UNIVERSITY ARC
|"Raksha, you need to take this seriously. Tell me, how much did you reveal about me? How much did you expose my real identity?"|
I could feel the tension tightening in my chest, my voice barely masking the growing frustration. Every second she didn't respond sent my mind spiraling into darker possibilities. Raksha, on the other hand, seemed to brush off my urgency, acting as though what I'd asked didn't matter.
|"Brother, relax."|
She said casually, her tone too light for my liking.
|"She doesn't know anything about your identity."|
I exhaled deeply, the tightness in my chest loosening, but only a little. My heart had been racing ever since I feared Raksha had accidentally exposed my secret. But now, hearing that the worst hadn't happened, a part of me felt relieved. Still, it didn't make sense. If Divya didn't know anything, why did it feel like things weren't adding up?
I was pacing now, trying to wrap my head around the whole situation.
|"Okay, fine. But I still don't get it. How did you calm her down? What did you say to her?"|
Raksha hesitated, a slight pause in her response that didn't sit right with me. Her usual confidence wavered as she gave a sheepish smile, almost like a child caught in the middle of a lie.
|"You won't scold me after I tell you, right? Promise?"|
My unease spiked again. Her hesitance only made my suspicions worse. What had she done? But I couldn't react now; I needed to know the truth first. I gave a short nod, my eyes fixed on her, holding back my frustration.
|"I just told her that it was you who asked me to bring her here."|
Raksha's eyes flickered to the ground, avoiding my gaze and continued.
|"She was confused at first, but then she calmed down. I even apologized for scaring her. After that, she seemed fine."|
I blinked, momentarily stunned by what I'd heard. Was she serious?
|"Wait, what?"|
I snapped, though my voice stayed low, trying not to explode.
|"You're telling me that you messed up and then put the blame on me? Are you out of your mind?"|
But Raksha just kept smiling, the same infuriating smile that told me she didn't think it was as big a deal as I did.
|"But you did tell me to bring her here."|
I bit back a retort, my frustration rising again.
|"I told you to keep an eye on her, not to drag her into this without a proper explanation."|
Raksha's face softened, her usual playful smile suddenly went away as she cast her eyes downward. She wasn't joking anymore. There was a shift in her voice, a tone I hadn't heard in a long time—one filled with worry.
|"Yes, you said that."|
She admitted softly.
|"But... when I saw her, I didn't know what was coming over me. I felt like I'd known her for a long time, like we had some connection. It sounds crazy, I know, but when I saw her suffering from pain even while she was sleeping, the wounds she carried, it was like a part of me just wanted to protect her. I don't understand why."|
Familiar? And you wanted to protect her? That's... strange, isn't it? It was clear Raksha genuinely meant what she said.
I'm trying to process her explanation.
|"Okay, I get that. But why did you bring her here? You could've just kept an eye on her from a distance."|
I raised an eyebrow, still searching for answers. There had to be more to it. She didn't usually act strange like this. She didn't even know how to hide things from me.
Raksha hesitated again, this time giving me a smile that looked forced, as though she was trying to change the conversation away from something deeper.
Her voice picked up a cheerful tone.
|"Well, didn't you say you wanted to show her the villa today? I figured it would save you the trouble. Plus, it makes my job easier, right?"|
I studied her face closely. Raksha had many things inside her, but a good liar wasn't one of them. I know Raksha very well—she's terrible at lying, even worse at hiding her feelings. She always struggled to mask her emotions, and right now, her expressions were telling me that this wasn't the real reason. From the way she was acting, I was certain there was more to it than that.
But I decided to let it go, at least for the moment. If I pushed too hard, she'd just shut down.
|"Fine."|
I sighed, though I wasn't convinced. I'd come back to this later. Raksha quickly switched topics, trying to keep me from thinking further.
|"By the way, brother, why did you ask me to keep an eye on her? You never explain things fully."|
Her playful tone was back, but I wasn't fooled. She knew I was onto something, but for now, she was pretending everything was normal.
I sighed again, feeling the weight of the situation pressing on me.
|"Because she's in danger. That club, Wild... or whatever they call themselves, they might target her any day now. And it's my fault she's caught in this mess."|
Raksha's expression shifted as she realized the gravity of the situation. I didn't say more, and she didn't ask. With that, she led me to where Divya was waiting.
