Chapter 3: From shadow to the spotlight

It was the end of the first year, and as per tradition, Business Schools from the countries were gearing up to host the best college fest, vying with other top-tier colleges. Starlink business school, where Krishna studied, was one of the best colleges in the country, yet they had never won this informal competition. There were no judges to decide the winner, but it was a rivalry among the top six business schools to prove who could pull off the best fest. This time, things were different for S.B.S. A new management team encouraged the competition, leading to top-notch preparations. The whole city was abuzz with banners and advertisements; it felt like a marketing fair.

This year, the fest featured webinars and talks by top entrepreneurs from around the globe, celebrities, and much more. For Krishna, who had never been part of anything like this before, it was a dream come true. Determined to contribute, he volunteered, but the main in-charge of the team intentionally assigned him to work outside the auditorium to keep him away from the main events. However, Ishaan and Aarna were with him this time, ensuring Krishna wouldn't be bullied by the college mafia group.

Excitement filled the air as the fest approached, becoming the hottest topic in town, even more popular than a concert. The rivalry among the top six colleges made it highly anticipated, promising the best food, entertainment, and experiences for the public. Alongside Krishna, Ishaan also volunteered but was stationed inside the auditorium. He wanted to swap places with Krishna, but once assigned, positions couldn't be changed. Aarna offered to help Krishna get a different role, but Krishna was excited about his job outside, escorting guests from their cars to the auditorium and ensuring no one came near them. Though bodyguards were assigned to each guest, Krishna's task was to accompany them and make sure they had enough water and food. Essentially, he was a spot boy for the bodyguards provided by the college.

Krishna didn't mind his role, seeing it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interact with many businessmen and entrepreneurs. He had his notebook ready to Note down any advice he could get from the guests. There were four main gates for the guests, each assigned to different individuals, and Krishna was at Gate 3. Rumor had it that a famous celebrity, known for declining college invitations, had accepted this one. She requested the student database from the college management, citing an influencer program to spread awareness about male modeling. She specifically asked for data on male students to offer them mentorship and guidance. Despite privacy concerns, the new management agreed, seeing it as a unique opportunity. Additionally, several young entrepreneurs, including billionaires, were invited. Some declined, but others were excited to market their companies to 10,000 students, recognizing the great opportunity it presented.

The day finally arrived, and it felt like a festival. The public turnout exceeded expectations, and the colleges received tremendous responses. The event would continue for the entire week, and the rankings would be determined based on previous years' winners. This time, the public had to install an app to rank the colleges based on hospitality, arrangements, food, entertainment, education, and so on. The overall score would be calculated, and rankings would be given. This concept, suggested by a guest, was agreed upon by all colleges and would be managed by an independent agency hired by that guest. This approach would yield accurate results and make the audience more engaged.

The venue, a mansion-like building, was mutually decided upon, offering great space for the expected crowd. Each college had to prepare accordingly. As the time for the guests' arrival approached, Krishna was ready to escort them, hoping to learn something valuable.

The team was on high alert. The first guest arrived with a convoy of eight cars, and Krishna was initially confused about which door to open. He opened them one by one until he found the guest in the fifth car. The guest, a highly respected businessman from a neighboring city, was laughing at Krishna's innocent act. Despite his age, he was incredibly energetic. "You're so full of energy!" Krishna exclaimed to the old man. "It's amazing how lively and fresh you are!" which the guest greatly appreciated. Krishna, even talked with him along the way as he also found this personality so interesting, and for some reason he wanted to talk with him forever. However, the In-Charge, Abhishek, saw what Krishna was doing, stopped him, and scolded him in front of the guest. Apologizing, he said, "Mr. Raghunath, please forgive his idiotic behavior. He is a menial and doesn't know his place or how to speak to a great personality like you. We are extremely sorry for his actions and words."

