UNIVERSITY ARC
After about twenty minutes, the officer in charge finally arrived. The sound of the car siren filled the waiting room, and all the staff members alerted and sprang into action.
She entered the room with a few police constables, her presence commanding attention. Wearing dark sunglasses and a pristine uniform adorned with a gleaming police emblem on her service hat, she looked striking—like a Hollywood star. She had an air about her that made one think she might be in the wrong profession.
She began shouting at her assistant S.I., her voice firm and authoritative.
|"Hey, Papa Rao! What are you doing over there? There are people waiting in this room—why are you leaving them like that?"|
The assistant S.I. hurried over, his face pale with fear.
|"Madam, I'm having a digestion problem today. Something I ate yesterday is troubling me."|
|"Hey, stupid! I will inform the higher officials and get you removed. This is your last warning. Stop giving me such silly excuses to cover your mistakes."|
Papa Rao nodded quickly, retreating to his desk, grumbling under his breath while keeping a forced smile plastered on his face. As she made her way to her office, her eyes landed on us. She turned to a constable.
|"Who are these people? Why are they waiting here?"|
The constable's voice was filled with respect.
|"Madam, they are here regarding the important prisoner you mentioned yesterday."|
Her expression sharpened.
|"Oh! So, you are the ones who spoke to me on the phone yesterday?"|
Geetha immediately responded.
|"Yes, Diya madam. I'm Mr. Kumar's daughter from Lama Groups. Nice to meet you."|
Diya's response was curt.
|"Nice to meet you. Yesterday I was at home. But today, just call me 'madam.' I'm on duty, and there are no personal relations here. Do you understand?"|
Geetha nodded, visibly intimidated. Diya's gaze shifted to me.
|"And who is he with you? Does he also want to speak to the prisoner?"|
I answered casually.
|"No, madam. I just came with her to give her some company. That's all."|
My indifferent tone seemed to irk her.
|"Excuse me, do you know who you are talking to?"|
Her voice was tightening with irritation.
|"Of course, madam. I believe you are the head of this police station. Am I correct?"|
I replied nonchalantly. Her eyes narrowed.
|"So, you know who I am. Then you must stay here for some time. I will decide when you can leave. Until then, wait here. Hey, girl, you come with me."|
Geetha hesitated.
|"But madam, how can I leave him—"|
Diya cut her off sharply, her face stern.
|"Hey, girl. You came here to speak with that criminal. So, follow me without any questions. Don't test my patience."|
Geetha nodded nervously and followed Diya down the corridor to the holding cells. At the end of the station, they approached the last cell, where a man lay sleeping, his face pale and drawn. When Geetha saw him, tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
Her voice soft and trembling
|"Rahul! Is that you? I'm here for you. You'll be free soon. Please, just hold on a little longer."|
Diya, standing beside her, watched in silence. Rahul stirred, his eyes opening slowly, filled with anxiety and confusion.
|"Who? Geetha, is it really you? What are you doing here?"|
Geetha managed a faint smile through her tears.
|"Yes, it's me, Rahul. Don't worry. You'll be free soon. Mr. Surya Raj is on his way to help you."|
Diya's eyebrows shot up at the mention of Surya Raj.
|"Hey, girl, what are you talking about? Mr. Surya Raj is a powerful man. Is he already convenced by you? Does he already know you? He never listen to anyone once he fixed his mind."|
Geetha's face tensed, realizing her mistake. She quickly tried to cover.
|"He doesn't know me personally, but he knows Rahul. He even helped me once because Rahul asked him to."|
Diya chuckled, her tone mocking.
|"Girl, don't make me laugh. Even in my current position, I can't meet him directly. I've known him for years, and I've never heard him mention your name."|
Geetha stammered.
|"No, madam. He really contacted him personally and asked for help."|
Diya's patience was thinning.
|"Look, girl, do you have any proof of that? I bet he lied to you."|
Geetha fell silent, her mind racing. She turned to Rahul, her voice a desperate whisper.
|"Rahul, please tell madam it's true."|
Rahul stayed silent, his fear paralysing him.
Geetha's voice broke,
|"Rahul, please speak. Don't be afraid. I'm here for you. Please, tell the truth."|
But he remained silent. She couldn't believe it. Her hands trembled, gripping the cell bars tightly, her knuckles white.
Diya, growing impatient, pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
|"Hello, uncle, where are you?"|
A bold voice answered from the other side.
|"Diya, I'm already on my way."|
|"Oh, okay, uncle. Please come quickly. The lady you mentioned this morning is already here."|
Surya Raj's tone shifted.
|"Really? Oh, God! I'll be there as soon as possible."|
She ended the call and turned to Geetha.
|"See, girl? He's already on his way. Once he arrives, your doubts will be cleared."|
In the waiting room, I received a call from Surya Raj. I picked it up.
He started apologizing to me.
|"Sir, sorry for the delay. I was caught up with the hacker gang issue. I'm very sorry for keeping you waiting."|
"It's okay, uncle. Just stay calm. I'm waiting for you. But when you arrive, please act like you don't know me."|
|"Yes, sir. I understand. I'll be there in just 5 minutes."|
I ended the call and resumed listening to my music.
