Why, Mili, why?? Why don't you understand how much I love you? I've done so much just to have you, yet why can't you understand me?"
With a faint, slightly sinister smile, Arnab muttered to himself,
"Now you'll see what Arnab Chowdhury really is. You have to be mine."
Then a loud, chilling laughter echoed, making the very air around him tremble.
"Uff! This heat feels unbearable today. And I can't even find a single vehicle! Ugh! Looks like I'll have to walk the whole way. Why didn't I leave a little earlier? And it's all because of that old teacher and his endless lectures! Now I have to suffer and walk home because of him."
Mili is a girl from a simple middle-class family in New Town, Kolkata. Currently, she is a first-year college student. From the outside, she may seem like an ordinary girl, but her life story is far from ordinary.
Four years ago, her mother suddenly passed away due to a heart attack. That day was the darkest day of Mili's life. After her mother's death, her small family was left with only her and her father. Her father is a retired school teacher—he spent his entire life honestly shaping the futures of his students. Now he is old, and his body isn't as strong as before, but his mind is still firm and determined.
Mili has taken responsibility for the household. Alongside her college studies, she tutors a few students. In the evenings, she works at a small nearby shop. She silently carries the burden of her own expenses, her father's medicines, and the household groceries. Even when she feels exhausted, she never complains.
Mili is very intelligent in her studies. She always sits in the front row of the class, listening attentively to lectures. Her dream is to achieve something big one day, so that her father's sacrifices become meaningful.
She is truly extraordinarily beautiful. Her thick black hair and greyish eyes make her stand out. Her round cheeks and gentle smile add to her charm. Many people tease her by saying, "You look just like a movie heroine!" But Mili simply laughs it off. To her, her father's smile and fulfilling her dreams are far more important than beauty.
At night, while sitting at her study table, she sometimes looks at her mother's photograph and whispers in her heart,
"Ma, one day I will be successful. You and Baba will be proud of me."
In the busy streets of New Town, Mili may appear to be just another ordinary girl, but her courage, sense of responsibility, and dreams make her extraordinary.
Suddenly, a mechanical sound from behind makes her turn around.
As soon as she looks back, she is startled—a bike is speeding dangerously toward her. Abruptly, it brakes right in front of her. Mili was still lost in her thoughts.
When someone snaps their fingers in front of her eyes, she notices a tall, handsome man standing there. At a single glance, anyone would be compelled to fall in love with him. He is over six feet tall, with a well-built body from regular gym workouts. His skin isn't very fair, but his dusky complexion makes him look incredibly attractive.
For a moment, Mili seems lost in a trance. But as soon as she regains her senses, her anger shoots to the sky.
"Hey! Can't you see? I could have had an accident just now! What if I had died? Are you crazy? Don't you know how to drive properly? What kind of sane person rides a bike like that?"
She keeps scolding him without pause, unaware that the man she is yelling at is busy observing her.
Suddenly, the man speaks, "So sorry, Miss. I hope you're not hurt?"
Instantly, Mili flares up again.
"What do you mean not hurt? What if something had happened? If I ever see you riding like this again, I'll break your legs! You've already made me unbearably late. Move aside!"
With that, she walks past him.
The young man watches her leave with a mysterious smile on his face.
What does that smile mean?
Is Mili about to step into danger?