To their surprise, Mr. Raghunath was happy instead of angry. He told Krishna, Completely ignoring Abhishek, "Young man, let's go somewhere quiet. I would rather spend my day with you. It's been a long time since I saw someone like you, who doesn't show off." Krishna replied, "Sir, with all respect, you belong here as it would benefit so many students who are genuinely interested in learning from you." This response made Mr.Raghunath even happier. Handing Krishna his card, he said, "Please meet me at this address whenever you have time. I would really like to spend my day with a genuine person like you."

Krishna escorted Mr. Raghunath to the auditorium. The announcer introduced him, "As the king of the medical industry, Mr. Raghunath has just arrived. Please give him a round of applause." The audience was thrilled to see him, recognizing him as a gentleman with a helpful nature.

To Krishna's surprise, he witnessed something shocking when he was about to escort another guest who had just arrived. They had only three cars, and Krishna thought they were showing off but not excessively. He wondered who they might be. To his shock, a tremendous number of people from the auditorium ran towards the cars, and the bodyguards were on high alert. The crowd was chanting "Aanya, Aanya," and it clicked for Krishna that she was none other than the influencer who had exposed the Maestro brothers. The other two cars carried her crew, and she had only one bodyguard, her dad. This made Krishna feel judgy, but he admired her bravery for doing what no one else could: exposing the giants.

Little did he know, volunteers from the auditorium were also there to catch a glimpse of Aanya, known by her renowned name "Sparkling Spirit." Krishna thought it was a perfect title for her and appreciated the crowd for following a good influencer instead of greedy and fake ones. Ishaan and Aarna were also there.

When Aanya's car door opened, she instantly ran towards Krishna. After catching her breath, she yelled, "You are the reason..." Everyone was shocked by her actions and waited for her to complete the sentence. They wondered why she ran to a mere volunteer. Did he do something wrong to her? Or was there another reason? Ishaan and Aarna were on alert to protect Krishna, but they were also shocked when she finished the sentence. She completed it with, "You are the reason why I agreed to come here." Hearing those words, everyone was stunned, thinking Krishna might be Aanya's secret boyfriend. Suddenly, she hugged him, causing Ishaan to feel nostalgic. This had already happened with Krishna when Aarna first met him. Ishaan smiled in the corner, looking at Aarna, indicating that the celebrity knew Krishna and there was a high possibility she was interested in him.

They both left, leaving Krishna in shock, wondering who she was and why she did this in front of everyone. Krishna didn't want to embarrass her by rejecting her actions, so he whispered in Aanya's ear, "Let's go inside, and you can tell me how you know me." She agreed, grabbed Krishna's hand, and they went inside the auditorium. The whole crowd followed them. She dragged Krishna with her and made him sit beside her. He was still in shock and couldn't understand what was going on. She insisted Krishna sit with her. As a volunteer, he knew he shouldn't, but no one would stop her given her influence.

Krishna told her, "You must be mistaking me for someone else. I am no royal, just an ordinary student studying here on a scholarship. We've never met before."

Aanya replied, "It's true that you don't know me, and maybe you've never seen my face in person, but I know you very well. In fact, you are the reason I chose to come here. I was looking for you. I tried so many ways to find you, but all I knew was your name and your college hoodie from that day."

Krishna: "Which day? Have we met before?"

Aanya: "Yes, remember when you saved a girl from goons? That was me. You saved me that day."

Krishna: "Oh, that's why your voice was familiar to me."

Aanya: "Yes, I wore a mask that day, so you might have had trouble recognizing my face. But I spoke to you that day, so you remember my voice. How nice of you to still remember my voice…Wow…"

Krishna, feeling awkward: "Ok, I should get going. Good to see you, Aanya."

Aanya: "Wait, Krishna. Don't go yet. I haven't even thanked you properly. That day, you saved my life. I owe you so much. I've been searching for you ever since. I knew I had to meet you again, and now that I have, I can't let you just walk away."

Krishna, still feeling awkward: "It's really nothing, Aanya. I just did what anyone else would have done in that situation."

