The thief was charging forward, fast and wild, shoving people aside. His face was tense, eyes darting. When he saw Bhairava standing in his path, he didn't slow down—he just ran harder.
Bhairava's courage cracked. "Oh no…" he thought, panic rising. At the last second, he stepped aside. The thief zoomed past him without even flinching.
Aarya burst into laughter. "I told you already!" she said, shaking her head.
Bhairava turned and saw Shreya watching from the side. She was laughing too. His face turned red with embarrassment.
The young woman chasing the thief caught up and scolded Bhairava as she passed. "What are you playing at?" she snapped, then continued running.
All three - Bhairava, Mano, and Aarya turned to watch the thief disappear into the crowd.
But then, something unexpected happened.
A man standing calmly at the side of the street lifted his leg just as the thief ran past. The thief tripped hard and crashed to the ground.
The man walked forward slowly, sucking on a lollipop, completely relaxed. He stopped in front of the thief, who was groaning in pain on the ground.
He was striking—bit long hair, a charming face, dressed in crisp formal clothes, every detail neat and precise. His calmness stood out in the noisy street.
The thief looked up, angry. "Move out of my way," he warned, standing up.
The man didn't flinch. Still sucking the lollipop, he raised his hand, asking for the bag.
The thief, irritated by the man's calm attitude, threw a punch at his face. "I told to move"
But the man dodged it easily, grabbed the handbag, spun around the thief, and pulled. The thief fell again, and the bag dropped beside him.
The crowd gasped. People were excited, whispering and pointing.
Mano and Aarya stared in amazement. "Whoa…" Mano whispered.
Bhairava stood silently, his expression blank, unsure whether to feel impressed or defeated.
The man bent down, picked up the purse, and handed it to the young woman. She took it with relief and said, "Thank you."
The crowd buzzed with excitement. Shreya was staring at the man like he was a hero, and Bhairava noticed it. Not just Shreya—everyone around was looking at him with admiration.
A woman from the crowd stepped forward, eyes wide. "Wow! You're the journalist from The Daily News, right? The one covering the serial murder case? I'm a big fan of your articles!"
Gasps and whispers spread through the crowd. People looked at him with awe.
The man smiled calmly and replied, "Don't worry. The cops will be here soon."
Mano leaned toward Bhairava, whispering in surprise. "Wow… is he a journalist?"
Bhairava kept his eyes on the man, his expression blank. "His name is Thana. He's one of the best journalists in Azhagi town. But I don't like his attitude. He acts like everyone else is beneath him."
Suddenly, the crowd fell silent. People stepped back with a gasp.
The thief had stood up behind Thana, holding a knife in his hand.
Thana turned slowly, saw the weapon, and smiled softly. "What? Are you going to cut vegetables with that?"
The crowd burst into laughter. The thief's face twisted with anger. He rushed forward and swung the knife at Thana.
But Thana moved with ease—dodging every slash like it was nothing. His calm movements made the thief look clumsy and desperate.
Each dodge was smooth, almost playful. Thana didn't break a sweat. He humiliated the thief without even raising his voice.
Mano watched the scene unfold with wide eyes, completely amazed. "Is he really a journalist? He's fighting like a pro!" he whispered.
The thief, wild and desperate, kept swinging his knife. At one point, he nearly crashed into a roadside shop, causing people to panic and step back. Thana, calm as ever, grabbed the thief's arm and pulled him away before any damage was done.
The fight moved closer to Bhairava, Aarya, and Mano. Suddenly, the thief slashed again—but Thana dodged, and the knife flew dangerously close to Aarya.
"Aarya, move back," Bhairava said firmly.
Without thinking, Bhairava pulled Aarya back and placed his arm protectively in front of her.
Thana quickly pulled the thief away and turned to Aarya. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Bhairava, still standing protectively beside her, looked at Thana with irritation. "If you like to fight, do it in a ring. Don't disturb the public."
Thana looked at him with a soft smile, still sucking his lollipop. "Calm, man. Why the tension? That was my mistake—sorry."
Aarya gently tugged Bhairava's arm, signalling him to let it go. But just then, the thief rushed at Thana again from behind, knife raised.
Aarya shouted, "Behind you!"
Thana turned smoothly, grabbed the thief's wrist mid-air, and struck him with quick, precise hits—arm, neck, chest. The thief stumbled backward and crashed into a flower shop. Petals flew everywhere.
Thana bent down, picked up a single rose from the scattered flowers, and turned to Aarya with a playful smile. "A cute girl like you would look even more beautiful with a flower," he said, offering it to her.
Bhairava stood silently beside her, watching.
