3 months later
**Within just one month of its launch in the global market, the price of Arihat Pharmaceuticals' share hits an all-time high since it was founded 7 years ago, making it the fastest-growing subsidiary of Arihat & co. In the last three months, it had seen 27% growth, giving the Arihats another successful business to flaunt. And to add the credit, all these happen in the middle of a global business crisis.**
Aree read the news article with rapt attention. Big names throughout the world were losing money like water. He can even name some who are going to file bankruptcy in a month or two. In that aspect, Arihat was different, and he knew it but...
** Oksai Arihat, the current head of the family and the president of Arihat enterprise had given the credit to his granddaughter, who had accepted the reign of the new company at the tender age of 21. In just four years…**
'Was it the same company in last life?' Aree couldn't remember it well. After that day, eight years ago, he had already burned the dairy, so he had no way to confirm.
'It is not like it matters to me. I have already…' The self-confirming rant in his mind came to an end with arrival at the destination.
As soon as he came off the bus, a huge gate greeted him along with the endless flow of people. A slim smile appeared on his face.
'It's good to be back.' Even though it wasn't the same uni, neither he had the previous status, still being an academic insect in last life, he felt good.
"Aree?" A call from the back broke his thought. The boy looked too young to be called a man. The hair is as colourful as it could be, with an equally contrasting shade and the headset around his neck he was more looked like DJ than a business major.
"Riley!" Though Riley had never seen him before, Aree had.
"Wow, bro you look handsome. So are you joining from the semester?" After getting Aree's confirmation he added, "Don't worry, brother. I am a senior now, I will guide you."
'You are a business major, I am economics. How are you going to guide me?' Aree wanted to say it out loud but Riley's earnest attitude stopped him.
"Who is this guy?" A couple of girls appeared from behind.
"This brother here…" Riley was about to explain but stopped to get confirmation from Aree.
"I am Aree, freshman, Economics."
"You gotta be kidding me?" The cry of the girl made them the centre of attention but soon, others ignored them.
"Due to some problems, I couldn't continue my study before, so I joined now." Aree explained with a light smile. Riley understood that Aree has some reason to hide his background so he confirmed with a nod.
"I asked brother to join this uni so… Hey, Liya aren't you from the economics?"
The girl was standing beside the loud girl without caring other, staring into the phone in her hand, only to look up when the loud girl pushed her. With a frown, she looked up only to say yes.
"Can't you show him around the department?"
"What is there to see? It's not a zoo and he is not a child. Nikita, I will meet you later." She picked up the incoming call and left.
Aree couldn't help but laugh. Whether he was a professor or a student he was always accustomed to the cold shoulders. Riley didn't know how to respond and all Nikita could do was smile.
"Don't worry brother, I will personally show your department."
"Don't worry, I am not a child. I will see you later." After a formal greeting with the other girl Aree left. There was still half an hour left before the first class. He had no intention to go to it just yet, so he moved around the campus aimlessly.
Looking at the jubilant youth, he couldn't help but feel an ounce of envy only to break into a smile after remembering his age. But his erratic eye movement came to a stop at someone.
"How can she be here?" The words escaped in the moment of surprise. All he could see was the back of the girl and wasn't sure that she was someone who he thought to be. A moment of hesitation and he stepped towards her. But a cluster of students coming out of the building bared him to achieve his desire.
He struggled his way out, only to find there was no sign of her. His intention to run towards her wasn't fulfilled.
*Brrrrr* *Brrrr*
"Hello, professor, I have already reached the university."
…
"Where am I? Let me see… It is the Institute hall."
…
"So I have to take the next left and then right."
…
"Ok, professor I will be there soon.
Keeping the phone in the pocket he looked around. 'How can she be here? It is not Ataklok, it is Erolan. You need to control yourself.' He thought he had overcome it but it was all but truth. With a self-mocking smile on his face, he moved towards the destination.
*Knock* *knock*
"Come in. Please have a seat." His hair was white, without a strand of black but the back was still straight. There wasn't much muscle but the sign of regular exercise was prominent. His was writing on the notebook and the person was looking at rapt attention.
