8."Everything"

Seeing that everyone was watching me intently, I sighed and began recounting the events of the previous day. I explained how I had met the girls and why they had ended up in my house. As I finished, the girls exchanged glances but remained silent.

Sreeleela was the first to speak. She looked at me with a somber expression and said, almost inaudibly, "I'm sorry."

I leaned in, trying to catch her words. "Sorry, what was that? I didn't quite hear you. Could you say it again?"

Sreeleela repeated, a bit more clearly this time, "I'm sorry."

I smiled gently, trying to ease the tension. "I still didn't catch it. Could you speak a little louder?"

This time, Sreeleela took a deep breath and, with a hint of anger in her voice, said loudly, "I'm sorry!"

Hearing this, I looked at Sreeleela and, with a friendly smile, asked, "Sorry for what, exactly?"

Sreeleela's eyes flashed with irritation. "For what did we do to you? And It's not like it's our fault. Anyone else in our place would have done the same thing."

I chuckled softly, trying to diffuse the tension. "Okay, okay. Don't be angry. I understand."

Sreeleela's expression softened slightly, and she nodded, a touch of pride in her voice. "It's good if you understand."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at her reaction, finding her frustration both endearing and amusing. Just then, Mansoor Bhaiyya spoke up, his tone curious. "But Shivaay, there's one thing I don't get. Why didn't you just leave them in the car at the bar?"

Hearing Mansoor Bhaiyya's question, I looked at him with a mix of exasperation and disbelief. "Why are you asking such a stupid question?" I said, a hint of irritation in my voice.

Mansoor Bhaiyya looked puzzled. "Huh? What do you mean?"

I let out a deep sigh, trying to articulate my thoughts. "If I had left them in the car near the bar, what if something had happened to them? They were drunk, and they're young girls. If anything had gone wrong, who would be responsible? They themselves? Or me, for not helping them? It's their fortune that I was there to help. What if next time, I'm not around and someone with ill intentions is there instead?"

I turned to the girls, my tone sharpening slightly. "And it's your own responsibility to protect yourselves. Don't you understand that? These are basic things."

The girls lowered their heads, a mix of embarrassment and understanding on their faces. Seeing their reaction, I softened my tone, though my frustration still lingered. "Anyway, who am I to tell you this? It's not like I have anything to do with you."

The room fell into a contemplative silence as my words hung in the air.

As the atmosphere grew tense, Mansoor Bhaiyya quickly tried to defuse it. "Krishna, you're making lunch, right?" he asked.

I nodded in response. Mansoor Bhaiyya continued, "Then why not make some for us? The girls might be hungry, too."

He glanced at the girls, who nodded in agreement. I shrugged, a touch of annoyance creeping into my voice. "Why should I? If they're hungry, they can just go home."

Before Mansoor Bhaiyya could respond, Sreeleela cut in with a bit of an attitude, pointing at me. "You brought me here, so you should take responsibility. And I doubt you can make good food, nerd."

Hearing this, I said with a hint of pride, "Don't say something weird, and don't underestimate my cooking skills. Once anyone tastes my food, they can't leave without wanting more. If you don't believe me, just ask Mansoor Bhaiyya and Maya."

Sreeleela glanced at Mansoor Bhaiyya, who nodded in agreement. She then looked at the cat beside me, and to her surprise, it gave a soft meow, almost as if confirming my claim.

Sreeleela turned back to me with an air of challenge. "I'll see for myself. If you're so confident, then serve me your food, Mr. Shivaay."

I rose from the sofa with a smirk. "Just remember, once you've tasted my cooking, don't come begging for more, Miss Sreeleela." With that, I made my way toward the kitchen, ready to prove my culinary prowess.

--------------------

3RD PERSON POV

As Shivaay left the living room to head to the kitchen, Sreeleela turned to Mansoor, her frustration evident. "What does he think he's doing, lecturing me? I get it's our fault, but we're not children."

Mansoor rolled his eyes at Sreeleela's comment. Despite being the Chief Minister's daughter, she could be recklessly stubborn. He looked at her and said, "But Shivaay is right. It's your fortune that it was him who found you. He's a good guy. Don't take his words too much to heart."

Hearing this, Sreeleela sighed in exasperation. "I understand, but he's just so confusing. First, he called me an average girl, then said I'm beautiful, and now he's scolding me."

Mansoor couldn't help but laugh. "He's like that. He doesn't really have friends besides me, but he's not weird. Just a bit... unique."

Sreeleela rolled her eyes, still not entirely convinced. "If he's not weird, then explain this: when I put a knife to his back, he didn't even flinch."

Mansoor chuckled, shaking his head. "Yes, he's not weird—he's a genius. And you know, every genius has a little bit of eccentricity."

Hearing this, Sreeleela frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Mansoor gestured toward the walls, lined with intricate paintings. "I've known him for about a year and a half. You see those paintings? All of them are his work."

The girls looked around, their eyes wide with awe. Chitra whispered, "Wow."

