Keshav, back in his Bangalore flat after a work trip, carried the weight of this double life every single day. The guilt of deceiving his own mother had never fully left, but the bond had become something he craved. He knew her better now than he ever had as her son — her loneliness, her quiet strength, her hidden desire to still feel like a woman. And every night when he opened the fake account, the line between Aryan and Keshav blurred a little more.
Five months after that first message, on a quiet Tuesday night in Bangalore, Keshav sat alone in his flat after dinner. The city lights glowed outside his window. He had just showered and was lying on his bed in loose track pants when he opened the Instagram account. It had become a ritual — the one part of his day that felt alive.
He sent the first message at 10:12 PM.
Aryan Malhotra 10:12 PM Hey… you there? How was your day?
The reply came after about ten minutes. Kalpana’s typing seemed slower than usual.
Kalpana Rao 10:23 PM Hi Aryan. I’m here. Today was… not great. Actually, it was pretty bad. I had a small alumni meet at college in the evening. Some of my ex-students were there — boys from a few years back. They were drinking and started making vulgar comments about me. About how I “still look hot for my age”, crude jokes about my figure, one of them even said something disgusting about wanting to “teach the teacher a lesson”. I tried to ignore it and leave politely, but it stayed with me the whole evening. I feel… dirty. Objectified. Like even after all these years of being respected as a professor, some people only see me as a body.
Keshav sat up straighter, his chest tightening with anger and protectiveness. He typed quickly, his fingers moving fast.
Aryan Malhotra 10:27 PM I’m really sorry that happened to you. Those boys are immature idiots who don’t know how to respect a woman — especially one as graceful and accomplished as you. What they said says everything about them and nothing about you. You didn’t deserve that at all. You’re so much more than how some drunk ex-students choose to see you.
Kalpana Rao 10:32 PM Thank you for saying that. I know I shouldn’t let it affect me, but it did. It made me feel old and… exposed. Like maybe I’m fooling myself thinking I still have any appeal left at 44.
Keshav’s heart ached reading that. He knew exactly how beautiful and desirable she still was — he had seen it with his own eyes months ago through that bathroom window, in the hidden photos and videos on her phone. But he also knew she needed to hear it from “Aryan” right now.
Aryan Malhotra 10:36 PM Stop right there. You are not old. And you absolutely still have appeal — more than most women half your age. You maintain yourself so well, Kalpana. Your skin, your posture, the way you carry yourself… it’s elegant and incredibly attractive. I’ve told you before and I’ll keep telling you — you’re beautiful. Inside and out. Those comments were vulgar because those boys are vulgar. Not because there’s anything wrong with how you look.
