Priyal Sharma, a cute and bubbly girl, who saw an American agent, Captain Nick, on TV and followed him to his agency. Whenever Nick sees Priyal, he feels a connection, and Priyal feels the same way. Nick and Priyal get close to each other, but what w... Priyal Sharma, a cute and bubbly girl, who saw an American agent, Captain Nick, on TV and followed him to his agency. Whenever Nick sees Priyal, he feels a connection, and Priyal feels the same way. Nick and Priyal get close to each other, but what will happen when Priyal turns out to be a relative of Nick's biggest enemy? Is Nick's connection to Priyal just a coincidence, or is there a deep conspiracy behind it? What is it that connects Nick and Priyal to each other? After learning the truth about Priyal, will Nick be able to forgive her and forget everything to start a new beginning with her? To find out, read "Connected With Hearts".<br />
Page 1 of 10
A kindergarten in the USA was surrounded by security agencies. The media was being cleared from the area.
The kindergarten had been taken over by some terrorists, and the staff, including the children studying there, had been held captive for the past eight hours. The atmosphere was tense as the terrorists could make a wrong move at any moment. In a country like the USA, terrorists rarely evaded security agencies for so long. Upon being cornered, they had resorted to taking refuge in a school and holding children hostage, thus taking control of it.
Agent Emma of the security agency was in contact with her team via wireless, along with her partner Ron. Emma and Ron were agents of a secret agency called 'NA', which had been ordered by the government to rescue the children. Besides Emma and Ron, there were about two dozen other agents who had surrounded the entire building.
"Dude, why hasn't our Captain arrived yet? The entire team is here, but he's still missing. If this information gets to the authorities, they'll make a big mess of him, and us too. Without his orders, how can the team initiate anything on its own?" Emma said, switching off her wireless and looking around the street.
"Be patient, our Captain has always had a habit of making a late but heroic entry. He'll be here any moment." Ron had already switched off his wireless. He too looked left and right on the street. "Come on... hurry up, brother."
Just then, a bike appeared in the distance, with a boy of about twenty-six years, wearing a black jacket, approaching them. Seeing him, Ron said, "There he is..." and started arranging his weapons and uniform. Emma quickly got herself together. Adjusting her clothes, she said, "He has a terrible habit of making our Captain disciplined. He himself arrives late, but if we step out of line even a little, he's quick to scold us."
After adjusting their clothes, both waited for the approaching person. The boy soon arrived, stopped his bike, and dismounted. Under his black goggles, his hair was neatly styled. The shirt he wore under his black jacket clung to his body. He looked dashing and smart in his appearance.
He approached them. As he got closer, both saluted him. He removed his goggles and, looking at Ron, said, "Your posts aren't so junior that you can't make a decision! Children have been trapped inside for the last eight hours. And you guys are disgusting...!"
Seeing him angry, Ron said, "Sorry, sir."
The boy looked towards the building and asked, "What's the condition?"
"Captain Nick," Emma said, "there are a total of four people inside; two on the second floor, one on the third floor, and one on the ground floor! The children are on the second floor. As weapons, they have knives and sharp-edged weapons. We haven't seen any guns or anything." Emma continued, "We can push them directly, but with children inside, it will be critical."
"We will not do anything like that," Nick said. Then he moved forward and started walking towards the rest of his team. Emma and Ron walked along with him, following him. "We will offer to surrender once. If they agree, it's fine, otherwise, action will be taken afterwards." Reaching there, he took the speaker from an agent's hand, held it towards the front, and announced, "You are surrounded from all sides. It is in your best interest to surrender. Otherwise, you will be responsible for whatever happens next." Saying this, he waited for a response. When there was no response for a long time, Nick spoke into the speaker again, "I am saying this one more time, it is in your best interest to surrender, you have no way out." He waited for a response again, but again there was no response.
Nick threw the speaker and said angrily, "Idiots, they have no sense at all." Then he said to Emma and Ron, "We have a total of twenty-six members in our team. Apart from you two, make four groups of six members each, and ask them to take positions in four different directions. Keep the snipers on standby. Give them instructions. As soon as the order is given, take down whoever is in your sights and shoot for body damage. We will push them, but not directly, absolutely indirectly." Both agreed and left to inform the rest of the team.
Soon, the entire team was in action, taking up positions at different locations. Nick and a team with him, equipped with safety gear, started moving towards the building from under the vehicles parked on the right side of the building in the desert. Emma and Ron were also with him. They reached the wall of the building and stood pressed against it. Nick slowly peeked into the window directly above. He saw a terrorist there, looking out from the front door. Nick took his position and gently pushed the window down. A faint noise was heard, and the terrorist's attention was drawn to the window. Nick signaled his team members and asked them to get down. The entire team sat down. The terrorist reached the window and poked his head out to peek. But as soon as he poked his head out, Nick pounced on him and pulled him out. As he fell out, the rest of the team members quickly moved in and took him into custody. As he was apprehended, Nick gave instructions to the rest of the team and told them to immediately enter through the window.
Apart from Nick, Emma, and Ron, there were four other agents who had already secured the lower floor. Nick cautiously moved towards the stairs and, hiding there, observed the scene above. Above, he saw a terrorist sitting at the top of the stairs, crushing something in his hand. Nick moved back and, thinking for a moment, said, "We will take action on him immediately. If he gets even a little opportunity, he will make noise, then his other accomplice will know, and he will become a threat to the children. We will attack him directly." Nick drew his gun.
"What are you doing, Nick..." Emma suddenly changed her tone, "Are you crazy? If you shoot, the children will get scared."
Nick looked at her sharply. "You are on duty. I am not your best friend here, but your boss."
"Yes, no problem, I'll do this formality some other day. For now, be my friend instead of the boss. I'm telling you, you won't shoot."
"And if I don't shoot, they will kill the children."
As Emma's tone changed, Ron's tone also changed, "Emma, Nick is right. How long will we keep hiding here? We have to take action."
Emma turned to Nick and said, "Look Nick, your plan is not good at all."
"Okay, then I'll follow plan B." Saying this, Nick took out both his revolvers and handed them to Emma. After handing the revolvers to Emma, he picked up a grenade and, without pulling the safety pin, threw it behind the terrorist. As the grenade exploded, the terrorist's attention shifted towards him. As the terrorist turned to look at him, Nick quickly climbed the stairs and, reaching the terrorist, pounced on him. Nick and Emma were both surprised because Nick had done this so suddenly. Nick covered the terrorist's mouth with his hand and, holding him by the legs, reduced his movement. In the meantime, Emma, Ron, and the other agents arrived and subdued him properly.
After he was properly subdued, Nick released him. Meanwhile, two of the other members took him down to the lower floor. Emma said, "Nick, don't be a lone hero. Give us a hint of what you're going to do."
"It seems you people don't trust my abilities. Don't forget, I am your captain, and I didn't become captain by paying money in the agency."
Nick took his gun back and headed for the second floor. There, he saw the terrorist standing a little away from the children. All the children were in the middle of the floor. Seeing this, Nick placed his hand on his earpiece and gave orders, "Tell whichever sniper has the third-floor terrorist in range to shoot for body damage." Whoever heard the order replied, "Okay sir."
As soon as he received the response, Nick moved forward, pointing his revolver in the air, and said, "Stop where you are, or the consequences will be dire."
The terrorist heard Nick's words but paid no attention. He tried to run towards the children. But as soon as he tried, Nick fired and shot him directly in the shoulder. As the bullet hit him, the terrorist staggered and fell to the ground.
"Get him," Nick told Emma and Ron.
Both moved quickly and apprehended the terrorist.
Nick approached him and said, "Hello Mr. Idiot! You were given a good opportunity. If you had accepted it, you wouldn't have had to feel this pain of a bullet. Now endure this, and be prepared for the consequences to come."
The terrorist stared at him, to which Nick did not react.
Emma and Ron took the terrorist away. By now, the terrorist upstairs had also sustained body damage, due to which he was injured and lying there. Some team members reached him and took him into custody as well. The children were safely rescued.
The situation eased slightly, and a large crowd of media teams gathered there. Nick tackled them and said, "The situation was definitely critical, but we have brought it under control. All terrorists have been apprehended, and the children are safe. My team has done a splendid job for this. As agents of a well-prepared agency in the USA, we will continue to do our work for people's safety in this manner going forward." After saying all this, he put on his shades and started to leave, where numerous camera flashes fell on his face.
***
"As agents of a well-prepared agency in the USA, we will continue to do our work for people's safety in this manner going forward."
This line echoed from an American channel on an LED screen in a flat in Mumbai, India. Sitting right in front of the TV was a girl of about nineteen years. She was wearing a denim crop top and shorts. In her hand was a bowl of popcorn, with some popcorn in her hand and her hand paused near her mouth. Her reaction clearly showed that she was completely lost in the boy as soon as she saw him. She uttered in a lost manner, "What a handsome young man."
Imperial College, Mumbai.
It was around three in the afternoon. The college classes had ended, and most students were returning home. Among these students was the girl who had watched Nick on the LED screen and whose jaw had dropped the moment she saw him. She was wearing a white hooded dress, twice her size, and looked loose. However, despite being loose, the dress gave her a stunning look. Her hair was tied in a half-bun, with the other half left open. The open hair was even on both sides. She wore large white glasses, meant only for watching the show. A leather bag was slung over her shoulder, its straps held with both hands in front. She separated herself from the crowd of boys and walked towards the compound. Upon reaching there, she sat on a bench and took out her laptop to search for something. She found whatever she was searching for. After that, she folded both her hands and rested her chin on them.
“What happened, Priyal di? Where are you lost?” Her attention was broken by a girl of the same age, wearing a shirt and jeans. She was also beautiful, but a bit thinner than Priyal.
“I’ll tell you where our Priyal is lost,” said a boy who arrived then, about twenty-one years old. He was wearing a denim jacket, a green t-shirt, jeans, and leather boots. “She’s diving into a world called a vast, never-ending world of imagination. In other words, she’s lost in her thoughts.”
Priyal closed her laptop and looked up to say something. Just then, the girl who had arrived spoke to the boy, “Hey Arjun, did you just come from Chauhan sir’s class to be speaking such loud Hindi?” Then she turned to Priyal and asked, “Tell me, di, where are you lost?”
“Hey Pranjal, I told you I’ll tell you,” Arjun said, and jumping, sat right next to Priyal. There, he snatched the laptop from her. Priyal tried to get it back, but Arjun pulled it away. “Wait, Priyal, just a minute, let me tell you…” saying this, he opened the laptop. As soon as the laptop opened, Google appeared, with Nick searched on it. Searching for him only showed pictures of the “Pine Creek” hotel. “Here you go, my suspicion was absolutely correct! Madam is lost in the thoughts of that guy she saw on TV last night.”
“What? When?” Pranjal moved towards Arjun and peeked into the laptop. “Where was I at that time? And how did she see him on TV?” she asked.
“You were sleeping soundly, snoring worse than a horse,” Arjun said jokingly. “And she saw him on TV like this…” Arjun played a clip from the previous night from the same channel on the internet. There, Nick’s dialogue was repeated.
“As agents of a well-prepared agency from the USA, we will continue to do our work for people’s safety in this manner.”
“What a feat, Miss Priyal… it seems he won your heart at first sight,” Arjun reacted in his own way.
Priyal twitched her nose with her finger and said, “So what, is there anything wrong? Look how handsome he is, my heart started beating the moment I saw him. Ever since I saw him, I’ve been thinking only about him. I don’t know why, but it feels like there’s a deep connection between us.”
Arjun laughed and said, “Science calls it an illness, not a connection. According to science, if we think about someone repeatedly, our hormones get imbalanced, understand? This is a hormonal problem, not some deep connection. Now, do you understand what this connection is called?”
Pranjal sat next to Arjun and said, “He doesn’t even know you, and you are crazy about him. How can someone be so madly in love with someone that they forget everything at first sight?”
“No, no, I’m not so crazy that I’ll lose my mind just by seeing him,” Priyal said. “One reason I’m crazy about him is that I also want to become an agent.”
Just then, Pranjal said, “Then I’ll talk to my dad, he’s an authority member of some agency.”
Arjun immediately teased Priyal, saying, “Yes, madam, you have so much intelligence, you’ll go there for training. They won’t even let you stand at the doorway.”
“Yes, di… how will you train there? You know that to train there, one has to be fit in every way… and strong too,” Pranjal said.
“I don’t know, whenever I see a secret agent on TV, I also feel like going. How cool are they, their work, their looks, style, attitude, everything,” Priyal said, almost lost in thoughts.
“But Priyal di, they also have to study a lot, which you have absolutely no interest in. Your paths will never cross.”
Priyal showed a hint of unhappiness on her face and snatched the laptop, holding it tightly. Holding the laptop, she said, “I don’t know, something will happen, if God wills, we will definitely meet.”
★★★★
USA
The office room of the ‘NA’ agency, which was like an institute.
Nick was sitting on a leather chair, reading a magazine. His office was neatly decorated. In the slight cooling of the AC, his attention was fully on the magazine. He finished reading the magazine, after which anger appeared on his face, and he crumpled the magazine in his hand and threw it away.
Just then, Emma arrived. The moment she entered, she saw the magazine lying on the floor in front of her.
Emma picked up the magazine and asked, “What happened? Why are you so angry, Nick?”
“You would be equally angry,” Nick said, “if you read this news… no… nonsense news… if you read this nonsense news. What do these news people write? They don’t even know anything. I will sue them. I will take legal action against them.”
“It’s okay, all this happens,” Emma said, picking up the magazine and focusing on some words. It was an interview of the two of them. Above the interview was a picture of Emma and Nick together, with Emma having a tattoo of Nick’s name on her hand, highlighted by a circle. Next to the circle was a caption, which read, “Hotel Pine Creek owner’s affair with his junior, Emma!”
Nick looked at Emma and flared up, “This is all because of your tattoo. What was the need to get a tattoo? And if you had to get one, why did you get it on your hand, so prominently?”
Emma came forward and said, placing the magazine on the table, “Now, should I not express my feelings out of fear of people? And for your kind information, this tattoo is not of your name, nor was it made for you. My boyfriend’s name is also Nick, so what can I do about it?”
Nick looked at her askance, “And couldn’t you tell this to the reporters?”
“Did they ask me? If they had asked, I would have told them,” Emma said, sitting on a chair in front of the table. After sitting, she continued, “And since when did you start caring about people’s opinions? You never used to give importance to people’s opinions?”
“I still don’t care,” Nick said, “but that doesn’t mean they should write any nonsense. Besides being a friend, she is also my junior. What will people here think about us?” Saying this, he stood up from his place, picked up the magazine, and said, “I’m going to talk to their editor right now. If I don’t make them apologize, then my name isn’t Nick.”
Before Emma could say anything else, Nick stormed out of there angrily. After he left, Emma said, “This guy is so fussy, man! I don’t know who would be crazy about him with all this fuss.”
★★★★
Priyal was looking at Nik's picture with great concentration. Nik's magic had such a hold on her that it showed no signs of letting up. She connected her laptop to the printer and made several copies of Nik's picture. Then she picked up one of the prints, looked at it, and lay down on the bed. Arjun and Pranjal were watching this scene from the doorway.
Pranjal turned her face towards Arjun and said, "Di has gone completely mad. Such madness! She has surpassed even the stories from movies...!"
"Oh my god!" Arjun made a pained expression on his face and said dramatically, "Today another girl has fallen victim to the 'R name disease'. This incurable disease hasn't spared my friend either."
Pranjal elbowed Arjun. "Shut up, you're the only one who's alright."
"So what should I do? Tell me, this is what I'll do. I'll talk to Chetan Bhagat. I'll tell him about this girl's condition. He'll definitely write a story about her. The way this girl is crazy, this story will be the best of the best."
Pranjal ignored Arjun's remark and said to herself, "I think I'll have to do something..." Then she said normally, "My father is an authority member of security agencies, his contacts here might be useful, wait a minute..." She said and went into the room. In the room, she picked up Priyal's laptop and came out with it. Priyal had fallen asleep, so she didn't know about it.
Outside, Arjun and Pranjal sat on the sofa, and Pranjal started searching for something on the laptop.
"What are you searching for now?" Arjun asked.
"I'm finding out about this guy's agency. My dad's work involves buying shares in some agencies. After buying these shares, the right to make some of their decisions also comes with the shareholder. I need to see if my dad has any shares in the agency this guy works for."
"Oh..." Arjun also started watching Pranjal's work.
Pranjal kept searching for a long time. After that, she said, "I found a little detail. He works for an NA agency, which is like an institute. These types of agencies are trending nowadays. They also do study work, and the agents do dangerous missions and training. Yes, it's a different matter that the students here are agents themselves, either current or future."
"And did you find the important thing we needed, your father's connection to it?"
"I'm looking for that." Pranjal continued her search.
After searching for a while longer, she jumped up with joy. "Yessss! It's done. NA agency is part of a group of 10 agencies, and the shares my father bought are in this group. This means he has the right to make decisions in these 10 agencies. Phew... Di... she'll never stop singing my praises now. I will definitely get Priyal Di to meet Nik." She stood up on the sofa in her excitement. She handed the laptop to Arjun and immediately moved towards the phone.
In a luxurious house in the USA, the phone kept ringing. The owner of the house, Priyanka Datta, was busy with some important work in the kitchen. She quickly finished her tasks and immediately rushed towards her mobile. As soon as she reached it, she picked up the phone, and Pranjal's voice echoed from the other end.
"Hello, Mama!" Pranjal said as soon as the phone was answered, "What work were you so busy with that you couldn't pick up your daughter's call? I've come to India, and it seems you've forgotten me. You don't even remember that you have a daughter." Pranjal deliberately launched an emotional attack.
"Oh, I was doing kitchen work," Priyanka Datta said, "that's why it took me time to answer the phone. And no mother can forget her daughter, whether she's near her or oceans away, understood?"
"Yes, yes, I understand. How are you, and how is Dad?"
"I'm fine, and your dad is also fine. Tell me, how are you?"
"I'm fine too, Mama." They had some light conversation. After that, Pranjal got to the main point and said, "Okay Mama, I wanted to tell you something, not tell you, but I needed something from you. Your younger sister Priyal, I mean, all our darling Priyal, wants something for the first time in her life, and whatever she wants, you and Dad can easily give it to her."
