43. Raksha Bandhan #6
"I remember thinking that maybe this was what my life was always going to be."
The word came out almost like a whisper.
"I had spent my entire life without parents. I had finally found someone who believed in me, someone who gave me a chance to build something, and even that had almost slipped away."
His fingers tightened around Shivika's.
"I was broken, Ika."
Shivika leaned closer to him.
"I didn't know what to do anymore."
A long silence followed.
"Then suddenly..."
Rakshit smiled faintly.
"Someone came and sat beside me."
Shivika looked at him.
"Who?"
Rakshit turned his face towards her.
"Paulo."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Paulo bhaiya?"
Rakshit nodded.
"Yes."
He looked back towards the sky.
"At that time, I didn't know him."
He chuckled softly.
"And he didn't know me either."
"Then why did he sit beside you?"
Rakshit smiled.
"I don't know."
He shrugged slightly.
"Maybe he saw something in me that day."
He remembered the moment clearly.
"Neither of us spoke for a few minutes. He just sat there beside me."
Rakshit paused.
"Then he looked at me and asked..."
He lowered his voice slightly, imitating Paulo.
"'Are you okay?'"
A small smile appeared on Shivika's face.
"And I said yes."
Rakshit laughed quietly.
"Even though I was clearly not okay."
"Typical you," Shivika murmured.
Rakshit smiled.
"Exactly."
He looked at her affectionately before continuing.
"Paulo didn't believe me. He looked at me for a few seconds and said, 'You don't look okay.'"
"He asked me if I had eaten."
Shivika's expression softened.
"I said no."
Rakshit took a slow breath.
"He immediately got up and told me to come with him."
"I asked him where."
Rakshit smiled.
"And he simply said, 'First food. Then we'll decide what to do with the rest of your problems.'"
Shivika couldn't help but smile.
"That's Paulo bhaiya."
"Yes."
Rakshit nodded.
"That's the man he was even back then. He took me to a small restaurant nearby. I tried to refuse because I didn't know him. But he didn't listen."
Rakshit chuckled.
"He practically dragged me there. He ordered food for me and sat across the table until I finished everything."
His voice became softer.
Shivika's eyes became moist.
"After that, he asked me what had happened."
Rakshit looked at her.
"And for some reason, I told him everything."
"About the fake company. The deal. The money I had lost. The business I had just started building."
He paused.
"I told him I had no idea how I was going to return to India. Paulo listened to everything without interrupting me. He didn't laugh. He didn't judge me. He didn't tell me that I had been stupid."
Rakshit smiled faintly.
"He simply said, 'Then we'll figure it out.'"
Shivika's eyes widened.
"'We'll?'"
Rakshit nodded.
"Those were his exact words."
He looked towards the sky.
"I didn't even understand why he was saying 'we'. He was a complete stranger."
A small smile appeared on his lips.
"He helped me find a temporary place to stay. He helped me arrange my return ticket. And before I left, he asked me one thing."
"What?"
Rakshit looked at Shivika.
"He asked me whether I was going to give up on my company."
Shivika already knew the answer.
"You said no."
Rakshit smiled.
"I said never."
His eyes shone with quiet determination.
"And Paulo smiled and said, 'Good. Then when you build it again, don't forget the person who believed you could.'"
Shivika's lips curved into a soft smile.
"I didn't understand what he meant at that time."
Rakshit looked at her.
"But I understood later. He wasn't asking me to repay him. He was simply telling me that I wasn't alone anymore."
Shivika rested her head back on his shoulder.
"And when you returned to India?"
"We stayed in touch."
Rakshit smiled.
"Initially, it was just occasional calls. Then we started discussing business. He had experience in areas where I was still learning, and I had ideas he believed in."
He chuckled.
"One conversation became another, and eventually, we decided to work together. That's how we became business partners."
Shivika smiled.
"But somewhere along the way..."
Rakshit looked down at her.
"He stopped being just my business partner."
His expression softened.
"He became family."
Shivika squeezed his hand.
"And now he's my brother too," she whispered.
Rakshit smiled.
"Yes."
He kissed the top of her head.
"Now he's your brother too."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The cool night breeze moved through Shivika's hair as she remained tucked against him.
"Aksh..."
"Hmm?"
"Maybe that's why you both understand each other so well."
Rakshit nodded slowly.
"Maybe."
He looked towards the sky again.
His fingers gently caressed hers.
He smiled softly.
Shivika lifted her head and looked at him.
"And Paulo bhaiya is one of those people."
Rakshit met her gaze.
"Yes."
He leaned closer and kissed her forehead.
"He found me when I had lost everything."
His voice softened.
"And somehow, without even knowing it, he became one of the reasons I found myself again."