The next morning, Rahul finally woke up from his deep, exhausted sleep.
Following his usual routine from back in Mumbai, the first thing he did was reach for his phone plugged into the wall charger.
The moment the screen lit up, Rahul was instantly jolted fully awake.
The heiress, Samina, had sent him a photo of his budget hotel's front entrance.
Checking the timestamp, it had been delivered just two minutes ago.
Holy crap!
Why did this crazy rich girl chase me all the way here at this hour?
Rahul quickly tapped the voice call button and dialed her number.
The call was answered almost instantly, and Samina's pleasantly surprised voice burst through the speaker.
"Rahul! You finally replied to me!"
"I'm standing right in your hotel lobby. These annoying receptionists are refusing to tell me your room number no matter what I say. It's making me so angry!"
"Come down right now, this instant. I'm taking you out to see the sights today."
Hearing Samina's bossy, brook-no-denial tone, Rahul sighed, rubbing his temples helplessly.
"Samina, you're an adult now."
"When you decide to randomly show up to see someone, you should at least ask if it's convenient for them first."
"What if I had already left the hotel? Wouldn't you have driven all the way out here for nothing?"
When Rahul said that, Samina froze completely on the other end of the line.
She was a deeply pampered heiress, spoiled by her billionaire parents since the day she was born. She didn't understand the basic social etiquette of the real world and still operated with the impulsive temperament of a child.
She was used to being completely self-centered, doing whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. If she texted someone, they had to reply immediately. If she wanted to see someone, they had to drop everything.
But hearing Rahul scold her so calmly, Samina suddenly realized she should probably try to see things from his perspective.
Is he going to hate me for throwing a tantrum? she panicked internally. It seems I really need to rein in my bossy temper around him.
Thinking this, Samina's voice softened, sounding genuinely anxious.
"I'm so sorry, Rahul. I didn't consider your feelings at all."
"I was just so worried that you didn't have any money for food today, so I rushed over to find you. I didn't even think to check if it was convenient for you."
"I was thinking about you all day yesterday and couldn't sleep at all last night. I thought... if I could just get a single text back from you, I'd be so happy."
Rahul was genuinely caught off guard hearing this from her.
An outrageously self-centered girl like Samina was actually actively trying to consider his feelings.
At the same time, a sharp twinge of guilt hit Rahul's chest.
Man, it seems my 'player' skills are still way too shallow, he thought to himself. I can't be like those absolute scumbags whose hearts are made of stone. I still have a lot of room for improvement.
"Sorry, Samina. I really was dead asleep last night and completely forgot to text you back."
"It's fine, I'll reply whenever I have some free time from now on. But you should head back home for today."
"I just want to wander around the city by myself and film some solo footage."
"Okay!" Samina agreed obediently, her tone much brighter now that he wasn't mad. "Then I'll head back first."
"I left 5,000 Taka in cash for you with the front desk. It's just a small gesture to make sure you can eat, please accept it, okay?"
This time, Samina didn't use her demanding, authoritative tone. Instead, it was a soft, genuine request.
Hearing the shift, Rahul didn't stubbornly refuse her kindness this time.
"Alright, thanks. But seriously, do not bring me cash next time!"
"Hahaha, okay!" Hearing Rahul actually accept the money, Samina felt like her early morning trip wasn't a total waste after all.
It felt like she was making real, steady progress with him.
After hanging up, Samina pulled a crisp 5,000 Taka note from her designer bag and handed it to the male receptionist. The only reason she gave him 5,000 was because she was terrified Rahul would reject her help again if she left too large a sum.
But Samina completely failed to notice someone watching her.
A girl carrying a brown paper bag of fresh breakfast food had quietly stepped into the hotel lobby just as Samina was on the phone.
Taking one look at Samina's face, Anjali instantly recognized her. This was the ultra-glamorous girl who was the sole follower on Rahul's newly minted Instagram and YouTube accounts.
With just that one look, a heavy, inexplicable wave of sadness washed over Anjali's heart.