Aanya: "No, Krishna. Not everyone would have risked their own safety for a stranger. You did, and that means a lot to me. Please, at least stay for a while and let me introduce you to some people."

Krishna reluctantly agreed, realizing that leaving now would only cause more of a scene. As they sat together, the crowd murmured with curiosity and excitement. Ishaan and Aarna watched from a distance, their concern mixed with intrigue.

Then Aanya wanted to say something to Krishna, but when she was about to share, some volunteers and Abhishek, who was in-charge of the volunteers, arrived. They wanted to take a selfie with Aanya and told Krishna to move back to his place. Abhishek was jealous of Krishna, seeing Aanya next to him made him angry. Krishna was about to move, but Aanya brought out her phone. Krishna noticed something odd about her wallpaper: it was a photo of him from that day, taken from behind. He wondered why someone, especially a famous personality like her, would have his photo as their wallpaper. Why would she do that just because he saved her?

At that moment, everyone thought she was going to take a group selfie with them using her phone, perhaps to share it on social media, which would have been a big deal for them or anyone. But instead, she asked Krishna, "Krishna, can we have a selfie together?" The group was shocked and told her, "We don't need to include him." She simply ignored their words and asked Krishna again, "Just the two of us," and Krishna nodded in agreement. She took a selfie with Krishna only, making the others jealous and feeling ignored.

She dragged Krishna out of there, and the whole environment was shocked. Even the higher-ups were talking about Krishna, wondering, "Who is he? Is he her boyfriend or something? Or is she doing it out of pity?" Suddenly, she whispered something in Krishna's ear and started making a video for her social media. She went live, and her fans and followers asked various questions like, "Who is he? Is he your boyfriend? Who is he? We cannot see his face properly," because the video automatically blurred only his face. But everyone was busy enjoying themselves.

Aanya was happy that she got the chance to be with Krishna, and Krishna was happy that it was the most peaceful day among the businessmen and businesswomen. Ishaan and Aarna arrived and asked Aanya, "May we borrow Krishna for a minute?" Aanya initially said no, but seeing Aarna's cold gaze, she couldn't refuse again. Ishaan asked Krishna, "What is going on here? How do you know her? Why is she so friendly with you? And why are you letting her touch and behave around you like that? Are you guys dating?" Aarna, with red cheeks, also asked, "Is it true? Are you dating her?"

Krishna replied, "No, guys, it's nothing like that." He shared the story behind it, and Ishaan said, "Wow, so you are that super-savior she was talking about everywhere. That's amazing, Krishna. Helping strangers is in your nature without expecting anything in return. You always save someone who is a complete stranger, and you risk your life too.

Krishna: "Ishaan, brother, it was nothing. Let's focus on the event. I am so excited for this event as my idols will be here, and I won't get another opportunity like this to meet them."

Ishaan: "Yes, I am excited too. There will be influencers, CEOs, and top management."

For some reason, Aarna left without saying anything, but they didn't interfere, thinking she had something important to take care of.

The event was about to start when Abhishek arrived and told Krishna, "How many times do I have to tell you to take your position? Is this a joke to you?"

At that moment, Aanya arrived and grabbed Krishna's hand, dragging him with her. Krishna didn't say anything, but everyone was murmuring and gossiping about Krishna, remarking on how generous and kind Aanya was to save a volunteer, and how humble she was despite her fame. Some even said, "That's our Sparkling Spirit for you." Aanya heard everything but chose not to speak.

When she got on the stage, Ishaan was about to save Krishna, but Aanya grabbed the mic from the announcer and shouted, "Krishna!"

"Krishna, I have something to tell you. Ever since I got here, I've seen so many people who don't know who you are—who the real Krishna is. Here, everybody is gossiping about you without having a clue what a gentleman you are. Everybody is disrespecting you without knowing how powerful you are. I am just going to confess my feelings for you, so hear me out. I have feelings for you, and let me share the story with these people who are treating you like nothing."

