Will You Still Love Me?

CHAPTER 1

Jaipur. 21st Dec, 2023.

"Mummaaaa!!! Where is the key of my bike?" A girl in her early 20's shouted, descending from the stairs of her house.

"I have told you infinite times that keep your belongings at the right places, but you never listen. It must be lying somewhere anonymously. Find it yourself." Her mom yelled from the kitchen.

"Please mumma, I'm getting late. Please help me." She pleaded.

"Fine!" Her mother exclaimed. She came out of the kitchen, searching for the keys, found it under the coffee table kept in the drawing room and handed her.

"Thank youu sooo much ma'am." She hugged her mother and cooed softly.

"Abhi late nhi ho rha!" Her mother mocked.
"Ohh haan. I'm leaving. Byeee." She left the house.
(Aren't you getting late now)

This is Shridha Sharma, the princess of Sharma family. Although Sharmas are a middle class joint family, still Shridha got every possible freedom and allowances, for which she is really grateful.

The life has been always a bed of roses for her, untill......
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DM residence, Jaipur.

"Mummaaaa, I'm getting late. Where are you?" A well built young man descending from the stairs of a huge bungalow, called.

Probably in his mid 20s, he spoke of aura that could melt down the glaciers, if he casts a glance at it.

"Here." A middle aged lady appeared infront of him, with a plate in his hand.

He bowed down to touch the feet of his mother. She blessed him with a happy and healthy life. He stood up and she applied tikal in his forehead.

"Maa, I'm leaving. It's my first day here as DM. I do not want to get late." He says.

"Alright. Take care. Radhe Krishna." His mother smiles at him.

"Radhe Krishna, maa." He again touched her feet and left with his secretary Varun, trailing behind him.

"Sir, you got so many options to choose the city of your preference, yet you chose Jaipur. Is there anything specific here?" Varun asked with curiosity.

"Special? Yes. Someone very special!" He murmured under his breath.

"Pardon me! I couldn't hear that." Varun said.

"It's nothing." He replied.

They headed towards their destination. He was going for a city tour, to get a close look towards the slum areas and people's lives.

It was early morning when Officer Samarth Agnihotri stepped out of his vehicle onto the narrow, crowded streets of the slum area. The smell of dampness and dust filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of food being prepared in small makeshift stalls. Children played barefoot in the muddy lanes, their laughter echoing off crumbling walls. It was his duty to assess the situation, but as he walked deeper into the settlement, his heart grew heavier.

He saw old women sitting in front of their shacks, staring blankly ahead. Men, many of them unemployed, gathered in groups, their faces etched with frustration. Samarth knew these people weren't just statistics in some report-they were families, struggling to survive in conditions that should be unimaginable.

As he walked, a small commotion caught his attention. A crowd had gathered around a frail woman kneeling beside a sick child. The boy was barely conscious, his breathing labored and his face pale. The woman, clearly desperate, was trying to cool his fever with a damp cloth, but it was clear the child needed more than that.

"Please, someone help!" the woman cried, but no one seemed to know what to do. The local clinic was too far, and the woman had no money to take her son to the hospital.

Samarth pushed his way through the crowd, his heart racing. He knelt beside the boy, taking in the severity of the situation. Without hesitation, he turned to his assistant. "Call the nearest hospital and arrange for an ambulance immediately," he ordered.

The mother looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you, sir, but we can't afford the hospital."

"Don't worry about the cost. I'll make sure your son gets the help he needs," Samarth assured her.

Within minutes, the ambulance arrived. As the medics carefully lifted the boy onto the stretcher, the woman clasped Samarth's hands tightly, overwhelmed with gratitude. "I don't know how to thank you," she whispered.

Samarth smiled gently. "Take care of your son. That's all that matters."

As the ambulance sped away, Samarth stood there, watching the slum life continue around him. The problems were vast, the suffering immense, but at least today, he had made a difference. Even in the smallest of acts, there was hope. And he knew that was something worth fighting for.

They headed back to their car and drove back to the collectorate office. He ordered his attendees to prepare a report on that area and the lifestyles of the people residing there.

Just then, he received a call from a reputed leading institute of the city, to deliver a introductory lacture to the students.

He drove to the institute building, descended the car and entered the room full of hundreds of students, with an aura and demeanour.

He sensed something familiar, something really close to his heart, but could not react due to the dilemma in his heart.

He ascended the stairs to the stage and started addressing students.

Everyone present in the hall was listening him attentively, accept.....
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The first chapter is finally here. Hope you will like it.

Do let me know about your thoughts on this.

See ya soon.
Bye.