The feeling was exactly like seeing a beautiful toy you had admired for a long time being casually snatched up by someone richer and faster.
Anjali couldn't hear what Samina was saying on the phone, but she knew with absolute certainty she was talking to Rahul.
Feeling entirely out of place, Anjali quietly backed out of the lobby and walked over to the concrete flower bed near the hotel entrance. The disappointment in her heart surged like a cold tide, constantly crashing against her confidence.
It felt exactly like she was experiencing the heartbreak of a breakup, before a relationship had even started.
He probably forgot his promise to see me today, she thought miserably. I guess this breakfast isn't going to be delivered after all.
But just as Anjali was debating whether she should just turn around and take a rickshaw home, she watched Samina walk out of the hotel lobby looking incredibly dejected.
Samina climbed into the back of her massive Range Rover Autobiography and the SUV drove away—completely alone!
Seeing this, a massive surge of hope flared up in Anjali's chest.
He didn't come down to meet her!
Meanwhile, up on the fifth floor, Rahul was now completely wide awake. He hopped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom to freshen up.
Halfway through aggressively brushing his teeth, his brain finally booted up completely and he remembered he had explicitly promised to go out with Anjali this morning!
He had no idea if she had arrived yet. If she showed up at the hotel and ran straight into Samina in the lobby...
Rahul couldn't even begin to imagine the absolute World War 3 scenario that would explode downstairs.
Note to self, he thought frantically. Rule Number One of the Player's Handbook: Never, ever proactively reveal your actual hotel address. Avoid the apocalyptic scenario of overlapping girls showing up at your door!
Rahul spat out his toothpaste, rapidly splashed cold water on his face, and without even bothering to towel-dry his hair, he bolted out of the room and practically sprinted down to the lobby.
When the elevator doors opened, he scanned the room. Samina was nowhere to be seen. He let out a massive breath of relief.
But when he turned his gaze toward the glass entrance doors, his heart leaped straight back into his throat.
Anjali was standing by the flower bed outside, holding a paper bag of food, her back turned to the hotel as she watched the morning traffic.
Oh god, Anjali didn't see Samina leave, did she? Rahul prayed internally.
Just as he was stressing over it, the female receptionist—who was back on shift today—interrupted his thoughts.
"Mr. Rahul, sir? A young lady just left 5,000 Taka in cash for you here."
Rahul turned around and saw the receptionist holding the crisp bills out to him. Her dark cheeks were flushed bright red as she looked at him.
Rahul walked over, took the cash with a polite nod, and was about to walk outside.
But the receptionist suddenly called out to him, her hands trembling slightly as she reached into her own uniform pocket and pulled out another stack of cash.
"Mr. Rahul... can your company be bought for a day for 5,000 Taka?"
"I... I have 5,000 Taka of my own right here. Can you please spend your day off with me?"
After dropping that line, the receptionist's face turned the color of a tomato, the raw desire and shyness in her eyes completely undisguised.
Hearing this, Rahul froze dead in his tracks, his brain completely short-circuiting.
Excuse me?! Do you think I'm a professional male escort?!
Even for a gigolo, 5,000 Taka was roughly 3,500 Indian Rupees. You want to buy my entire day for less than 4,000 bucks?! Where the hell did she get the absolute audacity?!
Rahul's face darkened instantly. Without even dignifying her absurd request with a response or a second glance, he turned on his heel and strode out of the lobby.
The receptionist watched his broad, angry back disappear through the doors, muttering to herself in total confusion:
"Was the price I offered too low?"
"God, he's so gorgeous. I'd gladly take out a loan and pay 10,000 Taka!"
Rahul thankfully didn't hear those last two sentences. He walked straight up to the flower bed and gently tapped Anjali on the shoulder.
The sudden contact startled Anjali, making her let out a tiny, high-pitched yelp.
She spun around quickly. The second she saw Rahul's breathtaking face, a look of pure, unadulterated joy and relief flooded her features!
He came down! He actually came down just to see me!