As we neared the room, I heard Divya speaking on the phone.
|"Yes, sir. Thank you so much. I'll confirm and call you back."|
She ended the call, noticing our arrival and greeting us with a smile that radiated happiness. It was the kind of smile I don't see every day. I couldn't help but be curious.
|"Divya, something good happened?|
Her voice was bright with excitement.
|"Yes, Manoj! Remember that room I mentioned yesterday? The owner called me and I'm thinking of moving in today! Isn't that great?"|
So, she'd already wanted to move? I remembered her mentioning that she had looked at a room near the university. Ofcourse, after everything that happened in the past days, there was no way she'd want to stay near Neha's house. It's far too dangerous for her.
Sitting beside Divya, I softened my voice, trying not to alarm her.
|"Divya, you said the place doesn't have good facilities. Why do you want to move, then?"|
She smiled, but there was a layer of pain behind it, hidden beneath her usual brightness.
|"Yes, it's true. But honestly, I've already learned to adjust. It's a lesson life has taught me well—to adapt, no matter where I am or what the situation is."|
I know, I wasn't wrong about her. She's just like me. It was like looking into a mirror, seeing my own reflection. That's why I felt the need to help her, no matter what. Ok, now I was ready to tell her the real reason why she was here.
I began carefully.
|"Divya, call that owner and let him know you won't be taking the room. The truth is, I've already found a place for you."|
Her eyes widened in confusion, her mind trying to catch up with what I was saying.
|"Manoj, when did you arrange it? And you know I can't afford much for rent. So…"|
I smiled, shaking my head like I understood everything.
|"Trust me, you'll like it."|
Her curiosity grew. She smiled, leaning in closer.
|"Really? Where is it? Can you show me? I'm dying to know!"|
I hesitated for a second. This was the hard part to explain. I wasn't sure how she'd react, but I tried to stay casual, hiding my nerves behind a smile.
|"I won't say anything. I'll show you. Come with me."|
Without waiting for a response, I gently took her hand, leading her carefully out of the room. She had been in there since early morning, not knowing what was outside. I could feel her hesitation as we moved, her grip tightening slightly around mine, showing she was suffering from the pain caused by her wounds. But as we stepped into the open space, her reaction was instant.
Her eyes widened as she took in the large hall that stretched out before us. The soft light from the chandeliers above lit the room with a warm glow, making the decorations and furniture look even more beautiful. Each corner of the room had something interesting to look at—whether it was the artwork or the way the furniture was arranged, everything was perfect. For a moment, I could see she was overwhelmed by what she was seeing—like her mind couldn't keep up.
She turned to me, her face full of surprise and disbelief. The look she gave me said it all, as if she couldn't believe what was happening.
|"Manoj! Am I dreaming? Where on earth am I right now?"|
Her words seemed to slow down, like she couldn't even put into words what she was feeling. All this time, she had thought the room she was in was part of some small, simple house. But now, seeing the grand hall outside, it was as if her thoughts had come to a stop.
I chuckled softly, trying to keep things light, seeing how confused she was.
|"Divya, this is a villa. And it's where you'll be staying from today."|
For a moment, she didn't seem to understand. The smile that had been growing on her face disappeared quickly. Her whole expression changed as she started to panic. She took a step back, her eyes scanning the room again, trying to make sense of it all.
|"What?"|
Her voice was quiet but full of worry.
|"Manoj, how can you expect me to stay here? I can't pay rent for a place like this! Have you seen how wide it is? I don't even understand why I'm here! This place—it's not for someone like me!"|
Her words came out quickly, showing just how anxious she was.
I know it would shock her. But, the truth is, the neighbourhood of that area, where Divya wanted to move wasn't good. I knew it well enough from my days working as a delivery man. It wasn't a place I'd want someone like Divya to live in, especially not alone.
My thoughts drifted back to the late night when I dropped her off at her current place yesterday. Standing there on the empty street, I couldn't shake the feeling that Neha wouldn't leave Divya in peace. And now, with that dangerous club also on her tail, things had gotten even worse.
