Inside a vehicle, Adhiraj sat in the driver’s seat while Vikrant lounged beside him, looking as carefree as if he were about to fall asleep.
Adhiraj asked without turning his head.
“Can you manage it?”
“Why do I suddenly feel like a criminal?” Vikrant whispered while looking outside through the side window.
Adhiraj started the vehicle, and it continued moving through the illuminated roads of Shunyagarbha.
“Do you know where Asha is right now?”
Vikrant turned his head toward him in confusion.
“Isn’t Asha Didi at the university?”
“If she were there, then why would we ask you to do this?” Adhiraj replied calmly.
“Because all of you want to take my life away.” Vikrant muttered under his breath.
“Look at me.
An innocent and honest boy.
And now you’re dragging an innocent boy into a life of crime.”
Adhiraj turned the vehicle in another direction.
“It’s for the entire university, not just for me.”
A brief pause followed—
“As far as I remember, someone was saying he’s loyal to the university.”
Vikrant immediately joined in.
“Yes, who is that shameless person?
Who was saying that in front of everyone with such confidence?”
Adhiraj glanced at him.
“You are the Vice President.”
“Exactly.”
“Exactly?” Adhiraj repeated.
Vikrant nodded seriously.
“The Vice President.
The position exists to protect students from unreasonable decisions made by seniors.”
Adhiraj remained silent.
“So naturally, I am protecting myself.”
“You are protecting yourself from university work.
I am protecting the university from a future scandal.”
“What scandal?” Adhiraj asked.
Vikrant pointed at himself.
“The scandal of forcing an innocent student into criminal activities.”
For several seconds, Adhiraj said nothing.
Then he sighed.
“Every time I think your shamelessness has reached its limit, but then you somehow manage to exceed my expectations.”
“Thank you, Senior.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I accept it anyway.”
The vehicle continued moving through the illuminated roads.
After a brief silence, Vikrant looked outside again.
“So where exactly are we going?”
Adhiraj’s expression didn’t change.
“To find Asha.”
The smile on Vikrant’s face immediately disappeared.
“…”
“…”
For the first time since entering the vehicle, he sat up properly.
“Senior.”
“What?”
“Can I still withdraw my application?”
“You never submitted one.”
“Then can I withdraw my existence?”
*
*
*
Rupavati took another spoonful of Dal Makhani.
Rohini watched her for a few seconds.
“You’re happy now?
But I feel so drunk…”
She rested her chin on her left hand and stared across the table.
Rupavati narrowed her eyes.
Rohini lowered her voice like a genuinely intoxicated woman.
“Why are you looking at me like that?
Don’t think you can take advantage of me in this situation.”
Rupavati took another spoonful of Dal Makhani.
“Rohini.”
“Hm?”
“That’s lemon juice.”
“…”
“And you aren’t Vikrant.
He doesn’t act.
He doesn’t tease.
He just says the truth.
Honestly, I have no idea how his brain works.”
Rupavati adjusted her glasses.
“So you can’t be like him.”
Rohini immediately burst into laughter.
Rupavati ignored her and took another spoonful of dal makhani.
After a moment—
“Looks like you have some feelings for him,” Rohini said while sipping her juice.
Rupavati’s expression darkened.
I simply admire his intelligence.
Nothing more.”
Rohini finished the lemon juice.
“Even so, he likes Urvashi.
And I don’t know why.”
Rupavati remained focused on her meal.
“If demon Vicky likes someone, then it isn’t only because of beauty and fame.
He sees what we can’t.”
Then she went into silence and continued eating.
“By the way, if Asha were here, I would never interact with that demon.”
Rohini’s eyes lit up.
“Ohh…
you mean the female version of Shree Krishna.”
“Yeah.
I think the same.”
Rupavati suddenly remembered something.
“But Asha says she’s just a normal servant of Lord Shree Krishna.”
*
*
*
A sleek vehicle glided to a halt before the main gates of Urvashi’s estate.
Beyond them, several luxurious houses were scattered across the vast property.
Tree-lined pathways curved between gardens, artificial lakes, and quiet open spaces.
In the distance, autonomous maintenance drones moved silently above the grounds.
The engine fell silent.
For a brief moment, only the sound of the wind remained.
Then the door slid upward.
Vikrant stepped out first.
Adhiraj followed behind him.
Both young men looked toward the estate.
The gates recognized their arrival and slowly parted with a soft mechanical hum.
Neither of them spoke.
The vehicle moved away on its own while the two continued forward.
Far beyond the gates, the largest residence stood quietly beneath the afternoon sky, waiting.
Vikrant and Adhiraj walked through the gates.
The pathway stretched ahead between rows of green-leaved trees.
Small service drones occasionally passed overhead before disappearing among the buildings scattered across the estate.
Adhiraj glanced around.
“This place gets bigger every time I come here.”
Vikrant ignored the comment.
