A place for living

Upon seeing Aryan's current condition and his handsome appearance, Julie is genuinely impressed and offers him the job. Aryan is extremely excited about landing the job, as if he has stumbled upon a treasure. Aryan provides Julie with a fake name, as he has no ID proof. Getting the job feels like a miracle to Aryan. He goes to the restaurant, completes his part-time work for the day, and then tells them he's quitting because he has to join the Moon Night Club from tomorrow.

After finishing his work at the restaurant, Aryan throws a small party for himself and indulges in a good meal, a luxury he hadn't experienced in days. Post-meal, he lies down on a bench in a public park. Aryan's eyes are open, and he gazes toward the stars, contemplating everything that has led him to this point. Memories of his past come flooding back, from a childhood sleeping on soft, velvety beds to now spending his nights on a park bench. Aryan isn't sure whom to attribute his current situation to - fate or himself.

Speaking of fate, it has been fickle for Aryan, supporting him at times and abandoning him at others. From his early days when his mother left him, to facing his father's disapproval, his life has been a series of ups and downs. Nevertheless, his destiny included people like Harshvardhan, his beloved grandfather, who showered him with love, and Shweta, the motherly figure he dearly missed. But now, all his ties had drifted away, and he had even faced the ultimate fate - death. As he looks up at the sky, Aryan's thoughts are filled with memories of his family.

If we talk about fate, it has both supported and abandoned Aryan multiple times in his life. For instance, when he was born, his mother left him, and he had to face his father's disapproval. However, fate also introduced him to Harshvardhan, his beloved grandfather, who loved him more than life itself, and Shweta, a motherly figure. But today, all his relationships had drifted away, and he had even faced the ultimate fate - death. As he looked towards the sky, memories of his family filled his mind.

Aryan had faced various hardships in life, but now he was grappling with a question. Someone had falsely accused him of harming his grandfather, and he wondered why he was framed for his grandfather's murder. He wanted answers to all these questions.

As he contemplated these thoughts, Aryan eventually fell asleep on the same bench. The next morning, he woke up to the sounds of birds chirping and children playing in the public park. People jogging were also enjoying their morning routines. Then, an elderly man approached Aryan and said, "Why are you sleeping here, son? You look like you come from a good family; your clothes are decent, and your face seems bright. So, why do you feel the need to sleep here? Maybe your parents got angry with you last night for having fun with your friends and kicked you out."

Aryan listened to the man and smiled. He felt a pang of longing for his past circumstances. With a light-hearted tone, he responded, "It's something like that, Grandpa. I'm new to this city, and for now, I don't have a roof over my head. So, I've made this bench my bed, the open sky my roof, and the breeze my blanket."

The man didn't seem pleased with Aryan's response and said with a sad tone, "Kids these days leave home without thinking. But before you embark on such a solitary journey, have you ever considered what might happen next?"

Aryan smiled again and said, "Don't worry, Grandpa. It's not like that. I've found a job, and in a few days, I'll save enough to find a place to stay, taking an advance from them."

The elderly man replied, "Moon Night Club, you say? That's a great place. I've heard that the people who go there are very wealthy, and most of the kids there are spoiled rotten. So, be careful, because you don't exactly look like one of those troublemakers. Your face reflects that you're a decent person."

Aryan listened to the man and smiled once more, saying, "Don't worry, Grandpa. It won't be like that. I only need to work there. I won't have any connection with those people. Besides, I worked hard to get this job, and I won't let it slip through my fingers for anything."

The man nodded and said, "You're right, young man. By the way, I forgot to ask, what's your name?"

Aryan contemplates for a moment whether he should reveal his real name or use a fake one, but then he decides to go with his fake name because Aryan is already dead to this world. Aryan says his name is Robin.

Robin, are your parents English? That's why you have an English name?

No, Grandpa, my parents aren't English. I chose this name myself.

Oh, so your parents aren't here. Does that mean you're an orphan, and you grew up in an orphanage?

Aryan, while lying, says, "You could say that."

The man feels very sorry upon hearing this. He then says, "Son, you've faced many hardships in your life. I hope your future life is much easier. My blessings will be with you." Without any expression, the man says this.

Thank you, Grandpa. Your invaluable blessings mean a lot to me. If your blessings are with me, then my future life will truly become easier. Well, Grandpa, I should leave now. I don't want to be late on my first day of work...

Alright, go ahead.

Aryan starts to leave, but the man stops him from behind and says, "Listen, if you need a place to stay here, I can arrange a rented house for you."

Aryan pauses and sits at the man's feet, saying, "Grandpa, can you really do this for me? I need a place to stay right now, but I don't have much money at the moment."

"It's okay; you already have a job. You can pay me the rent in a few days. I felt a connection when talking to you, which is why I'm trying to ease your troubles. Yes, but you'll have to pay the rent, and you must also abide by the landlord's rules."

Without hesitation, Aryan says, "I have no problem. I'll pay the rent on time, and I'll follow all your rules. Just please arrange a place for me to stay."

Alright, so you should meet me here tomorrow morning. I'll talk to the landlord and let you know.

Once again, thank you, Grandpa.

But you'll have to give me your documents because these days, people don't trust anyone without paperwork.

Hearing this, Aryan feels disheartened. With disappointment in his eyes, he tells Grandpa, "I'm sorry, but I don't have any documents to give you right now. When I was coming on the train, my bag got stolen, and it had all my documents. I don't even have a copy of my photos, and I don't have my ID card either."

Upon hearing this, the man feels really sorry. He looks at Aryan with a compassionate gaze and says, "You've been through a lot, son. It's difficult for anyone to trust someone without documents these days. But still, I believe in you. Your eyes are very kind, and when I look into them, I feel like you could never harm anyone."

Alright, then meet me here tomorrow morning. I'll tell you about the house.

Thank you, Grandpa. Trusting a stranger like me, otherwise, no one trusts anyone these days. I will try my best never to break your trust.

Saying this, Aryan leaves the public park and heads towards the Moon Night Club. The club wasn't too far from the park, and he could even walk there if he wanted to.

After reaching the Moon Night Club, Aryan first goes to meet Julie. Julie, upon seeing Aryan, teasingly says, "Hey handsome, how are you? You seem even smarter these days. What's the secret behind your beauty?"

Julie flirts with Aryan in a playful manner.

Aryan, who had a smile on his face until now, is taken aback by Julie's comment. His cheeks turn red, and he wanted to confirm if Julie was really saying all this to him. He starts looking around to see if there's someone else she might be talking to, but he doesn't see anyone nearby.

Julie understands Aryan's hesitation. With a playful smile, she says, "All those compliments were for you. Do you think I give these compliments to just anyone? If you're thinking that, let me tell you, I rarely compliment people like this."

Hearing this, Aryan's embarrassment deepens, and he lowers his gaze in shame.

Julie, thoroughly enjoying Aryan's reaction, continues to smile and says, "I'm having fun seeing you like this. I give compliments very sparingly. So, stop being shy and focus on your work. I'll explain everything you need to know about your job. Right now, it's early in the day, so the club isn't crowded, but as soon as the sun sets, your workload will increase. So, start learning the ropes now."

To be continued .....