Saavan was no longer the same frail boy who had been in an accident seven years earlier. Standing in front of the mall's large mirror, he admired himself. His 7-foot height and broad shoulders defied ordinary clothes. He bought himself expensive, fitted suits and shoes. When he donned a black blazer, he looked more like a "
Dark King"
than a corporate officer.
He returned to his new home and, looking at himself in the mirror, muttered, "Saavan was left at home... Now only 'Aryan' will work."
The next week, Saavan arrived at the magnificent office called "The Oracle Group." Amidst the grandeur of the office and the crowds of people, Saavan's personality was captivating. His interview was merely a formality; his deep voice and confidence immediately impressed the management.
"Mr. Aryan, your profile is impressive. Your training begins today, and you'll join full-time next week," the manager said, shaking his hand. A cold, measured smile appeared on Saavan's face. His initial goal had been accomplished.
Aryan stepped out after finishing his first day of training. Just then, he noticed a girl—whose name he still didn't know—was laughing and chatting with a boy. The boy
whose name was still
a secret was
very close to the girl.
This made Aryan's blood boil. His fists clenched, and that same murderous look returned to his eyes. "How could anyone else be so close to her except me?" Aryan felt like rushing to wring the boy's neck, but he restrained himself. He took a deep breath and left. He knew that one had to wait for the right moment to kill his prey.
It was around 11:30 at night. The boy, drunk from a bar, was staggering towards his car. The street was deserted. Suddenly, a 7-foot shadow stood before him.
Before the boy could react, Aryan grabbed his mouth. His grip was so strong that the boy's jaw cracked. Aryan pinned him to the wall and began raining punches on his face. The boy fell unconscious on the ground. Aryan pulled out a knife, about to stab him in the vein, when suddenly he remembered his mother's voice and the fear of jail.
"Not now... If the police come after us now, it'll be game over," Aryan controlled himself. He spat in the boy's face and disappeared into the darkness.
A week later, Sawan was now a permanent fixture in the office. As luck would have it, he was appointed junior in the same department where the girl had been his senior.
The girl approached Aryan. She still didn't recognize him as the same man who had stalked her at the mall. "Hi Aryan, I'm your team leader. I'll explain how to do the work,"
she said with a smile. Aryan's heart pounded, but his face remained serious. After explaining the task, the girl suddenly asked, "We've had a lot of work. Would you like some coffee? There's a new cafe downstairs."
Aryan nodded, "Sure."
As they reached the cafe downstairs, Aryan spotted the same boy he'd beaten the night before. His face was swollen and there were dark circles under his eyes. The boy was talking to another friend. The girl also noticed him, but she ignored him because she was with Aryan.
Aryan looked at the boy and gave him a very scary and mysterious smile. The boy didn't recognize Aryan because it was dark, but seeing Aryan's smile made him shudder.
The girl turned to Aryan and asked, "
What happened? Why are you laughing?"
Aryan took a sip of coffee and said in a calm voice,
"Nothing... I was just thinking about how quickly some people's looks change with time."