"And what is that?"
"There's an agency, NA. It's one of those 10 agencies in which Dad has bought shares. Priyal Di's dream is to join this agency. Not a dream, but her biggest dream, and no matter what happens, you and Dad have to get her into this agency."
"Is that all?" Priyanka Datta said after hearing it, "It will be done. I don't know much about their work, but I do know that as an authority member, they can recruit two or three people every year into any of these ten agencies. Their referred candidates get significant benefits. Your work will be done."
"Wow, really, Mama!!" Pranjal showed her happiness and started jumping up and down on her seat again. She held her phone and even kissed it. "Love you, Mom, love you, Mom, looooveeee you..." She showered her love many times and then hung up. After hanging up, she looked at Arjun and said, "Now, nothing can stop Priyal Di from having Nik, absolutely no one, I mean, no one..."
Arjun and Pranjal were both standing in front of Priyal. Priyal was sitting cross-legged on the bed in front of them. They were all staring at each other's faces.
"Are you two going to say something or just keep staring at me? Did you wake me up just to stare at me?"
"No." Arjun whispered, "We woke you up so that you don't end up meeting Nik in your dreams."
Both Pranjal and Priyal glared at Arjun. "Well, Di..." Pranjal said, "Actually... the thing is... the thing is that..." Pranjal had done everything without telling Priyal, which is why she was hesitating to explain. "The thing is that we have made arrangements for you to meet Nik."
"What!!" Priyal was shocked and stood up from her place. "How?"
"Well, you know, Dad is an authority member of agencies, and he has some shares that give him decision-making authority. Dad also has shares in the agency where Nik works. He can make decisions here too. We have arranged for your joining in the agency where Nik works."
"Oh no, you mean you told Mama about this. She'll call me crazy, say that for a boy..."
"Di, we didn't tell them that you want to join there because of Nik. We said that joining that agency is your dream, your biggest dream."
"But still, becoming an agent by going to an agency isn't a small thing. It's a tough process, heavy training, how will I manage all this? You guys will be the death of me. Couldn't you have asked me once before doing anything?"
"That's incredible, Madam," Arjun said, "Now what do you want? A fairy godmother to come and ask you what you want, you say give me Nik, and she'll give you Nik and leave? That's not how it works. To get him, you'll have to endure some hardship. Oh, my pure Hindi is back again."
"Di, if you don't think it's right, I can tell them to cancel this. It's not too late. Sorry." Pranjal said this and turned towards the door and started to leave. There was sadness on her face.
"Wait a minute." Priyal stopped her then, and Pranjal stopped. There was a moment of silence. After that, Priyal said, "Since it's been said, we'll see, we'll manage." She said this with a normal expression. After that, she jumped up and, in her full excitement, exclaimed, "Oh God, you two are great!" and hugged Priyal and Arjun.
"Priyanka ji, although Priyal is your younger sister, I have never discriminated between Priyal and Pranjal. When Priyal was born, your mother had passed away, and Papa ji... three months before Priyal's birth. Since then, I have raised Priyal like my own daughter. I have never let her lack anything. I admit I have made some mistakes... but I love her too. But what she wants now cannot happen. Admitting her to the institute here is very dangerous. You don't know what dangers an agent has to face. And Priyal, she isn't even eligible for this. No one will accept her into the agency." Prabhas Datta was sitting right in front of Priyanka ji.
Priyanka ji had just spoken about Priyal's admission when she received this response.
"If she's not eligible, she'll become eligible." Priyanka ji said, "They also provide training beforehand. Any deficiencies she has will be corrected there. And as for the danger, it exists everywhere." She finished her statement in a normal tone. Then, with the expression of a displeased wife, she said, "Look, I don't know anything. I promised Mother that I would never let Priyal lack anything."
"I won't let her lack anything either, but what she's asking for now won't be possible."
"I won't listen to anything; you have to agree with me." Priyanka ji became completely upset.
Mr. Datta knew there was no point arguing with Priyanka ji. For her, Priyal was beyond all relationships. She wouldn't listen to anything when it came to Priyal. Thinking this, he said, "Alright... I'll see. I'll try to do whatever is possible for me." Then he stood up from his place and walked towards the outside. After crossing the main door, he stopped and said, "What do they think? That I'll let Priyal get admitted here? Never. Doesn't Priyanka understand that a sister is a sister. And everyone has their own. Once Priyal's graduation is complete, I'll find a good boy and get her married. If she's far away, I'll be free of her. Otherwise, explaining to Priyanka is impossible. After Priyal's marriage, I'll call Pranjal here too." Then he moved forward and walked towards his car.
USA,
Hotel Pine Co.
It was midnight. There was a light hustle and bustle in the hotel. A girl named Ava was sitting in the hotel office trying to finish her work. She didn't work here; she just helped Nick with his work as his friend. Her hair was light pink in the front. Just then, a boy named Ankit arrived. As soon as he came, he said,
"Haven't you finished your work yet? How long have I been waiting, man? You'll only come in the next lifetime at this rate!"
"Almost done, man," Ava replied. "This Nick, really... I want to start my own business, but how can I do anything when I'm swamped with his hotel management? On top of that, I don't even work here."
"Yeah, he's a busy guy. The word 'free time' isn't even in his dictionary. Sometimes training at the institute, sometimes in meetings. He might come here less, but he still has his own tasks. You know him well."
"Yes, that's why I don't say anything to him," Ava said. "Otherwise, if it were up to me, I'd run away from his work so fast you wouldn't find me even if you looked."
As they were talking, two more people arrived—Ron and Evilon. Ron was Nick's colleague, while Evilon was his close friend, a very close friend.
Ron, upon arriving, taunted Ava, "Look at our little Ava, the youngest but working the most."
"Yes, brother, it's all thanks to your friend," Ava said, keeping her eyes glued to the computer screen. She replied, focusing in that direction.
"Call it a big favor from Nick. Does he even pay you for this?" he asked jokingly.
Ava looked at him and flicked her hair, saying, "He's never lacked in that regard. He's given me his card, telling me to spend as much as I want, and the house is also at my disposal."
Genny said, "Your work is good, by the way. This hotel is doing quite well because of your efforts. Nick comes and goes less often, but despite that, it has a good reputation."
Ava gave a slight smile. Evilon accepted it and asked, "By the way, where is he? I haven't seen him. He hasn't replied to messages or calls either. Thinking he'll do it himself, we can't even dream of that, he's not used to all this."
"Ah..." Ava said, trying to recall, "I don't know anything about it. The last time we spoke was this afternoon. He seemed stressed then. His interview in the magazine was misrepresented, which made him angry. This must have also refreshed some old memories for him, that's what I think, and that's reflected in seeing him in his stressed state."
"I don't think anything like that happened," Evilon said, settling into a chair and placing her phone on it. "That was seven years ago. By now, he must have forgotten her."
"Our Nick doesn't forget things that easily," Ava said in a relaxed tone. "If he had forgotten, he would have a new girlfriend by now. You're also his best-of-best friends, like a girlfriend, but not a girlfriend."
A hint of sadness crossed Evilon's face. Ron, seeing Evilon getting sad, tried to change the mood by saying, "Why are you all dwelling on the past? Why remember or talk about something that's no longer there? Anyway, I was saying, a trip is coming up, let's plan a trip this time..."
As the topic of the trip came up, everyone started discussing it. But Genny's attention was elsewhere. What Ava had said was lingering in her mind. She picked up her phone and messaged Nick, to whom she had already sent many unanswered messages. As soon as the message "Where are you..." was sent, all the previous messages were seen, and a reply came, "At my home, just got home."
Evilon read this message and then switched off her phone and left. The others were engrossed in their own conversations, so none of them noticed her departure.
An hour later, Evilon's car stopped in front of Nick's house. Nick's house was magnificent. There was a park in front, and then the main house. The park had decorated flowers, a swing, and a swimming pool. Evilon reached the house, opened the door, and went inside. It was almost one in the morning. Nick was sitting on the sofa, eating.
"Evilon, you here? So late at night!!" Nick said, looking at her in surprise.
"Why, can't I come?" Evilon said angrily. She dropped her bag right there.
"You can come, you're my best friend, so there are no restrictions, but still, so late at night, it's one in the morning, do you know that?"
"I had something important to tell you," Evilon said and sat down right next to him. "I had to talk about this now, so I couldn't stop myself."
"You could have done it over the phone, or typed it in a message," Nick continued eating.
"I wanted to talk face-to-face," Evilon said again, with annoyance.
"Yes, speak, I'm listening," Nick replied, eating.
"Haven't you forgotten Ellie yet? It's been seven years since that incident, do you still remember her?"
"Why do you think so? I've forgotten these past events long ago. I don't even remember who Ellie was anymore."
"If that's the case, then why didn't you accept me as your girlfriend? Why have you only kept me as your best friend until now?"
"Not just best friend, but best-of-best friend. And why do you even need to be a girlfriend? What's lacking in our relationship? All the feelings are the same. It's just that we don't have a sexual relationship, otherwise, everything is like boyfriend-girlfriend. We even kiss each other."
"Yes, but it's not getting a status. Until our relationship gets a name, whatever we do will be meaningless."
"Meaningless relationships last longer than named relationships. If we give this a name, I don't think our relationship will last more than a day. Boyfriend-girlfriend relationships only bring fights."
"I'm okay with fights, but I want our relationship to have a name. You have to accept me as your girlfriend," Evilon said and moved closer to Nick. Nick looked at her, and she leaned in to kiss him, but Nick placed his finger on her lips, stopping her.
"You can't force a relationship. I only want you in my life as a best friend, a best-of-best friend. If you try to push this relationship further, my ego and attitude will come in the way, which won't be good for you."
"If your ego and attitude come in the way, then my stubbornness will also come in the way. If I have to stay in your life now, it has to be as a girlfriend, otherwise, there will be no relationship between us; not even friendship."
"You're doing the wrong thing. No one can be forced like this."
"I'm not forcing you. Whenever someone says you're their best-of-best friend, but you could never be a girlfriend, then I feel like I mean nothing to you. I'm the one who initiates calls and messages too. I never get a front response from you."
"You know I'm not used to it."
"You're not used to it, but no one can ignore their best-of-best friend like this. Doing so shows that I mean nothing to you. You prioritize your habit over me."
"You're talking nonsense. You know very well how much you mean to me, or how much you don't. When it comes to girls, you're the one I'm most connected to. Whatever happens in my life, you're the first to know about it. After this, I don't think I need to prove what you mean to me."
"But Nick..." Evilon tried to say something, getting confused with herself, but Nick again placed his finger on her lips to silence her.
"Eve... don't say anything further this time," Nick said. "You've said all this this time, but never say it again after today. You are important to me and always will be, whether you believe it or not." After this, he glanced at his watch and said, "It's very late, so you should go now. We'll talk more tomorrow at the institute."
Evilon gave a mixed smile, with both satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and then hugged Nick. Nick hugged her back, after which she left. After she left, Nick stared at the door for a while. During this time, his expression was normal, after which he turned away, and his facial expression changed. He became a little sad. In this expression, he said, "I belong only to her. I can't belong to anyone else. Not to you... and not to anyone else either."
Morning had arrived. Priyanka Dutta was working in the kitchen at her home. After doing a lot of work, she washed her hands and walked towards the dining table. Just then, the front door opened, and Prabhas Dutta entered the house. He placed his coat on the sofa and walked towards Priyanka Dutta. There, he said to her, "I tried my best, but nothing could be done. Priyal's documents are incomplete, due to which her admission as a referral candidate can never happen. And besides this, I have no other way for her admission. I'm sorry for that, please forgive me." After saying this, he placed his hand on Priyanka Dutta's shoulder in consolation and left. Meanwhile, disappointment washed over Priyanka Dutta's face.
Arjun, Priyal, and Pranjal were making dinner. Pranjal's phone rang, and it was Priyanka ji on the call, so she went to another room to talk.
Arjun was teasing Priyal by throwing vegetables at her.
"Arjun..! What are you doing? Have you gone crazy?" Priyal said irritated.
"You're going to the USA to impress Nick, and what if you both get married quietly and don't invite me? So, I thought I'd shower you with flowers. Now, where can we find flowers at home? So, this cauliflower will do," Arjun said and threw the cauliflower at Priyal's head.
"Oh hello? I'm going there to study, not to impress Nick!"
"You save this lie for someone else. We know very well that you're going there for him. Alright, Priyal..! If Nick doesn't impress you, don't be disappointed. We'll find another crazy guy like you and get you married."
Priyal got even more angry after hearing Arjun's words. She picked up a rolling pin and chased him to hit him.
"Help! This girl is hitting me with a rolling pin. There's domestic violence against an innocent man."
Arjun ran away.
"I won't leave you alone today. I'll make you dance to my tune," Priyal said, chasing Arjun in the hall.
Pranjal had become sad after talking to Priyanka ji. She had told her that now nothing could stop her from meeting Nick, but now that he knew his admission couldn't happen, he would feel very bad. Pranjal thought about how she would tell Priyal about it.
"How long can I sit like this? Today or tomorrow, I have to tell Priya about it," Pranjal said and went to the hall where Priyal and Arjun were watching TV. Priyal had been listening to US news on TV for the past two days to catch a glimpse of Nick. She had seen all the videos related to Nick available on the internet. Arjun was sitting next to her.
Pranjal came to them and said, "There's some bad news. I don't know how to say it. Our luck seems to be very bad."
Both Arjun and Priyal turned to her. Arjun asked, "What, what happened?"
"Mummy's phone came. She said Priyal's documents are incomplete. The documents are not complete, maybe she meant that Priya is ineligible," Pranjal said.
"What...," Arjun said in surprise. "What's wrong with it? Our Priyal is perfect."
"I don't know," Pranjal said and sat down on the sofa, looking sad. "I thought everything would happen. I was so happy. Priyal was going to meet Nick, but now this."
Priyal didn't understand what to say. She sat down and said, "Leave it. Whatever will happen, will happen. Maybe it's not written in our fate to meet...". Her words stopped there. Her face showed that she might cry at any moment. But she controlled it and said, "This was just an attraction, like we often see on TV. It doesn't mean that he will be ours or we will be his." She stood up and quickly went to her room and locked the door. She cried there.
Pranjal told Arjun, "I can't bear this. First, Priya's excitement was unbearable, and now her sadness. No matter what happens, I'll find a way to send Priyal there."
"But now what will you do? It's denied from her side," Arjun said.
"I don't know, but there must be another way," Pranjal said and closed her eyes, praying.
After college classes, everyone came out. Priyal's routine was to sit in the compound after class, but today she went straight out. Pranjal and Arjun saw her leave.
They showed sadness to each other and went to the compound and sat on a bench.
"Yaar, if we distract her attention from Nick, will it be okay?" Arjun asked.
"What will happen from this?" Pranjal looked at him.
"It will make her normal. Often such attractions go away if attention is distracted for four or five days."
"That's not in Priya's nature. When she likes something, she's obsessed," Arjun said.
"We can change her preference. We can make her like another guy," Arjun suggested.
"That idea won't work," Pranjal said.
"Okay, then we..." Arjun tried to say more, but Pranjal stopped him. "You don't give your ideas. Let me do something."
Pranjal took out her laptop and searched for something. Arjun took out a Rubik's Cube from his bag and started solving it. Pranjal searched for a while and then said, "There's a direct admission process in the institute. 25 country candidates are allowed, including India. There was an agreement between our government's and their government's agencies, and now Indian candidates are allowed direct admission. America allows candidates from countries where they don't have any threat. But the direct admission process is very tough."
"How tough?" Arjun asked.
"There's a three-month pre-training session in a separate place. Only those who pass this will get admission; others will be sent back."
"Oh no..."
"Another problem is that we have to pay all the fees for the pre-training session at once, which is very high in Indian rupees."
"Approximately how much?" Arjun asked.
"Almost 4 lakh rupees," Pranjal said and closed her laptop. "This is the only way we can send Priyal to the institute after her father's way."
"And we have two problems for this: first, 4 lakh rupees; second, three months of pre-training," Arjun said and sat with his hand on his face.
Pranjal and Arjun had been at home for almost two hours, thinking about how to solve the problem. Then Pranjal's phone rang again. She picked it up and went outside to talk. After she left, Arjun thought about solving the problem.
When Pranjal returned, she said, "We don't have two problems, we have three. Papa, he got Priyal's admission done in Chandigarh's Fashion Institute, saying it's not a career, and he'll choose another good career for her. The fees are also paid, which can't be refunded. Priyal has no option but to sign it."
"Great... just what we needed," Arjun said and fell back on the sofa.
Pranjal told Priyal the whole story. It was morning, and everyone was sitting at the dining table eating.
Priyal listened to the whole story, then she began staring at both of them.
"I knew something like this would happen, Papa. Their behavior has always been against me. Yes, it doesn't seem like it, but they show it," Priyal said.
"There is no such thing, Priyal," Pranjal said. "Just like you consider your brother-in-law as your Papa, they also consider you as their daughter. Due to not getting admission in AI, they must have gotten tense, and that's why they got your admission done in Chandigarh Institute for the best career option."
"But I don't want to go there."
"Yes, you want to go to Nik's," Arjun said while eating comfortably. He said it while eating.
"No, that's not the point," Priyal turned her face towards him, "If I can't go to him, I think it's better for me to stay here with you people. I don't think I can bear two shocks at the same time."
"And I think you have no other option but to bear these two shocks," Pranjal held her eating plate. "The pre-training for Nik's institute and the fee of three lakh rupees are a big problem, while you have no option but to go to Chandigarh Institute. The fee there is about six lakh rupees, which Papa has paid, and it can't be refunded. Papa won't have any worries, but I can't tell Mom about such a big loss."
Priyal became gloomy. She didn't say anything else, and they all began eating. After eating for some time, she said, "Pre-training isn't a big problem for me, but I don't have a solution for the other two things." She became like before again. Meanwhile, Arjun and Pranjal started looking at each other. After that, Arjun looked towards his plate and closed his eyes to think to himself.
Nik was doing some important work in his office. Then Evelyn came there and kissed his cheek. Nik turned his face to the right and said in a slightly angry tone, "How many times have I told you not to do this? Don't do it, especially not in the institute."
