Conditions Of Shashank | 18+

Chapter 35: Narcissist

She thinks of how her own parents refused to take her back, out of fear of what people would say.

With a heavy heart, she falls asleep.

In the morning, she wakes up. She pinches herself. "No, this isn't a dream."

The whole night, she's bitten by mosquitoes.

She gets up, straightens her clothes, and goes to a nearby shop to eat. There's a newspaper lying next to her, she picks it up, trying to read as much as she can.

There's an article about the rising unemployment rate, and reading it, she feels even more hopeless, wondering if she'll ever find a job.

With a sad heart, she finishes her meal.

~

At home, Surbhi and Vihaan discover that Rupam has run away when they see her empty cupboard.

Surbhi panics, thinking about what will happen to their reputation if people find out.

Seeing his mother's distress, Vihaan feels an intense anger toward Rupam.

"How dare you run away from me." Vihaan yells in the bedroom, throwing a glass onto the floor, shattering it.

"You've made a big mistake by running, Rupam. Just wait and see what happens to you now," he mutters, his eyes red with rage, as he punches the wall in anger.

Blood starts dripping from his knuckles.

Vihaan remembers that deep-voiced man and tries to call him, but he doesn't answer.

So, he messages him instead, explaining everything and even sharing how he wants to hurt Rupam.

Vihaan tells him, "If, in return, you need my help to hurt Ujjwal, I'll do it."

Shashank, a sadist, agrees.

One is a sadist and another a narcissist.

~

"Just this morning, I was on my way to the office when I got an email. It said that I and a few other colleagues were being laid off," a man says, his tie loose, hair disheveled, and his bag slipping from his shoulder to his forearm.

"And you know what they said casually? 'Even big companies are laying people off.'"

Rupam overhears this, standing not too far away. Hearing it makes her palms sweat, and she starts wondering if she made a mistake by running away from home.

Rupam feels lost, not knowing where she'll get the money to rent a place, when she receives a call from an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Do you need money? We provide loans at a low interest rate and don't ask for many documents," says a deep voice.

"Yes, I need money," Rupam replies, her voice revealing her urgency and desperation.

"How much?"

"Twenty thousand rupees, just for one month," she says, feeling a bit relieved at the thought that once she finds a place to stay, she can look for an entry-level job.

"Will 4% interest work?" He asks.

"Yes, that works," Rupam says, thrilled at the low interest rate and minimal paperwork required.

Shashank can hear the rush in her voice.

"You'll get a link on your phone. Just go there, enter your bank details, and accept the terms and conditions."

"Is that all? I'll get the loan just by doing this?" Rupam's joy is uncontainable.

"Yes."

Rupam receives the link via message. She clicks on it, enters her details, and with happiness, accepts the terms and conditions without reading them.