When Aanya shared how Krishna helped and saved her, indirectly leading her to expose the Maestro brothers, everybody felt embarrassed about how they had treated and talked about Krishna. But at the same time, they all began clapping in unison, chanting "Krishna… Krishna…" which made him happy. He thought, "Maybe now I have added some value to someone's life. I am on the right track to help others, and even my small steps have turned out to be so effective. It's amazing." He thanked everyone and praised Aanya for taking this brave step. Aanya was happy to hear those words but wanted a response, so she asked again, "Do you have feelings for me?" 

Krishna wasn't ready to reply and told her he needed time to think. But the crowd started chanting, "Say yes… say yes… say yes…" He explained that making any rushed decision wouldn't be fair to either of them, so he needed some time to think about it. Some people questioned why he needed time, saying that if they were in his place, they would have said yes immediately. However, many others stood up for Krishna, agreeing that his approach was mature and that it was a personal matter.

This led to a long debate, and some higher-ups wondered what was going on, thinking it looked more like a love park than an event. Krishna was about to move when someone from behind the stage yelled, "Hey Krishna, is that you? Don't move an inch… stop right there…" Everyone thought, "Is this melodrama? Another twist?" Krishna turned around and saw the twin brothers. He was about to say something, but they said, "You are the reason… how could you do that to someone… What you did to us was commendable. Ladies and gentlemen, Krishna is the reason behind our company… our billion-dollar empire… we are here because of him." 

The twin brothers kneeled before him, asking for forgiveness and sharing how Krishna helped them, which caused him to lose his job. They explained how they used his ideas and advice, how knowledgeable, smart, intelligent, and kind Krishna is. Everyone was so impressed by Krishna, realizing he is a genuine, kind soul who always helps others without any hidden agenda, even risking his life. They shared the whole story with everyone, and again, there was an earthquake of applause as they chanted his name in unison. Krishna thought, "Is this a coincidence? Why is everything good happening today? Maybe this is a dream… or maybe a nightmare because when I open my eyes, I know the world won't be like this."

Krishna couldn't believe what had happened to him today. It felt like a dream. The twin brothers told everyone that, in return for Krishna's help, they had something for him which he would definitely like. However, Krishna humbly replied that it was his duty to help those in need.

The twin brothers approached Krishna to share something, but the announcer interrupted, "Sorry to interrupt, ladies and gentlemen. We tried to invite 'The Big Smile,' but didn't get any response from them. For those who don't know, 'The Big Smile' is a very famous and influential writer. Every company and producer wants to work with them, but they do not expose themselves. Nobody knows whether they are a company or an individual. But we assure you that next year, they will be S.B.S.'s chief guest." The crowd went crazy hearing this, as 'The Big Smile' was more famous than anyone there.

Krishna was also a fan of 'The Big Smile.' For now, he was seated with the guests, as everyone knew him and he had become a personality. Businessmen and women he had wanted to talk to were now curious about him and wanted to meet him. They even wanted to do business with him, thinking that if his advice had made the twin brothers billionaires in no time, it would be smart to work with Krishna at least once in their lives. Reporters and camera crews were clicking photos, and TV journalists and anchors were there to cover exclusive footage of this business school event. Krishna was all over the internet, but the biggest surprise was that none of his photos were clear, and no one could identify him from those pictures, not even Ishaan, his best friend. Ishaan didn't raise any questions. Instead, he told Krishna that it was good his face was covered; they were maintaining his privacy, which made sense, and they moved on.

Heading home after meeting so many people who had now become fans of Krishna, along with businessmen and famous personas, Krishna was amazed. However, as he was about to reach home, something unexpected happened. A group arrived and kidnapped him. He tried to resist, but they somehow subdued him. During the struggle, his phone fell out of his pocket. After some time, a girl picked up his phone, revealing a tattoo of a "smiley" on her hand.