She thinks of how her own parents refused to take her back, out of fear of what people would say.

With a heavy heart, she falls asleep.

In the morning, she wakes up. She pinches herself. “No, this isn’t a dream.”

The whole night, she’s bitten by mosquitoes.

She gets up, straightens her clothes, and goes to a nearby shop to eat. There’s a newspaper lying next to her, and she picks it up, trying to read as much as she can.

There’s an article about the rising unemployment rate, and reading it, she feels even more hopeless, wondering if she’ll ever find a job.

With a sad heart, she finishes her meal. She thinks to herself, wishing she had never been born.

At home, Surbhi and Vihaan discover that Rupam has run away when they see her empty cupboard.

Surbhi panics, thinking about what will happen to their reputation if people find out.

Seeing his mother’s distress, Vihaan feels an intense anger toward Rupam.

"How dare you run away from me." Vihaan yells in the bedroom, throwing a glass onto the floor, shattering it.

“You’ve made a big mistake by running, Rupam. Just wait and see what happens to you now,” he mutters, his eyes red with rage, as he punches the wall in anger.

Blood starts dripping from his knuckles.

Vihaan remembers that deep-voiced man and tries to call him, but he doesn’t answer.

So, he messages him instead, explaining everything and even sharing how he wants to hurt Rupam.

Vihaan tells him, “If, in return, you need my help to hurt Ujjwal, I’ll do it.”

Shashank, a sadist, agrees.

One is a sadist and another a narcissist.

"Just this morning, I was on my way to the office when I got an email. It said that I and a few other colleagues were being laid off," a man says, his tie loose, hair disheveled, and his bag slipping from his shoulder to his forearm.

"And you know what they said casually? ‘Even big companies are laying people off.’"

Rupam overhears this, standing not too far away. Hearing it makes her palms sweat, and she starts wondering if she made a mistake by running away from home.

Rupam feels lost, not knowing where she’ll get the money to rent a place, when she receives a call from an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Do you need money? We provide loans at a low interest rate and don’t ask for many documents," says a deep voice.

"Yes, I need money," Rupam replies, her voice revealing her urgency and desperation.

"How much?"

"I need twenty thousand rupees, just for one month," she says, feeling a bit relieved at the thought that once she finds a place to stay, she can look for an entry-level job.

“Will 4% interest work?” the deep voice asks.

"Yes, that works," Rupam says, thrilled at the low interest rate and minimal paperwork required.

Shashank can hear the rush in her voice.

“You’ll get a link on your phone. Just go there, enter your bank details, and accept the terms and conditions.”

"Is that all? I’ll get the loan just by doing this?" Rupam’s joy is uncontainable.

"Yes."

Rupam receives the link via message. She clicks on it, enters her details, and with happiness, accepts the terms and conditions without reading them.

"Why didn’t she need almost any documents when taking a loan?"

"What kind of bank or NBFC gave her the loan?"

"How did she get such a low-interest loan?"

Not one of these questions crosses her mind.

Why?

Was it because she didn’t know much about loans, or was she so desperate for money that she forgot to be cautious the moment she saw hope?

Both.

Almost immediately, twenty thousands rupees appear in her bank account. Overjoyed, Rupam searches “affordable house rent” online using voice input.

When she presses enter, a list of low-rent homes nearby appears on her screen.

From the entire list, one house catches her eye, it’s cheaper than the others.

She takes the number listed and calls, finalizing everything in just five minutes. She secures the house on rent, with rent agreement to follow later.

Rupam thinks she chose this house, but in reality, this house was chosen for her.

When she reaches the place, it’s small and nice, exactly what she was looking for. She rests for a while, though the job search still weighs on her. Anxiety churns in her stomach as she wonders how she’ll pay the next month’s rent if she doesn’t find work, or even afford food.

As she’s about to go out for food, she notices a pamphlet outside her door.

She picks it up, and her eyes widen as she reads, "Job Vacancy". It has an address and other details. The job involves handling customer complaints at a clothing mall.

Not wanting to miss this opportunity, she heads straight to the mall without even eating. Her heart races with the fear of rejection.

Along with other questions, the interviewer asks about her married life. Rupam says she’s unmarried.

“Okay, hmm, then you can start tomorrow. Initially, we’ll explain what you need to do. The in-hand salary is sixteen thousand per month,” the interviewer says.

“Okay, t-thank you, sir. Thank you so much,” Rupam’s anxiety fades, and she’s thrilled because now she can afford rent and food for the coming month.

On her way back, she calls her brother, Mohit, to tell him the news. She had decided not to tell him she’d run away unless she found both a place to stay and a job, as she didn’t want him to worry.

Mohit takes her address and visits her, having lied to parents that he was going to a friend’s house to get some books. Their parents no longer care about Rupam.

Doorbell rings

“Mohit!” Rupam hugs him tightly. He’s the one person who truly understands her.

"Are you okay, Di?" Mohit asks, worried about his sister.

“Yes, Mohit. Look, I got a place with low rent and a job at a clothing mall,” Rupam says, handing him a glass of water.

“You’re so brave, Di. You finally left that house, and not only that, you found a place and a job on your own,” Mohit says, proud of his sister.

Tears well up in Rupam’s eyes. Maybe her life will finally get better.

"Don’t cry, Di. Everything will be fine now," Mohit reassures her.

Rupam wipes her tears and nods.

"Here’s one thousand rupees. I saved it for you from my pocket money, Di," Mohit says, taking money from his pocket and offering it to her.

"Thank you," Rupam says, her heart full.

This one thousand rupees feels like a million to her.

"Did you eat, Mohit?" Rupam asks.

“Yes. And you?” Mohit asks, to which Rupam only lowers her head.

“Look, Di, I brought food for you,” Mohit says, pulling a tiffin from his bag.

Smiling, Rupam eats. This food tastes more delicious than any other meal she’s had before.

Seeing his sister happy brings peace to Mohit.

Rupam has no idea that the mall, where she’s gotten a job, belongs to Shashank. And the job wasn’t given to her- it was arranged for her.

What happens next will stay with Rupam for the rest of her life.

______________________________

❤