Anaya Sharma sat at her usual seat near the back of the lecture hall, nervously tapping her pen against her notebook. The air in the room was thick with tension. Today was different. Everyone had been whispering about it all morning. Their old, lenient professor had retired, and a new one was taking over—someone with a reputation for being impossibly strict. His name was Professor Arjun Mehra.

Anaya sighed, already dreading the class. As someone who constantly found herself lost in daydreams and far from excelling in academics, she had relied on the previous professor's leniency to scrape through. But from what she'd heard, this new professor wasn't going to tolerate her forgetfulness or clumsy ways. She could already feel the pit in her stomach growing.

"Hey, don't look so scared!" Kavya, her best friend, nudged her from the seat next to hers. Kavya was everything Anaya wasn't—confident, bold, and effortlessly good at studies. "It's just a professor. What's the worst that could happen?"

Ishaan, another friend of theirs, leaned in from the row ahead, a mischievous grin on his face. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe he'll throw us all out for breathing too loudly?"

Anaya laughed nervously, but it didn't ease the tightness in her chest. "I'm serious, guys. I'm already bad enough at this subject. Now, with someone like him..."

Kavya waved her off. "You'll be fine. Just try not to fall asleep like you usually do. Or trip over your own feet on the way in."

Ishaan snorted. "And definitely don't knock over any of his papers, or I bet he'll give you detention for life."

Anaya groaned, sinking deeper into her seat. Her friends were making light of the situation, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this new professor was going to make her life a nightmare. She was barely hanging on to her grades as it was.

Before anyone could respond, the door to the lecture hall swung open with a quiet creak. Silence fell over the room as Professor Arjun Mehra entered. He was tall, well-built, and carried an aura of authority that made the entire class straighten up in their seats without a word. He strode to the front of the room without even glancing at the students, his face an unreadable mask of coldness. Dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, he exuded a kind of controlled intensity that made everyone hold their breath.

Anaya swallowed hard, gripping her pen so tightly her knuckles turned white. This was going to be bad. Really bad.

Without any introduction, Arjun began writing equations on the board, his movements swift and precise. He didn't bother explaining who he was or what his expectations would be. It was clear from his demeanor—he expected perfection, nothing less.

As he spoke, his voice was deep and steady, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. Anaya could barely follow the complex concepts he was discussing, her mind already spinning with confusion. She snuck a glance at Kavya, who was nodding along like this was a walk in the park. Ishaan, on the other hand, looked like he had given up halfway through.

Half an hour passed, and not once did Arjun's expression change. No smile, no flicker of emotion. He taught with a clinical precision, making it clear that he had no intention of catering to anyone who couldn't keep up.

Anaya shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her mind wandering to the stack of assignments she had left unfinished. She could already hear her father's voice in her head, scolding her for being lazy and unfocused. But this... this was going to be a whole new level of difficulty. She wasn't sure how she was going to survive.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the class ended. Arjun turned from the board, gave the room a single, sweeping glance, and without a word, walked out the door. No questions, no comments. Just silence.

Anaya blinked. Was that it? He just... left?

Kavya snickered. "Wow. That was the most robotic lecture I've ever attended. Does he even have emotions?"

Ishaan stretched his arms above his head. "Nah, he's probably one of those strict disciplinarian types. You know, the kind that gives detention for smiling."

Anaya groaned. "I'm doomed. There's no way I'm passing this class now."

Kavya rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop being so dramatic. He's just strict. It's not like he's going to bite your head off if you make a mistake."

"Speak for yourself," Ishaan chimed in, his tone exaggeratedly serious. "I think he's secretly plotting to fail all of us. Just look at him! No emotions, no patience, and definitely no room for mercy."

Anaya couldn't help but laugh, despite her anxiety. "Maybe he's just warming up. Maybe he'll be less terrifying once we get to know him."

Ishaan grinned. "Or maybe we'll all fail spectacularly together. At least it'll be a group effort."

Kavya patted Anaya's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll study together, and you'll be fine. If you fall behind, we'll help. But seriously, stop worrying. You'll give yourself gray hair before you even graduate."

Anaya smiled weakly, though the pit in her stomach remained. Her friends were right—she had to relax. But something about Professor Arjun Mehra's cold, calculated demeanor left her feeling like she was standing at the edge of a cliff, with no idea how to avoid falling off.

She had no idea that this was only the beginning of a much more complicated journey. One that would change everything.

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Hey lovely readers!

Thank you so much for starting My Professor Husband! I hope you're already hooked on Anaya and Arjun's story. Writing their contrasting personalities—Anaya's clumsy, carefree nature and Arjun's cold, disciplined attitude—has been such an exciting journey for me. This is just the beginning of what will be a rollercoaster ride of emotions, growth, and unexpected connections.

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Thank you for your support and for being a part of this journey with me. I can't wait to share more of Arjun and Anaya's story with you!