"Oh, what should I fear? I'm your best friend, I should have some leeway."
"No, there's no leeway for anyone in the institute."
"Not even for me?" Evelyn asked with a disappointed face.
Nik looked at her disappointed face and turned his face the other way, saying, "No, not even for you."
"Then what's the difference between me and others?"
"Why do you want to create a difference?" Nik turned to her and asked in a strict tone. "Do you want me to treat you like others? For me, everything in the institute is formal, and I've been doing this. Even if my friends break the rules, I scold them and give them punishment. If I have to expel them from here, I won't hesitate. Professional life and personal life, we can never combine them."
Evelyn looked at Nik strictly and became silent. She didn't say anything, and Nik asked her, "Tell me, what did you come here for?"
Evelyn said with a downcast face, "I came to tell you that Mom called and asked me to come to London for a few days. Maybe we won't be able to meet for some time." On Nik's outburst, she became a bit sad. "I just came to bid you farewell, which didn't seem to please you."
Nik stood up from his place, went in front of her, and put his hand on her shoulder. He said, "I know I'm not worth anything after what I do, but despite that, you've never left any shortcomings for me. I'm trying to change, but it's not easy for me. You understand me, you know how difficult it is for me to change. I'll never change my rules and regulations easily, so sorry for it." Then he hugged Evelyn and said, "But you also know how important you are to me. I'll miss you after you go."
Due to Nik's hug, Evelyn forgot everything. She hugged him back and said, "I'll also miss you." Both of them hugged for a bit more time, and then Evelyn left from there. After she left, Nik got back to his work.
Priyal and Pranjal both had their college classes around 12 o'clock. Arjun had been missing since morning; he hadn't said anything special before leaving. Pranjal looked around and said to Priyal, "This Arjun should have come by now; where did he go? There's no sign of him since morning."
"He must have bunked today," Priyal kept her attention on the board.
"You know he's not the kind of guy who bunks. He does a lot of jokes and fun, but he never does such things. We also take leave, but he's never taken leave till now."
"Maybe he just didn't feel like it today." Priyal started taking notes.
"I don't know where he went; we'll find out when he comes." Pranjal said and then focused on her studies again.
After college ended, both of them sat on their bench in the compound. There, Priyal started watching some of Nik's old interviews on her laptop, while Pranjal did some college work. Meanwhile, Arjun came from behind and said,
"There's good news."
"Oh, what? Are you becoming a father?" Priyal teased him.
"No, you're going to become a father. Why does everyone always understand good news in the same way? Listen, the point is... your admission in a US institute has been done."
Both of them stopped their work and looked at him. Pranjal said, "Have you come after drinking? What nonsense are you talking about? How can this be possible? And the fee... how was it arranged?"
"Actually..." Arjun stopped talking after saying that much.
"What? Say something else," Priyal said.
"You know I had a car, I sold it,"
"Are you mad?" Priyal stood up from her place and shouted, "How could you think of doing this?"
"You've done something stupid!" Pranjal also stood up and shouted at him, "Your brain has really gone haywire."
"My brain isn't haywire; yours and hers are. I never liked my car that much; and petrol has become so expensive. The expense on the car is more on petrol only..."
"Don't change the subject now," Priyal interrupted him, "Go back and bring the car. I don't need admission there. My friends have to do this; I don't even think about it in my dreams. Let's go and bring the car." Priyal came in a threatening tone.
Arjun took the bag hanging on his back to the front, opened it, and searched for something. The next moment, he took out some printed papers and handed them to Priyal. "Maybe you people didn't listen to me carefully. I said her admission has been done, which means the fee has been paid, and there's no chance of refund. When the fee of Chandigarh Institute can't be refunded, then it's even more so for a US institute."
Priyal took the documents, read them, and sat down on the bench. Pranjal saw it and took the documents from Priyal; she also read them. Then she also sat on the bench silently. Arjun came in front of both of them and said, "Don't worry about my car. Just like I took my car on EMI last time, I'll take it again this time. We're three good friends, always helping each other, whether it's a small help or a big one. Priyal's career, I mean whatever it is, I, as her friend, never want her wishes to remain unfulfilled. None of us want any of our wishes to remain unfulfilled. Our friendship... our friendship is like this." Priyal heard this and stood up from her place and hugged Arjun. She was crying. Pranjal also stood up from her place and hugged both of them. After hugging for some time, they all separated, and Pranjal said, "Now what about Chandigarh Institute? If I tell Papa that Priyal isn't going there, his anger... his anger can't be handled. And then Priyal is going to the US, or her admission has been done there, this news will cause an earthquake."
"You know my brain doesn't work like that, but when it works, it works dangerously. I have a small idea, and then the problem of Chandigarh Institute will also be solved," He looked at Pranjal and said, "You know there's another girl in our class named Priyal Sharma. Her father's name is also the same. Due to both of their names and father's name being the same in the class, even the teacher gets confused. Until they see both of their faces, their confusion hardly subsides. If we convince our Priyal to go to Chandigarh Institute instead of her, your father will never find out what Priyal is doing or where she is or isn't."
"But she'll go to the US, and Papa will see her there," Pranjal asked.
"Your Papa is big in authorities, not the head of the institute. He won't have much to do there; he'll rarely go there. All the decisions made in authorities are from outside, or their meetings are held there, and decisions are made, there's no connection with AI. He won't find out himself, and in the case of telling, we'll both be the ones who won't tell him this." Arjun told Pranjal.
Pranjal fell into thought, while Priyal didn't understand what she was doing. She said, "I don't think this is right..."
As soon as she said this, Arjun put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Trust me, you won't have any problem. I'll make everything normal later. I thought it through; I thought it was absolutely right."
"But..."
"There's no but, just prepare to go." Arjun said and smiled on his face. Priyal thought to herself for a while, but then she hugged Arjun. "Thank you so much, Arjun." She said to Arjun. Pranjal also came to Arjun and hugged him, saying, "Take a thank you from me too."
"Yes, why not? I'll keep so many thank yous in the bank and take a big loan, and then... then I'll become Ambani one day." He said it, and they all started laughing.
★★★
Two days later, Institute, USA.
Nick was reviewing the list of students selected for pre-training with one of his junior geniuses in his office. The genius, Genia, was also Ron's girlfriend and junior to Nick.
"Nick, hurry up. Check the list thoroughly and then sign the file and give it to me. This time, I have to handle the training for all the students selected for pre-training. The authority has given me the responsibility of Training Head. I don't know what the authority wants, but they've put me in charge of this pre-training session."
"The people are pleased with your work," Nick replied, taking out a pen and signing the file. "Last time, you trained four agents, and all four were selected for the President's selection. After this result, they would want you to prepare more agents like that. It will not only bring prestige to the Institute but also benefit the authority."
"Yes, although my workload has increased," Genia said, taking the file and checking the names written on it. "Interesting! This time, seven students from India have taken admission. I'm glad to see that. Even though we don't live in India, our parents are Indian. It's proud to see Indian participation in a USA agency."
"Yes, that's true. Our India is great," Nick agreed.
"Yes, there are 50 students in total, and there are arrangements for only 48 students to stay where the training will take place. It seems there will be some difficulty in accommodating the students."
"I have complete faith in you. You will manage it somehow."
"Yes, I have to. I don't have any other option. I want my peace of mind, and no one can stop it." Genia stood up, preparing to leave. "I'll go now; we'll meet soon." With that, she left. Nick continued with his remaining work.
★★★
Mumbai Airport, the next day.
Prial felt stressed at Mumbai Airport. She had decided to go to the USA, but she couldn't settle down. She told Arjun and Pranjal, "Please take care of things here. If anything goes wrong, I don't know what will happen. Our reputation will be ruined. I've already told Mom that I'm going for a fashion design course. I don't feel right about it; I feel weird lying."
"Don't think about it too much. What's done is done. Just follow the saying, 'If you've done it, don't be afraid.' You can follow it too," Arjun said with a smile.
"Yes, don't take too much tension. We'll handle whatever happens," Pranjal said, hugging Prial. "I'll miss you."
Arjun also hugged her. "And I will too." He separated from her and said in a dramatic tone, "Prial, if Nick doesn't accept you, I'm here. I'm single, and I'm ready to propose to you and marry you."
Prial glared at him. "Arjun, do you want to get beaten up before you leave?"
"No... no... Save your beating for Nick. I'll be there." Arjun said with a smile. But his expression turned sad, and he hugged Prial again. Pranjal was already hugging her. No one was crying, but their expressions seemed like they were about to cry. Prial said, her voice heavy with emotion, "I'll miss you both."
The announcement for the plane's takeoff was made, and they all separated. They wiped away their light tears that had fallen despite not crying. "Go, you're getting late. The plane will leave."
"And you'll miss the chance to meet Nick," Arjun said, nudging Prial with his elbow. He handed her her luggage, and they all hugged once more. Prial left for the plane, waving goodbye to her friends.
★★★
Training Place, USA.
Prial had arrived in the USA. She took her luggage and directly hailed a taxi to the training place. It took her an hour to get there. The training institute looked like a hostel. Three rows of rooms were built with another floor above them. There was a big garden in the middle. There was another park behind the front row of rooms with many trees and plants. There were arrangements there that were commonly used for training; muddy pits, barbed wire, and much more. The training place wasn't very crowded. Prial looked around the garden. She saw a girl who had come out of her room. The girl seemed Indian.
"Hey, are you from India?" Prial asked, approaching the girl.
"Yes, I'm from Chandigarh," the girl replied, noticing Prial.
"Oh wow... my hometown is Chandigarh. But I live in Mumbai and study there. My name is Prial, and yours?"
"My name is Arohi. I was scared. But thank God, I found someone from India here. I heard that there are five more Indian students besides you and me, but they haven't arrived yet," Arohi said. She had curly hair and a light brown complexion, with a healthy physique.
"Same here," Prial said. "I'm glad to see you. Now I won't feel like an outsider here." She asked, "By the way, I just arrived, and I don't know where my room is or how to find it. Can you help me? If I can find my room, I can settle down."
"Yes, why not?" Arohi said. "Let's go find your room." She walked towards the corridor. Prial had left most of her luggage at the gate and was only carrying her backpack.
Arohi said, "There's a list here with the room arrangements. Two people live in one room. I didn't check my roommate's name after arriving here. Hopefully, we're roommates. If that's the case, we'll get along well."
"Yes," Prial replied. "Anyway, our Hindi will be the same. I don't like speaking English; it doesn't feel natural."
Arohi laughed. "Then our thinking matches a lot. We'll get along great."
The two of them soon reached where the list was posted. Arohi read the list. She found Prial's name, but there was no room number next to it. "Amazing, your name is here, but there's no room number," she said.
"What?!" Prial was surprised and checked the list herself. "But how is that possible?" She couldn't find her room either.
"We'll have to find out at the office," Arohi said, pointing to one side. "The office is there."
Prial said, "Alright, you stay here; I'll go and come back." She walked towards the office.
In the office, Genia was working. When Prial arrived and knocked on the door, Genia's attention turned to the door, and she saw Prial. Genia seemed lost for a moment. Then she regained her composure and said, "Oh my god! You're very pretty. What's your name?"
"Hello, I'm Prial. Do you understand Hindi?" Prial was surprised to see a foreign girl speaking Hindi.
Genia quickly gathered her files, looked at Prial, and said, "Aren't I speaking Hindi only? What other language am I speaking?"
"No, I didn't mean that. You don't seem Indian, so I was surprised to hear you speak Hindi," Prial explained.
"My mom and dad are Indian, so I know Hindi," Genia said, gathering her files and approaching Prial. "You're here? What...?"
"That is, I couldn't find my room. There are room numbers next to everyone's name, but not mine. There's another girl; her name doesn't have a room number either."
"Oh, actually, there are two extra students this time, so there's a bit of a room problem. But don't worry; I'll adjust in my room. You can stay with me."
Prial showed innocence on her face and asked, "Are you a student?"
"I'm not a student, but I have a small position here. I'm your Training Head."
"Oh, I'm sorry..." Prial felt embarrassed. "I didn't mean to; I should have called you ma'am."
"Oh, that's enough. I'm not your aunt, so you don't have to say ma'am. And don't be embarrassed; everyone here is friendly, so you haven't committed any crime. You're going to stay in my room, so we'll be friends anyway. Do you have any problem with that?" Genia looked at Prial with a slight smile.
"No, no... not at all," Prial said, extending her hand. They shook hands, and Genia took Prial to her room.
★★★
Jini made complete arrangements for Priyal in her room. She cleared a bed for her and made space in the wardrobe for her clothes. After doing all this, she said to Priyal, "Priyal, there's a meeting for all new students in the auditorium. You need to be there in 15 minutes. Some important announcements are going to be made, so it's important for you to listen to them."
Priyal suddenly looked at her and said, "Will Captain Nick also be there?" The words just slipped out of her mouth.
Jini looked at her in surprise. "What? You know him?"
"No, I just saw his interview," Priyal managed to say.
"Whatever it is, but don't you dare tell him, or anyone else. This is your friend's first piece of advice for you," Jini said, closing the wardrobe and heading towards the door.
She paused at the door, and Priyal asked casually, "If you don't mind, can I know the reason?"
"Yes... no," Jini said, shrugging her shoulders. "Nick doesn't like all this; he's a person who maintains strict discipline. He takes his job very seriously, and most importantly, he stays away from girls."
"Away from girls...?" Priyal blurted out at that very moment.
Jini widened her eyes and said, "Oh my god! Are you a girl or what? You're going to ask so many questions today? I thought I talked a lot. But here there are people even bigger than me." After that, she took a deep breath and exhaled, saying, "Well, at least I've found someone to compete with me. We'll get along well." Then she turned towards the door to leave. "Okay, bye, I'm going, you come."
After Jini left, Priyal hit her forehead and sat on the bed, saying, "What Priyal, you too! As soon as you arrived, you started talking about Captain Nick, Captain Nick. Can't you be patient? I don't know what this madam will think of me now, and if she knows Nick, what will she say about you to him? Silly girl, learn to be a little patient."
When Priyal came out, all the students were gathered in the center of the campus. Right in front of them stood Jini and another person, who were on the opposite side of the speech table. Seeing the other person clearly, it was evident that he would be giving the most important speech in whatever program was to happen today. Priyal stood there. She saw Arohi there, and as soon as they saw each other, they exchanged smiles.
Soon, the other person took the mic and addressed everyone, "Good morning all students." He paused after saying this. He looked at the faces of all the students and then said again, "Not all students have arrived yet, but they will come in a day or two. It will be a regret that they will miss this welcome speech. But you people, you are fortunate to be listening to this welcome speech. Our institute or agency has served the USA for many years, and we will continue to do so. When our institute was formed, none of us thought that one day it would reach a point where agents of this agency would be selected for presidential security. For an agent to be selected for presidential security is the highest honor for an agent. Only those agents are kept there who know how to handle almost every kind of situation. And you will be happy to know that our agency has provided a total of 125 such agents so far, who are either working today or have worked for the President's security. This number ranks fourth compared to all security agencies in the USA. We look for reliable and better agents, which is why our institute's process, you can call it the admission process, is quite different from other institutes. Before going to the institute, there is a training called pre-training, and only those who succeed in it get the opportunity to go there, while others have to go home. All of you are here for this training. If you work hard here, some of you lucky people will get the opportunity to move forward. A golden opportunity that will be for your golden future. I hope you all give your 100% here and work hard to be among those whom we will personally take to our institute. Best of luck." He said and stepped back. As he left, there was a huge round of applause.
After his speech, Jini came forward and said, "The three months of training will be tough. We have made six levels for it, which will be gradually communicated to all of you. We will wait for two days so that students who haven't arrived can also come. If any of them are still absent after two days, their entry will be canceled. Then, after two days, we will start this training. Until then, you can meet each other, get acquainted, and explore this entire place. Yes, there is a training area behind, going there is not allowed, so keep that in mind. Best of luck." She also finished her speech, after which there was applause again, but it wasn't as much.
It was around 9:00 PM. It was dinner time, arrangements for which were made in the campus itself. When Priyal went to get food, she met Arohi. As soon as Arohi saw her, she said, "Your room arrangements are done. Sorry, I couldn't find time to talk to you after the speech today; my roommate arrived, and the whole day was spent with her."
"It's fine, no problem. My day was also spent with arrangements. I've got a room, and this belongs to the principal, teacher, I don't know what to call that madam. She had made arrangements for the night, but afterward, neither she liked it nor I did. Then I said, give me a chance to do it, so she said okay, do it, and left from here. After that, I finished all that work. When they come tonight, I'll ask them what they think, otherwise, it will be as they say."
"So, both of us had a hectic day," Arohi said and started laughing. After that, they both took their food and headed towards their respective rooms.
It was around 11:00 PM, Priyal was talking to Arjun and Pranjal on a video call. Pranjal had been talking for quite some time, but Arjun had just arrived. As soon as Arjun saw her, he asked, "Hey madam, have you met Nick yet?"
"Not yet, and there's no chance of meeting him for the next three months. This campus and the institute have nothing to do with each other. Only after passing the training here will we reach the institute, and then there will be a chance to meet."
"Then you'll have to work very hard for it." Then he said, "Silly! We already know all these things. I said it as a joke, which you never understand. How can you? You'd only understand if you had any sense."
"Enough, brother, I have more sense than you," Priyal retorted teasingly as Arjun started to tease her.
"Yes, yes, talk now. How much sense you have, how much you don't, will be known when Captain Nick comes in front of you..." Arjun was saying this when the door to Priyal's room opened, and Jini entered. As she came in, Arjun continued, "See, your voice will be silenced in front of Captain Nick."
Priyal looked at Jini and heard Arjun's words, and was completely flustered. She immediately closed the laptop and stood up from her place. "When... when did you come?"
"Just now," Jini said, closing the door and coming inside. Her facial expressions were not normal, which was bothering Priyal. "What were you talking about just now?" Jini asked.
"What...? Nothing," Priyal managed to say.
"Nothing? You know very well what I'm talking about. You mentioned Captain Nick's name this morning too, and now what your friend was saying, all of it, you haven't come here to impress or depress him, have you?"
