City of Enigmas: : Raj's Mission

As Raju left the Guard Headquarters, a sense of being entangled in an enigmatic tapestry of mysteries and secrets lingered, leading him to seek solace. Opting to take a day's rest to organize his thoughts, he ventured forward.

Following the guards' directions, Raju arrived at a nearby affordable hotel radiating an aura of ancient mystique and serenity. Approaching the front desk with skepticism, he inquired, 'Do you have the cheapest room available?'

The lady, preoccupied with calculations and visibly frustrated by discrepancies, tersely replied, 'It's 25 kana per day for lodging, with food billed separately. How many days will you stay?'

Noticing her troubled expression, Raju apologized, 'My apologies for disturbing you. I didn't realize you were occupied.'

Maintaining her frustration, the lady urged, 'Attend to your own matters. How long will you stay?'

Responding with an aggrieved expression, Raju requested, 'Yes, please book it for three days. If I've disturbed you, may I assist by handling this bill? I'm good with numbers.'

Silently contemplating, the lady requested, 'Can you tally this bill list?'

Raju, displaying confidence, swiftly calculated the bills in her hand. Impressed, the lady proposed, 'If you handle all the bills, I'll waive your lodging fees and give you an extra 1 pana.'

Accepting the offer, Raju agreed, yet as he noticed the stack of dusty books, he felt skeptical, suspecting a potential scam linked to the guard's recommendation.

Keeping his frustration inward, Raju maintained a smiling demeanor, 'Could you please send this to my room? I'll tabulate your bill when I'm free, if it's not urgent!'

Lady smiled in a relaxed manner, 'No problem, you can take your time, but kindly complete it within this week. You're new to this town, aren't you?'

Raju nodded, 'Yes. Do you have anything to eat?'

After contemplating for a moment, Lady replied, 'The kitchen is closed, but I believe there might be some bread loaves available. Would that be alright? If you're willing to wait for a few hours, I can arrange a meal for you.'

Raju, looking fatigued, replied, 'That's okay, I'm fine with bread. Please send it to my room. By the way, could you tell me your name?'

The lady smiled and said, 'Ah, my mistake! I am Rosa Stone, the owner of Flower Inn.'

Raju responded with a smile, 'Rosa, a good name that suits you. See you in the morning.'

After Rosa assigned a busboy to guide Raju to his room and deliver the bill books and a meal, including water, Raju made his way to his room. He collapsed onto the bed, having finally relieved the hunger that had haunted him for a long time.

At home, the Satyanarana family is unaware of Raju's situation. They decided to move Raju, who was in a comatose stage, from the hospital to home upon the doctor's advice, given the uncertainty surrounding Raju's condition. Sidarth, in a heavy mood, contemplates silently and paces around anxiously.

Savita looks at her husband, growing more depressed, but she tries to hold onto her composure, saying, 'Calm down, Sid. Pacing here and there will not solve anything. The doctors said he's healthy, and he could wake up at any moment.'

Despite Savita's reassurance, Sidarth's anxiety remains unabated. He tries to show Savita that he has calmed down, knowing she is also traumatized by the current situation and is in the same emotional state as he is.

To divert his attention, he immerses himself in work. Savita looks at Sidarth and sighs; she knows he is still the same, but saying anything now might worsen the situation. The whole house has become gloomy and silent, as everyone tries to avoid facing their own emotional state.

While Raju slept, he felt a connection to his body, as though he were lying in his own bed. 'Ah, I am in my own room. How is this possible? Was I dreaming?' he wondered, perplexed by his inability to wake up. 'What's going on?' His sense of trepidation and frustration grew, yet he found no solution to his current perplexing situation.

As time passed, his eyes felt heavy once again, closing involuntarily, only to snap open suddenly at midnight. 'Ah, I'm in an inn. What's happening? Am I dreaming? Whose body is this?' He noticed the striking resemblance of this body's face to his own. 'Could it be that I transmigrated into this body? But then why do I feel a connection to my old body, as if I was dreaming there?' Confusion engulfed him completely as he struggled to comprehend what was happening.

Attempting to sleep again in the hope of awakening in reality, he found it elusive. Despite waiting for a few minutes, sleep evaded him. Frustrated, he decided to set aside the matter.

He glanced at the dusty book of bills placed on the table and started tabulating all the bills meticulously, organizing them. By morning, he had completed the book of accounts.

Raju headed to the front desk in search of Rosa, only to find she wasn't there. Settling into a chair, he placed an order for breakfast. As he finished his meal, Rosa spotted him and joined him nearby

"Eagerly," Rosa inquired, 'How's the morning? Have you checked the bill?'

Raju, looking troubled, replied, 'Yes, it's done. I've also completed the book of accounts.'

Rosa's expression dropped, 'Yeah, I know... it's cumbersome... wait, what did you say?' Suddenly, she jumped in surprise.

Raju glanced at Rosa, anticipating something unexpected, but everything seemed normal. He then adopted a nonchalant expression, observing Rosa closely.

Raju silently thought, 'What's going on? She's acting strange. I better not let her take advantage of me.'

Perplexed by what she heard, Rosa sought reassurance from Raju. After receiving confirmation from him, she relaxed, feeling accomplished about her own work.

Afterward, Raju excused himself to clean his hands at the basin, using the opportunity to avoid Rosa and potential further complications. He discreetly asked the busboy he met yesterday to collect the book of accounts and the bill and deliver them to Rosa. 

Rosa had been waiting for Raju for quite some time. Upon realizing that he had departed from the inn, she didn't mind his abrupt departure. Instead, she smiled, feeling a sense of great relief that a significant burden had been instantly resolved. Her thoughts turned to how she might exert influence over Raju, contemplating ways to bring him under her wing.