Chapter Three.

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Yeh chaand sa roshan chera
Zulfo ka rang sunhera
Yeh jhil si neeli aankhein
Koi raaz hain inme ghera
Taarif Karo kya uski?
Jisne tumhe banaya...

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Author's POV.

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As Chirag's words hung in the air, the room fell silent, with all eyes fixed on him. Vidyut and Antara exchanged a stunned glance, then turned to Lakshya, who sat frozen in disbelief.

"Bhaiya, what??" Lakshya asked, his voice laced with incredulity, still trying to process the fact that his brother, Chirag Sen, had proposed such an idea.

"I can't do that!" Lakshya refused, his response immediate. Vidyut's curiosity got the better of him, and he pressed for an explanation. "Why not?" he asked, his tone nonchalant.

Lakshya tried to reason with them, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Because... Because we don't know her! We can't trust anyone! Moreover, this is a sensitive topic, guys!" But his friends and brother seemed unfazed by his concerns.

Lakshya sighed, realizing his opinions were falling on deaf ears. With a sense of resignation, he stood up, his voice firm. "I am not going to do that, specially not going to ruin the life of that poor lady! I am going!" And with that, he hastily exited the room, leaving the others to their plans.

...

As they stood before the Post Office, Lakshya let out a frustrated groan, dragged inside by Chirag and Vidyut's unrelenting enthusiasm. Their mission? To uncover the identity of the mysterious girl who had captured Lakshya's heart with her captivating letters.

The trio had tried to decipher clues from the letters themselves, but to no avail. It was Antara's suggestion that led them to the Post Office: "Maybe the post office where the letters were sent from has some information about her?"

Now, seated before the manager, Lakshya's skepticism was palpable. The manager, however, beamed with warmth, recognizing the famous badminton duo. "Ah, Lakshya Sen and Chirag Sen! What brings you both here today?"

Vidyut's eyes shone with hope as he explained, "We're trying to find out who sent these letters. We thought maybe you could help us, sir?"

The manager's smile faltered for a moment.Sudesh, the manager, looked uncertain, his eyes darting between the trio. "I'm afraid I can't help you," he apologized, his voice laced with guilt.

Chirag's persistence kicked in. "Please, sir! We really need to know who she is!" he pleaded, his words dripping with desperation.

Sudesh's resolve crumbled under Chirag's persuasive gaze. "Okay, okay...I'll try to find something.." he relented, scribbling his signature on a form.

Vidyut beamed with gratitude. "Thank you so much, sir!"

Chirag's grin spread from ear to ear, while Lakshya's expression remained skeptical.

Sudesh returned with a dusty logbook, its pages yellowed with age. "We keep a record of all mail sent from our post office...including sender details," he explained, scanning the entries with a hesitant finger. "But please, this is highly irregular."

Chirag's eyes sparkled with excitement. "We won't breathe a word, sir!"

Sudesh's eyes locked onto a specific entry. "Ah, here it is...the sender's name is Nayanthara."

Lakshya's heart skipped a beat. The name resonated deep within him, but he couldn't quite place it.

Vidyut's eyes widened in triumph. "We did it! We have her name!"

Chirag's grin turned into a triumphant smile. "Now, let's uncover more about the mysterious Nayanthara!"

Lakshya's mind drew a blank. The name "Nayanthara" didn't conjure up any memories or associations. He had no idea what she looked like, what she did, or anything about her.

Vidyut's excitement was undeterred. "Let's go to the university, see if we can find her!"

Chirag nodded, already planning their next move. "I'll try to find her department, or maybe even her office hours."

Lakshya trailed behind, feeling a sense of unease. What were they getting themselves into? They knew nothing about this person, and yet they were determined to track her down.

As they approached the university, Lakshya's doubts grew. What if she didn't want to be found? What if she was hiding for a reason?

But Vidyut and Chirag pressed on, driven by curiosity and a sense of adventure.

Little did they know, their search was about to lead them down a path of discovery, one that would challenge everything they thought they knew about love, identity, and connection.

....

On there other hand, Nayanthara's hands trembled as she wrote the next letter, pouring her heart out to the stranger who had become her confidant. She had never intended for anyone to find her, but somehow, her words had reached him.

As she sealed the envelope, her mind wandered to her mother, lying in the hospital bed, fighting for her life. The medical bills were piling up, and Nayanthara's meager salary as a professor couldn't cover them.

Desperation had driven her to write those letters, hoping against hope that someone would hear her cry for help. And now, it seemed, someone had.

But what if they found her? What if they didn't understand? Nayanthara's anxiety spiked at the thought of being discovered.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from the hospital. Her mother's condition had taken a turn for the worse. Nayanthara's heart sank.

She needed a miracle, and fast. Could the stranger who had been reading her letters be the answer to her prayers?

Nayanthara's eyes welled up with tears as she read the message again. She felt helpless, trapped in a never-ending cycle of worry and fear.

Just then, a knock on the door broke the silence. It was her colleague, Dr. Sharma, with a concerned expression. "Nayanthara, I heard about your mother. How is she?"

Nayanthara forced a smile, trying to hide her despair. "She's...stable, for now."

Dr. Sharma nodded sympathetically. "If there's anything I can do, please let me know. We can start a fundraiser or—"

Nayanthara shook her head, feeling a surge of pride. "No, no, I can't burden you all with this."

But Dr. Sharma's words sparked an idea. Maybe, just maybe, the stranger who had been reading her letters could help. Maybe he had resources or connections that could save her mother's life.

But asking him for help? No! All she wanted was to encourage the man and to feel happy that atleast she have someone to talk too. He knows what she is going through and well... Maybe he pities her. But it's okay as long as he doesn't take any action to find her...

Well, lets see what the destiny holds for them... Both have their own battles to fight...

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Hey! New chapter's here! I hope you all loved it!

My schedule nowadays is pretty hectic not gonna lie and hence, I don't get much time to write here! But I hope the chapters are more than good for you all!

I am not quite sure about this chapter tho.. hope you all liked it!

Do vote and comment and also follow!

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! Hope that Ganpati Bappa will fulfill all your wishes today! Ganapati bappa morya ✨

Words count - 1178