"It's nothing like that, ma'am, you're misunderstanding. He is the captain of the institute, a captain, which is a very high position. I've never been able to speak much in front of my seniors here. What my friend said just now was from the perspective that if you go in front of Captain Nick, your voice will be silenced, meaning if you go in front of someone with a high position, your voice will be silenced, which it usually is. As for this morning, I said that because I had heard his interview, hence the question."
"Look, I told you this morning, and I'm telling you now, he doesn't like girls."
"So, are boys...?" Suddenly, Priyal widened her eyes and said, adjusting her hair.
"Oh, you silly..." Jini couldn't stop herself from laughing even in a serious tone after hearing this. "He likes girls, but absolutely not the kind of girls who want to impress him, understand? Keep this in mind," Jini said and went into the bathroom. As soon as she left, Priyal hit her forehead for her own sake. "You too, Priyal! You're crazy."
Meanwhile, as Jini closed the bathroom door, she said, "I'm starting to like this girl. Nick's life has an empty slot for love. I wish she came here just to impress him. If that happens, I'll help her myself. Nick needs a girl like this; she's worthy of his love."
Zini walked out of the bathroom, and Priyal was busy with her work. Zini started imagining Priyal and Nick together.
Priyal noticed Zini staring at her and smiled. "What's wrong, Zini ma'am? Why are you smiling at me?"
Zini asked out of the blue, "Do you like Nick?"
Priyal was taken aback and didn't respond.
Zini approached her and said, "You know Nick and I are not just colleagues, but also friends. If you tell me the truth, it might be beneficial for you. I don't know if I can help you with these difficulties."
Priyal thought for a moment and found Zini's behavior friendly. She couldn't help but tell her, "Actually, I'm not sure if it's right or wrong, but I do like him."
Zini exclaimed, "Oh God, I was right! I'm so glad I guessed correctly."
Zini assured Priyal that she would help her and asked her to be honest. Priyal shared that she had never seen Nick in person but had watched his videos.
Zini learned that Nick doesn't have any social media accounts and values his privacy.
Mumbai...
After sending Priyal to the US, Arjun and Pranjal's next challenge was convincing Priyal Sharma, Priyal's classmate, to go to Chandigarh.
Priyal Sharma was walking towards the cafe's porch after class when Arjun and Pranjal ran to her.
She teased them, "Are you guys crazy? Why are you running around here like you're in school?"
Priyal Sharma was the opposite of Priyal; she was rude and spoke her mind. Despite this, Arjun and Pranjal had to convince her.
Arjun asked, "Priyal, what's your plan after graduation?"
Priyal Sharma replied, "I don't have any plans. My family thinks it's better to spend money on my marriage than on my education. I'm thinking of failing my last year on purpose so they won't force me to get married."
Arjun and Pranjal exchanged amused glances, but Pranjal asked, "What if you get to study for free?"
Priyal Sharma thought for a moment and then agreed to listen.
Arjun and Pranjal explained their plan, and Priyal Sharma agreed, but only if she didn't have to pay anything and could study for free.
She warned them, "I'm only agreeing on one condition: my family shouldn't find out. I'll update my roommates as soon as I get there."
Arjun assured her that he would accompany her and help her.
Priyal Sharma left, and Arjun and Pranjal breathed a sigh of relief.
Nick was sitting in his office when he received an official email. He was asked to attend a lecture for student training.
He got annoyed and thought, "Is there not enough work here that I have to teach a class now?"
Emma walked in and asked if everything was fine. Nick complained about the extra work.
Emma suggested he attend the lecture, and Nick reluctantly agreed.
Zini had also received the news about Nick attending the class. She was more excited that Priyal would get to see Nick up close.
Priyal had finished her classes and returned to her room. Zini went to her room to share the news.
She hugged Priyal and exclaimed, "I have amazing news! Nick will be attending your class for the training."
Priyal was skeptical, but Zini confirmed it.
Priyal started making plans to prepare for the class and asked Zini to accompany her to the spa.
Zini advised Priyal not to make an effort to impress Nick and to be herself.
Zini suggested that Priyal dress formally and try to blend in.
Priyal agreed, trusting Zini's judgment.
The next morning, the campus grounds were bustling. Priyal hadn't slept well the entire night, excitement coursing through her veins. She had discussed it with Anju and Pranjal, but the conversation hadn't gone as planned. The next morning, she woke up early and got ready as Genie had instructed. After preparing, she checked herself in the mirror several times. Then, she headed to the campus grounds. Priyal wore normal jeans and a T-shirt, covering her hair with a helmet. Aarohi spotted her and approached her, looking surprised.
"Are you crazy, Priyal? What's with this outfit? You look like a boy, not a girl. The other girls here are all dressed up like they're about to walk a runway. Your look is completely wasted," Aarohi said, raising an eyebrow.
Priyal's confidence took a hit, and she began to doubt herself. Genie arrived, and the students formed a line. Genie addressed them, saying, "Everyone will go to the training field and warm up. Our captain will arrive today to give a day's training, but it will take some time. You'll be informed when he arrives." With that, she stepped aside, and the students headed to the training field, except Priyal, who remained still. Genie noticed her and approached her.
"Trust me, whatever happens will be for the best. I know Nick well and what he likes and dislikes. I promised you I'd fulfill my promise, and I will. Just don't lose faith in me," Genie said, placing a reassuring hand on Priyal's shoulder.
Priyal smiled weakly and nodded. Genie told her to go warm up, and Priyal headed to the field, her attention divided between warming up and watching the entrance.
As she waited, a long black car arrived, and Priyal's heart skipped a beat. The door opened, and Nick and Emma stepped out. Priyal couldn't take her eyes off Nick, who was wearing a white shirt and pants that accentuated his physique. He casually ran his hand through his hair and put on a jacket, leaving Priyal breathless.
Nick and Emma approached the students, and Nick introduced himself, "Hello, boys and girls, I'm Captain Nick. You'll be working under me after training."
Emma introduced herself as the field captain. Nick mentioned he had an authority meeting in two hours and suggested they start the training program. He stood up straight, his captain-like demeanor commanding attention. "Attention, students," he said, and Priyal stood up, trying to blend in.
The training began, and Priyal struggled to keep up, her focus wavering due to Nick's presence. She tried to avoid him, but eventually, Nick approached her and corrected her stance, holding her wrist. "Hold it like this, boy," he said, and Priyal's heart raced.
As the training progressed, Priyal found herself in difficulty, unable to defend against the incoming arrows. Nick noticed her struggles and stepped in, shielding her with his own body. The arrows hit him, but he didn't flinch. When the training stopped, Nick turned to Priyal, and for a moment, they locked eyes.
In that moment, Nick was transported back to a past memory, one that made his heart ache. A memory of a girl named Eli, who had left him seven years ago. He remembered the pain, the sorrow, and the emptiness.
The flashback took him to a hospital room where Eli lay dying. Nick and Emma were by her side, crying uncontrollably. Nick had begged her not to leave him, promising to do anything she asked.
Eli's final words were about taking care of her sisters and her brother, Zain. Nick was devastated, and Emma tried to comfort him. After Eli's passing, Nick was left shattered.
The memories came flooding back as Nick looked at Priyal, and he pushed her away, walking off. Priyal was left stunned, tears welling up in her eyes. She ran to her room, locking the door behind her, and cried.
Two hours later, Nick found himself in a cemetery, standing in front of Eli's grave. He spoke to her, confessing his love and longing. He had been going through the motions since her passing, but today, his heart ached with a renewed intensity.
It was around 10 pm. Jini had come to the hospital with Priyal, who had gotten injured. When Nik had pushed her, she had gotten hurt. Priyal had ignored the injury she sustained on the ground that morning. However, by evening, her hand was aching more. Seeing the swelling on Priyal's hand, Jini had taken her to the hospital. Arohi was also with them. Emma had also coincidentally come to the hospital on some errand. Seeing Priyal, Emma remembered that it was she who Nik had pushed. Emma approached them and asked, "Hey God! Are you fine?"
Jini saw her and replied, "Oh, Emma! Priyal is fine. What about you? What are you doing in the hospital?"
Emma looked at Jini in surprise and asked, "Do you know this girl?"
"Yes, she's my friend and roommate," Jini replied, nodding her head.
Emma was even more surprised. "Roommate? Are you serious? You can't have a student with you; you need permission for that. Did you take permission?"
"Yes, I took permission myself," Jini said with a laugh. "The rest, Ron doesn't mind my decisions. And there were two more students, and there was a shortage of rooms, so we had to adjust."
"You people are so busy; I didn't get a chance to tell you. Besides, I don't need your or Nik's permission to do my job. I have full control over the campus. Nik knew about the room shortage."
Emma didn't respond to Jini's words; she seemed displeased with her attitude. She looked annoyed and left. Priyal and Arohi looked at each other and Priyal said to Jini, "Don't you think you were a bit too rude to her?"
"Really? But I showed a normal attitude," Jini said, raising her shoulders.
"No, it was a bit strange," Priyal said.
"In that case, I should go and talk to her; I didn't mean to," Jini said and prepared to leave. As she left, she said, "Alright, you guys go see the doctor. You'll find Indian doctors here too. There are almost all kinds of doctors here, so do as you see fit. Arohi, you're with her, right?"
"Yes, ma'am. Don't worry; I'm with her. I won't leave her; I don't know much about the institute," Arohi said.
"Oh, well, then take care of her. As soon as her treatment is done, we'll leave for the campus," Jini said and left.
About an hour had passed. Priyal and Arohi had spoken to the doctor and gotten treatment. They were coming back after their treatment. When they came back, they met a girl who said, "Oh, you're the one who got hurt in the morning; are you okay?"
Priyal looked at her but didn't recognize her. She replied, "Yes, I have a bit of muscle injury. I'll be fine in a day or two with a crepe bandage. Are you from our campus? How do we...?"
Arohi asked her, "I've never seen you before; who are you?"
The girl replied, "My name is Ayesha Siddiqui, and I'm in the first year. You're my seniors or, rather, your seniors-to-be. I know you both because I came to campus in the morning, but my job is related to storage management, so I was arranging it. I see you both as you have just started the pre-training process; I don't know if you'll come or not."
Arohi found her training process comment a bit strange and disliked it. She spoke up, "Are you here to rank us? We'll see in the future if we'll make it or not, but it's not right to say anything about it."
Ayesha laughed and said, "Not at all! I'm also Indian like you, so why would I rank you?"
Priyal was also offended by her words and said, "I mean, if we weren't Indian, would you rank us?"
"No! There's no ranking allowed here. There are very few Indians here, and those who are here are very boring. I've been here for a year, but I haven't found any decent friends. I mean, in the future."
Priyal made a face and said, "No, miss, senior miss. We can't make friends with you now; we don't know what our future holds. Once our future is decided, we'll see if we want to be friends with you or not." Priyal held Arohi's hand and took her away.
Emma was angry with Jini and thought of complaining to Ron, but then Jini arrived. Before Emma could complain, Jini said, "Hey, sorry Emma; I didn't mean to hurt you. My mood was a bit off today, and it affected my behavior; I didn't mean to say that."
Emma turned her face away. Jini approached her and hugged her from behind. While hugging, she said, "My dear friend can't be angry with me. Forgive me, okay; it won't happen again. My sweetheart, my darling, forgive me." Emma showed rudeness for a while but couldn't keep it up for long and relented. She turned to Jini and said, "It happened this time, but don't do it again. You know your rude behavior is useless. If you do it again, I'll hit your head; where that small brain of yours is, and it keeps getting upset."
Just then, Nik passed by outside the room. He glanced inside and saw Emma and Jini, which reminded him of Priyal, and he couldn't help but go to Jini.
He entered the room and asked, "Jini, who was that girl?"
Jini was still hugging Emma; she heard Nik's question but didn't understand its meaning. She separated from Emma and asked without looking at Nik, "Who are you talking about? There are many girls here."
Ron looked at Nik with wide eyes because he had heard Nik ask a girl a question for the first time. Otherwise, he never discussed things like that in the institute. Ron asked, "What's wrong, Nik? Who are you looking for? Is something wrong?" He didn't take it in a negative angle because he knew Nik. Therefore, he approached the question with attention.
Emma understood what Nik was asking and said, "Nik, the girl you're looking for is our dear Jini's new friend and roommate."
Nik was surprised, "What? Roommate?"
"Yes, can it not be?" Jini said. "I liked her, and she couldn't get a room on campus, so I shifted her to my room. Now, we've become very good friends." Jini told everything but omitted the part about Priyal liking him.
Nik didn't like it; he said in a taunting tone, "If I meet five people on the road looking for a room, I can send them to you."
"Nik..." Jini's mood changed quickly; she said, "You know there was a shortage of rooms this time; I had to adjust her with me."
"Yes, there was a shortage of rooms, but some students didn't join; their admission was canceled. You could have arranged it somewhere else."
"I couldn't pay attention; there are many things happening on campus; we can't spend all our time arranging student rooms."
"If you can't do it, then quit this job," Nik's face showed lines of anger. "Our rule doesn't allow any student to stay with a member of the institute. She could be a spy from which the institute can be threatened. That's why this rule was made. Pre-training is also there so that members recruited to the institute can be examined properly. And you..."
Nik wanted to say more, but Jini interrupted and said, "Yes, there is a rule, but it doesn't define in which context the 'staying' word is used, in relationships or something else. And as for quitting my job, I have complete control over the campus; only authority can make a decision on that; no one else can, not even you. So, it's better you don't tell me to do or not do my job." Both stood facing each other.
Their argument could escalate; seeing that, Emma came forward and said, "Stop fighting over the girl; you're good friends; why don't you respond like that? Why bring anger in between?" She turned to Nik and said, "And Nik, when did you start taking interest in the institute's students?" It came out in a similar tone.
"Hold your words..." Nik's anger rose to the seventh sky. "Don't ever say that again. Alee can't be replaced." Nik said and left. After he left, everyone looked at each other's faces.
Emma went to Nik's room; he was rotating in his chair.
Emma said, "I'm sorry, Nik; I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't know how it came out of my mouth."
"I know; that's why I'm not angry with you," Nik said. His face showed he was thinking about something else. "Leave that; pay attention to this; I don't think that girl is right; I don't know why. Ever since I saw her, I've been feeling strange."
"You didn't understand?"
"You'll understand, but it will take time. I want you to keep an eye on her; if you get any important information, tell me about her," Nik said.
"Uh, I don't want to do that; but you say so, okay; I'll keep an eye on her," Emma said and left.
The next morning, Priyal came out of the washroom; her phone rang; it was Pranjal. Priyal picked up the phone. As soon as she picked up, Pranjal said, "Hello Priya; mom is on a conference call; talk quickly. I'll connect the call." She quickly connected the call.
Priyal composed herself and said, "Hello, mom; how are you?"
"I'm fine; how are you?"
"I'm fine, mom," Priyal looked at her hand and saw her injury.
Priyanka said, "You know I got a call from your college today; I'm proud of you; they're very happy with your designing skills."
Priyal was a bit sad; she didn't know the real truth; tears came to her eyes; she wiped them. She wasn't in a state to talk; she said to Priyanka, "Mom, I'm outside; I'll talk to you later. Love you." and she hung up.
Priyal called Pranjal immediately. Arjun was there. Pranjal said, "Hello Priyali; mom's here; talk to her." Priyal called her.
Priyal composed herself and, as soon as the call connected, she said, "Hello mom; how are you?"
Her mom said she was fine; Priyal told her too.
Priyanka said,
"You know I got a call from your college today; I'm proud of you; they are very happy with your designing skills."
Priyal listened; tears pricked at the corners; she wiped them; she was still upset; tears came to her eyes; she could sense; she talked; she couldn't; talked in distress she;
"mom i m outside talk to you later. i wuv you" she hung the call
Priyal cut off the call; moments; she immersed in memories; Nick; Priyanka thought in one.
Her hand; think on her Priyanka touched she;
Tears well on she. she looked to hand; thought; look like look on she. she see memory. thought;
She think she heard from. Nick
she she stood; she wiped her tears to tears on they;
Look on she;
She put; on face; tears;
She to she. tears she to her. she
Priyanka hung to
Priyanka on Priyanka
Nick she.
The next day, Nik woke up early and left for the institute. He was still troubled, thinking about what had happened the previous night. Before leaving, he had also looked at the folded picture of Priya.
As Nik reached the institute's main gate, he bumped into Jain, his adopted brother. Nik's mind was preoccupied with last night's events, so he didn't pay attention to Jain and collided with him.
Jain, steadying Nik at that moment, asked, "Are you all right, sir? Where is your focus?" Jain knew how much rules mattered to Nik, which is why he addressed him as "sir."
Nik collected himself and, adjusting his jacket, said to Jain, "There's no need to be so formal, Jain. It's not like we're in class here, that you're calling me sir."
"Sorry, brother," Jain said casually, "Everyone at the institute knows we're brothers. And you also brought me from home and settled me here."
"I can't focus if I stay at home, Jain. And don't forget, I settled here at the institute for you too. Otherwise, I could have easily done other work while staying in the field."
"Alright, alright, brother," Jain smiled and said, "I was just making a normal observation." He then added, "By the way, where was your focus that you bumped into me? This is the first time. You're an agent, so you're always alert, but how today?"
Nik fell silent. With a hint of sadness on his face, he said, "Nothing. Just remembering some old things. Memories I've forgotten for a long time."
"I understand, brother, but there's no point in dwelling on the past. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you should make a fresh start. You should think about a new relationship."
"Jain..." Nik showed a slight anger on his face, "You are my younger brother, not the other way around. So don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do. Go to your class and attend it." Nik said in an ordering tone and then left. Jain watched him go, and when he disappeared from his sight, he said, "Brother is becoming like before again. He reacted like this when Ellie left this world..." "God, keep everything well."
As Jain was talking to himself, Alia arrived. Seeing Jain talking to himself, Alia started laughing. Seeing her laugh, Jain went to her and said, "What? Do I look crazy to you that you're laughing at me?"
Alia, still laughing, said, "If someone stands alone and talks to themselves, people will think they're crazy."
"There are many other reasons for talking to oneself; it's not always crazy people who talk alone." He then looked at Alia's face and, recalling something, said, "You're from the first year, aren't you? I think I've seen you before?"
Alia changed her expression and, in a generally playful manner, said, "Oh, so you've seen me before? Wow! I didn't know I was so beautiful that guys would look at me like this."
