Chapter 46 – Familiar strangers
Kavitha woke up slowly the next morning, surprised to find the usual heaviness in her chest had lightened just a little.
Not gone. Never gone. But softer, somehow. Like the sharp edges had been worn down overnight. She lay in bed for a few moments, staring at the ceiling fan spinning lazily above her, and the first thought that came to her was not about her father’s promise, or Arjun, or the suffocating silence at home.
It was about her.
The professor.
It feels like I have met her before.
The feeling had followed her since yesterday evening, quiet but persistent, like a half-remembered melody she couldn’t quite place. There was something in the way Seren carried herself - that calm, almost ancient composure - that tugged at a place in Kavitha’s mind she didn’t understand.
She shook her head, pushing the thought away, and rose from bed.
She chose her clothes with unusual care today - a deep navy sari with a simple gold border, draped neatly over her shoulder. She pinned her hair back properly, looked at herself in the small mirror, and wondered why she was bothering so much. It wasn’t as if anyone at college would notice.
Still, she left the house feeling slightly more put together than usual.
The first two periods passed in a blur of history and economics. Seren didn’t appear. Kavitha caught herself glancing toward the door more than once, then scolded herself for it. When the third period finally began and Seren walked into the lecture hall, something in Kavitha’s posture straightened without her meaning to.
Today, she listened.
Really listened.
Seren spoke about the Romantic poets again, but today her voice carried a quieter weight. She talked about how memory could become both refuge and prison - how certain moments refused to fade no matter how much time passed. Kavitha’s pen moved steadily across the page, copying not just the words, but the feeling behind them.
When the lecture ended, the usual chatter rose around her, but Kavitha remained seated for a few moments longer, staring at her notes.
After the final bell, she found herself walking toward the staff room almost without deciding to.
Professor Seren wasn’t there yet. Her belongings - a worn leather bag and a few neatly stacked files - still rested on the table. Kavitha hesitated at the doorway, then stepped inside and waited.
Half an hour passed.
The slow creak of the ceiling fan and the distant sounds of students leaving filled the quiet room. Kavitha stood by the window, arms crossed loosely, trying not to look as restless as she felt.
Finally, footsteps approached.
Seren entered, carrying a small stack of papers. She paused slightly when she saw Kavitha.
“How long have you been waiting here for me?” she asked, voice gentle but surprised.
“Not for long,” Kavitha replied quickly. “I just… wanted to thank you again. For yesterday.”
Seren set the papers down on her desk. A small, tired smile touched her lips.
“It’s totally fine. Don’t let yesterday’s incident bother you too much. You’re safe now.”
Kavitha nodded, suddenly unsure what else to say. The silence between them felt strangely comfortable, yet heavy at the same time.
“I’ll take my leave then, ma’am.”
She turned toward the door. Her hand reached for the handle.
But something stopped her.
She stood there for a second, fingers resting on the wooden frame, then slowly turned back around.
“Ma’am…” she began, voice quieter than before. “Is it fine to talk about what’s troubling me?”
Seren, who had been organizing her files, went very still. She looked up, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then something softened in her eyes - not pity, but a kind of deep, patient understanding.
She gestured toward the chair across from her desk.
“Sit down please.”
Kavitha hesitated only briefly before closing the door behind her and taking a seat. The wooden chair creaked softly under her weight. Outside, the evening light had begun to turn golden, casting long shadows across the staff room floor.
Seren sat down as well, folding her hands on the desk. She didn’t speak immediately. She simply waited, as if she had all the time in the world.
Kavitha stared at her hands for a long moment, heart beating unevenly.
She didn’t know why she was doing this. She didn’t know why this woman - this strange, composed professor she had only known for a few days - made her feel like she could say things she had never said to anyone else.
But the words were already rising in her throat.
And for the first time in years, she didn’t want to swallow them back down.