TMD as a new person : The Unseen Guardian

What happened earlier? Click here to read

Prerna, still processing everything, asked, “So what happened next?”

Aarushi took a deep breath before continuing. “The boy was taken to their institution, but I didn’t follow them. After witnessing that scene, I was so shaken that I went home to collect my thoughts. It took me a while to recover. When I finally sat down to write my article, the focus had shifted. It was no longer about missing kids; instead, it became an exploration of the significant decrease in child labor and the number of people living off begging in various parts of the city.”

Prerna’s eyes lit up with interest. “That sounds like an incredibly important topic! And it must have really highlighted TMD’s work.”

Aarushi nodded, a hint of pride in her voice. “Yes, while we were conducting our survey to gather statistics, we encountered so many people who had left begging behind and started new lives working somewhere, all thanks to TMD. There was so much more to uncover about him.”

“We often talk about how society needs to change for the better, how we need to think about the future generations—but TMD actually started that change. He didn’t wait for others; he took it upon himself, and many have followed him. They still do.”

Prerna’s curiosity grew. “So did your article make people more aware of him?”

Aarushi’s expression softened. “To be honest, I felt like a lot of people already knew him—just not in the way I did. They saw him as a guardian, a well-wisher, a brother. But there was still a significant lack of awareness about the true extent of his impact.”

“Sadly, my article didn’t reach as many people as I had hoped. The truth is, most readers aren’t interested in articles like that. They start with the sports section, move on to entertainment, and rarely look beyond that. It was frustrating to see something so important get overlooked.”

Prerna frowned, her expression a mix of empathy and frustration. “It’s a shame that such an important story didn’t get the attention it deserved.”

Aarushi sighed. “It is. But that’s the reality of the world we live in. People are often more interested in distractions than in the things that could really make a difference. But I’ve learned something from TMD: Even if the world isn’t paying attention, that doesn’t mean the work isn’t worth doing. You just have to keep going, hoping that one day, the message will get through to the right people.”

“So, that’s how you became anxious on knowing his identity?”, asked Prerna.

Aarushi, her expression turning serious, stood up from the couch. “No, that’s not where the investigation started. That’s where I became aware of him, yes, but my drive to uncover his identity came from something deeper.”

Prerna, intrigued, watched as Aarushi grabbed her phone. “Let me first share the news of TMD revealing his identity with the media,” Aarushi said, quickly making a few calls to propagate the flash news.

Prerna, still curious, couldn’t help but ask, “Aarushi, I’m really interested in knowing how you got involved in this investigation. What made you decide to dig into his identity? Can you tell me, once you’re done with your calls?” She asked with a slight pout, hoping to know the story of her friend.

Aarushi sensed Prerna’s curiosity and put her phone aside, a small smile playing on her lips. “It’s quite a story, Prerna. I didn’t expect to discover this side of TMD, but it made me think deeply about him. Questions started to haunt me—why does he do all these things? What drives him to take on such a huge responsibility? These thoughts began after an interaction with TMD, following an incident involving my friend.”

She paused, her voice softening as she continued. “After graduation, I started working as a junior reporter at a news channel. I was happy, reporting interesting stories, and honestly, TMD wasn’t on my mind at all—until that one day.”

Prerna’s concern was evident as she leaned in. “What happened to your friend?”

Aarushi took a deep breath. “It was a regular day, the same routine, until that night. I received a report about a body found in a field along the highway, far from the road. The description was of a young woman, around 21 years old. I rushed to the scene, and when I saw her face, my mind went blank—it was my dearest friend.”

“The situation was horrific. Someone had raped her and left her there. I immediately called an ambulance and took her to the hospital. The doctors rushed her into the ICU. I was in shock, completely confused and unable to make any decisions. Even tried to call her parents but couldn’t bring myself to do it. I ended up at the hospital entrance, staring at an idol of Lord Vinayaka, praying for her recovery.”

Prerna’s eyes filled with tears as she listened. “Oh my God, Aarushi, that’s awful. What did you do next?”

Aarushi’s voice was low as she continued, “While I was praying, I noticed a banner near the reception desk. It read, ‘It doesn’t matter what life brings you; you are the ultimate decision maker, and that decision determines your future.’ At the bottom, it had the initials TMD and a contact email, saying, ‘I am here to guide you through the routes of life. Feel free to contact me.’ I didn’t know what else to do, so I followed my instincts and sent an email to TMD, explaining what had happened.”

“Did he get back to you? What did he say?” Prerna asked, her curiosity piqued.

Aarushi nodded, her expression still reflecting the emotions of that moment. “You won’t believe it, but he called me within five minutes. I brought the phone to my ear, and the voice on the other end was the most soothing I’ve ever heard. He said, ‘I’m very sorry for what happened to your friend, Miss Leana’—I had used a fake name in the email. ‘I understand what you’re going through. You asked many questions in your message, but it’s best to stay calm until she recovers. Don’t inform her parents just yet; let her decide how she wants to handle this situation.’”

Prerna leaned in closer. “What did you say to him?”

Aarushi sighed, recalling the moment. “I was crying so hard that I couldn’t even speak. He spent nearly 15 minutes just talking to me, helping me stay strong. Once I calmed down, I asked him if it would be right to file a police complaint. I didn’t want those kinds of people roaming free.”

Prerna’s expression hardened. “Of course, we shouldn’t let them get away with it. We need to take action before others get affected by them.”

Aarushi nodded her head in agreement slowly. “But TMD was against it. He said, ‘That’s not our decision to make. You and I might fight this battle for a few days or months, but eventually, we’ll move on. It’s she who has to carry this burden for the rest of her life. Let her recover first, and then let her decide what to do. Until then, be silent.’”

“What he said makes sense,” Prerna admitted, though still curious. “But didn’t other news channels pick up on it by now?”

Aarushi nodded. “You’re right, Prerna. Normally, something like this would spread quickly. But I was the first person on the scene, and I made sure to ask the source not to tell anyone else. That’s why it never made it to the news.”