Mansoor nodded, a hint of admiration in his voice. "Yes, it's impressive. And that's not all. There are even more paintings in his room. He's also a writer and a poet, and he's excellent at chess and other sports. The whole house is spotless because he cleans it himself. On top of that, he holds many degrees in various fields and can speak several languages fluently. When I first learned all this, I was genuinely shocked."

The girls exchanged glances, clearly impressed and intrigued by Shivaay's multifaceted talents and achievements.

Hearing this, Sreeleela asked Mansoor with curiosity, "How do you know all this about him?"

Mansoor shrugged with a wry smile. "I'm a police officer. What did you expect? As his neighbor and only friend, I've had plenty of opportunities to learn about him. And about why he wasn't scared when you pointed a knife at him—he's not easily intimidated. He could easily disarm you if he needed to."

Sreeleela's eyes widened in surprise. "But why does he look like a nerd then?"

Hearing this, Mansoor added, "I asked him the same question once, and he said he prefers it this way."

Sreeleela's curiosity was piqued. "What about his parents?"

Mansoor's expression grew somber. "He's an orphan."

A hush fell over the group, the weight of Mansoor's words settling heavily. Seeing the somber mood, Chitra placed a comforting hand on Sreeleela's shoulder and said playfully, "But Leela, I think you and Shivaay have good chemistry. He seems interested in you."

A blush spread across Sreeleela's face, and she replied with a hint of embarrassment, "Don't say stupid things."

Chitra's playful tone lightened the mood, but the conversation left Sreeleela deep in thought, contemplating her interactions with Shivaay and the layers of complexity she'd just discovered about him.

Sreeleela turned to Mansoor and asked, "So what is Shivaay doing now?"

Mansoor replied, "He recently enrolled in Mahindra University to study Political Science. He'll be attending classes there starting next week."

The girls froze in surprise. Mansoor noticed their reaction and asked, "What's wrong?"

Chitra's eyes widened. "We're also studying Political Science at Mahindra University."

Mansoor's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Well, that's quite a coincidence."

Chitra nodded with a playful grin. "See, Leela? He's at the same university as us. I'm sure you two are a perfect match."

Sreeleela's face flushed red, and she pushed Chitra playfully. "As I've said, don't say stupid things. Who would want to be with that weirdo?"

The room filled with laughter as the girls navigated the unexpected twist, Sreeleela's embarrassment mingling with the light-hearted teasing.

-------------------

"SHIVAAY'S POV"

After finishing the cooking, I carefully carried the dishes to the dining room and set everything on the table. I arranged the food meticulously, making sure everything was in place. Once satisfied, I walked back to the living room, where the chatter had continued unabated.

Noticing Sreeleela and the others engaged in conversation, I spoke up. "The food is ready. Feel free to eat and then head home."

Sreeleela glanced at me with a hint of annoyance. "Well, who would want to stay here anyway?" With that, she stood up, and the others followed suit.

As they took their seats at the dining table, I began serving the food. Mansoor Bhaiyya dug in without hesitation, and Chitra followed suit. Her eyes widened in delight as she tasted the food.

"Shivaay, this is really very good," Chitra exclaimed, her gaze fixed on me.

I smiled, pleased with her reaction. "Thank you."

Turning to Sreeleela, who was eyeing the food cautiously, I added with a teasing tone, "Miss Sreeleela, don't be shy. Go ahead and try it. Or are you afraid that if you admit it's good, you'll have to concede something?"

Sreeleela shot me a wary glance but couldn't hide her curiosity and responded with a hint of defiance, "I'm not scared." She took her first bite and continued eating, clearly enjoying the food.

Seeing her reaction, I grinned and asked, "So, what do you think? Is my cooking the best or not?"

Sreeleela looked at me with a slightly embarrassed smile. "It's just good."

I leaned closer, reaching for her plate. "Then maybe you shouldn't eat it."

Sreeleela's eyes widened, and she quickly reached for her plate. "I'm sorry, don't take my food!"

The others chuckled at the playful exchange. I smiled, placing the plate back in front of her and settling into the seat beside her.

As I started eating, Sreeleela turned to me with a thoughtful expression. "After thinking it over, I've decided that you're actually a nice guy. So, if you're interested, we could become friends."

I looked at her, smiling. "No thanks."

Sreeleela's cheeks flushed slightly with frustration. "Don't be cocky. It's not like I'm dying to be friends with you. We're going to the same university, so I thought it might be a good idea."

Hearing Sreeleela's offer, I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Mansoor Bhaiyya, who was watching us with a nervous edge. "You tell them?" I asked, looking him squarely in the eyes.

Mansoor nodded, clearly uneasy. I pressed on, "How much?"

Before he could answer, Sreeleela interjected, "Everything."

I turned back to Mansoor, who had started eating, deliberately avoiding eye contact with me.

Sreeleela, with a playful grin, leaned closer. "So, what do you say? Want to be my friend?"

I sighed, feeling the weight of the moment. After a brief pause, I gave in. "Okay."

(A/N:If you want to support me, please use this UPI:-omgadekar29@oksbi "Om Gadekar")

(Word's Count:-1865)