"Isn't that a bit much?" Jain looked at her askance.
"I was joking," Alia said with a laugh. "I didn't know you knew me. You seem quite close to Captain Nik?"
"Yes, he's my elder brother."
"Oh, great, I didn't know about that."
"Most people don't know about it; we've told very few people."
"Then it's nice to meet you," Alia extended her hand and shook Jain's. "Which year are you in, by the way?"
"Second."
"Wow! Really, do you have the first-year notes? I have a habit of studying ahead, but I'm not finding the material."
"Yes, I have them." Jain didn't know what to say. Alia was reacting very friendly.
"Then, can I have your notes?" Alia asked.
Jain felt a little awkward. But since he had mentioned the notes, he couldn't refuse. He said, "Okay, you can take them. Give me your email ID. I'll mail everything to you."
Alia gave her email ID to Jain. After that, Alia left for her class, while Jain watched her go from behind. He didn't find her quite right.
---
Jini was training the students in class. Due to yesterday's incident, she was angry. Nik had spoken to her angrily, and she had also shown him her own attitude. She neither liked what Nik had said nor felt that what she had said was right. Priya was also in training but wasn't participating due to her injury. She was watching everyone from a distance. While watching everyone from afar, she was thinking about why Nik had reacted differently upon seeing her.
Just then, Ron's bike stopped outside the class, and he got off and came inside. Seeing him, Jini told the students to continue training and walked towards him. As soon as she reached him, she asked Ron, "You, why are you here?"
"Amazing, can't I come? My girlfriend works here, I mean, she's the head of this whole class, so why shouldn't I come here?"
"If Nik finds out, he'll make a big deal out of it. This also doesn't come under our rules. His behavior has become strange lately, so anything can be expected from him."
"He's been a bit troubled lately." Both came out of the class and started talking while taking a normal walk. "We're seeing the same behavior from him that we saw seven years ago after Ellie's death. He had become rude. He used to keep to himself. He used to talk angrily to everyone. It was less before, but it's increased even more since yesterday."
"Maybe I know why all this is happening. Somewhere, I am the reason for it. Why didn't I think about this?" "How have you suddenly become involved in his changing behavior?" Ron looked at her.
"Ah..." Jini started thinking to herself. While thinking, she said, "Actually, I should have told you this long ago. The girl in the class who is staying with me, Priya, sometimes reminds me of Ellie. And somewhere, I feel Nik must also have remembered her. That's why he's become like this."
"What are you saying? And you're telling me this now? I also saw Priya, but I didn't get that feeling."
"You didn't see her up close. From a distance, you don't get the feeling, but up close, you get that exact feeling."
"If that's the case, believe me, keep her away from Nik... otherwise, by bringing her close to Nik, you're doing something that's like throwing yourself into the fire. A fire that burns not others, but only oneself."
Hearing this, Jini became completely silent. After becoming silent, she said, "Perhaps I also feel that way now."
---
Nik was in his office, where he had now placed Priya's picture prominently on his desktop. He was trying to ignore it, but he couldn't ignore it even if he wanted to. Just then, his phone rang. He picked up the phone and found out it was a call from the authorities. They said, "This is an emergency condition call. A bomb has been found in a public bus. The location is only three kilometers away from NA Institute. The bomb squad has been dispatched. The order is to send a team from the institute and keep the public away from the bus for public safety."
Nik hung up the phone and immediately pressed the red button near the table. This was the emergency button, after which all agents would get ready to go.
Soon, Nik was heading towards his car with Emma. He was in his black outfit. Behind him were about a dozen other agents. Nik asked Emma, "Where is Ron?"
Emma knew he had gone to meet Jini, but telling her this could be dangerous. So she said, "He's gone to meet a friend today. I've informed him, so he'll be at the location soon."
"Great, you guys are really taking advantage of the salary you're getting," Nik said and opened the car door and sat in it.
"Good thing I didn't mention a friend's name, or this salary would have stopped from today," Emma said to herself and got into the car from the other side.
Soon, they were all at the location, keeping the crowd away from the bus. Nik stood away from the bus and watched his team work. His hands were on his hips, and he wore glasses. Just then, he heard the sound of a child crying from inside the bus. Seeing this, he first looked around and then started moving towards the bus.
Emma noticed him and stopped him, saying, "Nik, you can't do this, there's a bomb in the bus."
"Yes, but there's also a child there. If we don't help them, anything could happen." "Let the bomb squad come."
"Waiting could be even more dangerous," Nik said and immediately reached the bus and went inside. As he entered, he saw a woman with a child in a frightened position on the floor in the last seat. Nik went to them and said to both, "Come on, let's go outside, it's dangerous here." "No, I can't do this, there is a bomb," said the frightened woman.
Nik picked up the child and forcefully made the woman stand up and face forward. After that, he said in a strict voice, "Hurry up and move forward. You have to go, and because of you, this child will be further harmed."
As the woman moved forward a bit, he handed the child to her. The woman, with the child, got down and then ran towards the front. After getting her out, Nik started looking at the other seats in the bus. In his hurry, he checked if anyone else was hiding here. After checking all the seats, as he stepped out to get down, he remembered Priya again. He recalled the scenes where he turned towards Priya, and she was adjusting her hair right in front of him. He got off the bus and started walking forward. But due to the recurring scenes, whatever was happening seemed to be happening in slow motion. Just then, after Priya, Nik remembered scenes of Ellie, where she was struggling to breathe.
Just then, the machine in his memory stopped, while outside, the bus exploded, and Nik was thrown forward, crashing into the car. In his memory, after the machine stopped, a "thump" sound echoed, and in reality, after the bomb blast, the ringing sound in his ears resonated. The two merged, and with that, darkness fell before Nik's eyes.
---
Priya was watching the afternoon training. Just then, her heartbeat increased slightly, and she felt as if something was wrong. Her heart had beaten strangely for the first time. But back then, she never had a feeling of something going wrong. Whereas today, she did.
Nikhil opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital room. There were many people gathered around him, including Ron and Emma, who were standing at the forefront. As soon as he regained consciousness, Emma stepped forward and asked, "How are you? Are you okay? Did anything happen? And where was your attention? I even called out to you, but you didn't hear me. It seemed like you were in a different world." Emma fired off several questions at once. Nikhil sat up in bed and replied, "My attention was on the field, but suddenly I felt dizzy, which distracted me." Emma suggested, "Oh, I think you should take a few days off. I don't feel right about you right now. It would be better if you rested a bit. You could even go somewhere for a vacation." Nikhil firmly said, "I'm not going to do that. You know my work is everything to me; I'm not going to leave it." Ron stepped forward and said, "I agree with Emma; you should take a few days off." Nikhil looked at Ron with a hint of annoyance and then asked while sitting up further, "Tell me, what's the update on the mission?" He tried to change the subject because he didn't want to take a break. Emma replied while looking at the tablet in her hand, "There hasn't been any update from the authority yet. Perhaps they'll take some time due to your injury. Fortunately, you didn't suffer any other injuries. You saved a mother and a child, which we've added to the mission update. This will be very helpful for you in the authority's update." Nikhil became angry and said, "Why was it necessary to do such a thing?" He glared at Emma. "You know I don't like this. If we help someone, it's not our work; it's our duty. Never add this to my work." Ron intervened, "You don't like anything. What can we do?" He continued, "If we look directly, we were unsuccessful in this mission. The authority will make a tough decision. Since you're injured, this will be good for you; it might help your case." Nikhil said, "I don't care about the authorities or their decisions." He turned his face away. Emma and Ron exchanged a glance, and then Emma approached Nikhil, placed her hand on his shoulder, and told him to rest, "Alright, you rest, and we'll see what happens." After saying that, she left. Nikhil adjusted his face and fell back into his previous thoughts. The image of Primal reappeared before his eyes. He couldn't forget the way she combed her hair. The memory made him hit his fist on the bed in anger, causing pain in his shoulder. He closed his eyes, ignored the pain, and hit his fist on the bed again. "Why is this girl coming to my mind?" he muttered, hitting his fist again, "I shouldn't think about her." Primal couldn't sleep well that night. She felt anxious but didn't know what had happened. Jinny wasn't there to ask. As soon as it was morning, she got up, took a quick bath, and went to the ground. Jinny's car arrived around 10:00 AM. Primal ran towards the car and asked Jinny, "I've been feeling strange since yesterday. Is everything okay? Did something happen to Nikhil?" Jinny replied, surprised, "I don't know anything about it. My mom wasn't feeling well, so I was with her yesterday. She had vomiting and diarrhea, and I couldn't even check my phone." Primal's heart sank. "You should find out quickly; something doesn't feel right to me." Jinny took out her phone and called Ron. After talking to Ron, she was shocked and worried. She told Primal, "Nikhil got injured in a bomb explosion; he's in the hospital." Primal fainted after hearing this. Nikhil was in his hospital room. Most students were in their classes, making the institute seem empty. Zayn and Aiva had learned about Nikhil's injury and came to visit him. They sat beside him in the hospital. Zayn said, "Brother, I told you many times not to go on missions. If something happens to you, I won't have anyone in this world." Aiva added, "Nikhil, you should think about Zayn." Nikhil replied, "Nothing will happen to me. You both are my reason for living. As long as I have breath, consider it for you." Zayn joked, "Don't be so selfless; keep a bit for yourself." Emma arrived, reading a report on her tablet. She said, "There's an update from the authority. They didn't make a tough decision because Nikhil is one of their best agents. However, they can't show leniency. Since Nikhil got injured, they've ordered him to be shifted to the campus for secrecy. His treatment will also be done there. The news of his injury could harm the institute's reputation." Nikhil protested, "What the... On one hand, they say I'm their best agent, and on the other, my injury harms their institute. What a joke." Emma explained, "You know the competition is tough. The President for Society's agent trial is in six months. Any such news could harm the image there. Other agencies could also take advantage, causing problems." Nikhil firmly said, "But I won't be shifted to the campus." Emma replied, "You have no other choice. You'll be settled in the best room on campus, in Jinny's room." Nikhil looked at Emma, "Any other bad news? Jinny and I recently had a fight; you're shifting me to her room." Emma said, "She's your friend; she'll forget about the fight after hearing about your injury." Nikhil suggested, "It's better if I shift to my secret house; there won't be any disturbance." Emma replied, "You can shift there, but we can't send a doctor for your treatment. A doctor's visit would make it less secret." Ankit, a boy, arrived and said, "Let's go, brothers, if the discussion is done. We'll start preparing to shift him. There's no one outside, and it's a great opportunity for us. We can't let students know about it." Ron arrived, wearing a doctor's coat. He said jokingly, "What! We're on a secret mission to shift Nikhil covertly." They moved Nikhil on a stretcher, covered him well, and took him outside to an ambulance. As they put him in the ambulance, Ron closed the door and told him to go. Nikhil lay on the stretcher, suddenly sat up as if coming out of a bad shock, and said, "Oh no, Jinny's room; that girl will also be there." He fell back onto the stretcher. Jinny was in her room; Primal was lying in front of her, getting a health checkup from a senior. The senior said after checking, "This weakness is due to lack of nutrition; you need to take care of her diet." Jinny remembered Primal mentioning feeling strange and said, "I understand now; I know why this happened." She asked the senior to leave. After the senior left, Jinny looked at Primal's face and thought, "I was thinking of not helping you, but today... what should I do now? Should I help you or not?" Her phone had a message. She read it and exclaimed, "Oh no, what's this?" The message read, "Nikhil is being secretly shifted to your room. He will stay there until he recovers."
Around 7:00 PM, Nick's ambulance arrived outside the camp. Zeni was waiting at the door with some of her students. As the ambulance arrived, Zeni gestured to her students. The students moved towards the ambulance, extracted the stretcher, and brought Nick out. As the stretcher approached Zeni, Nick looked at her, and she looked back at him.
Zeni said, "You have such a passion for fighting, don't you? Now, see how well you're treated here. Come on, fight me..." She then punched Nick's shoulder, where a slight plaster was applied.
Nick cried out in pain, "Ow, where have you brought me? They'll ruin me here."
Zeni punched him again on the shoulder. Nick started laughing, and Zeni told her students to take him inside.
When they reached Nick's room, he looked at Priyal, who was lying on her bed. For a moment, his face froze. However, Priyal seemed uninterested, lying there like a patient in a coma. Nick felt a pang of guilt.
Nick asked Zeni, "What happened to her?"
Zeni replied, "She's just a bit weak, that's all."
Nick looked at Priyal disapprovingly and said, "Why do you keep people like her here? They're not capable of serving the country. We're the ones who should be serving, not them."
Zeni retorted, "In that case, I should throw all my patients out, starting with you. You need water service the most."
She then pretended to punch his shoulder again. After that, she went to her students and asked them to help put Nick on the bed.
It was around 10:00 PM. Zeni was feeding Nick. She asked him, "How did this happen? You're usually so careful."
Nick replied while eating, "I don't know. Lately, nothing seems to be going right. I'm not focused on my work."
Zeni said, "I understand." Then she added, "And I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have behaved like that."
Nick looked at her and said, "It was my fault too. We've known each other for so long, but I still got angry. I shouldn't have."
Zeni asked, "Why do you do that, then?"
Nick thought for a moment and replied, "I don't know. Everything just happens on its own. I have no control over my emotions. When I get angry, I get angry all of a sudden. I'm not even sure why I'm angry sometimes."
Zeni smiled and said, "If I didn't know you, I'd think you're crazy."
Nick faked a laugh and said, "That was a good joke."
Zeni finished feeding Nick and stood up, saying, "Now, you rest here tonight. I'll go sleep in another room."
Nick looked at her and then at Priyal. He said, "What do you mean you're sleeping somewhere else? You can't sleep here..."
Zeni replied, "There are only two beds here. Priyal is on one, and you are on the other. Where can I sleep?"
Nick looked puzzled.
For the first time in seven years, Nick was acting shy. He seemed hesitant.
Zeni smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry. I'm used to it. You go to sleep. I'll just go."
She walked out, leaving Nick feeling a little strange.
As soon as she left, Nick said, "This is quite a predicament."
Ten minutes had barely passed, and the room was silent. Nick's eyes were open, staring at the ceiling. He was fidgeting with his fingers. After a while, he turned his head and glanced at Priyal. Their eyes met for a brief moment.
At around 2:00 AM, Priyal woke up due to her head movement. Her glucose drip had been removed around 8:00 PM, but the needle was still inserted. She sat up and assessed her condition. She then stretched a bit and sat on the bed.
She looked to her right, where Nick was sleeping, covered in a blanket. She couldn't tell it was Nick under the blanket. Priyal's head was still spinning, and she was incredibly hungry. She hadn't eaten in almost thirty hours.
Priyal thought about Nick and then her hunger. Despite being hungry, she didn't feel like eating.
She got up slowly, using the wall for support, and moved towards Nick's bed. She thought it was Zeni.
She said softly, "Hey... are you awake? I know I'm bothering you, but I need to know about him."
She reached out and gently shook Nick, thinking he was Zeni.
Nick woke up, turned around, and looked at Priyal. He seemed grumpy and said, "What do you want at this hour? Can't you sleep?"
Priyal's voice was strained. She stuttered, "I-I'm sorry. I thought you were...Zeni. I-I want to know about him." She quickly stepped back and moved to her bed, covering herself with a blanket.
Nick watched her for a while before trying to fall asleep again.
Later, he turned around and said, "What did you want from Zeni? Why were you waking her up at this hour?"
Priyal's heart started racing. She turned around and said in a soft and innocent tone, "I was hungry, and I wanted to eat."
Nick asked, "Why didn't you eat?"
Priyal thought quickly and said, "I was fasting, that's why."
Nick replied sternly, "You're going to ruin yourself with these fasts. First of all, you shouldn't have come here in this condition. If you had come, you should have dropped this fasting nonsense. What if you faint in front of your enemies?"
Priyal remained silent.
Nick turned around and tried to sleep. A little while later, he turned back and said, "Are you very hungry?"
Priyal nodded. "Yes."
Nick asked, "Do you want to eat now?"
Priyal looked around the room.
Nick said, "Even at this hour?"
Nick got up slowly, favoring his shoulder. Priyal followed him, about two feet behind, her hands by her side and her face down.
They reached the camp's kitchen. Nick opened the door and told Priyal, "Sit here; I'll get you something to eat."
Priyal nodded silently and sat on a bench. A little while later, Nick brought her four omelets. He asked, "You eat eggs, right?"
Priyal shook her head. Nick stopped and looked at her with a surprised expression.
He put the plate on the table and slid it towards her. "Eat this. Eggs not only satisfy your hunger quickly but also provide protein, which athletes like us need the most."
Priyal nodded and picked up the plate. She started eating silently.
Nick sat across from her, watching her eat. The omelet was his favorite dish, and he had made it for her too. He wasn't sure why.
As Priyal ate, she seemed like a kidnapped person, eating out of fear. Nick seemed to be enjoying watching her eat.
The next day, Priyal was doing light training. Due to fatigue, Jeenu hadn't given her any heavy tasks. Meanwhile, Nick sat aside watching her. He had also had breakfast with Priyal that morning. When he had first seen her, everything had seemed quite strange to him, but now it didn't feel that way at all.
Around 10:00 AM, all training sessions ended, and everyone started to rest. Priyal sat on a bench under the trees in the training field and started wiping her sweat. Just then, Nick came towards her, limping slightly.
As he approached, Priyal straightened up instead of wiping her sweat.
Nick sat next to her and asked, "Where are you from?"
"Well..." Priyal was still not entirely comfortable, so she was having trouble talking. "I'm from Chandigarh, but I live in Mumbai. I mean, my hometown is in Chandigarh, while my studies are in Mumbai."
"What are you studying?"
"Normal graduation, I'm in my third year of BA."
"Then what made you decide to come here, leaving your graduation?"
"Ah..." Priyal got confused. She couldn't understand how to explain the reason. She couldn't tell Nick that she had come here because of him. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I wanted to become an actress, and that's why I came here."
"If you wanted to become an actress, why didn't you come here before doing your BA? What happened in your third year that made you come here?"
Priyal fell silent. She didn't have an answer to this question. Nick looked at her silent face for a while, then said, "Tell me now, what are you thinking?"