Several security sensors hidden throughout the estate tracked their movements before recognizing them as authorized visitors.
The two continued forward.
*
*
*
The aroma of spices filled the kitchen.
Shanti Lata stood before the stove, stirring the curry.
Her gaze remained fixed on the simmering food.
Then she added a little more salt.
“It’s nothing unusual.
I know you all make curry like this on Earth too.”
She paused.
Her eyes shifted toward the kitchen doorway.
“I know who they are and why they’re here.
And you readers know as well.”
The ladle continued moving through the curry.
A soft smile appeared on her face.
“Interesting.”
Her long black hair was tied in a loose braid that fell down her back.
Warm brown eyes carried an almost constant hint of amusement, as though she knew a joke that nobody else did.
Her features were soft and approachable rather than striking.
The kind of face people instinctively trusted.
At the moment, she wore a simple light-colored saree.
A loose lock of hair rested near her cheek as she stood before the stove.
Nothing about her appearance suggested danger.
Nothing about her appearance suggested power.
She looked less like a being capable of shaking worlds and more like someone’s slightly mischievous older sister preparing lunch for her family.
Almost ten minutes later—
Footsteps echoed.
A moment later, two figures appeared at the entrance of the kitchen.
Vikrant entered first.
Adhiraj followed behind him.
Neither spoke immediately.
Shanti Lata continued stirring the curry as if she had expected them all along.
The silence lasted several seconds.
Then—
Adhiraj asked politely.
“Aunty, where is Urvashi?”
Shanti Lata tasted the curry.
“Hm.”
She added another pinch of salt.
“Wait, you seriously don’t know that?
She lives in hostel.
It’s been three years already.”
Adhiraj hesitated for a moment.
Shanti Lata remained busy with her work.
“Look at what they’re asking, dear readers.
Don’t be confused.
They’re asking me because Urvashi is much closer to Asha than most people.”
She stirred the curry.
“Makes sense, doesn’t it?
If you want to know something, you should ask someone who understands it well rather than someone who only knows the basics or can do nothing more than guess.”
“Call her, simple,” she answered them.
Vikrant remained quiet.
His gaze rested on Shanti Lata for a moment.
Then he spoke.
“By the way, Aunty…
Urvashi’s phone is switched off, and this morning she asked to use my phone to contact someone.”
Shanti Lata responded immediately.
“Ohh…
so that’s the reason.
A switched-off phone brought you two here?
Now that’s interesting.
A simple smartphone managed to do what no one else could.”
A pause—
“Yes, she was here last night because of Bhagavat.
By the way, did you meet him?”
Adhiraj lowered his gaze.
“Aunty, we did but…
Meenakshi was there too.
Was she crying?
Her nose was red.
It usually happens because of increased blood flow and constant wiping while crying.”
Shanti Lata stopped for a brief moment.
Then she asked with a soft smile—
“What was your impression of Bhagavat?”
A sudden silence spread through the kitchen for a moment.
Adhiraj’s eyes immediately shifted toward Vikrant.
An unusual expression appeared on his face.
“Why does Vikrant look like he just realized something?
And Aunty suddenly changed the topic.
It shows that she doesn’t want to discuss it.
But why?
Does she dislike Meenakshi?
I don’t think she does.”
He sighed.
“I’d better not overthink it.
Sometimes it’s wiser to follow the river’s flow than struggle against the current.”
Then he spoke.
“He’s fine now, but how did that happen to him?”
Shanti Lata didn’t answer anything.
The room went completely silent.
After a moment—
Shanti Lata replied with a smile.
“Don’t worry, dears!
It was just a simple accident.”
Adhiraj remained silent.
“I know it isn’t the truth.
It isn’t that Aunty doesn’t want to share it.
The real reason is that she doesn’t want to remember it…
it’s a family matter.
I’d rather not interfere.
I can ask Urvashi about it later, but for now…”
He rested his left hand on Vikrant’s shoulder.
Vikrant understood the gesture and responded.
“Aunty, we’re not here for Urvashi.”
Shanti Lata looked at him quietly for a moment.
Then the ladle continued moving slowly through the curry.
The kitchen became silent.
Neither Vikrant nor Adhiraj made a sound.
The sudden change in the conversation only made things more awkward.
Shanti Lata’s smile widened slightly.
“There it is.”
Vikrant lowered his eyes.
“We just need some information about Asha Didi.”
“And I need this curry to not burn.” Shanti Lata lowered the flame.
Then she turned toward them.
For the first time since they entered, her attention was completely on the two of them.
“So, what exactly do you want to know about Asha?
And don’t forget to eat before leaving.”
Everyone seems to have questions about Asha.
Some ask because they are curious.
Some ask because they are worried.
Some ask because they want answers.
The funny thing is that even the people closest to her don’t always understand her.
Thank you for reading.
And before you leave, don’t forget to eat something.
Shanti Lata would be disappointed otherwise.