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Chapter 4 — “Two Different Nights”

By evening, Meher’s legs were hurting badly.

She had visited four different girls’ PGs already.

One looked dirty.

One had broken locks.

One owner kept asking strange personal questions.

And another place had six girls sharing one tiny room.

The moment Meher came out from there, she immediately whispered,

“No chance.”

She felt tired and hopeless.

Maybe finding a safe place in the city was harder than getting the job itself.

Then the cab driver stopped near another building.

“This one is decent,” he said. “Office girls live here.”

Meher looked up nervously.

The building was simple but clean.

Not fancy.

Not scary.

Just… peaceful.

An aunty opened the gate with a warm smile.

“You came for the room?”

Meher nodded softly.

The room was small but neat.

One bed.

One small cupboard.

A tiny kitchen corner with an induction stove.

A mini fridge.

AC.

A study table near the window.

For the first time that day, Meher felt relief.

“It’s nice…” she whispered.

“Fifteen thousand per month,” the aunty said. “Electricity separate.”

Meher’s heart paused for a second.

Fifteen thousand.

It felt huge.

Still… this place felt safe.

And safety mattered more.

While paying the deposit, her fingers shook slightly.

This was her father’s hard-earned money.

Money saved after years of working in fields under the hot sun.

“What if these people are fraud?” she thought nervously.

But the aunty seemed trustworthy.

So finally, Meher handed over the money.

“You can shift on Tuesday,” the aunty smiled.

Meher nodded.

“Thank you.”

After leaving the PG, she bought a few small things from nearby shops.

A pink bedsheet.

A bucket.

Pillow covers.

A mug.

Two steel plates.

One small pan.

She kept checking prices carefully before buying anything.

“No unnecessary spending,” she reminded herself.

Groceries could wait until she shifted.

She smiled softly while imagining herself cooking in that tiny kitchen.

“No more expensive hotel food after Tuesday.”

Back in the hotel room, Meher looked sadly at the menu again.

Even one meal felt expensive.

But she was too tired to go outside again.

So she ordered the cheapest thing she could find.

When the food arrived, she carefully checked the bill twice before paying.

Then she sat cross-legged on the bed and ate slowly while watching random TV channels she didn’t understand.

The city still felt unfamiliar.

But at least now…

She had a place waiting for her.

At the same time, across the city…

Armaan Malhotra walked through a luxury mall.

His sister Tara ran beside him excitedly.

“You really didn’t have to buy me anything,” she said.

“You topped your exams,” Armaan replied calmly. “You earned it.”

Inside the watch showroom, Tara’s eyes widened.

“Bhaiya…these are too expensive.”

He simply pointed toward one elegant silver watch.

“Pack this.”

Tara stared at him.

“That costs more than my semester fees!”

Armaan smirked slightly.

“Good thing I can afford both.”

Later at home, Tara hugged him tightly after opening the gift.

“You’re the best brother sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“Don’t get emotional now.”

Armaan rolled his eyes while she laughed loudly.

Night slowly settled over the city.

Meher sat on the hotel floor folding her newly bought bedsheet carefully.

After eating, she washed her own plate in the bathroom sink because she felt guilty leaving it dirty.

Then she called her mother.

“Did you eat properly?” Harjit asked immediately.

“Yes.”

“Lock the door properly before sleeping.”

“I did.”

“Don’t trust strangers too quickly.”

“Okay, Mummy.”

After the call ended, Meher quietly applied coconut oil to her hair, braided it loosely, and changed into simple cotton pajamas.

She folded her clothes neatly on the chair before sleeping.

No fancy skincare.

No expensive products.

Just tired eyes and simple routines.

Before sleeping, she looked at her father’s photo saved in her phone.

“I’ll make this worth it,” she whispered.

Then she switched off the lamp.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city…

Armaan loosened his tie the moment he entered his room.

The entire day had been exhausting.

Meetings. Calls. Investors. Noise.

He pressed the small bell near his bedside once.

Within seconds, a house staff member entered respectfully.

“Yes, sir?”

“Keep tomorrow’s navy suit ready,” Armaan said while removing his watch slowly.

“Yes, sir.”

Armaan casually took off his coat and handed it over. Then he unbuttoned the top buttons of his white shirt while walking toward the bathroom.

The servant quietly collected the clothes and left.

A few minutes later, warm water poured down from the shower above him.

Steam slowly filled the marble bathroom.

Armaan closed his eyes for a moment, letting the hot water wash away the stress of the day.

The city outside never stopped running.

But this was the only time his world became silent.

After the shower, he changed into comfortable black night clothes and walked back into his dimly lit room with wet hair.

Everything around him looked luxurious and perfect.

The room.

The lights.

The watch on the table.

The city view outside his giant windows.

Perfect.

Yet strangely empty.

He lay down on his massive bed and closed his eyes.

And unknowingly…

Under the same city sky—

A rich CEO and a scared village girl were falling asleep in completely different worlds.

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