It was my fault she was involved in all of this, and now it was my responsibility to get her out of it. But how could I protect her? I couldn't be with her 24/7, monitoring her every move. Then who would watch over her?
That's when it hit me—this villa. I remembered Raksha staying here and the fact that it was a place where Divya could be safe, out of harm's way. As a reminder, this villa had been a gift from my uncle when I was just a ten year old kid. What if I offered her a room there? It would give her the protection she needed, and Raksha would be around to help keep an eye on things.
That's how I called Raksha yesterday with that very plan in mind, asking her to keep an eye on Divya. But this morning, everything had gone off track. Raksha's impulsive actions had thrown my plans into a complete mess, but even with that, there was no point in dwelling on it. I had to find a way to explain myself now.
Presently, I need to cool down her. I could see she was starting to feel overwhelmed by the size of the villa, and I needed to step in before she got too upset.
My voice was soft, trying to calm her down before she got even more stressed.
|"Divya, listen to me. You don't have to pay a single note to stay here."|
I tried to keep my voice calm, but her eyes blinked in disbelief, still tense with shock. She stared at me, struggling to believe what I was saying.
Her voice was shaky.
|"Manoj... is that true? I can stay here... for free? How is that possible? This place is so big, so fancy... I just can't believe it."|
Her confusion was clear, and I knew it wouldn't be easy to convince her. The grand villa made it seem too good to be true, and I could sense her doubt. I needed to explain it in a way that made sense, without making it sound unreal.
I thought quickly, then looked at Raksha. Yes, that would work!
|"The villa belongs to a friend of mine. He's living abroad right now and asked me to find someone to take care of the place a few months ago. So, I suggested Raksha."|
I turned and pointed toward Raksha, who was caught off guard. She blinked, surprised by the sudden attention.
|"Ah….? Me?"|
She asked, her eyes wide in confusion. I turned to her with a knowing smile, silently asking her to go along with it.
|"Yes, you."|
Raksha paused for a second but quickly understood what I was doing. She smiled hesitantly but nodded.
|"Yes! It's…It's me. I've been… working here. Yes, I've been taking care of this villa."|
Divya's expression softened, the disbelief fading as she began to understand. Her face brightened with joy, though a hint of doubt still remained.
|"Manoj, can I really stay here? It won't be a problem?"|
I nodded, giving her the reassurance she needed.
|"Of course, Divya. Actually, I told Raksha to bring you here for this reason. I wanted to surprise you."|
I turned to Raksha with a bit of playful frustration.
|"Though I think she may have gone a little overboard. Right, Raksha?"|
Raksha quickly looked away, trying to act innocent as if to avoid my teasing.
I turned back to Divya, softening my tone again as I spoke.
|"I even called my friend to tell him about you. He's fine with it. So, you can stay here as long as you want, and you can use any room as you wish."|
Divya's face lit up again, I continued even further.
|"But, there is a condition. You must accept it."|
She looked at me with a bit of doubt, sighing with her eyes to tell what it was. With that, I told.
|"You need to help Raksha keep the villa clean. That's it. Nothing more."|
The look on her face was amazing. Her earlier worry disappeared, replaced by pure happiness. She smiled brightly, and I could see the relief in her eyes as she nodded eagerly.
|"Oh, absolutely! I'd love to! I'll help with whatever you need."|
For the first time, I saw her truly happy—without any fear or doubt. It was a side of her I hadn't seen before, and it made this moment even more special. Without warning, she stepped forward and hugged me tightly. I could feel her tears, but this time they weren't from sadness. They were from pure joy.
|"Thank you, Manoj."|
She whispered, her voice shaking with emotion.
|"Thank you for everything. I'll never forget your kindness."|
Her sudden hug took me by surprise, but I didn't pull away. There was something so real about her gratitude, something that made me feel a connection I didn't expect. It was like time had stopped, and the world outside didn't matter.
Raksha, who had been quietly watching, cleared her throat softly, as if to remind us she was still there. The sound brought us back to the moment, and Divya quickly pulled away, her face turning red with embarrassment. Her cheeks were bright with a shy blush as she looked down.
I just smiled at her without saying anything.
Finally, the tension that had been bothering me all morning finally eased away. For now, everything seemed right.