved like a primary school teacher.

"No, there's no story like that in his life." 

"I didn't get you." Khushvi cocked her brows.

"Because he has no wife and children. In fact, no one knows if he has anyone for himself."

"Oh... His stress of losing his family is why he behaves like this. I supposed" 

Jane stared at Khushvi for a full minute before bursting into laughter. Khushvi was confused. 

"Why are you laughing? Did I guess wrong?" 

"Utterly wrong," Jane said between her laughs. 

"Why?" 

"He didn't lose anyone. He’s unmarried."

Khushvi was dumbfounded. 

"Unmarried? Oh... he must not have found a good bride. That's why he seems so weary! Which girl would like to be with such a cynical man for her whole life?" 

"No, Khushvi. Girls would be dying to be with him, even though he's a cynic." Jane said, confusing Khushvi.

"What do you mean? How could girls fall for an old man who is unimaginably strict?" 

"It's because he is not old; he is a handsome young man," Jane said dreamily.

Khushvi was surprised. 

"This is unbelievable!"  She murmured.

"You have to believe it because it's true. He’s incredibly handsome. There isn't a single girl in our college who isn't swooning over him. He is so attractive, but his intense look keeps all the girls at a distance. He won't even smile." She sighed. 

Khushvi became curious to see the professor with the "hot" look. 

The bell rang, and the students stood up as the Head of the Department entered, greeting him with a cheerful "Good morning." He introduced the college to the room.

"Good morning, everyone. Most of you are familiar with this college because you studied for your undergraduate degree here," he said, looking directly at Jane, who sat in the front row with a proud smile.

"The rest of you will catch on soon," he added, glancing at Khushvi, who nodded in agreement.

As the Head of the Department left, the Medieval Literature professor arrived.

"Introduce yourselves, everyone," the professor said.

The students began sharing their names and backgrounds. By the time the period ended, it was clear that none of the professors had planned to start a lesson, and the class was a mix of introductions and casual chatter until the lunch break.

Lunch Break

"Did you bring your lunch?" Jane asked Khushvi.

"No, I didn't," Khushvi replied.

"I'm heading to the canteen. Do you want to come with me?" Jane offered.

Khushvi nodded, and they made their way to the canteen.

"You mentioned you were staying at your aunt's place. Didn't she prepare food for you?" Jane inquired.

"She had a fever last night, so I didn’t want to disturb her. Is the food in the canteen any good?" Khushvi asked.

"Yeah, it’s tasty and reasonably priced. I thought that was why you didn't pack your lunch," Jane explained.

"No, I just didn’t know what the food was like," Khushvi admitted.

"Well, you'll find out today," Jane said as they paid and waited for their order number. When their number was called, they served themselves and ate. Jane observed Khushvi's expression, trying to gauge if she liked the food, but Khushvi's face remained neutral.

"Don't you like the food?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, I like it. It's tasty," Khushvi replied.

"Tasty, but there's no excitement on your face," Jane noted.

"What's so exciting about food? We have options. If it's not good, we can always bring something from home," Khushvi explained.

"But you don't have to worry if you can't bring food. You can manage here," Jane encouraged, trying to lighten the mood.

"Mmm," Khushvi responded.

"You should see how much the students in the hostel celebrate this food. I've seen them breathe sighs of relief after tasting it, but you don’t seem to react at all."

Khushvi smiled softly.

"Will you always be this uninterested? Don't you have any excitement about anything?" Jane pressed.

"Why are you making a big deal out of something so simple? It's just food!" Khushvi said, slightly exasperated.

"This is your first day in college, but I don't see any excitement in you. Did your parents send you to Dehradun against your will? Don't you want to be away from them?" Jane asked.

"Who would want to be away from their parents? They mean everything to me. It's tough to be without them," Khushvi admitted, her voice tinged with sadness.

"If you care about your parents so much, why did you come here? You could have gone to a college in Delhi," Jane asked.

"I'm so fond of my parents that they sent me here to help me learn to live independently," Khushvi explained, her smile turning bittersweet.

"That’s a bit strange," Jane remarked, surprised.

"Yes, they want me to become self-sufficient. That's why I'm here now," Khushvi said with a tinge of pain in her smile.

"Don't worry; it’s only two years. After that, you’ll be back home," Jane reassured her.

"No, I won’t be..." Khushvi replied, her expression suddenly sombre.

Jane took a moment to process this. Then, a thought struck her. "Oh, are they planning your wedding?"

Khushvi smiled at Jane's assumption.

"Am I bothering you with all these questions?" Jane asked.

Khushvi shook her head, smiling. "No, not at all."

"Please don't take it the wrong way. I'm just chatty—I enjoy getting to know my friends," Jane explained.

"That's okay," Khushvi replied.

"Thank God! I was worried about your reactions because I liked you." She sounded genuine.

"Didn't any of your friends join the Masters with you?" Khushvi asked.

"No, dear one of my close friends is getting married next month, and among them, one promised to join me, but I'm not sure about her."

"Shall we go to our class?" Khushvi asked.

"Yep! Our next period is Renaissance Literature... Varnav Sir's class," Jane replied excitedly.

As they returned to class, Khushvi headed to the back row instead of her usual spot in the front.

"What happened, Khushvi? Why aren’t you sitting in the front?" Jane inquired.

"I don't want to sit in front of that cynical professor," Khushvi said, making her way to the last bench.

Jane sighed and sat on the front bench as she didn't want to miss the chance to ogle Varnav closely.

Just as the bell rang, Khushvi settled into her back seat without thinking about Jane, who didn't accompany her. The classroom fell silent when it heard footsteps. It seemed Professor Varnav was approaching their class.

Khushvi guessed. She looked at the entrance to see the professor. Her guess was correct. Professor Varnav entered, and the students stood to greet him.

"Good afternoon, Sir!" they chorused before taking their seats, but Khushvi stood, gazing at him with disbelief. A mild smile crept on her lips.

Varnav looked at her, his eyes widening in surprise. He was taken aback, switching his gaze away from her before looking back. He noticed her trying to suppress her joy by biting her lip.

"Let's start the lesson," Varnav said.

That brought Khushvi back to reality. She sat down, smiling at Varnav, who was rolling his eyes in response. She stylishly waved her hand, making him stop for a few seconds. He tried to be normal as if her presence didn't affect him.

Unlike other professors, Varnav began the lesson without directly acknowledging Khushvialtogetherly, avoiding her gaze throughout the class.

To be continued...