The Next Morning....
Radika slowly opened her eyes and sat up. Her gaze fell on Rudra, the soft morning sunlight falling on his face, making him look calm and peaceful. For a moment she stared at him, and the memory of last night in the car suddenly flashed in her mind. Her heartbeat started racing.
She quickly rushed into the washroom. Splashing cold water on her face, she looked at herself in the mirror. "What is happening to me…? Control, Radika," she whispered to herself.
After freshening up, she got ready for college. They left together as usual.
In the car,
She kept avoiding Rudra's eyes, trying to act normal. Quietly she reminded herself, "Radika, focus on the interview."
After college, Radhika sat with her friends in their usual place, discussing the interview preparation. But while the others were talking, Radhika kept glancing at her phone again and again, as if she was waiting for something.
Hima noticed it and raised an eyebrow. "Radhika, why are you staring at your phone like that?" she asked.
Radhika quickly looked up. "Nothing… I was just checking the time," she replied casually.
A few minutes later, her phone vibrated.Are you finished?
Her face brightened instantly when she saw the message.
"Yes sir, I'll be out in a few minutes," she replied quickly.
Then she looked at her friends. "Time's up, girls. Let's go home now."
Sara glanced at the clock on her phone. "Yeah, it's already eight. Let's leave."
Radika didn't notice the change in her own expression, but Sara did. She quietly wondered who Radika had been texting.
As they left, everyone went their own way. A few minutes later, Rohan returned because he had forgotten his phone. From a distance, he saw Rudra picking up Radika.
Rohan paused for a moment. He didn't want to misunderstand or create problems again, so he pretended he hadn't seen anything and walked away silently. But one question stayed in his mind.
What exactly is their relationship?
The days passed quickly, and soon only two days were left for the interview.
During their next meeting, Radika looked at her friends and said, "I think our preparation is enough. We've corrected almost everything. Since the interview is in two days, maybe we should stop these discussions and revise on our own."
Hima nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good."
And just like that, their preparation meetings came to an end.
The night before the interview, Radika felt unusually restless. During dinner she barely touched her food, pushing it around the plate more than actually eating. Rudra noticed it quietly but didn't say anything. After she left the table, he softly told his mother to prepare a glass of milk for her.
In the room, Radika sat in front of her laptop, staring at the presentation slides. Her eyes were on the screen, but her mind was somewhere else. Her fingers kept tapping nervously on the table without her realizing it.
Rudra entered the room and called softly, "Radika… Radika…"But she didn't respond.
He walked closer and gently tapped her shoulder. "What are you thinking about?"
She looked up, unable to hide it anymore. "I'm nervous, sir. I'm confident about my presentation, but… I don't know why, something just feels wrong."
Rudra thought for a moment and said calmly, "If you feel something is wrong, then why don't we revise it once?"
Radika looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean, sir?"
"I mean… explain your presentation to me. Let's practice once," he said.
Still a little nervous, she nodded. "Okay."
Radika began presenting slowly, explaining each slide carefully. At first her voice was hesitant, but as she continued, her confidence slowly returned. Her words became clearer, her tone stronger. Rudra listened quietly, watching the way her nervousness faded while she spoke.
When she finally finished, she called softly, "Sir?"
Rudra blinked, coming back from his thoughts. A small smile appeared on his face. "Your presentation is really good, Radika. Now tell me, are you feeling better?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir… I am."
Rudra stepped outside for a moment and returned with a glass of milk. He placed it in front of her. "Now drink this and go to sleep."
Radika looked at him in surprise. "Sir… why are you doing all this? If I want something, I can get it myself."
Rudra simply replied, "Just drink it."
She quietly finished the milk, and soon the room fell silent as they both prepared to rest for the night.
The next morning was the interview day. Radika woke up early and got ready. Last night gave her confidence and now she was free from the confusion in her mind.
Looking at herself, she said softly, "You can do this."
She wore a simple formal suit. It was not very fancy, but she looked attractive and confident.
Rudra woke up and saw her standing there.
"You're looking beautiful," he said.
Radika smiled slightly.
"Thank you," she replied.
Rudra then got up, got ready, and went to the hall.
Radika and his mom were talking with each other. He asked her, "Are you ready?"
She replied, "Yes sir, let's go."
Rudra's mom quickly placed her hand on Radhika's head and said, "Don't worry, Radhika. You will do very well. All the best."
Radika smiled softly and said, "Thank you, aunty. I will give my best."
Then they left.