Stepping out of the café, Alex and Riya walked to a nearby spot — City Comrcial Street, a lively hub where couples dined, giggled, dated, and fantasized under neon lights.
Aside from Alex, Riya’s face glowed red, her sharpness now tinged with a shy charm. She was cute and well-mannered, like a ta kitten who had discovered her favorite toy.
With Alex accompanying her, everything was remarkably fantastic.
"Haaa."
Riya breathed, voice light, as if she’d just stepped off a rollercoaster of expectations and nerves.
They didn’t say much no strained jokes, no awkward pauses but instead a warm undertone of silence hung in the air, pale and pink.
They road the city lights for more than two hours. Between the arcade machines and the aisles of the bookstore, Riya suddenly turned chatty, chirping like a happy little bird.
Alex sat back and listened, unruffled and unflappable. His answers were scarce but well tid, with a sort of quiet comprehension that made her talk more.
When destiny ca, nothing on this planet could have halted it.
At 9 in the evening, the date and shopping drew to a natural conclusion.
Once he dropped Riya at ho, Alex did not dawdle around like a lovesick schoolboy.
Rather, he went directly to Mumbai’s largest supermarket—his eyes moving up and down the aisles with purpose.
Mineral water – 100 cartons.
Basmati rice – 100 packets.
Parle-G biscuits – 50 packets.
Ready-to-eat poha, upma, and khichdi packets – another 50.
Tata salt, Maggi noodles, Haldiram’s snacks, Steel utensils.
It was a supermarket raid.
Overall, the bill was a bit more than ₹30,000. Not small change, but now that he was essentially a crorepati, this was just seed money.
Luckily, the store had ho delivery within city limits. So he ordered and got it delivered directly to his villa at Lotus Crown.
-----
"The ancient warehouse is finally ready."
"Now I can purchase anything I desire and just get it all delivered directly there."
Having gone back to the villa and showered, Alex remained by the window, observing the process of unloading.
"I wonder... is there any restriction on how much I am allowed to deliver back to ancient tis?" he whispered to himself.
Therefore, he imdiately inquired about it with the system.
[Current capacity: 2 cubic ters.
The compatibility of the host with the System is currently low.
As compatibility increases, the storage capacity will grow and new features will be unlocked.
For a better understanding, please view the System Panel.]
Alex was taken aback for a mont.
"So there is a limit after all."
He opened the panel readily.
[Remaining travel ti: 3 minutes]
[Maximum storage capacity: 100 cubic ters]
[Current compatibility: 5%]
[Reach 8% to unlock 50 cubic ters of additional space]
He glared at the screen, brow furrowed.
"It even has upgrade levels... like a video ga system," he grumbled, half in amusent.
If the compatibility is 100%, what capabilities will the system open up?
Can I bring soone with ?
Alex played with the system, peppering it with all kinds of inquiries.
But the system kept silent about what exactly would beco available with greater compatibility.
But after so probing, he was able to discover sothing helpful—the system was actually capable of storing ti travel ti.
For each hour he spent as a security guard, he would get an hour of travel ti. An easy exchange... but with enormous potential.
-------------
Just as Alex was finished from the extra shift, he saw more than a dozen missed calls on his phone—all from one number.
"Huh?" he grumbled, furrowing his brow.
As he gazed at the screen, the phone rang once more. Sa number.
Without even thinking, he answered.
The instant the connection was made, a familiar voice rang through nervous, bordering on panic.
"Hello? Alex, it’s Anjali."
It was the woman he went on the blind date with earlier that day.
She launched into an explanation, clearly agitated.
"About being late earlier today—I promise I didn’t intend to be. I just... just forgot. I’m pretty forgetful sotis, it’s beco a bit of a problem."
"And I wasn’t judging your occupation as a security guard! I truly feel that all jobs are worthy of respect. What I did say before... I wasn’t thinking clearly."
"Seriously, I’m very laid back. I don’t expect much from marriage. As long as the two of them put in efforts together, that’s what counts, isn’t it?"
She said it in a friendly, virtuous manner, obviously attempting to sound genuine.
Alex: "."
You forgot the date and ca late?
Your head’s not in order, so you cursed at ?
Well. you’re certainly masters at turning things around.
I’m Impressed.
He said nothing, just sitting in silence.
Assuming his silence as assent, Anjali hastened to add:
"Let’s et so other ti within the next couple of days? I’ll take you out for a al to compensate you for today. What do you say?"
Alex blinked, caught off guard for a mont.
Wait. did she just invite on another blind date. with her?
What is this, a sequel?
He sighed.
"Forget it," he told her bluntly. "So things can’t be nded with a hasty apology."
Alex was not a person who held grudges. He tended to keep things in perspective, preferred to ignore little stuff.
But neither was he spineless.
What she’d said that afternoon about belittling his work, treating him like less than nothing had crossed a boundary.
He was no longer interested.
Without saying another word, he ended the call... and imdiately blocked her number.
--------------
In her apartnt...
When Anjali realized the call was hung up—and worse, her number was blocked—her face contorted in shock.
"Aghhh!!"
She yelled and stamped her foot.
"Why is this guy so narrow-minded?! I already apologized! What else does he want?!"
She paced around in circles like a mad cat, seething with indignation.
"Playing like so big shot—ugh! Insane man!"
But no amount of ranting was able to dislodge the heart-wrenching acknowledgnt:
She may have just let a golden chance pass her by.
A security guard... a secret crorepati?!
Anjali ca close to digging a hole in her floor after running 200 laps around the house.
After a long ti Inspiration finally struck.
She picked up her phone and called Aunt Lata in a hurry.
"This is all your fault, Aunt Lata!" she snapped as soon as the connection was made.
"You didn’t tell the whole truth about Alex!"
"If I’d known he was wealthy, would I have been doing all that earlier?!?"
On the other side, landlady Aunt Lata was utterly surprised.
"Huh? Anjali, are you certain? I’ve known Alex for months. He’s a normal security guard working at the industrial park down the street. He’s a tenant of mine, earns a decent wage. Alright, sure, he’s nice-looking and courteous that’s why I set him up. But rich?"
"Are you kidding ?!" Anjali almost scread.
"He drives a rcedes G-Wagon worth ₹ 2–3 crores! And resides in a villa that’s at least worth ₹10 Crore!"
Aunt Lata: "What?!"
She almost dropped the phone.
"A ₹10 Crore! villa?! G-Wagon?!"
Her voice turned high-pitched with shock.
"If I had known that...." she said, in a dazed manner, "I would’ve introduced my nephew to him instead!"
----------
Author’s Note:
*nephew remark is intentional
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