Athavan gave both of them a weird look but still granted their requests for autographs. With that, they left the police station in Guna's Kancil car. The entire scene was surreal. Onlookers stared curiously, wondering who this seemingly powerful man was, casually leaving in a humble Kancil.
Drona turned to Joseph. "Why did you ask for his autograph too?" he questioned, curiosity evident in his tone.
"I don't know," Joseph admitted. "But my instincts kicked in. Something told me I should get his autograph as well."
Drona laughed. "Awesome instinct! Do you know you just struck a jackpot?"
"What do you mean?" Joseph asked, suddenly intrigued as if he were about to hear a world-shattering secret.
"If you put his autograph up for auction in certain circles, you could become a multi-billionaire overnight. Once, someone bought his autograph for 3 billion pounds."
"Shut up! Don't try to con me!" Joseph snapped angrily.
"You don't believe me, do you? Mark my words. Maybe two or three years from now, when his identity is revealed, you'll understand. You might even build a temple in my honor for telling you this!" Drona smirked. "Find out everything he needs to know. Make it quick. Doing this for him is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Do it well and do it honestly. I'm not bribing you! Don't worry—you'll realize in the future that you did the right thing."
Dhiviya and her family drove home in eerie silence. Again, a thousand questions haunted them. They were anxious about how to ask him.
"Is he really an ordinary man as he claims to be? Could this be because of his father? But would a rubber estate owner be able to create such an alarming scene? Who is he? Did he really grow up in India? Even his English doesn't sound Indian—it's more American, polished. Who the hell dares to slap a table at a police station and break it? Moreover, who dares to order a police station head to complete an investigation in 48 hours? He's hiding a lot of things!" Vasanthan pondered deeply, one question after another popping into his mind.
Meanwhile, Dhiviya felt something stir within her heart. Why does he care so much about me? Does that mean he likes me? Did he fall in love with me? Since when? What did I do to deserve such care from him? Or is he just trying to be a responsible man? Her fingers fidgeted in her lap. If that's the case, why do I sense so much genuine concern in his tone? Am I important to him? The thought made her heart race, confusion and warmth warring within her.
Guna, on the other hand, was spiraling. "Damn it. I asked for an autograph from my idol while my idol asked for an autograph from my brother-in-law. Should I feel proud or embarrassed, Guna? How should I face him? Should I be more respectful to him in the future? He is the idol of my idol, which makes him... a grand idol? Is 'Grand Idol' even a thing? Am I inventing cult rankings now? What the hell am I thinking!"
As they approached home, Vasanthan broke the silence. "Maapilai, is everything going to be alright?"
"Don't worry, Mama. Since you all know Drona Singh, you should understand his capabilities, right? He will handle everything."
Dhiviya hesitated before mentioning, "The car is still at the office."
"Drona already moved the car from there. Now they're cleaning the location. I got an update a minute ago," Athavan replied, showing his phone to indicate he had received a message.
"So fast?" Vasanthan asked in disbelief.
"They're capable men. Dhiviya, you need to be careful. I don't know who's targeting you, but I have some hunches. Still, I want you to be cautious. Don't go anywhere alone for the next two days until Joseph completes his investigation."
"Hmn." Dhiviya nodded. Her heart warmed at his caring advice. Why do his words affect me so much?
As they reached the apartment parking area, Dhiviya hesitated for a moment before gathering her courage. "Can we go somewhere alone for a while?" she asked Athavan, hoping he would agree.
Guna and Vasanthan were shocked. They turned to look at Dhiviya's face. For the first time, she had asked to go somewhere alone with her husband. Vasanthan nodded approvingly. He was glad to see both of them developing feelings for each other. Athavan nodded as well. Dhiviya quickly got down to take over the driver's seat, but Athavan intercepted. "I'll drive. You guide me to where you want to go."
"Mama, you know how to drive? Do you have a car license?" Guna asked out of reflex. Then he immediately regretted it.
"Since when did you become a policeman?" Athavan asked with a straight face. Guna knew he was making fun of him. Earlier, he had asked about his passport, and now he was asking about his car license. Guna smiled awkwardly, scratching his head.
"Would you believe me if I told you I even have a pilot's license?" Athavan teased before getting into the driver's seat without waiting for a response.
Guna mumbled to himself, "Maybe I would believe you!"
Athavan drove the Kancil according to Dhiviya's guidance. He didn't even ask where they were going. Finally, they arrived at a park. Athavan was surprised and turned to look at Dhiviya, as if asking what they were doing there.
"Can you go for a walk with me?" Dhiviya asked eagerly.
Athavan nodded, agreeing to her request. They started walking side by side in silence. Dhiviya stole glances at him. His face was unreadable, but there was something about his presence that made her feel... safe.
After some time, he gestured towards a bench, inviting her to sit.
"I know you have something on your mind. If it's about my identity, there are things I can't disclose right now, but one day, I will tell you everything. I have dangerous enemies, and knowing too much could bring you harm. I will fix the situation soon and then disclose everything to you. However, I can promise you this—I am a man of principle and walk a righteous path. I do not harm the innocent, and I—"
Dhiviya suddenly placed her fingers on his lips, stopping him. Athavan froze for a second. He hadn't expected her to do that. Her face turned pink in embarrassment as she quickly pulled her hand away.
"Actually, I believe you're a good man. I also believe you have your reasons for not telling me everything yet. But I wanted to talk about something else." Dhiviya hesitated before continuing. "I wanted to ask you something, and I hope you can be honest with me. It's really important for me to know. Please don't misunderstand me. Why do you care about me? I could sense genuine care in your actions today. But I don't know if I've done anything to deserve it... or if I ever could. If you're only doing this out of obligation because of our forced marriage, I don't want you to."
She looked at him, silently pleading for an honest answer. Her heart pounded in anticipation, afraid of what his answer might be.
The End.