Aarya smiled shyly and took the rose, her cheeks turning pink.
The thief lay groaning on the ground, defeated. Thana calmly tied his hands with a spare cord, his movements smooth and practiced. The crowd erupted in cheers. People rushed forward and celebrating like he was some kind of celebrity.
Bhairava watched from the side, his jaw tight. The admiration pouring toward Thana only made his irritation grow.
"I'm leaving," he muttered, turning away.
Mano and Aarya quickly followed. "Wait, we'll come too," Mano said, jogging to catch up.
As they walked, Mano looked at Bhairava with curiosity. "Bhairava, why did you leave? You applied to that company too, right? We could've introduced ourselves—it might've helped."
Aarya walked quietly behind them, her fingers gently holding the rose Thana had given her. "He seems like a really nice person to me," she said softly.
Bhairava glanced back and saw the rose still in her hand. His face tightened.
"Why are you still holding that?" he asked sharply.
Before Aarya could answer, Bhairava snatched the flower from her hand and threw it to the ground.
Aarya stepped back, surprised. "Hey, what happened? What are you doing?"
Bhairava replied, "I just don't like him."
Aarya raised her voice, frustrated. "But the flower looks very beautiful!"
Bhairava replied, "If you want, I'll buy you another."
Mano stepped in, placing a hand on Bhairava's shoulder with his usual charm. "Great idea, man. Let's grab lunch and head to the flower garden. I heard they planted new flowers." He turned to Aarya with a grin. "You'll love it."
Aarya's eyes lit up. "Yeah! I heard about it too. It's supposed to be really pretty."
But Bhairava shook his head. "Count me out. I'm going home. Shivani's alone."
Mano sighed. "Don't bring us down."
Bhairava replied firmly, "No. I already said I'd leave after the movie."
Aarya looked at Mano and said gently, "You know how he is, right? He always thinks about his sister first. Let him go."
But Mano wasn't ready to give up. He grabbed Bhairava's shoulder and pulled him playfully. "No way. Come on, Bhairava. We rarely get days like this. Let's enjoy it together."
Unwillingly, Bhairava let himself be dragged along. The three of them spent the evening in the garden, surrounded by fresh blooms and laughter. Time passed gently. The sun dipped below the horizon, and the star shines, casting silver light over the bright, colorful market streets.
Later, Bhairava and Aarya walked quickly through the glowing road, streetlights flickering above, shops lit up in vibrant colors.
Bhairava muttered under his breath, "Damn that Mano. I should be careful next time around him."
Aarya, keeping pace beside him, rolled her eyes. "Quit complaining. You had fun today, didn't you?"
Bhairava snapped, "Shut up. You joined him too."
Aarya laughed at his childish tone, brushing it off.
As they passed a shop, a loud voice rang out. "Come back with the cash next time, you drunken fool!"
A man stumbled out, shouting back, "Hey! Who are you calling fool? I'm a professor in a school, you idiot!"
Bhairava stopped. His eyes narrowed. It was the same professor who had refused to take Shivani's complaint. The man was drunk, his shirt wrinkled, his eyes unfocused.
The professor spotted Bhairava and staggered toward him. "You… you're the one who came to our school yesterday, right? It's all because of you!" he said, voice full of frustration.
Bhairava stood firm. "You're the one who forgot to do your job."
The professor, swaying, replied, "Fine! I didn't take the complaint. But you don't know who you hit yesterday. He's the minister's son. The whole school supports him. He got your address from the school. He'll come for you—and also for that girl you protected."
Bhairava's eyes flared. He grabbed the professor's collar. "What are you blabbering?"
The man laughed bitterly. "He's a psycho… I thought he'd already gone to your home. But seeing you here… maybe not yet."
Those words hit Bhairava like a storm. His heart dropped. Shivani.
Without another word, Bhairava let go and bolted down the street, his feet pounding the pavement. Aarya called out and ran after him, but she couldn't keep up. Bhairava was running faster than ever—because in his mind, one thought raced louder than all the rest. "Nothing should happen to Shivani."
He reached home. The front door was wide open.
"Shivani!" he shouted, stepping inside.
Silence.
He rushed through every room—her bedroom, the kitchen, the backyard. Nothing. No sign of her. The house was empty.
He stumbled back outside, breath heavy, chest tight. Aarya finally caught up, panting, her face full of worry. "What happened?" she asked.
Bhairava's voice trembled. "Shivani is not here."
They stood together in front of the house, staring down the dark road. Streetlights flickered above them. The road stretched out in both directions, quiet and empty.
They didn't know where to go. They didn't know what to do.