Lavanya couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Raj's kind face, heard his caring words, felt the safety of that bike ride. The way he had looked away when she adjusted her dress, the way he had waited until she reached inside safely - every small gesture kept playing in her mind like a beautiful movie.
"Was it real? Did that actually happen, or was it some beautiful dream?" she wondered.
A soft smile crossed her face as she remembered every detail of their encounter.
"In this world full of dirty-minded people... where girls can't even wear what they want without being stared at with disgusting intentions... where a short dress or a one-piece becomes an invitation for men to undress you with their eyes... I met someone who was completely different," she thought.
"Not once. Not even for a single second did he look at me the wrong way," she thought. "Even when I was adjusting my dress after getting off the bike, he immediately turned his face away before I could even say anything. He didn't need to be told. He just... knew. He understood."
Lavanya's eyes filled with wonder as she continued thinking.
"When I sat on his bike, he moved forward without me asking, creating space between us. Any other guy would have used that opportunity to get closer or touch me... but he didn't. He made sure I was comfortable. He made sure there was respectful distance. He drove so carefully, so slowly, like he was carrying something precious."
She shook her head in amazement.
"Before meeting him, I honestly didn't believe boys like this existed in real life. I thought kindness like this only happened in movies and romantic novels. I thought every story of a genuinely good guy was just fantasy, just wishful thinking. But he... he proved me completely wrong."
Lavanya got up and walked to her window, looking out at the quiet street.
"He gave me everything – his phone number, his address, his Aadhaar card. He told me to take his photo, to message my friends with his details. What kind of person does that?" she thought. "He made himself completely vulnerable just to make me feel safe. He put his own reputation, his own safety in my hands, just so I wouldn't be afraid."
She laughed softly, remembering his gentle smile.
"If there had been any other person at that station, they would have just walked away. 'Not my problem,' they would have thought. 'Why should I get involved?' But not him. He saw a girl in trouble and he couldn't just leave. He couldn't walk away knowing I might be in danger."
She remembered how she had hesitantly placed her hand on his shoulder for balance during the ride, and how even that simple touch had felt safe and respectful.
"I could feel his sincerity in the way he spoke, in the way he moved, in the way he respected every boundary without me having to draw them," she thought. "There wasn't even a hint of lust in his eyes, not a trace of someone trying to take advantage of the situation. Just pure, genuine care. Just humanity."
She sat back down on her bed.
"The way he waited until I reached inside the building safely... the way he raised his hand with that sweet smile when I turned back... there was something so pure about it all. So genuine. So rare."
A thought crossed her mind and she smiled wider.
"His girlfriend is going to be the luckiest girl in the world," she thought, then paused. "Wait... does he even have a girlfriend? A boy like this... caring, respectful, genuinely kind... he's probably every girl's dream. He's the kind of person parents pray their daughters will find. The kind of person who restores your faith in humanity."
Lavanya opened her purse to grab her phone, hoping to distract herself from the whirlwind of thoughts. But as she pulled it out, her fingers brushed against something else — a thin plastic card.
She paused, then slowly pulled it out.Her eyes widened.
It was his Aadhaar card.
For a second, she just stared at it in shock.
"Oh God..." she whispered."I still have his Aadhaar card! He must be worried about it."
A rush of guilt hit her like a wave."I should return it... but how? Should I call him? Would that be weird?" she thought anxiously, clutching the card tightly.
Her mind raced with possibilities."What if he thinks I kept it on purpose? What if he thinks I used this as an excuse to talk to him again?"
She lay back down, but sleep still felt far away.
"I keep thinking about his eyes," she thought. "They were so honest, so full of genuine concern. When he said my safety mattered more than anything else... I believed him. Completely. And that's scary because I've never trusted a stranger that easily. But something about him... something about the way he spoke, the way he acted... it felt right. It felt safe."
Lavanya smiled to herself in the darkness.
"Maybe there are still good people in this world. Maybe there are still boys who see a girl as a person first, not as an object. Maybe there are still men who understand that being kind doesn't require anything in return."
She closed her eyes, finally feeling peaceful.
"Thank you, Raj," she thought. "For showing me that fairytale kindness exists in real life too. For proving that not all strangers are dangers. For being the kind of person the world needs more of."
But even as sleep began to take her, one thought lingered.
A shiver ran down her spine as a darker thought crossed her mind.
"What if he hadn't been there?" she thought. "What if he had just walked past me like everyone else does? What would have happened to me? I would have been stuck there all night. Alone. Vulnerable. In that deserted area where anything could have happened," she thought, eyes wide. "There were no autos, no cabs, no help coming. My phone battery was getting low, my parents weren't even in the city... I was completely helpless."
Lavanya's hands trembled slightly as she imagined the alternative scenarios.
"But then he appeared," she thought softly. "Like a guardian angel sent from above. Like a superhero emerging from the shadows when I needed help the most. It's like God saw me standing there, scared and alone, and sent him specifically for me."
A warm feeling spread through her chest.
"He came at the exact right moment, with the exact right heart. Not too early, not too late. Just when I was losing all hope, when I was starting to panic about spending the entire night at that station... there he was. Like it was all meant to happen exactly that way."
Lavanya looked up at the ceiling, feeling overwhelming gratitude.
"Maybe it wasn't just a coincidence. Maybe it was destiny. Maybe God really does send angels in human form when we need them most," she thought. "And if that's true, then Raj... he was my angel that night. My protector. My savior."
She smiled through the tears that had formed in her eyes.
"I wonder if I'll ever see him again..."