"I... well..." Priyal was flustered. She couldn't think of anything to say. "I don't know." When she couldn't come up with anything, she said it and got up to leave. Nick watched her go, a look of surprise on his face.
In the afternoon, Priyal was eating lunch. Nick was sitting with Jeenu, but his gaze was fixed on Priyal.
Nick said to Jeenu, "I was talking to this girl this morning, I asked her something but she couldn't answer. I don't feel right about it."
"What do you mean? You don't feel right?" Jeenu asked.
"Not answering someone's questions makes them suspicious. I feel something is off with this girl."
"Oh, hello..." Jeenu said upon hearing this, "The injury is on your shoulder, not your head. What nonsense are you talking? Okay, tell me, what did you ask?"
"I asked which class she was studying in, and she said third year BA. Then I asked what made her think of coming here. She said because she wanted to become an actress. Then I asked why she didn't make this decision before doing her BA? Why did you make this decision during your BA?"
"Yes, so what's wrong with that? It's her life, her prerogative. There must be a reason. What do you think? She saw you on TV and then came here to become an actress."
"What... anything..." Nick didn't argue and quietly started eating. Jeenu felt like laughing but controlled herself. She thought to herself, "Well, at least he's showing some interest in Priyal. It's a good start. We'll see what happens next." Saying this, she also started eating.
At 9:00 PM, Priyal was alone in Jeenu's room. Nick had gone out for a walk. She was feeling good overall, spending some time with Nick, even if it was just a little. She video-called Anju and Pranjal on her laptop. As soon as Pranjal answered the video call, she said,
"Hey Di, how are you? And how is your injury?"
"I'm feeling a bit better now," Priyal replied. "I'm a bit weak, but that will also heal soon."
"That's good then..." Pranjal said and then asked, "And where were you lost yesterday? You didn't call yesterday."
Hearing this, Priyal said with a dejected expression, "What can I say? It's a long story. Yesterday, my mood was upset, so much so that I didn't feel like doing anything. I didn't even eat."
"And that..." Pranjal asked.
"That's our Nick..." Priyal opened her mouth to say, but just then the door opened and Nick walked in. The camera was facing him, so Pranjal also saw Nick entering the room. Seeing this, she closed the camera, then put both her hands on her mouth in surprise. After that, she started jumping and exclaimed,
"Bh... Bhaiya!"
Just then, Nick's attention shifted to Priyal and the laptop. He could see Pranjal jumping on the screen. "What is happening..." he asked, coming closer. As soon as Priyal saw Nick enter the room, she had become completely flustered, but seeing Pranjal's behavior now, her panic reached the seventh heaven. She immediately cut the video call, muted the sound from the other end, and then said to Nick, "I was talking to my younger sister."
"That's fine, but why is she jumping so much? What news did you give her?" The way Nick was asking made it seem like he was talking to a criminal, a criminal whose every action seemed suspicious.
Priyal was at a loss for what to answer. Just then, Anju also appeared on the video call, and they both looked at Nick and made surprised faces. They were also happy talking to each other. "She... she's happy because she passed her exams," she said, cutting the video call, tidying up the laptop, and putting it under the pillow. Then she quickly stood up and went to the washroom. After she left, Nick first looked towards the washroom door and then towards the laptop. Then he said, "Jeenu was saying I'm thinking the wrong way, but this girl's actions don't seem straightforward. If a person doesn't think the wrong way now, what else should they do?"
The next day was Sunday, so Priyal had no classes. She sat quietly studying on her laptop, while Nick sat on his bed, looking at her from time to time. He was doing his own work on his laptop in the room.
After looking at her sideways, Nick thought to himself, "At least I know she's more interested in studying here. I like students who focus on their studies without getting distracted. If it were any other girl, she wouldn't miss any chance to talk. She hasn't shown much interest since yesterday. She hasn't shown any since I arrived. That's a very good thing."
Priyal also kept looking at him from time to time, but more discreetly. She thought to herself, "I haven't found any excuse to talk to him since yesterday. Even if I try to talk, I get scared just by looking at him. If I muster a little courage, he starts asking questions, as if I'm not a student but a criminal."
Then she said, "Such a proud person! He was quite nice in the interview, but here his pride isn't lessening at all. Because of this pride, I have to study, and he's making me study. I didn't study anywhere in college, but now I'll definitely mess with my mind here."
"I think she's an idiot," Nick thought to himself. "I've looked at her so many times, but she hasn't even lifted her head. She doesn't even realize I'm looking at her. I wonder how she'll become an actress."
"And does she think I'm an idiot?" Priyal thought to herself. "Why is he staring at me like this? He must be thinking I don't notice anything, but I notice everything. I want to be an actress, I have that much sense, right? Who is looking at me and who isn't. Uff! For one thing, I can't even look into his blue eyes. Because he's so proud, I've even started getting scared of his beautiful blue eyes."
Nick remained quiet for a long time. Then he asked, "Where is Jeenu?"
Priyal recalled and said, "I don't know. I haven't seen her since morning, and she hasn't come into the room."
"That's why I'm asking," Nick said. Then he added, "I'm feeling hungry. If she were here, I would have asked her to order food."
Hearing this, Priyal stopped her work and said, "You could have just told me. I'll get the food."
"No, leave it, I'll go and eat myself," Nick said and started closing his laptop. Just then, Priyal said, "Oh no, sir, don't be formal at all. You seem proud like that. You stay here, I'll bring the food. If you need anything else later, don't hesitate to tell me." Saying this, Priyal left the room. Nick, after she left, was dumbfounded. He said, "What did this girl say? Proud, she thinks I'm proud. What the... proud... I'm proud?"
After a while, Priyal came back with food for Nikhil. She didn't know what Nikhil liked, so she brought food that she liked. Nikhil was working on his laptop. Priyal brought the food and kept it on the bed. Then she went to her bed and started working. But she noticed that Nikhil hadn't even paid attention to her food.
"Sir, I've brought food," Priyal said.
"I can see that," Nikhil replied, without even looking up.
"So, you..." Priyal just said that much.
"Because I don't want to eat," Nikhil said and closed his laptop, preparing to get up from his place.
Priyal didn't understand why he was saying that, but Nikhil's refusal to eat the food she had brought made her feel a little disappointed.
Nikhil stood up from his bed and looked at Priyal with a slight smile. "Do you even remember what you said to me when I was leaving? 'You're stubborn, Nikhil.' I am stubborn?"
Priyal understood the issue. She was upset about his stubborn comment.
Priyal stood up from her bed and apologized, "I didn't mean it. I said it in a hurry. I was busy with work and you weren't ordering food, so everything got messed up. Sorry."
Nikhil asked, "Where did you learn such strange words?"
Priyal apologized again for her 'raita' comment. She closed her eyes and slightly lowered her face, looking very cute.
Nikhil liked her expression. For a moment, he was lost in it, but then he snapped back to reality. "Alright, don't do it again. If you do, you'll see."
Priyal nodded her head like a good schoolgirl. Nikhil sat on the bed and started eating. Priyal went back to her bed and started working. She was happy inside, but her face didn't show it.
The next day, Priyal woke up and saw Nikhil sitting on his bed in the same position as the night before.
"Did he work all night? I didn't even wake up once to see him working," Priyal thought to herself.
She asked herself, "Should I ask him? What if he gets annoyed and starts questioning me? Never mind."
Priyal got up and went to the washroom to freshen up. As soon as she left, Nikhil looked at the closed door and thought, "She's amazing. No good morning, no have a nice day, just stood up and went to the washroom. Some respect would be nice, at least I'm her senior."
After about 30 minutes, Priyal came out of the washroom, fully refreshed. She was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, and her hair was tied in a towel. Nikhil glanced at her and couldn't help but stare.
Priyal walked confidently and said, "Good morning, sir."
Nikhil replied without looking up, "Good morning." He was pretending to be completely absorbed in his work.
Priyal moved towards the wardrobe and asked Nikhil, "Were you working all night?"
"Yes," Nikhil replied. "The entire institute's responsibility is on me. Sometimes I don't even realize how much work I have to do. Many times I've worked all night."
Priyal showed a little surprise. "That's really tough."
Priyal adjusted her hair and left for training. Nikhil watched her leave from the door.
Later that day, Nikhil went to the training ground. He was observing the students training. All the students greeted him with "Good morning, sir," and he nodded in response.
Nikhil was wearing a leather jacket over his T-shirt and jeans. His hands were in his pockets as he strolled around the training ground.
Priyal was trying to plant a large wooden stick in the ground. She was sweating profusely. When she saw Nikhil approaching, she quickly looked away and focused on her work.
Nikhil approached her and asked, "Don't you think this job is too tough for your age? Did you research the dangers and hard work involved before deciding to become an agent?"
Priyal looked at him and replied, "Dangers are everywhere. Even if you do safe work, there can be dangers. You said that dangers never ask permission, and that's not just for agents but for every human being."
Nikhil was impressed. "Impressive."
Nikhil offered to help Priyal with the sticks. Priyal declined, citing Nikhil's injury.
But Nikhil insisted. Priyal smiled and thanked him. Together, they started planting the sticks.
By lunchtime, they had planted around 50 sticks. Nikhil sat on a bench, and Priyal brought food for him. Nikhil noticed that she had brought his favorite food again.
Priyal replied, "I just brought what I like."
Nikhil asked, "You mean you like it too?"
Priyal nodded, "Yes, why? Is there something wrong?"
Nikhil didn't say anything and started eating.
That night, Nikhil went for a walk and returned to his room. He found his bed tidy and his belongings arranged on the table. He got angry, as no one was supposed to touch his things.
Priyal was in the washroom. When she came out, she started tidying her bed and asked, "Sir, may I ask you something? I saw a girl's picture on your laptop. Who is she?"
Nikhil got furious. "How dare you! You touched my things? What do you think you're doing?"
Priyal was taken aback. Tears welled up in her eyes as Nikhil shouted at her. He asked her to leave the room.
Priyal left, and tears started flowing. She muttered, "But I didn't do anything. I didn't touch your belongings."
The next day, all the students were busy with their training. Priyal was also doing her part. Earlier, Priyal didn't have any training sessions, so she would come to her room. But today, despite being free, she didn't go to her room even once. Priyal had been quiet and sulky since last night, and Aarohi had been observing her behavior since then. Around 10:00 AM, Aarohi finished her training and sat down beside Priyal on a bench. She asked, "What's wrong? Is everything okay? You've been looking upset since last night. Are you feeling weak? Your face looks downtrodden because of that."
"Yes, I am feeling weak," Priyal said, "but that's not the reason for my downtrodden face. I'm worried about something else."
"What is it?" Aarohi asked.
"You won't understand," Priyal said and stood up from the bench. She walked away, leaving Aarohi wondering what could be the reason that she couldn't understand.
Nikal hadn't come out of his room since the previous night. He hadn't even had his breakfast; it was brought to him in his room. Like Priyal, he also looked worried, but for a different reason. He was overthinking about Priyal. He was wondering if he had done the right thing or wrong by scolding her.
Nikal got angry and said to himself, "Why am I overthinking about this girl? I scolded her, so I scolded her. What's there to worry about? I've scolded many girls before, and I didn't feel this way. Why is my mind getting spoiled today? Why do I keep thinking about her?"
He hit his fist on the bed and said, "I don't care what I did with her. She made a mistake by touching my stuff, and I did what I did was because of that. I don't have to think about it. I have to focus on my work." He started working again.
Around 2:00 PM, everyone gathered for lunch. Aarohi and Jinn also came together. Priyal wasn't sitting with them; she was eating alone in a corner.
Aarohi looked at Priyal and said to Jinn, "I don't know what's wrong with her. She's been looking upset since last night. I asked her, but she didn't tell me anything."
"I don't know about it," Jinn said. "I was so busy with my work that I didn't notice it. Oh God, it must be because of Nikal. He must have scolded her."
"Captain Nikal! What could he have done?" Aarohi asked.
"He's the one who likes to fight and scold. I'm sure he scolded her," Jinn replied. "You stay here; I'll go find out."
Jinn went to Nikal's room and found him working on his laptop. She said, "Did you scold Priyal? How could you? She's so innocent, and you have no mercy."
"What are you talking about?" Nikal got angry. "I scolded her for her mistake. I don't like it when someone does something without asking."
"What mistake? What did she do?" Jinn asked.
"She touched my stuff without asking. I don't like it when someone touches my things, especially when they look at the pictures in my laptop. I hate people who snoop into others' things."
Jinn put her hand in her hair and said, "Oh God, then you have to apologize to her. I cleaned your room, and the person who cleaned it touched your stuff. I told her not to touch it, but it was too late. She had already cleaned it, and the picture you're talking about was on my laptop when you came to my room. Priyal was also with me, and we both saw the laptop and its wallpaper. I said, 'He hasn't changed her picture yet; I don't know when he'll leave old things behind.' That's when she thought about knowing her."
Nikal listened to Jinn and felt guilty. He realized he had done something wrong.
Jinn left Nikal's room and went back to her work. Nikal couldn't focus on his work; he kept thinking about Priyal.
Later, Nikal went to the training area to look for Priyal. He asked Jinn, "Where is she?"
Jinn replied rudely, "I don't know. What do you want with her? Are you going to scold her again?"
Nikal said, "No, I want to apologize to her."
Jinn's expression changed, and she said, "You have to ask properly. You have to say 'pyaari si masoom si Priyal' and ask."
Nikal got frustrated but controlled his anger and said, "Tell me, pyaari si masoom si Priyal, where is she?"
Jinn smiled and said, "She's in Aarohi's room. Go and convince her. And be careful; don't talk to her in a high voice or scold her. If you do, you'll have to face me."
Nikal went to Aarohi's room and found Priyal there. He looked nervous and said, "I'm sorry for scolding you yesterday. I shouldn't have done that."
Priyal was surprised and said, "Sir, you... you're here... what happened? Do you need something?"
Nikal took a deep breath and said, "I realized I was wrong. I shouldn't have scolded you. I know you didn't touch my stuff. Someone else cleaned my room, and I got angry on you."
Priyal listened and smiled. Nikal continued, "I'm sorry, and I promise it won't happen again. Can we be friends?"
Priyal agreed, and they shook hands. Nikal said, "You're fabulous!" and smiled.
Priyal and Nick both had a good start to their next morning. Both woke up early and wished each other good morning. After that, Priyal freshened up first, and then Nick. After freshening up, Priyal left for her training while Nick started his work. Priyal was working with full enthusiasm in her training. She had the opportunity to dig more work than usual. Compared to other students, she completed this task about 30 minutes earlier. After completing the task, she also came to rest. She was resting when Geniean came to her. She looked surprised and troubled.
"Man, today was a big problem. The driver for our faculty's car got parked elsewhere. A new driver has been deployed, but it will take him until tomorrow to arrive. Whereas I needed new material for the archery field around 2:00 PM. It's ready, just needs someone to bring it."
"What's needed for this?" Priyal asked, wiping her sweat.
"Nothing special, a helper and most importantly, a driver who can drive the van. I can send any student as a helper, but for the driver, I need someone who has a license here. Apart from me, no one else here has this license."
"We have quite a few students, about 30-35 are from here, is there no one among them who has a license?"
"No, they are all teenagers now, so no one has gotten one made," Geniean said.
"Oh, then it's quite a difficult matter," Priyal said with regret.
"Perhaps I can help you guys a bit with this," Nick's voice came then. Both turned and looked behind, and saw him standing there. Nick came to them and said, "I can drive the van, you send any student for help."
"Nick, but you are injured," Geniean said, looking at him.
"Yes, but not so much that I can't even drive a car. Anyway, I'm almost recovered, so I don't have any particular problem. There's a shoulder injury left, it will heal on its own."
"I don't feel right about this, I'm not sending you."
"Don't think too much, tell me where to go and which student you are sending along," Nick said, looking around at the cars.
Geniean was about to say something, but then Priyal said, "If you don't mind, I can help." When she said this, Geniean looked at her. She was about to flatly refuse Nick, but her intention changed as soon as Priyal spoke.
"Alright, fine, if you both are going, then I have no problem, you both can go."
Nick didn't refuse this, while Priyal herself had asked for it.
Around 11:00 AM, Nick and Priyal were in a van, going to the place from where they had to pick up the archery field material, the address of which Geniean had given. Priyal looked quite happy and excited. This was the first time she had gotten a chance to go out and see things outside since she came here. Before this, she had gotten a chance while going from the airport to the training location, but at that time, she couldn't see much as it was dark.
"Isn't all this so nice?" Priyal said.
Nick heard this and looked around. He had been seeing all this for many years, so he didn't find anything special in it, but since Priyal said it, he also started liking the things around.
Around 1:00 PM, Nick reached the place where he had to pick up the material for the archery field. He spoke to the shopkeeper there and then came out with a disappointed face. Coming out, he said to Priyal, "There's a problem, they say the material is not ready yet and it will take another two or three hours. We came here with so much difficulty and now we hear this."
"What can we do, let's wait a bit, it's only two or three hours, they'll pass just like that," Priyal said after some thought.
"Two or three hours will pass just like that? Do you even know how difficult it is to pass time when there's no work, they won't pass just like that."
"It's not that difficult to pass time," Priyal said and started looking around. They were in a small lane filled with many shops and goods.
"Come on, let's wander around the market until our work is done." Saying this, she left.
Nick called out to her from behind, "Wait a minute, I don't like wandering, I've never wandered like this in my life..." But by the time he finished his sentence, Priyal had gone far ahead. He smacked his hand and then followed her. He had no other option.
Priyal started touring the entire market with Nick. She stopped at different places and looked at the things there. Nick had never done wandering before, but today he felt good doing it. He was also taking an interest in the things Priyal was showing him, accompanying her. After wandering for about 2 hours, when Priyal and Nick turned to go back, Priyal saw a small teddy bear that she immediately liked.
"Wow! What a nice teddy bear," she said, looking in that direction. "I feel like buying it, but I haven't brought my wallet with me. If I had, I would have bought it."
"Yes, so what's the big deal, you buy it, I'll make the payment," Nick said, taking out his wallet.
"What are you talking about? I can't spend your money."
"It's not like that, it's not so expensive that I can't afford to spend on it."
"That's fine, but I don't like spending money on others."
"You buy it, don't think too much," Nick said.
