So far:
Tamil had asked Nila to come to his cabin — he wanted to request her to act as his girlfriend in front of his parents.
Now:
"May I come in, sir?" Nila asked politely.
"Come in, Nila. I need a small help from you. If you can, just say okay. If not, that's fine too. But please don't misunderstand me," said Tamil nervously.
"What are you going to ask, sir?" Nila replied curiously.
"Alright, I'll come straight to the point. I have a small problem. To fix it, I need you to act as my girlfriend for a few days — in front of my parents and friends. You can ask for any amount of money; I'll pay. I'll even prepare a contract. Don't worry, I'll make sure no problem comes your way," he said quickly, then immediately covered his face with both hands in embarrassment.
After thinking for a while, Nila said, "Sir, you asked me so suddenly… I don't know what to say right now. I need some time to think. Can I give you my answer tomorrow?"
Tamil, not expecting that reply, said with surprise, "Of course, Nila. Think well and give me your decision."
"Okay, sir. I'll leave now," said Nila and walked away.
Tamil sat there wondering, "Was that real or a dream? Anyone else I'd have asked would have slapped me for sure. I don't even know what's happening. Anyway, if this solves my problem, that's all I need."
That night, Nila couldn't stop thinking about it — not at the office, not even after going home.
"If I say yes, will Tamil sir think badly of me? But what does it matter what he thinks? Right now, money is what I need most. I was planning to ask for a loan anyway… and now he's offering help himself. Maybe this is my chance. I'll say yes — whatever happens, I'll face it," she decided and went to sleep.
The next morning, Tamil came to the office early, eager to hear Nila's answer.
When he arrived, he asked Nandhini, "Has Nila come?"
"Yes, sir, she's here. Should I call her?" Nandhini replied.
"No, it's okay. I'll call her myself. Thanks," Tamil said, and went to his cabin, still thinking how to ask her again.
Just then —
"May I come in, sir?" Nila's voice came from outside.
"Yes, come in," Tamil said.
"Sir, please check and sign these files. And about what you asked yesterday… I'm okay with it. You need something, and I need money urgently — that's all," said Nila calmly.
"Thank you so much, Nila! I'll get the contract ready and call you. Wait a second…" said Tamil, signing a cheque for five lakhs and handing it to her.
Nila looked at it and said, "Sorry, sir, I only need two lakhs. I already have the rest."
"It's fine, Nila, keep it," Tamil said, pushing the cheque toward her again.
"Please, sir, just give me two lakhs. That's enough," she insisted.
"Alright, fine," Tamil said, tearing up the old cheque and writing a new one for two lakhs, then handing it to her.
"Thank you so much, sir. You have no idea how important this money is to me. Okay, sir, prepare the contract and call me," Nila said gratefully and left.
Tamil exhaled in relief. "What kind of girl is she? I offered five lakhs and she only took two. I can't understand her. Anyway, at least my problem is half solved now," he said to himself.
Later, Tamil prepared the contract and called Nila again.
"Nila, here's the contract paper. Read it carefully — if there's anything you want to add or remove, tell me," he said.
Nila took the papers but, without even reading them, signed at the bottom.
"Sir, I agreed to this only because I need the money. You helped me when I needed it most. Now it's my turn to help you. I trust you completely," she said and handed him the papers before leaving.
Tamil stood frozen, staring at her, unable to come out of his surprise.
The next day, Tamil called Nila to his cabin again.
"Nila, this whole act is mainly for my mother. It's very hard to convince her. So it'll be easier if we exchange details about each other," he said.
"Okay, sir," Nila agreed and told him about herself, while Tamil did the same.
Later, Nandhini teased Nila, "Hey, what's going on between you and Tamil sir? He's always calling you to his cabin!"
"Uff, it's a long story. I'll tell you everything later," Nila said, smiling as she walked away.
That night, lying in bed, Nila thought deeply.
"Did I do the right thing? Or was I too hasty? What would Tamil sir think of me? Maybe he'll think I'd do anything for money. But it doesn't matter what others think. I know who I am — I don't need to prove it to anyone," she told herself and went to sleep.
Tamil, too, lay awake thinking.
"Did I do the right thing, or did I act too quickly? Maybe I could've handled this differently without involving Nila. I hope she doesn't misunderstand me. Anyway, I only wanted to help her and solve my issue. It's done now. Time to focus on making this plan work," he thought before falling asleep.
The next morning…
As Tamil came downstairs, his mother, Raji, teased his father, "Do you remember what day it is today?"
Tamil, sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast, interrupted,
"Yes, Dad, of course I remember. How could I forget? Today's the day I introduce my girlfriend to Raji — the daughter-in-law of this house! I know if I like her, Raji will definitely like her too. I'll bring her home this evening. You both can talk to her as much as you want," he said playfully.
Raji's husband laughed. "You two are unbelievable. I can't wait to meet this girl. What's her name? Who is she? Where's she from? What does her family do?" he asked, firing questions one after another. Raji looked equally curious.
"Dad, one second," Tamil smiled. "Her name is Nila. She doesn't have a father anymore — just her mother and younger brother. Her mom works in a hotel, her brother is in 12th grade. Her father died two years ago in a car accident. She's my personal assistant at the office. That's all. You can ask her the rest when you meet her this evening," he said and left quickly.
Raji sighed. "I can't believe this! Our Tamil, in love? After all these years? He never had a single girlfriend in school or college — and now suddenly he's in love? That girl must be something special. I'm going to see what kind of magic she's done to my son."
Her husband smiled. "Honestly, I can't believe it either, Raji. But it's good to see him like this. From what he said, she seems like a simple, middle-class girl. A girl raised by a strong mother after her father's death — that's interesting. Let's see what happens next."
At the office, Tamil called Nila again.
"Nila, everything's set. My mom already started her interrogation early this morning. Dad kept questioning me nonstop! Somehow, I managed to handle it. I just hope it all goes well tonight," he said.
"Don't worry, sir," Nila replied with a smile. "I've prepared everything well. We'll manage. But… I still feel a little guilty about lying to your parents."
"I know, Nila. But I don't have any other choice. When they learn the truth, they'll understand why I did this — and forgive us. Don't worry. Just be ready after office; I'll call you," Tamil said.
"Okay, sir," Nila replied softly.
Would Tamil's plan work?
Would Raji accept Nila?
To be continued…