Part 3 First Meet

Two months ago / Nainital

It was the thick woods on the outskirts of Nainital. Arnav was sitting behind a large fallen tree, closing his eyes and leaning against it. The place was peaceful, calming his mind. He loved it because it was away from the crowded town. Suddenly, the tranquillity was shattered by a girl's scream, followed by several footsteps.

Arnav opened his eyes and looked in that direction. He saw a group of men—no, they weren't just men; they looked like goons—chasing a girl. She was running for her life despite the goons being far apart.

He felt shocked and a surge of anger. He knew what could happen to the girl. Nowadays, the safety of girls had become a significant concern in society. He felt furious every time he saw such news in the newspaper. He might read about this incident in the next day's headlines if he stood by without reacting.

He noticed the girl running toward him. He quickly hid behind the large tree. As she passed him, he pulled her toward him and covered her mouth to prevent her from shouting.

"Shhhh... Don't shout..."

The girl looked into his eyes, panting heavily.

Arnav peered out and saw the goons searching for the girl with confused expressions.

"Where is she?" One among then asked, searching for her.

"She must be here." Another one guessed.

"Yes, she couldn't have left this place."

They spoke among themselves. Arnav realised they hadn't not noticed her hiding. He sighed in relief and looked at the girl staring at him.

"We can't leave this place until they are gone. We need to hide well until then, okay?"

"Please, save me. They're chasing me, and no one has helped me..."

Arnav nodded.

"Don't be scared, okay?"

She nodded in response.

At that moment, one of the goons came in their direction.

"He's coming," the girl exclaimed, shaking in fear.

Arnav quickly devised a plan and removed his jacket, covering their heads with it and shielding her with his body. If the goon saw them, he might think they were just a couple kissing. The man glanced over and smirked.

"Hey, look here! Aashiqui 3 is running..." He countered.

Arnav lowered the jacket slightly and glared at the goon.

"Can't we find some peace here too? We came here to escape the crowd. Did you come here for that as well?" He asked annoyed.

"Sorry, yaar..." the goon said as he walked away.

Arnav removed the jacket and carefully surveyed his surroundings.

"Wait... I will check to see if they have left."

The girl nodded. Arnav watched as the goons moved in another direction, searching for her.

"Who are they? Why are they chasing you?"

"I'm just a young girl. What else do they need to chase me? Girls don't have safety in this society..." she said sadly.

"Why did you leave home alone knowing about the dangers in society?"

"I learned that lesson today. I read about such incidents but didn't think it would happen to me."

"Okay, where do you want to go? I will drop you off."

"Thank you so much. Please drop me at the bus terminus."

"Alright, let's go."

They walked away from the direction of the goons.

"Give me your bag... I'll carry it," Arnav offered, noticing her small backpack.

"It's okay... it's not heavy," she replied.

Arnav didn't insist. She probably didn't trust him completely. After all, she wasn't in a position to trust anyone.

As they moved further away, the goons surrounded them. The girl looked at them in shock. Arnav felt perplexed, yet he didn't panic despite being outnumbered.

"Didn't I tell you, they are Aashiqui 3..." one of the goons mocked when he saw them under the jacket.

Arnav's expression turned serious.

"You covered her face with your jacket but forgot to hide her shoes..." he laughed.

That was when Arnav noticed the girl's bright pink shoes, which stood out. The girl closed her eyes in disappointment.

"Just leave her with us..." one of the goons demanded.

The girl hid behind Arnav.

"Please, don't leave me." She pleaded.

Arnav, whose gaze was on the goons, turned to the girl.

"Don't worry. I won't leave you."

"Hey, leave her if you want to stay alive," one goon said as he lunged at them, reaching for the girl. He instantly fell after receiving a solid punch from Arnav.

The girl looked at him, her eyes wide, while the other goons advanced toward Arnav.

The place became a war field. Arnav hit the goons black and blue. It showed how much he hated such people.

The girl looked at him awestruck. She had never seen such a scene in real life. The goons screamed. That brought a few people to the place, but none helped him. The goons understood they could do nothing with the man, so one of them shouted.

"Hey, do it".

Another man pulled a kerchief from his pant pocket and attempted to press it against Arnav's face to make him inhale it. Realizing his intentions, the girl pushed the man hard, but he didn't budge even slightly. He looked at her with irritation, clearly annoyed. He then pressed the kerchief firmly against her face, forcing her to inhale it. He was too strong for her to resist, and soon she fainted. He picked her up on his shoulder and said,

"I'm taking her. Come to our place after you finish with him." He attempted to carry the girl on his shoulder, but Arnav kicked him hard, causing him to fall. The girl slipped from his grip and tumbled to the ground, hitting her forehead against a stone and injuring herself. Blood began to trickle from the wound.

One of the goons spotted a log and raised it to strike Arnav. However, before the log could make contact, Arnav seized and wrested it from him. He started hitting the attackers with the log, causing them to scream in pain. After a few minutes, they realised they couldn't withstand his fury and fled to escape him.

