The MasterMind

✯𝐶𝒉𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 17: 𝐼 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑌𝑜𝑢

Side of a Road at Night

Arjun is riding his bike, heading home after dropping Aadhya off. Suddenly, he notices a masked person beating up Rudra by the side of the road. He stops his bike and runs towards them. The masked man runs away, and Arjun tries to catch him but fails. He then turns to Rudra, who is lying on the ground.

Arjun:(concerned, kneeling beside Rudra) "Rudra, are you okay?"

Rudra:(sarcastically) "Yeah, bro, I'm having a blast. How are you."

Arjun: (apologetic) "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

Arjun helps Rudra to his feet.

Arjun: "Let's go to the hospital."

Rudra: "No, it's not that bad. I'll just go home and put some medicine on it."

Arjun: "I'll drop you off at your place then."

Rudra: "No need, my bike's nearby. I'll manage."

Arjun:(curious) "Who was that guy?"

Rudra: "I have no idea. I don't even know him."

Arjun: "Then why was he attacking you?"

Rudra: "No clue. He kept shouting about me hugging his "Janu.""

Arjun:(teasing) "Dude, did you hit on someone's girlfriend?"

Rudra: "No way, I don't do stuff like that."

Arjun: "If you were going to hit on someone, at least pick a girl with no boyfriend or brothers. Less trouble."

Rudra: "I didn't hit on anyone!"

Arjun: "Don't lie to me. Do you like someone?"

Rudra: "No, it's nothing like that. I'm not interested in this stuff right now."

Arjun: "So, you're not interested in girls?"

Rudra:(defensively) "No, no, I like girls. I just haven't thought about love yet."

Arjun: "I never said you were thinking about love. There's a difference between falling in love and approaching a girl."

Rudra: "I'm not that kind of guy. When I fall in love, it'll be with one girl only."

Arjun: "I never said you'd fall for many girls. But to find that one girl, you'll have to talk to many, right?"

Rudra: "Your logic is twisted, man."

Arjun: "My logic is so twisted that I haven't even touched a girl till now."

Rudra: "What are you trying to say?"

Arjun: "That there's a difference between approaching girls and using them. We villagers believe in romance after marriage."

Rudra: "Then why do you talk to so many girls?"

Arjun: "Because I'm looking for my queen. I need to talk to girls to find her. Can't do it from a distance."

Rudra: "Oh, now I get it. But you could marry a village girl too."

Arjun: "No, that's a big problem. It has to be a city girl or no marriage at all. Most of the guys in our village are bachelors because they couldn't find city girls."

Rudra: "Why the obsession with city girls?"

Arjun: "It's a long story. I'll tell you sometime. Right now, I just need to find a city girl who understands me and respects my family."

Rudra: "Fair enough."

Arjun: "You know, I'm my parents' only child. We have plenty of property in the village. My dad earns ten times what I make from my job."