Sanjay parked his car in the driveway of his sprawling villa, nestled in the poshest part of the city. He lived there alone, aside from a watchman and two servants—one to cook and the other to do the housework, though he often thought they should just swap jobs.
His only family member was his mother, Samantha sreejith, who resided in Bangalore and only made rare appearances—usually just to show up at board meetings and give him a disappointed look.
He stepped out of the car, glancing at himself in the tinted glass with a small, satisfied nod. Spinning the keys in his fingers, he straightened his shirt, ran his hand through his hair, and whistled a casual tune as he made his way toward the front door like he was the king of the world. Life was good.
But when he reached the door, something felt... off. His finger hovered just above the handle, and his eyes narrowed. The door was slightly ajar. That's weird, he thought.
The watchman wasn't in sight. He glanced around—no sign of the servants either. A chill ran down his spine. Maybe he was overthinking it. Or maybe someone was about to steal all his designer shoes.
With a deep breath, Sanjay squared his shoulders and mentally prepared for whatever small crisis awaited him—whether it was a break-in or just an unscheduled home visit from his mother. He pushed open the door with an air of confidence, hoping he looked calm and collected even though his stomach was doing somersaults.
The house was dark, eerily quiet, and utterly devoid of any lights. His phone was the only source of light, so he turned on the flashlight and began searching. "Hello? Aunt? Watchman?" he called, his voice just a little too high-pitched for someone with such a luxurious villa. No response. No sounds of life. It was like the house had been abandoned for years.
"Hello?" He tried again, his phone light flicking from one empty room to another.
A few deep breaths later, he found the light switch and flipped it on. The room flooded with brightness—and then, just as he turned around, he froze.
Sitting in the center of the living room, as calm and still as a statue, was a figure on the couch. It was a person. And it was... Hanley.
Sanjay's heart skipped a beat. His body did a full-on panic flip. Before he could process what was happening, his legs betrayed him, and he collapsed backward onto the floor. His hands flew to his chest like he was about to faint.
The scream that escaped from his mouth sounded like a dying bird, high-pitched and alarming. "Wh—what are you doing here?" he gasped, scrambling to get to his feet, his mind still catching up with his legs.
Hanley turned and gave him a slow, smug smile. "Oh, just thought I'd drop by. You know, catch up on some 'business' matters." There was a flicker of something else in his eyes—jealousy? Was that a hint of jealousy?
Hanley's smile was a mix of amusement and something darker. "Didn't realize I'd give you such a fright. Looks like you need to work on your cardio, Sanjay."
Sanjay, still on the floor, stared at him in disbelief. "What... why... How—" he stammered, trying to gather his thoughts. "What the hell are you doing in my house?"
Hanley shrugged casually, leaning back into the couch as if he belonged there. "You left the door open. I just walked in. Figured I'd make myself at home."
Sanjay took a deep breath, still trying to process. "You know, most people knock before breaking and entering."
"Pfft, too formal," Hanley smirked, his eyes gleaming. "And besides, I'm sure your security is top-notch."
"Yeah, well, next time I'll add a sign that says 'No uninvited guests, please!'" Sanjay shot back, still sitting on the floor, shaking his head. "I'm not even going to ask how you got in. I'm just... I'm just gonna lie here and pretend this is all normal."
Hanley raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the chaos he'd caused. "You really should work on your reaction time. It's almost embarrassing."
Sanjay glared at him, trying to muster his dignity. "You're lucky I haven't had dinner yet. You'd be hearing a lot worse than this if I were hangry."
Hanley chuckled. "Well, you're lucky I'm in a good mood. But... next time, don't leave the door open."
"Next time, I'll install a 'no creepy surprises' clause," Sanjay muttered, finally picking himself up from the floor, still trying to shake off the shock. "I seriously need to start locking my doors more often."
"Good idea," Hanley replied with a grin. "But for now, you really need to work on your cardio, Sanjay. That fall... it was tragic."
After a long, exhausting day, Sanjay finally settled into the plush comfort of his living room, trying to unwind. He tossed a cold drink to Hanley and plopped down onto the nearest sofa, letting out a contented sigh as he leaned back, trying to shake off the weirdness of the evening.
"So, what exactly are you doing here at this hour?" Sanjay asked again, the curiosity getting the best of him. He glanced over at the pile of luggage sitting by Hanley's side, wondering what exactly had brought him to his doorstep.