Arnav threw the log aside and looked at the girl. He rushed to her side and examined her wound, gently wiping the blood from her forehead. Taking out his phone, he called someone, and the call was answered.

"Tell me, Arnav."

"Have you vacated the room?"

"I'm on my way..."

"Don't. I need your help."

"What do you want me to do? Just give the order."

"Shut up. Quit using big words."

"No, Arnav. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there for us."

"Stop with the flattery. Come to the location I sent."

"Okay, I'm on my way."

Arnav ended the call, grabbed her bag, slung it over his shoulder, and lifted the girl into his arms. Then he walked out of the woods.

At the same time, a car stopped next to him, and a couple got out. Arnav placed the girl in the car's back seat and looked at them.

"What happened, Arnav? Who is she?" His friend, Aman asked.

"I don't know, Aman. Someone chased her, and I saved her from them. They used chloroform on her to make her faint."

"Should we take her to the hospital?" Lavanya suggested.

"No, Lavanya. We need to answer their questions. We don't even know who she is; they might file a case. That wouldn't be good for her. The goons would twist it in their favour."

"Then what are you going to do?" Lavanya inquired.

"Until she regains consciousness, I will stay with her. That's why I called you here."

"What do you want us to do?" Aman asked.

"We can't take her to a hotel room in this condition because the authorities will question us."

"No, Arnav. Our hotel is so simple. There is only one guy at the reception, remember?" Lavanya replied.

"Yes, that's why I called you. Just distract the guy until I can take this girl to your room. I will make sure she gets home safely tomorrow morning. Can you do it, Aman?"

"Sure... Let's go," Aman replied.

Aman started the car, and Arnav sat beside him while Lavanya took the girl's head on her lap in the back seat.

They headed to the hotel. Aman and Lavanya went inside. The receptionist smiled at them, and his smile widened when he heard,

"We are not checking out."

"Really, sir? It seems you really like the Nainital climate," he said.

"No, we're leaving, but my friend is coming to our room," Aman replied.

"Oh... That's great, sir."

"Can I get as rose plant from your garden? I will pay you for that" Aman said.

"No problem sir. I will give you one," the receptionist said.

"Really? Please give it to me."

"Yeah..." The receptionist walked to the back of the hotel.

Aman followed him, signalling to Lavanya. She rushed out and signalled Arnav. He took the girl to their room and placed her on the bed.

Arnav returned to the reception area with his bag and waited alongside Lavanya. Aman arrived with a man who was holding a rose plant.

"This is my friend. He will be staying here tonight," Aman said.

"Okay, sir," the man replied with a smile directed at Arnav.

Lavanya handed Arnav the room key.

"Thank you," he said as he accepted it.

"We're leaving now," Aman announced.

"Alright. Call me once you reach Delhi," Arnav replied.

"Of course. Be careful," Aman said.

"Sure... You, too, be careful," Arnav warned.

Once they left, Arnav entered the room and noticed a girl sleeping. He covered her with a quilt and took a seat on the couch.

He soon heard a knock at the door. Peeking out, he saw the receptionist standing there, smiling.

"Would you like dinner, sir?" He inquired.

Arnav nodded, "Yes, but not right now. I'll let you know when."

"Sir, I'm ill and can't be out long. Would you like me to bring it in hot boxes?" He offered.

"Alright. Please bring it," he replied.

The receptionist went to fetch the dinner. Arnav took it from him without fully opening the door when he returned. He left, and Arnav had his dinner, then lay back on the couch, leaving the light on to avoid startling the girl when she woke up. He still didn't know who she was, where she came from, or who had been with her. He could only learn about her once she regained consciousness. As these thoughts swirled in his mind, he drifted to sleep, wrapping himself in the quilt upto his head to ward off the cold.

After a while, the girl woke up, startled as memories of the evening flooded back. She saw a man sleeping on the couch and felt a surge of horror. Had the goons brought her to their place? She scanned the room, looking for something to defend herself with. Quietly, she got out of bed and retrieved pepper spray from her bag. Determined to strike, she advanced toward the man on the couch. At that moment, Arnav turned in his sleep and pulled the quilt down slightly. The girl froze, struck by the sight of him. A relieved smile spread across her lips; this man had saved her, meaning the goons hadn't abducted her. She was safe.

As her eyes roamed around the room, they landed on hot food containers on the table. She noticed rotis and chana masala inside them. Her stomach growled; she hadn't eaten anything since fleeing the goons. With a sigh of relief, she began to eat, feeling her hunger gradually subside.

Then, her gaze fell back on the man on the couch. She smiled unknowingly, touched by his kindness. Not only had he rescued her from the goons, but he also respected her belongings. He didn't even touched them. He was a rare person in a world often filled with selfishness. Everyone seemed to be looking out for their own interests, but he was different. He embodied humanity, social respectability, and kindness. She felt content, appreciating his gentlemanly nature. He was not only a gentleman but also a handsome hunk! She smiled.

To be continued...