A few days after the conversation at the hotel, Akshatha's eldest uncle did exactly what he had promised.
He contacted one of his connections and made enquiries about the college.
He explained the student's situation, his academic background and what course he was hoping to pursue.
His connection was willing to help.
A concession on the fees could be arranged.
But there was one problem that nobody could avoid.
The boy's academic record was not strong enough to qualify for any meaningful scholarship.
He had managed to pass with only first-class marks, which placed him well below the level required for most merit-based scholarships.
A recommendation could open a door.
It could help reduce the financial burden somewhat.
But it could not magically turn his marks into a scholarship qualification.
When the final amount was discussed, the family was taken aback.
Even after the reduction, the fees were still substantial.
His mother gritted her teeth when she heard the figure.
It was far more than she had hoped to pay.
For a moment, she wondered whether they should look for a cheaper option.
But the thought of her son being left behind while the other relatives' children were moving forward with their education bothered her even more.
Almost every branch of the family now seemed determined to see their children graduate.
Everyone wanted their children to have a degree.
Everyone was encouraging them to study further, build qualifications and establish themselves.
She did not want her son to be the one who fell short.
So, despite the financial strain, she decided to go ahead.
"Let him study," she said firmly.
The decision was made.
There would be sacrifices.
There would be expenses.
There would probably be moments when they would wonder whether they had taken on too much.
But she wanted her son to have a degree like the other young people in the family.
The eldest uncle had done what he had said he would do.
He had used his connection.
He had helped reduce the fees.
He had created an opportunity.
The rest was now their responsibility.
Akshatha, when she eventually heard about it, understood the situation clearly.
Her uncle had never promised to carry the boy.
He had simply helped him get started.
And that was exactly where he believed his responsibility ended.
The boy would now have to prove that the opportunity had been worth giving him.
The days after the family function passed quickly.
While everyone else returned to their usual routines, Akshatha's mind was occupied with one major decision—New York.
She had already made up her mind that she wanted to move there, continue her education and pursue her modelling career more seriously.
Now came the difficult part: where would she actually live?
She and her parents had started looking at apartments, but they hadn't finalized anything yet.
Akshatha was slightly confused herself.
New York was expensive, and finding a place that suited both her work and her family's expectations wasn't going to be easy.
She wasn't simply looking for a cheap apartment.
She would be living alone.
Her work as a model meant travelling to castings, studios, shoots, fittings and events, sometimes at unpredictable hours. She needed a location that was convenient, but more importantly, she needed to feel secure returning home after work.
Her parents understood that.
They didn't want to choose a cheaper place merely to save money if doing so meant compromising her safety.
Her father was particularly firm about it.
"We can manage the rent," he told her. "But we're not going to save money by putting you somewhere that isn't safe."
Her mother agreed.
"You're going to be alone there. Your work itself requires you to move around. We need to think about the building, the neighbourhood, security, transportation—everything."
Akshatha knew they were right.
A less expensive apartment might look attractive on paper, but it could come with compromises they simply weren't willing to make.
She also knew that her growing recognition as a model made privacy and security more important than they had been before.
She didn't want strangers constantly approaching her residence.
She didn't want to worry about who could enter the building.
And she certainly didn't want her parents sitting at home wondering whether she had reached safely every time she returned late from work.
So the search continued.
They looked at different possibilities, compared rents and considered the distance from the places where she would most likely be working and studying.
Every option seemed to have some advantage and some drawback.
Too expensive.
Too far.
Not enough privacy.
Not enough security.
Not convenient enough for her work.
The decision remained pending.
Akshatha was willing to adjust her lifestyle if necessary.
She didn't need an enormous apartment or unnecessary luxury.
But there were certain things she wasn't willing to compromise on.
Safety was one of them.
Her parents would rather spend more on a secure, well-managed building than save money and regret the decision later.
After all, she wasn't moving to New York simply to live there.
She was going there to build a career.
And if she was going to take that step, they wanted her to be able to do it safely.
After careful consideration, Akshatha and her parents finally settled on a place in New York. The Octagon at 888 Main Street seemed to offer the right balance between privacy, security, comfort, and cost.
Akshatha had initially considered taking a larger apartment, but since she would be living alone and was only beginning this new phase of her career, she realized there was no need to spend unnecessarily on space she did not yet require.
She decided to take a studio apartment.
It was compact but spacious enough for one person to live comfortably.
More importantly, the building offered the kind of security and privacy her parents had been insisting on. They were not willing to compromise on her safety simply to save a little money.
The apartment also came within the budget they had finally agreed upon.
For Akshatha, it was enough.
She was not moving to New York to build a luxurious home immediately. She was moving there to work, study, establish herself, and build the next stage of her career.
A studio was more than sufficient to begin with.
After weeks of discussions, comparisons, and concerns about safety, the decision was finally made