Pavan was walking down the road from his house, lost deep in thought. His mind kept circling around how he would tell his friends that he had passed the Triveni Gurukul entrance exam and would soon be leaving to study there. As these thoughts consumed him, he absentmindedly made his way towards the Hanuman temple on the hill, where he asked his friend to meet him.

Walking along the road, Pavan was so absorbed in his thoughts that he became oblivious to everything around him. Meanwhile, a car was speeding towards him on the same road, moving at over 120 kilometers per hour. The car's A.I. had detected Pavan ahead and honked to warn him to move aside. However, lost in his thoughts, Pavan didn’t hear the horn or notice the car approaching.

Suddenly, Pavan felt his body freeze. He couldn’t move a muscle, no matter how hard he tried. It was as if his entire body had gone numb. Just then, the speeding car zoomed past him, barely missing him. Pavan’s eyes widened in shock as he caught a glimpse of the car and muttered to himself,

"How did such a big car suddenly appear out of nowhere?" Fear coursed through him, and he felt his heart racing.

In that very moment, he heard a familiar voice echo in his mind—"Pavan, the car was always there. But you...you weren’t." It was Chee’s concerned voice.

Realizing what had happened, Pavan sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Chee. I understand now. But could you let me go, please?" He asked, his tone a mix of gratitude and humor.

With a playful "Hmm..." Chee released her hold on him. The moment she did, Pavan regained control of his body. He took a deep breath, composed himself, and thought, "I need to stay focused from now on." This time, he continued walking more cautiously, his attention fully on the road ahead.

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Soon enough, Pavan reached the base of the hill, where the stairs to the temple began. He looked up and could clearly see the temple’s golden spires shining under the sunlight. A thought crossed his mind—since he was going to the temple anyway, why not take some offerings along?

He turned toward a small shop by the side of the stairs, run by an A.I. assistant named Chotu.

"Chotu, give me a coconut, 250 grams of makhana, and a pack of incense sticks," Pavan said, as he pulled out the smartphone Chee had gifted him and transferred 50 rupees for the items. Smiling, he added,

"Oh, and tell Uncle Ramu that Pavan was here and said 'Jai Shri Ram'."

As Chotu handed over the items, he replied in a robotic voice,

"I'll tell him, but that'll cost extra."

Pavan raised an eyebrow and glared at Chotu in mock anger. In response, Chotu's small screen-face displayed the same stern expression, mimicking Pavan’s glare. For a moment, they stared each other down, until Pavan suddenly snatched a packet of chocolates from the counter and bolted up the stairs, shouting,

"Need more extra charges now, tin can?"

Chotu, leaning out of the shop, yelled back angrily,

"Who are you calling a tin can, you thief!"

Ignoring Chotu’s outburst, Pavan continued running up the stairs until his pace slowed down from exhaustion. He eventually came to a halt near the last step, gasping for breath. He bent down, resting his hands on his knees, and muttered,

"They really should install an elevator here."

Back at home, Chee, who was busy with her own tasks, overheard Pavan’s comment. A sweet smile spread across her face, and she teasingly replied in his mind,

"If they install an elevator, this place would be overrun with people, and all the peace and quiet would be gone. That’s why they haven’t."

Pavan chuckled and glanced around at the serene surroundings.

"Yeah, that makes sense," he said, nodding.

He walked over to a nearby water tank, washed his face and hands, and entered the temple. Inside, he approached the priest and asked him to offer the prasad to Lord Hanuman.

Standing in front of Hanuman’s idol, Pavan clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and silently prayed,

"Lord, please give me the strength to tell my friends the truth, and help me succeed in my studies at Triveni Gurukul."

After finishing his prayer, he looked at the priest, who handed him the prasad. Pavan accepted it with gratitude, stepped outside the temple, and found a quiet spot under the shade of a tree. Sitting on a bench, he felt the cool breeze on his face, and for the first time in days, a sense of calm washed over him. He knew that soon, he would have to face his friends and reveal everything.

But for now, he simply enjoyed the peace of the moment.

To be continued...