"So.... where will you stay in Mumbai?" Sweety contemplated a lot about how to start a talk with her teacher who had started being a nightmare for her.
For the past fifteen minutes he had been staring at her and when she met his eyes in question, he merely smiled.
"A friend's. Though we should meet sometime but there's no hurry. You must be missing your family."
Reminded of family, she remembered her father's anger last night.
"I'll just make a call." She excused herself towards the ladies room. In there, she brought out her actual surprise while looking at herself in the mirror of meeting the man very soon. The incidents were so closely connected that she could not tell herself now that it's all coincidence meeting Mr. Wilson.
Her phone was already ringing before she could call anyone.
"Hey! Did you make it at the airport?" Nishi asked knowing her plans.
"Yeah I did. Just waiting for the call to board."
"What's with your mood? Why so down?"
Sweety sighed, "Mr. Wilson is on the same flight as me."
"Nishi? Did you hear me?" She asked when there was no response from the other end.
"I heard you said Mr. Wilson was in the same flight as you. That was not what you said, right?" Nishi confirmed.
"That is what I said."
There was a bang heard from Nishi followed by series of angry curses.
"Hello?" Sweety popped when the noises dimmed for a minute.
"You whore! You took him with you-" The call ended just like that while the confused Sweety stared at her phone.
Thereafter she called and informed Papa, Mom and Aunt Maliah of her successful check in through security. As she returned to her seat to sit, Mr. Wilson was nowhere to be seen. She wandered her eyes looking for him then found him talking and pacing far from the crowd and noise.
She saw him for a couple seconds before resigning herself to the seat and plugging in earphones to listen some music.
It was a calm tune she was listening to while scrolling down Facebook.
"It's time to go." Her left earphone was pulled out for the words to be uttered by him.
As Sweety moved her head to view him, their close proximity was not undetected as he too froze studying her eyes.
"Okay." She moved first. As far from him as possible leaving the man in the exact crouching position.
Sweety found her seat and relaxed. Ogling out the window, the view calming her. Within no time she will be with her family.
The seats were duly taken with an elderly man on the window seat and a young man in 20's on her left. She was turning the pages of a magazine when a voice came near to their chairs.
"Hey, you might wanna take the seat on the back." Sweety snapped her head to peer up before the man sitting on her left could.
Mr. Wilson was not even looking at her, simply focused on the young man next to her.
"This is my seat." Was the answer he gave. That was it. He should leave now.
"You see, me and my girlfriend here would like to sit together. So why don't you grab the other one." This time the girl let go of the magazine, her mouth agape at his claim!
The young man inspected her, then at the handsome teacher then again at her.
Sweety could not explain how uncomfortable she felt being there. Should she not contradict? So what if he's her teacher!
"No, that's not true!" Sweety finally added. She scanned the man's face who was a famous teacher in a well-known international school. All her mind shouted, what the hell was going on here?!
She was on the verge of speaking her mind until the youngster finally got up seeing the 'boyfriend' was adamant on sitting here only!
"Wait! You don't understand-" The empty seat was filled in with the frequently accustomed man staying next to Sweety.
"It's okay child, your man is only in love." The elderly supported Mr. Wilson.
"Thanks." He cheekily grinned.
"Mam, please buckle up your seat and.. look ahead Mam or your neck might hurt. We are about to take off." That's correct. She was glaring at the man next to her claiming to be her boyfriend. For a moment her gaze went to the hostess who wisely went away seeing her not amused.
"She's right. We don't want your neck hurting."
"You. Are. Not. My. Boyfriend."
"I know."
"Then what are you lying for?"
"I wanted to sit with a girl I am familiar with. The trip would be too lonely without you." He winked at her.
Winked!
Sighing she followed the seatbelt procedure and told him clearly, "I don't know what are your intentions Sir but I really don't want to be a part of this. Don't make it difficult for me more than it already is."
"Why is it difficult for you? I won't say anything to your boyfriend, you won't say anything either. Deal?"
Sweety protested quickly, "I don't have a boyfriend!" Few heads turned to her as she yelled at him in annoyance. Seeing how she gained attention, Sweety slouched back in her seat shifting as down as possible so as not to be seen.
"What did I say about keeping it quiet?" He chided like he was doing it to a child.
"It's all your fault."
"Aggressive as ever." He referred to her.
"What? At first you happen to be in the same flight as mine then when I feel at least in the plane I things won't be awkward but then you come and hop next to my seat! Yet now everyone thinks we are...Uhh!"
"I get it you don't get handsome men like me," he ran his hand through his hair in emphasis, Sweety narrowed her eyes to his actions. "But you can use me too whenever you need. I won't mind." He added, resting his head on the rest.
Sweety wanted to argue further but she saw him not caring a lot about it. In fact she was the only one worried hyper. And why should she when they did nothing akin to the claims he made.
The rest of the trip Sweety told herself to forget about the lies and focus on how she will face her family, her father actually.
He was angry last night for a baseless excuse and he wasn't very enthusiastic this morning too. All she hoped was he was in good mood by the time she arrives.
Just then, her shoulder felt heavy all of a sudden. She could see a flock of hair in her left eyesight.
"Mr. Wilson?" No answer.
Sweety held other side of his face below his jaw, for a looker it would seem like a couple's moment but she held her shoulder up carefully shifting his head over the chair top.
Her hand did not leave his chin as she scanned his face for a while. No one ever advanced forward to call her his girlfriend, even if it was childish in that moment she felt special. Just a small cute moment.