Priyal didn't listen to him and started to leave.
"No, I don't like it, I said so," Priyal said as she left.
After she left, Nick took out money from his wallet and bought the teddy bear that Priyal liked. After buying it, he followed her. As soon as he reached her, he started walking backward and after moving a little ahead, he presented the teddy bear to Priyal.
"Here, just keep it, consider it a gift from me. Come on, think of it, we are friends, so as friends."
When Priyal heard this, she stopped in her tracks. Nick gave her the teddy bear and then walked towards the shop from where they had to pick up the archery field material. After Nick left, Priyal started looking at the teddy bear he had given her. She liked it, but now she liked it even more.
After picking up the material, both of them were returning. Priyal didn't know what Nick was thinking, but what she was thinking, she was feeling with every emotion. In her hand was the teddy bear given by Nick, which she kept looking at.
Nick stopped the car. As soon as the car stopped, Geniean and some students came there for help. As soon as she arrived, Geniean asked, "Huh? Why did it take so long?"
"Your material wasn't ready," Nick replied, "so we had to wait for 2 hours."
"Oh, really?" Geniean was surprised. "But you're not used to waiting, so how did you wait..."
"I didn't want to, but this Priyal..." he looked at Priyal, "because of her, I don't even know how 2 hours passed. She started wandering in the nearby area, and she made me wander too."
"What a thing, Priyal, you're changing our Nick's habits." Saying this, she playfully punched Priyal on the shoulder. Priyal blushed upon hearing this.
Nick said, "It's nothing like that, perhaps we had forgotten to enjoy the small things. From now on, we will adjust our routine a bit. Priyal will not just be my friend, she will absolutely be a friend to our entire group. She is everyone's friend from now on," Nick said and then left for his room. As soon as he left, Geniean jumped and hugged Priyal.
"Man, you got a promotion, and a big one at that. First his friend, then our friend. At the speed you're going, I think you'll get married this month." Priyal didn't say anything. Whatever was happening, she was happy with it all. A relationship had begun between Nick and her, which was one of friendship, a very good friendship.
Nick reached his room and opened his laptop. As soon as he opened the laptop, his eyes fell on some new emails. As he read them, he was filled with mild shock. He recoiled and moved away from the laptop. From his mouth came, "Eli..." After this, his face filled with anger, and he said, "Prabhas Dutta, you won't survive."
★★★
Around ten o'clock at night, Nick was in his secret house. Nick's secret house was connected to his hotel room. No one knew that Nick had also built a house in a part of his hotel. Only a few of his friends knew about it. Ron, Genie, Emma, Ava, and Ankit were also with him. Nick was sitting in a large chair behind a table, rocking it back and forth. He held a glass in his hand, twirling it, giving the impression that he was deep in thought.
Emma asked, "Has everyone received the invitation card for Mr. Datta's family function? To be honest, I wasn't expecting it. I thought we would be accounted for someone influential, but it was a card that arrived for an invitation."
Genie said, "Yes, the official invitation has been received. Nick checked it first. After that, it came to me, and he told me about it. For a moment, I also thought it was mail for someone influential, but later I found out it was actually an invitation card."
Ron asked, "So what do you think... are we going? I really don't feel like going, nor am I going to."
Ankit was quiet. As soon as he heard this, he said, "I don't think we should go there either. Even if he were to wash our feet and drink the water, we shouldn't go there. They have invited everyone out of formality."
Nick also remained quiet for a long time, lost in his thoughts. Nick broke the silence and told everyone, "But I am thinking something else. I think we should change our perspective. We have nothing to do with his family. Whatever wrong was done, he did it. So involving his family... the more we keep them away from this matter, the better. So..."
As soon as Emma heard this, she started looking at Nick sideways. Before Nick could finish his sentence, she said, "Really Nick... you're saying this... because of her today... do you even know what you're saying."
Ava interjected, "Calm down, Emma. Don't go crazy in your anger. If Ellie were here today, she would also... I mean, I agree with Nick. Even if this thing displeases you or anyone else, the grief Nick feels for her going is something we cannot bear."
Emma interrupted her, "Yes, so what should we do..." Then she started crying, "...Ellie is not here... and that too because of that Datta. If he... he... Datta had... Ellie would be alive today..."
Genie was with her. Supporting Emma, she said, "Ava is right, Emma. We can never forgive him for what happened because of Datta. So, I am against going to the function. Emma also is. Ron doesn't want to go either, and Ankit doesn't want to go either. The remaining ones are you and Nick, so we are not going to force anyone. You guys can do whatever you want."
Nick was listening to both of them. He said once again, "But what is the point of unnecessarily involving other people's families? We want revenge, but not involving the family... we will never involve anyone's family. Look how sad we are today because of Ellie's departure. I have met his wife, and she is truly very nice. I don't even think Datta tells her about all his misdeeds."
When Ron heard this, he started laughing without giving any normal response. Laughing, he said, "Speaking of wife, she looks like his daughter."
Genie also burst out laughing. "Yes, she is much younger than him. Maybe ten years... I've read about her."
Ankit, changing the mood, said, "Genie, one can get all the information from you. You've read about everyone, everything. Is there anything you don't know?"
Nick again drew everyone's attention towards himself and said in a somewhat normal way, "By the way, just so you know, I've also received an invitation from Rohan."
Everyone's attention shifted from their own conversations, and they all looked towards Nick. Emma, looking at him, raised both her hands and said, "Which Rohan?"
Just then, Ron remembered something. Recalling, he said, "Oh man, Rohan! He's that footballer from our class... who was Nick and my friend. How could I forget!"
Genie didn't know much about this, but she also vaguely remembered something. "But, but he... he was from India, right?"
Nick said to her, "Actually, his parents died in an accident. After that, he started living here in the USA with his uncle and aunt. He also completed his studies here, so he felt it was right to stay here."
Ankit also started recalling about this. "Rohan! Was that... who we met when we went on a tour to India? He helped us a lot."
Nick nodded. "Yes, that's him. When I went to India, I remembered him, so I called him for help. He has a soft nature and behaves very well. He invited me, and I don't know? How can I refuse him."
Ron suddenly said, but bringing up a completely different topic, "If your discussion is over, I also wanted to give a surprise. Yes, you all will be angry because I am talking completely off the cuff, but I can't keep this hidden anymore."
Emma asked, "What surprise? Look, don't tell me anything unusual. Anyway, the mood is bad, it's possible that all the anger might be unleashed on you."
Ron said, "You all will be happy to know. The thing is... that... that Genie and I are going shopping."
Everyone started staring at him, with looks that could devour him. Emma looked at him sideways and asked, "What's such a big deal that you changed the whole topic and brought this up? If you're going shopping, that's good, isn't it? Why are you wasting your time sitting here?"
"Listen to the whole thing..." Ron said, "Genie and I are going shopping, that too for our wedding..."
Everyone was shocked at once. Emma and Ava said in unison, "What? Wedding? And you two...? What is this ritual? Are we dreaming?"
Genie explained, "S-sorry, Ron brought this up in the wrong place. We shouldn't have talked about this now. As for the wedding, we thought if we have to get married... then why not now. This is the right time. After all, we both have to be together... we've been together since childhood, so we'll be together in the future, right?"
Hearing this, Nick went into a different world. Going into a different world, he said, getting a little sad, "Ellie and I also dreamed of being together forever. But God had other plans. He took her away, and did something that made us... that I... If God wants to separate someone, let him do it happily, but not like this."
Ron came to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, "I didn't know you would think about this after hearing my words, please forgive me for that, but I want... I want you to move on now... Nick."
Nick removed his hand from his shoulder, stood up, and turned away, saying, "Don't even think about it. I don't want to think about anyone else besides Ellie, and I can't."
Emma also responded to this, saying to Nick, "Ron is right, Nick, you should also move on in life. Ellie would never want you to not move forward in your life for her sake."
Nick became disheartened. He looked at Emma and said, "Emma, are you also going to talk like this now? You have always supported me, but here you are asking me to do something I shouldn't."
Ava stood up and immediately said, "Not just Emma, Nick, we all have always wanted you to settle down too. How long will you keep suffocating like this?"
Nick turned and spread his hands, saying to both of them, "I'm not ready for this, I'm not ready for this."
After this, he left from there. Seeing Nick sad, everyone's faces fell. With dejected faces, they all sat back in their places.
After everyone sat down, Ankit responded to Nick's words, saying, "And he will never be ready, or rather, he doesn't want to be ready. I can't understand where this boy's mind is going and in which direction. Everyone is moving on, but he wants to stick to one place."
Genie said, "Perhaps we need to make him understand. How long will he live on the memories of Ellie like this? It's been seven years since she left, but Nick is still the same. He talks about her, suddenly gets lost in her memories." After this, she started thinking about Priyal and said, "Perhaps whatever decision I made was entirely correct. If something good comes out of it, I will never regret it." Everyone looked at her. Seeing everyone looking at her, Genie said, "Leave this, now tell me what you will do about Datta's invitation card?" As she said this, everyone held their foreheads and started getting up one by one to leave. After everyone left, Genie remained alone in the room. She said, "Nothing can be done with us. Uff, none of us are going to Datta's function."
Around one o'clock at night, Genie and Priyal were talking to each other. Genie had told her about her and Ron's wedding. Since Nick was not here today, she had come to his room. When Priyal asked about Nick, Genie told her that he had gone out for some important work.
Genie, talking to Priyal, said, "Priya, finally Ron and I are getting married. I am very happy. I knew we would get married, but I never imagined this day would come even in my dreams." She had started calling Priyal 'Priya'.
Priyal, replying to her, said, "And I am very happy for both of you. I will pray that you start your new life in a wonderful way."
After saying this, Genie started thinking about what happened at Nick's house today. Thinking about it, she said to herself, "I can never tell Priyal what happened at Nick's house today. She is making so many efforts for Nick. Her heart will be broken when she finds out that he doesn't want to move on with his life. She doesn't even know anything about Ellie. If she ever finds out about her, I don't know what she will go through." Thinking this, she said nothing and closed her eyes to sleep. As she started sleeping, Priyal also closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The next day, Priyal was talking to Arjun and Pranjal when she heard something that completely shocked her. She said, "There's a function at our house, and you're telling me now? The function is also here in the USA, why didn't you tell me?"
"We just found out ourselves. Dad called this morning. He said tickets and everything have been confirmed. Come here by the day after tomorrow." Pranjal said from the front.
"But that's all fine, but how will we manage all this?"
"Don't worry about it..." Arjun said, "I can manage anything by hook or by crook, so I've handled this completely. I mean, the planning is fully in place. We don't have to do anything, just follow our plan."
"And what is that plan?" Priyal asked.
"Nothing special," Arjun said, "We will leave from here, and you from there, I mean from your training center. All three of us will meet at the airport together and then head towards Prabhas Datta's house. We'll go together so they'll think we came from India. Then we'll attend the function for two days, stay an extra day, and prepare for our return. Then all three of us will come to the airport together, you'll go for training from there, and we'll go back to India. Everything will be handled smoothly. There will be no mess or chaos."
"Are you completely sure?" Priyal asked, widening her eyes.
"110 percent sure," Arjun said.
"Don't worry, Di," Pranjal said, "Everything will be handled properly." After this, they started talking about other things, besides this function.
Around ten o'clock in the day, Priyal came to Genie and said, "Hey Ma'am, I needed to talk to you about something." "How many times have I told you not to call me Ma'am," Genie said first.
"Oh, okay. Actually, I needed to talk to you about something," Priyal said, "I will have to go for two days to attend a family function. Please give me official leave for at least four days."
"It will be done," Genie said. Then she asked, "But you hadn't told your family that you took admission here. So how will you go? How will you manage all this?"
"I'll go to the airport to Arjun and Pranjal... and then we'll all go home together. So everyone will think we came together. The same process will happen on the way back."
"That's great. We are also going wedding shopping tomorrow. It might take a week to return... you can use your pass. You'll get entry to our room. Everyone here knows that you are staying in the authority hostel," Genie said and then left to conduct training. Priyal also agreed and followed her to her training.
The next day passed normally for everyone. Nick did not come to the training center, for which Genie said it would take him another day or two. Priyal missed him, but due to the function at her home, she didn't think much about it.
Genie left for her wedding shopping, and after she left, the command of the training center came under a new senior. After this day passed, the next day, i.e., the following day, Priyal was ready to go to Mr. Datta's place.
Priyal was wearing a white anarkali suit, and her curly hair on it were drawing everyone's attention towards her.
Priyal was walking towards the institute gate. Nick saw her leaving and went after her to talk to her, but by then Priyal had already left.
Nick didn't know that Priyal was going out for two days. He thought that when he met her in Genie's room in the evening, he would tell her how beautiful she looked in that dress. After Priyal left, Nick also got busy with his work.
A little later, at the USA airport, Priyal was waiting in the airport waiting area for Pranjal and Arjun to arrive. When Pranjal saw Priyal standing, she ran towards her and hugged her. Hugging her, she said, "Priya Di... how are you? I'm happy to see you again after so many days. You don't know how much I missed you?"
Priyal stroked her back and said, "I missed you a lot too. I used to talk to you on video calls, but there's no fun in talking on video calls as there is in real life." After this, she asked, "Who else has come with you on the flight? I mean, Tauji, Taiji, Buaji, Chachiji have come along, right? Or any other family member? You know, these people don't like me at all. If they see me, they will get angry immediately and take it to the seventh heaven."
Pranjal moved away and immediately said, "What nonsense are you talking? We have nothing to do with others. You are my elder sister, and no one can change that fact. Let the rest of the world be jealous... let them be. Anyway, this engagement is for Shalu Di and Rohan Jiju, and you know Shalu Di loves you a lot. And if you've asked, I'll tell you, currently no one else from our family has come. Only Arjun and I have come."
Priyal was suddenly surprised and said with a wide mouth, "Oh my God! There's a function at Prabhas Datta's place, and Arjun has come. Remember, Arjun threw a stone at him in anger when we were kids."
Just then, Arjun came and said, "So which life did I take that they'll file an attack-to-murder case against me? Anyway, this is a childhood matter, they must have forgotten it by now. If they haven't forgotten, I'll throw something on their head again, their memory will be gone, and then there's no chance of them remembering anything." He came closer, and they both hugged each other.
Pranjal turned to both of them and said, "If your talk of hitting and beating is over, can we go? We're getting late. Anyway, Mom has called 50 times. When are you coming, when are you coming, she keeps asking, as if we're not coming by plane, but by private car."
"Yes, let's go," Arjun and Priyal said alternately, and everyone walked out of the airport.
Evening time. In Genie's room, Nick couldn't concentrate on any work. He had returned after two days and thought that spending time with Priyal would make him feel a little better, but now she wasn't here. His attention was completely entangled with Priyal. After waiting for a long time, when Priyal didn't come, he took out his phone and called Genie. "Hey Genie!" he said as soon as Genie picked up the phone. Then he asked, "Where is your best friend today? She hasn't been seen since morning. I saw her leaving once in the morning, but after that, she didn't return."
As soon as Genie heard this, she said on the phone, "Oh, so my best friend is being missed. What's the matter? I didn't know such days would come?"
Nick immediately changed his tune and said, "Oh, it's nothing like that. I had to ask her something. Not tell... she was asking about the syllabus. That... I had to tell her."
Genie started laughing. After laughing a little, she said, "Okay, whether you had to tell her something or ask her something, you can tell and ask after two-three days. She has gone out to attend her family function." "Oh, I don't even know about this now."
"If you were here, you would know! Since I couldn't contact you, I told her that she was busy with her work and would be back in a few days. Then we left, and there was no opportunity to talk."
After listening to all this, Nick didn't feel like talking further. "Okay, no problem. We'll talk when she returns," he said and hung up. His mind was restless inside, but after hanging up the phone, he forced himself to work so that his mind would be occupied elsewhere.
In the evening, most of the guests had already arrived at Mr. Prabhat Datta's house. Shalu and Rohan had also arrived there. It was their engagement function. Everyone was engaged in small talk when Priyal, Arjun, and Pranjal arrived at the function together. When Priyanka Ji saw them arrive, she ran towards Priyal. Her joy knew no bounds at seeing Priyal after a long time.
Priyanka Ji hugged her and said, "You're here? I missed you a lot."
"Yes, Di, I... Mamma..." Priyal put her hand on her forehead, "...I missed you a lot too. I always wanted to come to you, but I never found an excuse. It's good that there's a function in our family, which has given everyone an excuse to meet." Priyal said this from outside, but inwardly she regretted that despite living here in the USA, she had never been able to visit them, nor would she in the future.
Pranjal puckered her lips slightly and looked to the side, saying, "Perhaps someone else is also here, but no one sees them." She said this in a normal tone.
Priyanka Ji turned to her and said, "Stop the drama, you both get equal care and respect, so don't create unnecessary drama." Saying this, she hugged her too.
After both of them hugged, Arjun came forward and touched their feet, saying, "Hello Aunty. How are you?" Then he said, "Mom won't be able to come. You must have spoken to her."
Priyanka Ji pulled Arjun's cheek and said, "Yes, we have. She said she's not coming, but she's sending her mischievous boy. She specifically warned me to beat you soundly for your mischief and send you back reformed." Then she said to everyone together, "Come inside, all of you."
Everyone met each other inside and exchanged pleasantries, fulfilling the normal formalities. This continued for a long time, after which everyone went to sleep in preparation for the next day. The engagement ceremony was the very next day.
The next day, Mr. Prabhas Datta's house was decorated like a palace for the engagement ceremony. The preparations for the engagement were done very well. Rohan's uncle and aunt, Mr. Mohit Nanda and Mrs. Nandini Nanda, had also arrived.
Mr. Nanda was a well-known businessman in India. He was also a business partner of Mr. Datta. Everyone got along well. While Priyal and Pranjal were getting Shalu ready for the engagement, Arjun and Priyanka were teasing them.
Priyal, adjusting Shalu's makeup, said, "Aww Didu! You look very beautiful. Jiju will go crazy seeing you."
Arjun was nearby. He immediately teased, "Yes, the poor guy will go mad with fear when he sees you. You've applied so many layers of makeup that a company that makes powder could be opened."
Shalu said, "Shut up, you always keep teasing me. I haven't applied that much makeup. Even girls apply this much when they go out for a casual stroll."