Hanley popped open the drink, taking a slow sip before answering with a casual shrug. "I told you, just thought I'd drop by."
Sanjay raised an eyebrow. "With all this luggage?" His gaze flickered back to the bags strewn across the floor, clearly out of place in a typical 'drop-in' situation.
Hanley's lips curled into a small, almost playful smile. "You know, I think it's no fun living alone."
Sanjay's mind raced, the humor in his tone evident as he laughed and shook his head. "Don't tell me... you're planning to move in with me?"
He was half-joking, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Hanley responded without missing a beat.
"That's a good idea." Hanley said, completely serious.
Sanjay choked on his drink. His eyes widened, the fizzy liquid spilling out of his mouth in shock. He wiped his chin quickly, trying to process the ridiculousness of the situation. "Wait, what?" he spluttered.
Hanley leaned back on the couch, totally unfazed by the chaos he'd just caused. "Isn't it boring living alone in this haunted mansion of yours?"
Sanjay blinked, still processing the idea of Hanley moving in like it was a casual Tuesday. "Who says I live alone here?" he asked, trying to cover up the sudden unease in his voice.
Hanley looked around the room, his eyes narrowing in mock suspicion. "I didn't see any other humans around. Just you... and me."
Sanjay felt his stomach twist. "The workers are on leave today, I guess," he muttered, not quite sure where they'd disappeared off to.
"Oh, them?" Hanley waved his hand dismissively, as though it was no big deal. "I sent them on leave. They looked exhausted from babysitting, anyway. They'll be back in two weeks."
Sanjay stared at him in disbelief. "What? You what?" he asked, feeling the sudden weight of the situation hit him.
Hanley looked perfectly at ease, as though everything he was saying was completely normal. "I mean, someone's got to take care of things around here," he said nonchalantly. "So, where's my room?"
Sanjay blinked, the absurdity of it all hanging in the air. "Choose whichever one you want," he replied flatly, already feeling the beginnings of a headache.
Without missing a beat, Hanley stood up, brushing himself off as if the conversation was already over. "I'm really tired. I'm going to bed. Bring my luggage for me," he ordered, heading toward the hallway without even waiting for a response.
Sanjay blinked, speechless for a moment. "Who? Me?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Hanley didn't stop. He walked right past Sanjay, leaving him to scramble in disbelief.
Sanjay sighed, realizing that it would be easier to just go along with it than argue. He knew how stubborn Hanley could be, and trying to rebel now would only end in frustration. So, with a resigned sigh, he got up to retrieve the luggage, muttering under his breath about how his life had just taken a strange turn.
The next morning, Sanjay was peacefully sleeping when suddenly, his blanket was yanked off. With a jolt, he woke up, rubbing his eyes, trying to make sense of the situation. Standing at the foot of the bed, Hanley was already dressed in his sports gear, looking like he had been awake for hours.
Sanjay glanced at his phone. The time read 5:00 AM.
"Where are you going?" Sanjay mumbled, still half-asleep.
"Running," Hanley said flatly, his expression unreadable.
"Good. Go ahead. See you in the morning," Sanjay replied with a lazy thumbs-up and yawned, already drifting back to sleep.
But Hanley wasn't done. Without a word, he grabbed Sanjay's leg and yanked him out of bed.
"You're coming with me," he said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
Sanjay sighed, realizing there was no escape. Still groggy, he followed Hanley outside into the pre-dawn chill. It was pitch dark, and the sun hadn't even begun to rise.
"The sun's not even up yet," Sanjay muttered, trying to delay the inevitable.
"A true man rises before the sun," Hanley shot back, his pace unwavering.
Sanjay rolled his eyes, trying to catch his breath as he jogged beside Hanley. "You're the one who came from the military, not me," he said with a grin, "I never signed up for this. Want to know why?"
Hanley didn't answer, his gaze forward, clearly uninterested in Sanjay's complaints.
"Ask me why," Sanjay said, stepping in front of him to block his path.
Hanley, still focused on his run, sighed. "Why?"
"Because I don't like this!" Sanjay replied, holding his hands up dramatically. "But good luck with your military training, I'm going back to bed."
Sanjay tried to turn around and walk back, giving a mock salute, but Hanley wasn't having it. With a swift move, he grabbed the back of Sanjay's shirt and pulled him along.
"You're not going anywhere," Hanley said with a smirk.
Sanjay groaned, resigning himself to yet another morning run with Hanley.