Soon, Surya Raj arrived at the station, surrounded by a group of bodyguards. The entire station buzzed with whispers; it was a rare sight to see him here, especially in a police station. People tried to snap photos, but his guards quickly intervened.
He made his way directly to Geetha, bypassing everyone else. When he saw Geetha, he greeted her warmly, ignoring Duya.
|"Hello, you must be Geetha, right?"|
Geetha, her face a mix of hope and desperation, wiped her tears.
|"Sir, are you the famous Mr. Surya Raj?"|
He nodded kindly.
|"Yes, that's me. So, you know about me already. But why are you crying?"|
Without missing a beat, she blurted out.
|"Sir, the person in the cell—Rahul—please tell me the truth. You helped me because he asked you to, didn't you?"|
He looked at her, puzzled.
|"Who? I don't know anyone by that name. I came here because he committed a crime. I think I've never seen him before."|
Geetha turned to Rahul, her voice a mix of disbelief and despair.
|"Rahul, tell me he's just joking, right? Please, speak, Rahul."|
But Rahul remained silent, unable to meet her eyes. She pleaded again.
| "Rahul, this is not a time for silence. Please answer me."|
Surya Raj, still confused, turned to Diya.
|"What do you think, Diya? What's your take on her?"|
Diya nodded, her voice softening.
|"Yes, uncle. She loves him deeply. You can see it in her eyes."|
Geetha, her voice breaking, spoke again, gripping the bars tighter.
|"The day my family's business collapsed because of Kubera, I sat on my bed, crying, wondering what I did wrong. Why did God punish me like this? Then my father arranged my marriage to that monster, and I knew my life was over. What could I do? I saw no way out."|
She paused, tears streaming down her face.
|"Rahul, do you have any idea how a girl feels about her marriage? It's supposed to be a new life, a fresh start. But how could I imagine living that life with that beast? Thinking about it day after day, I saw only darkness. I decided to end my life to escape that darkness. But I survived, and I wondered why God spared me."|
She wiped her tears, a fleeting smile crossing her face as she continued.
|"But then you showed me hope, Rahul. You told me there was a way to survive. After the problem was solved, I finally saw light again. I thought you were my saviour. But now, it seems it was all a lie."|
Her voice quivered with emotion.
|"Did you know, Rahul? Without realizing it, my feelings for you grew. When you proposed, I was overjoyed. Our families accepted our love, and we were set to marry. I thought it was the new life I'd been waiting for, but now—now I'm not sure."|
She looked at him, her voice raw with pain.
|"Rahul, is there any happiness left for me? Is there any new life for me? The light that filled my life seems to be fading away, leaving me in darkness again. Tell me, Rahul."|
Rahul, inside the cell, couldn't hold back his tears. He finally spoke.
|"Geetha, I lied to you. The day I went to Mr. Surya Raj's office, he didn't listen to me. He left quickly for some urgent matter. But when I returned to your house, you were so happy, thinking I had solved everything. I took advantage of that to secure our marriage. I thought it would benefit both our families. I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry, Geetha. Please help me, I'm begging you. Ask him for my bail.
Diya, furious, shouted.
|"Hey, idiot! How dare you take advantage of her? Even if she forgives you, I won't let you go. Your life is over—not just for deceiving her, but for your past crimes. I will make sure you face the consequences."|
But Geetha couldn't process the betrayal. Overwhelmed, she collapsed to the ground.
Diya quickly took Geetha's hand and led her to the waiting room. I, still lost in my music, saw them approaching and jumped up.
|"Madam, what happened? Is she okay?"|
|"She's completely shaken right now. She's unconscious. Take her home. I'll handle the rest."|
I immediately helped Geetha out of the station and took her back to her house. I informed her mother to take care of her and contact Diya to learn what had transpired.
Back at the station, Diya asked Surya Raj.
| "Uncle, what crime did he commit? I need to know for my investigation."|
|"Diya, he stole a very sensitive project report from a student and tried to sell it to hackers who wanted to launch a cyber attack on our Vardhan groups."|
Diya's curiosity was piqued.
|"Do you know who the original owner of the report is?"|
He chuckled.
|"Of course, I know. It's the same person who came here with Geetha."|
Diya's eyes widened.
|"Oh, that's a surprise. You already know him. Then, what's your relationship with him?"|
He was momentarily taken aback by the question but recovered quickly.
|"Good question. It's personal, Diya."|
|"Come on, uncle. I'm like your daughter. Tell me, because he's the only person, apart from you and my family, who spoke to me without hesitation or fear."|
He smiled.
|"Alright, I'll tell you. He was an important person. I trust him deeply."|
Diya was shocked.
|"What? I thought I was your only favourite. Why didn't you tell me about him before?"|
|"I told you, it was personal."|
She laughed.
|"It's okay, uncle. But he is quite an interesting character. There's something special about him. I will try to meet him someday personally. Anyway, I have a lot of work to do. I'll take my leave."
Surya Raj was already discussed for my permission to go. She accepted for only Surya raj.