Arjun, imitating girls in a funny way, said, "Shalu Di, please, yes... you've only applied four layers on your face. And you're saying you haven't applied that much makeup. Do you intend to reach the ozone layer with makeup now?"
Shalu showed Arjun a slap, "Are you leaving from here, or should I pull your ear and make you leave? Priyal, tell me, don't I look good? I don't trust this guy at all. If he had his way, he'd send me to Rohan looking like a ghost."
Priyal, adjusting her lehenga, said, "Come on Di, don't pay attention to him. You look very good. Yes, the makeup is a bit much, but sometimes it's okay, right?"
Arjun teased again, "Di is fooling you. She herself never wears makeup and has applied so much on you. On top of that, she's saying it's okay sometimes."
Pranjal glared at Arjun and said, "Are you going to shut up now or not?" Hearing this, Arjun pointed a finger at himself and stood quietly, watching the two of them work. While the three were busy inside, Rohan was talking to someone on the phone outside. Rohan said on the call, "Man, you guys are not coming even though you're in the same city. Not fair, you're giving good friendship advice. Nick, I didn't expect this from you."
Nick was talking to Rohan from his room. "I know you didn't accept it, but look, I never hid anything from you. That Mr. Datta... you know everything about him. After that, what are the chances of me or any of us coming to the function?"
Rohan said with a slightly disappointed face, "I don't like him either. But what can I do? Because of Uncle... he attended the whole function here. But I want... I want you to come here just like I am here. Otherwise, this function will have no meaning for me."
Nick started thinking. Thinking for a while, he said, "Okay, do one thing, let's have a video call meeting. The engagement will be attended, and you won't have to come here. I'll also include Genie, Ron, Emma, Ava, and Ankit in the conference. Can you arrange for the engagement to be attended on video call for us?"
Rohan also started thinking. After thinking for a while, he said, "Good idea, but the setup... ah! My cousin is handling the function recording. Let me call him and connect my cousin's camera view to the meeting."
Nick said okay and hung up. About fifteen minutes later, the meeting was set up, and live photos of the wedding started reaching Nick and his other friends. As Lakshya showed the camera photos, he came in front of the camera and said to Nick, "Captain Nick... I am a huge fan of yours. Many of your interviews have also appeared in magazines, and I have read all of them."
Nick was in his room, burning with anger. He had given Priya a place in a corner of his heart, which, though not much yet, was enough for him. He could never have imagined in his wildest dreams that something like this would happen with Priya. When the truth suddenly came out, he felt himself breaking. He got up from the bed and angrily picked up the laptop and threw it. Emma and Ankit understood his state of mind very well. But before they could say anything, their connection broke. After throwing the laptop in anger, Nick immediately left and got into a car. After sitting down, he remained seated like that for a while. After that, he sped off on the road.
Emma was still in contact with the others.
"I always felt something was off about this girl. My sixth sense was screaming it at me. That's why we couldn't gather any information. She was relaying everything to that Datta. Both of them played it smart. Yes, in this world, you can't trust anyone."
Ankit didn't like this.
"It's wrong to judge someone without thinking. We don't know Priya's truth."
Emma immediately responded to his statement.
"Oh, really? She was spying here. Telling her father everything. And you're still taking her side. What more truth about Priya do you need to see?"
Ava was also angry. She had no idea how to deal with the current situation. She also didn't know what Nick was doing next.
"Now is not the time for these discussions. Nick, we should be thinking about him. I'm afraid he might have gone to talk to Priya. If that happens, it won't be easy to stop Nick. He's stubborn, and his stubbornness is unyielding. I think we should call Jai and tell him everything. Only he can stop Nick. Being his younger brother, Nick listens to his every word."
Nick was driving at high speed. He couldn't understand what was happening to him. He was just driving in anger. Tears welled up in Nick's eyes, and he couldn't comprehend how they had come. Wiping his tears, Nick said in a pained voice.
"Who are you? What have you done? After so many years, someone finally felt like my own, and you betrayed all of us for your father? You were spying on us. I asked you about yourself, but you never once told me you were Prabhas Datta's daughter. I was just starting to understand you... but you... you were much smarter than I thought, Priya. Those innocent acts of yours, that innocence... all a lie, a pretense. You made a fool out of a good person."
Nick started remembering every moment he had spent with Priya. He kept seeing her face before his eyes. Priya's voice echoed in his ears. He didn't want to see her face, nor did he want to hear her voice, but it was all happening against his will.
Nick remembered the first time he saw Priya. When Priya accompanied him to the market because the archery equipment was delayed. There, she liked a teddy bear, and he bought it for her.
Nick, recalling only the teddy bear incident, said.
"Priya, I've never given anyone a gift in my life. But seeing your innocence, I... even though you liked the gift, seeing your innocence made me want to give it to you. Was that innocence, your childishness, all a lie? Why, Priya... why did you break me... my emotions... you pushed everything of mine aside."
Tears streamed down Nick's eyes uncontrollably. He wasn't even trying to stop them. Just then, Jai appeared, following his car on his bike. A device was attached to the bike, which was showing him Nick's location. It was seeing Nick's car's location that he had reached behind him. Jai tried to stop Nick by shouting from a distance, but Nick couldn't hear him. When Nick didn't hear Jai's voice, he brought his bike in front of his car. Seeing Jai suddenly, Nick applied the brakes.
After braking, Nick got out angrily and said to Jai.
"Are you mad, Jai? If something had happened to you...? Don't we have enough sorrow from Ali's death that you want to be separated from me like her?"
Jai got off his bike and came to him.
"Brother, forget about me, what happened to you? Why were you driving so fast?" Then he looked at Nick's face, which was red with anger. "Your face has also turned red with anger, and your eyes..." His attention went to where the water was coming from. "Water in your eyes..." He hugged Nick. "Brother, are you okay?"
As soon as Jai hugged him, Nick started crying, as if he just needed a shoulder to cry on.
"What has she done? I started liking her? Even though I can't replace Ali with anyone... but she was my friend, wasn't she? I considered her my own, and she... and she... Priya is Mr. Datta's eldest daughter, living among us to relay all our information to Datta. Do you know who that Datta is? What has she done? Priya... what has she done to all of me?"
Jai patted his back and said.
"Brother, pull yourself together. Maybe there's been a misunderstanding. Whatever it is, we'll sort it out calmly, together."
Nick's crying didn't stop.
"There's no misunderstanding. Misunderstandings don't happen like this, anywhere. No misunderstanding happens like this."
At Datta Mansion, everyone was still posing for photos during the engagement ceremony. Priya and the others had finished their photos long ago. Now other people were getting their photos taken. None of Mr. Datta's sisters or his younger brother's wife liked Priya. They were burning with anger seeing her. Just then, Mr. Datta's sister, Suman, and his younger brother's wife, Meeta, came to Priya. As Suman approached Priya, she said in a taunting tone.
"Priya," she adopted a taunting tone. "Now we are having our real family photo session. You do one thing... go eat something or wander around a bit. Look how weak you've become. It seems my brother isn't taking care of you... don't know what's lacking. Now eat, drink, and gain some weight here."
Meeta supported Suman and added to the amusement.
"Didi, why make excuses? Just say it, you're not one of us to join our photo session. It's good that brother has taken you in... otherwise, you'd be an orphan..."
Priya felt hurt hearing this but composed herself and didn't reply. She just sadly walked away from there. Priyanka Ji was nearby. Her attention fell on Priya, and she went to Meeta and Suman. She asked Meeta.
"Meeta, what happened to Priya? Why did she leave so suddenly? Her face looked sad too."
Meeta knew that Priyanka Ji was very fond of Priya. So, changing the subject, she said.
"Nothing, Didi... her dress got stained with juice. She probably went to clean it. It was a good dress, so her face must have become sad."
Priyanka Ji stopped looking in that direction and said.
"Then it's nothing... she'll come back after cleaning it. Come, I'll go look into the other arrangements for the function." Saying this, she left from there.
Priya went upstairs to her room. As soon as she entered the room, she started rummaging through her belongings. She took out her mother's and father's photo from her belongings and started crying looking at it. Crying, she sat on the bed and, looking at the photo, said.
"It would have been better if I had left this world with you both... you left, but you left the burden of responsibility on Priyanka Didi... It's Priyanka Didi, otherwise, if these people had their way, they would kill me. Because of them, I sometimes feel like I should have stayed in an orphanage. At least I wouldn't have to feel indebted to their false favors. I haven't taken a single penny from them to date, yet for what reason do they show gratitude? They are killing me inch by inch." She hugged the photo to her chest and, crying, fell to the other side of the bed.
In a deserted place, Nick and Jai were sitting in the car. Nick was crying, and Jai was trying his best to console him. But Nick wasn't calming down despite that. Jai tried again and said.
"Brother, stop crying. She betrayed you, and you're crying. Why are you punishing yourself for her actions?"
Nick replied without looking at him.
"If I trusted the wrong person, I have to face the punishment, right, Jai? And if I trusted, then I have to bear its punishment."
"Please, brother, don't panic. You'll fall ill. Let's go home. Forget everything for once, recover a bit, and then think about it." Nick still couldn't control himself. He turned towards Jai in the car, hugged him, and cried. Jai supported him, and after some time, he took the driver's seat himself. Nick had reached a state of unconsciousness. Jai drove the car and headed towards Nick's house. Upon reaching Nick's house, he took Nick to his room, sat him on the bed, and gave him something to eat and drink. He didn't eat but drank a glass of juice. After drinking the glass of juice, Jai gave him sleeping pills and then made him lie down. Due to the sleeping pills, Nick fell asleep quickly. After making Nick sleep, Jai was sitting on the swing outside when Emma's car stopped in front of the house. She had come with Dr. Dixit. Jai noticed her, and then both of them, along with Dr. Dixit, went into Nick's room.
Seeing Nick's condition, Emma immediately said to Dr. Dixit.
"Look, Uncle, what state he's in. He gets panic attacks. Please check him, make sure he doesn't get another panic attack."
Dr. Dixit started examining him. After examining for a while, he said.
"It's good that you people put him to sleep... he'll forget everything after resting for a while. The pressure on his mind won't be too much. The fear of him getting a panic attack is low. If everything is normal by morning, I don't think the condition will worsen."
There was a different kind of anger on Emma's face. She said in her anger.
"Ali is gone, but Nick is still in pain. I don't know why Nick is living with so much pain. And Priya, I never expected this from you. Believe me, I will destroy you completely. You did absolutely nothing right by doing this to us, and I will make sure you pay for it."
Seeing Emma angry, Jai came to her and said.
"Emma Ma'am, I am here with brother. Brother is in this condition. In such a situation, you have to manage the institute's responsibility. Please go and rest. I will take care of everything here."
Emma looked at Nick once and then said.
"Alright, I'm leaving, but let me know if you need anything." Saying this, Emma left with Dr. Dixit.
Around 2:00 AM, Nick's eyes opened, and he sat up. Jai was sleeping on the sofa in his room. He had taken sleeping pills, but despite that, his sleep broke earlier. This was solely due to the sorrow he was still holding in his heart. Nick slowly got up and, without making any noise, came out of his room. After coming out of the room, he tiptoed into the library built in his house. There, he pushed a book inward, and the door to a secret room in the library opened. This room was very special to Nick. Here, Nick and all his cherished memories were preserved. Inside the room, he had put up pictures of every good moment spent with his mother, Parvati, and Ali. In one section of the room, there were some cassettes containing videos of his past moments. He took out a cassette from there and put it on the laptop lying there to watch it. The video was from a few years ago. Nick was with Ali and Emma. Ava was making the video. They were playing volleyball. Emma threw the ball to the other side and said to Ali.
"Ali, I don't like your boyfriend at all." Ali was wearing a light white crop top and loose pajamas. She looked very innocent and attractive in her speech and appearance.
Nick jumped and caught the ball and said.
"Ali, your grumpy sister talks as if I can't live without her. As if I like her a lot. She doesn't know how rude she is. So rude that she doesn't even respect her future brother-in-law."
Emma ran towards Nick, snatched the ball, and said as she went to the other side.
"Ali, if you marry this monkey... then you see, I'll lock both of you inside the room, not just one, but separately."
Nick stood in his place with his hands on his hips and said.
"Hey, who did you call monkey? You're going to get beaten by me."
Emma said without paying attention to him.
"You... and who else? Do you see any other monkey here? Ali, say something to him." Then Emma looked at the video camera and, putting her hand on her face, said.
"Please, Ava, stop shooting... why are you recording my rotten face?"
Ali spoke for the first time.
"What should I say? If you two let me speak, then I'll speak. Now listen, Emma, don't say anything to my prince. The Juju I've found for you is incomparable in this world, let alone any other. Nick is the best life partner for me."
Ava put down the camera and ran to Ali. Ali picked her up, and Ava kissed her on the cheek.
Nick also came to her and, picking her up, kissed her on the cheek. She was a small child. While kissing Ava's cheek, Nick said.
"My little doll... please stay a little away from your little sister. Otherwise, your nose will also become big. A girl with a big nose won't find a boyfriend. Yes, but she might find a good friend who will care for her a bit."
Ava said innocently in a childish voice.
"Is Emma's nose big? I've never looked at her closely."
Ali came scolding and said.
"Nick, it seems you really want to break your stubbornness today by commenting on Emma's nose."
"Let him speak," Emma said. "I won't let you marry her. Monkey."
With this, the video ended. Watching it, Nick's tears started to flow. He sat on the chair there and, composing himself, said.
"Enough is enough. I've been betrayed enough, and you've betrayed enough. The institute doesn't need a traitor like you. Because of you, my feelings have changed a little bit, just because of you, foster... Now wait and see... what I do now. You've seen Nick behaving lovingly, now see his anger too."
As morning broke, Nick left for the institute early. He reached the office and filed a complete letter against Priya. He attached her application form to the complaint letter so that her admission request could be canceled and she could be expelled from the training center itself.
According to the complaint letter, Priya had applied for admission to the institute using a fake identity, which was against the institute's rules. It also stated that she should be fined and severely punished for this. After doing all this, Nick said to himself.
"Just 10 days. It will take 3 days to process this complaint, after which you will be given 7 days to prove yourself right or wrong. Then I'll show you and your father what happens when you mess with Nick." Saying this, Nick faxed it and then got busy with his other work. He kept what he had done to himself and was not going to tell anyone further.
***
At Priyanka Ji's insistence, Priya, Pranjal, and Arjun stayed for 2 days. Priya couldn't go back to the training center. So, she didn't receive any notice. The next 2 days passed somehow. Nick was still waiting for Priya to come to the training center. He wanted to know why she did this to him. 2 days had passed, but Priya still hadn't returned to the institute. He was restless, but he couldn't do anything himself. No contact, no other means. Nick was sitting on a bench at the training center, looking towards the gate. Just then, he saw Arohi. He couldn't contact Priya, but her friend could. Thinking this, he went towards her. As Nick approached her, he said.
"Hey Arohi... how are you? Has your Miss Sharma arrived?"
Arohi was working. She continued her work for a bit longer.
"No, sir."
"Oh," Nick said. "So, you haven't tried to talk to her, to talk to her and ask when she'll be back?"
"Not at the moment. But she'll be back this evening or tomorrow. She had taken only this much leave." Saying this, she left and went back to her other work.
After she left, Nick thought to himself.
"It's good she hasn't come. Anyway, with what face will she come back? It's better if she goes back to India from outside. It won't be good if she goes to jail at such a young age, neither for her, nor for Prabhas Datta."
Nick was angry with Priya, and he showed it on his face, but his heart still longed to catch a glimpse of her. He turned towards his room and was about to go in. Just then, he got a call from Rohan. When he picked up the call, Rohan said from the other end.
"Hey brother, how are you? Is everything well, and how was the wedding?"
Nick smiled and said with a smile.
"It was definitely wonderful. It's good that you live-streamed it. I'll never forget this wedding in my life." Then he said.
"As for how I am, I'm fine, but for someone else..." He had barely spoken when Rohan completed his line. He said.
"It's going to get worse... or dude, you keep making it worse for whoever you want to. Now listen to me. Shalu and I are staying here for a few days. You guys didn't attend the engagement ceremony, but you'll have lunch together, won't you?"
Nick replied.
"Yes, why not? But you'll have to wait for 2 days. Some matters are messed up. Once they're sorted in 2 days, we'll have lunch leisurely and with enjoyment."
Rohan said okay and then hung up the phone. After he hung up, Nick, twirling the phone in his hand, walked towards his room. As he was going towards his room, he said again.
"Don't know when she'll come... when Miss Sharma will come back."
In the evening, at Mr. Prabhas Datta's house, Priyanka Ji was bidding farewell to Priya and Arjun. Pranjal was staying there with Shalu and Rohan. The rest of the guests had already left. Priyanka Ji had to work hard to make Pranjal stay; only then did she agree to stay, otherwise, she wasn't agreeing.
As Priyanka was bidding farewell to Priya, she said.
"Priya, if anyone said anything untoward during the function, I'm sorry on their behalf. I know our relatives don't like you, but don't ever be sad about it."
Priya smiled and said.
"Oh no, Didi, it's nothing like that. For me, it's just you, and I have no other concern."
Priyanka made a face and said.
"Didi? How many times have I told you to call me Mom? And you're the one who made me used to calling me Mom, not me. You called me Mom before Pranjal did."
Priya said again with a smiling face.
"Okay, Mom."
"Please, Priya, don't hesitate. Let me know if you need anything." After this, she said.
"And if possible, come to Amritsar. Grandma is old and also sick. So meet her once."
Priya agreed.
"Okay, Mom. I'll meet her."
Arjun had been standing there with the bags for a long time. He was waiting for their conversation to end and for them to leave. After listening to their talk for a long time, he said.
"If you two mother-daughter talks are over, shall we leave? Or do you still intend to stay here?"
Priyanka Ji said.
"That will never end... Take care, Priya." Priyanka Ji said and then hugged her.
After bidding farewell to Priyanka Ji, Priya and Arjun left from there. Arjun took a flight to India from the airport, while Priya took a cab back to the training center. Priya hadn't seen Nick for many days. Now that the function work was over, she started thinking about Nick again. Her heart longed to see Nick. But she didn't know that the situation had changed now.
***
