A sea-facing apartment in Mumbai.
The quiet beauty of the ocean stretching far and wide in the silence of the night.
This apartment's interior was designed with a French theme.
Luxury antiques enhanced the elegance of the home even more.
In one of the rooms of this home, a 26-year-old man was standing by the ceiling-to-floor window, lost in thought.
Hazel eyes.
Light pink lips.
A neatly trimmed beard.
And a glow on his face.
This was Bhagya Jayadev, the CEO of Carbon Watch.
Carbon Watch was not just a famous brand in India but one of the most popular watch brands worldwide.
Big businessmen, politicians, and even celebrities wore it.
Its new designs were so eagerly awaited that they received pre-bookings even before hitting the market.
Bhagya had started this company on his own.
When he was 15, he worked at a watch repair shop along with his studies.
From there, he gained in-depth knowledge of watches.
Today, his brand, Carbon Watch, is one of the world's finest watch brands, a testament to his tireless dedication and hard work.
Bhagya was gazing silently at the calm ocean when the door to his room opened, and his childhood friend Rahul walked in, saying,
Rahul: "She's here."
Bhagya turned to Rahul with a cold expression and said, "Alright, send her in."
Rahul stepped out, and five minutes later, a girl entered.
She wore a hot, short dress with a translucent stole draped over it.
Her face was heavily made up.
The girl entered with a big smile, looking at Bhagya.
Bhagya gave her a quick look and, while taking off his boss-like demeanor, said, "Sit on the bed."
With a seductive sway, she walked towards the bed and sat down gracefully, motioning for Bhagya to come closer.
Bhagya removed his watch, sat on the bed's other side, and placed a pillow on her lap, resting his head there.
The girl was puzzled for a moment but then began to remove her stole.
With his eyes closed, Bhagya said calmly, "There's no need for that. Just go to sleep quietly and let me sleep too."
Surprised, the girl thought to herself, "Am I not attractive enough? I came here looking so hot and sexy. Anyone would lose control after seeing me, but he's just lying here, sleeping without doing anything."
"Oh, right," she thought to herself, "he'll at least pay me, right?"
Thinking about it, she slowly drifted off to sleep too. At 5:00 in the morning, there was a knock on Bhagya's door.
The sound woke the girl, and she noticed Bhagya was still sleeping with his head resting on her lap.
She carefully laid his head on the pillow and got up to answer the door. She opened it to find Rahul standing there, who whispered,
Rahul: "Come outside."
The girl, still bewildered, asked, "But he didn't do anything. Should I wake him up?"
Rahul: "There's no need. Just come outside."
The girl insisted, "Really, he didn't even touch me. I came here as a booking, so don't use the excuse that since he didn't do anything, I won't get paid."
Rahul: "Don't worry about it. You'll get your payment. Just come outside quietly; we don't want to wake Bhagya. He hasn't slept in days."
Puzzled, the girl glanced back at Rahul and said, "Wait a minute, I'll be right back."
She went back into the room, looked for something, and then hurriedly came out after a while.
Outside, Rahul handed her an envelope full of cash, saying, "Here's your payment."
Taking the envelope, the girl said, "For the first time, this money feels like a burden."
Rahul: "This is the money you've earned, and if you ever need more, just contact my assistant. You'll get more. And yes, have breakfast before you leave."
The girl paused and replied, "Can I say something?"
Rahul: "Go ahead."
The girl: "We do this job out of compulsion. The world looks at us with disgust, but now it doesn't bother me. I'm used to it. But can I ask you something?"
Rahul: "Sure, ask."
The girl: "We have no choice but to do this work. But today, for the first time, I've seen someone more helpless than us. That man upstairs... he called me over but did nothing and even paid me. Can I know why?"
Smiling, Rahul replied, "Because he's just looking for peace."
The girl gave Rahul a curious look and asked, "Peace? What do you mean?"
Rahul: "Peace means sleeping peacefully. Bhagya just wants to sleep in peace. You're not the first girl who's been here. Bhagya calls different girls often. Some high-profile girls even come for free, but Bhagya doesn't even look at them. And he's helped many girls like you financially as well."
Still intrigued, the girl looked at Rahul, who, understanding her curiosity, said,
"There's no need to worry. He's not crazy, just... his actions seem a bit unusual. He's wandering through life in search of peace."
The girl: "Doesn't his family say anything about his behavior?"
Rahul: "He's an orphan. He has no one in this world."
Surprised, the girl said, "Really?"
Rahul: "Yes. And I'm an orphan too. Neither of us has anyone in this world."
The girl: "But you both look like you come from good families. The house is so grand. How did this happen?"
Rahul: "We grew up in the same orphanage, Jayadev Orphanage. That's why Bhagya uses 'Jayadev' as his last name. When we were nine, a couple came to adopt a child, as they couldn't have kids. They liked both Bhagya and me, and the matron left the decision to us. Bhagya, wanting the best for me, urged me to go with them.
I got a family, a home, and the surname Mehra. But Bhagya was left all alone at the orphanage.
He worked alongside his studies at a watch shop, proving that he could stand on his own two feet without anyone's help. My parents appreciated this quality in him and even considered adopting him, but soon after, my mother discovered she was expecting.
Bhagya overheard the conversation and realized that in this world, he truly had no one. He's been alone ever since.
Though he's achieved so much success, he's still searching for peace."
Listening to this, the girl said, "Can I say something?"
Rahul: "Sure."
The girl: "The man upstairs is a good person. I genuinely pray that he finds whatever he's looking for soon. But if he keeps calling girls like us, he'll never find peace."
Rahul: "What are you trying to say?"
The girl: "Tell him to get married."
Rahul: "What? Marriage?"
The girl: "Yes. If someone comes into his life, his search will end."
Rahul listened thoughtfully. Just then, a maid came in and said breakfast was ready. He told the girl to have breakfast before leaving, then went upstairs to Bhagya's room.
Upstairs, Bhagya opened his eyes and noticed that the girl was gone. It was already 10:00 a.m. This wasn't unusual. Rahul always sent the girls away before Bhagya woke up.
But today, Bhagya found a note on his bed. He picked it up and read:
"Thank you, sir. I've spent many nights with many people, but last night I slept peacefully for the first time. I'll pray that whatever you wish for, you get it soon."
Reading the note, Bhagya gave a slight smile.
He was about to get out of bed when Rahul entered the room.
Rahul: "After how many nights did you sleep?"
Bhagya: "Four."
Rahul: "Why do you need to stay awake, working day and night? You have enough. Rest a bit at home; it won't hurt you. But if you keep exhausting yourself like this, it will."
Bhagya: "What's the point of coming home? It's not like anyone's waiting for me here."