Aree fell on the chair as soon as he looked at the girl. It wasn't soft landing but Aree couldn't care less.
'It couldn't be that I am hallucinating!' With a pinch, he refuted his own logic, 'I was ok till morning, why I am seeing her now.'
He jumped up, 'I have to take a closer look.' But before he could reach, a mobile broke into a thundering scream.
The girl jacked in the headphone after the professor gave a slight nod.
'No matter what I couldn't mistake her voice!' But his wish wasn't fulfilled. The girl didn't utter a single word before she wrote down something on the notebook furiously and stormed out of the room.
"Professor is she…"
The professor was stunned from the reaction, "Yes, she can't talk."
"What?" He screamed in one, silent in next, "Isn't she Arihat? Minki Arihat?"
The professor didn't expect such an extreme reaction. It took him sometimes before he recovered and gave him the nod.
"But…" No words came out, this brain was computing in furious speed but that wasn't something he could speak out loud. 'Why can't she speak? How that can be even possible, there was nothing like this happened in the last life. Even if it had… no, it didn't happen, I had talked to her before she had dide.'
No matter how much he tried to reason it, he didn't have any plausible solution. 'Could it be due to me?' Even if he blamed himself, he had no way to know whether it is true or not.
"Aree you should go to the class. It is about to start." The professor reminded him. To tell the truth, he was a little confused, he wanted to ask whether Aree knew her or not, but it was not the time to ask. Aree left the room in trance.
"Does he know the room no.?" The professor was sure he didn't know but had many important works to do.
When his trance broke, Aree was standing in an unknown corridor. By luck when he asked for the class, a senior student guide him. He walked in, not caring about the curious look he took a seat at the back.
The senior professor soon entered the room, after a short introduction session the lesson started. But Aree's mind was elsewhere. He had no idea how much time had passed before the phone inside his pocket received a notification.
He had no intention to do look but he did.
[Forced Mission
Take the Indigo civic on the third gate in 15 minutes.]
That was all, but Aree knew it was important. In the strategic department of defence, there are three types of missions that can be assigned to one. General, special and forced. This was the third type.
Forced Mission meant two things, one is that he is the best choice in the vicinity and there is a time limit. Never did Aree had expected his first mission will be forced.
He was about to stand up before the door opened by the white-haired professor, "Manish, if you have no problem then can you lend me Aree for a moment?"
The senior professor gave a gentle nod and Aree was already in front of the gate.
"Quick come with me." The white-haired professor urged as he led, and gave the direction to the third gate.
Aree ran like wind and soon enough he was standing in front of the indigo civic.
'Even the clown wouldn't paint the car in this colour.' Though his thoughts were along the line, he had known very well that there is nothing better than hiding in plain sight.
The car started as soon as stepped in.
"The details are on the iPad." The driver squeezed the accelerator to its fullest as he informed Aree.
There was a picture of a little girl not more than four. There was no name, no identification, just the picture. It was a simple case kidnapping and he has to recover her. He had done this type of work many times as a part of peacekeepers, but there was something different this time, he didn't have his squad he had fought many times with. And the most troubling condition is to take at least one culprit alive.
"There is be four of us. I am the way in and will act as a decoy, call me Chap. There is a sniper, Rolly, and the coordinator, you can meet him in the shop." Chap had already stopped the car and pointed at a shop. It was a simple shop which was selling clothes. "He is the best in the job and gives you anything you need. Just say the name."
Time is essence now and nobody knew it better than him. He jumped out and walked in the store.
"Can I help you?"
"Wrath."
The eyes of the man shook for a moment before he led to the back door. After some sort turns through the blindly lit corridor, Aree reached the room that was too cold.
The room was dark with many electronic lights here and there. Multiple screens were flashing, showing things that he couldn't understand but behind it was a man, with a long beard and hair, covered himself in thick sheets.
As soon as his eyes fall on Aree a smile appeared on both of their faces, "It is good to see you, Sloth."
"You too, Major."