I Sell Bottled Water for Gold in Another World!-Chapter 208: The Plan Set in Motion

At the sound of clapping, Anjali turned around quickly.

When she saw Alex, her expression shifted rapidly: surprise, then irritation, before settling into a bright but clearly forced smile.

"Alex! What a coincidence running into you here!" she said enthusiastically.

Of course she remembered him. How could she forget the biggest regret of her life? The man she had insulted and written off as beneath her, only to find out later he was worth millions.

"Anjali, who is this?" the woman beside her whispered excitedly, her eyes lighting up with curiosity as she looked Alex up and down.

Anjali ignored her, keeping her focus entirely on Alex. "What brings you here? Can I help you with something?"

Alex got straight to the point. "Actually, yes. I need your help with something."

Anjali’s fake smile widened slightly, sensing an opportunity. "Of course! I would be happy to help however I can."

"I need you to go after someone."

Anjali blinked, confused. "You... want me to do what?"

"My cousin," Alex continued. "I need you to pursue my cousin and make him fall for you."

Anjali looked genuinely puzzled now. "You want me to... seduce your cousin? Is he actually your cousin, or do you have some grudge against him?"

"Not seduce exactly. More like... distract him from his current unhealthy obsession with a girl."

Anjali seemed intrigued. "Go on."

"My cousin is completely obsessed with a woman who wants nothing to do with him. His delusion runs deep. He sees every rejection as secret affection. Every insult just makes him more determined."

Understanding dawned on Anjali’s face. "And you want me to snap him out of it. Okay, I get it now."

"Exactly. Fight fire with fire. You are clearly skilled at psychological games, so he will fall for you easily. Show him what it actually looks like when someone genuinely returns his interest. Give him what he thinks he wants from her."

The words were harsh, but Anjali had heard worse about herself. She did not even flinch.

Anjali leaned back in her chair, thinking it over. "That is... actually kind of brilliant in a twisted way."

"When he gets from you what he could not get from her, it will distract him and maybe wake him up from this mess he is in."

"Exactly."

"But wait," Anjali said, holding up a hand. "You called me manipulative earlier. That was not the attitude of someone asking for help."

Alex shrugged without apology.

"I am just being honest with you. I overheard your entire lecture just now. You clearly know how to manipulate people. Right now, I need someone with exactly your skill set."

"I want to hire you to un-manipulate someone," Alex stated firmly. "There is a big difference."

Anjali studied him for a long moment with sharp eyes. Then she smiled, not the fake one from before but something more genuine.

"You know what? I like you. You are honest about what you want without pretending otherwise." She extended her hand across the table. "Okay, I am in. What is the payment?"

"Depends on results. If you succeed in snapping him out of this delusion, I will make it worth your while."

"Fair enough." They shook hands firmly. "So who is the target? Any photo?"

Alex pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of Yash.

"His name is Yash. He is my cousin. And he is currently working as a security guard at Emerald Gardens residential complex, specifically because the girl he is obsessed with lives there."

Anjali winced. "Oh wow. He is really far gone if he changed jobs just to stalk her."

"That is exactly why I am willing to try unconventional methods like this."

"Alright." Anjali cracked her knuckles like she was preparing for battle. "Send me everything you have on him. His interests, habits, likes and dislikes. I will need a few days to prepare properly."

"Take your time, but on one condition," Alex added seriously. "The goal is to wake him up and help him, not break him completely."

Anjali nodded seriously. "Understood. I am not a monster, Alex. I will handle it carefully."

She paused, then added quietly, "One more thing, Alex. Thanks for giving me this chance to make up for our past mistake."

Alex paused and looked back at her directly. "Everyone has talents. Yours just happen to be useful to me right now. Nothing more than that. Do not think too much about it."

Anjali smiled bitterly but said nothing more.

He headed back downstairs to where his aunt and Riya were waiting anxiously.

"Well?" his aunt asked anxiously, standing up. "Did you find someone who can help?"

"I did. It is... not conventional. But I think she can help Yash."

"She?" Riya asked, immediately picking up on the word.

Hearing the word "she," Riya immediately became suspicious. However, since she was currently with his aunt, she did not ask many questions right there.

But once Alex and she were outside the café walking to the car, she asked directly, "Who is she exactly?"

Alex smiled slightly. "Do not think too much about it. Let us just say she is an expert in exactly the kind of psychological games Yash has fallen victim to. If anyone can pull him out of his delusion, it is her."

Riya looked at him skeptically but decided to trust him for now.

At that exact moment, at the security booth of Emerald Gardens residential complex, Yash sat in his brand new security uniform with the most blissful expression imaginable on his face.

Today was his second day working here as a security guard.

He had left his previous job, the one his well-connected father had helped him get.

Why would anyone do something so foolish? Because Kirti lived here in this complex. In his delusional mind, this was absolutely perfect. He could see her every single day. He could make sure she was safe from any danger. He could prove his unwavering devotion by being nearby whenever she needed him.

His phone suddenly rang, breaking his pleasant thoughts.

His heart nearly exploded with excitement when he saw the caller ID: Kirti.

Oh my God! She was calling him! This had never happened before! She always ignored his calls or blocked his numbers immediately. But now SHE was calling HIM directly!

He was so delusional that he did not remember he had bought yet another new number just yesterday and had called her repeatedly from it. He completely ignored that she might just be calling the unknown number to find out who was harassing her.

With trembling hands, he answered the phone quickly.

"Hello? Kirti?" His voice cracked with excitement like a teenage boy. "I am so happy you called! Where are you right now? Do you need anything? I can..."

She was silent for a long moment. Then she snapped angrily.

"Why the hell are YOU calling me again with a new number?" Her voice was cold and irritated.

Wait, what?

He had called her? No, she had called him, right? He was so confused.

Before he could respond or ask for clarification, she continued furiously. "Stop calling me from different numbers. Stop messaging me constantly. Stop showing up everywhere I go. Leave me alone, I am begging you!"

Click.

She hung up abruptly.

Yash stared at his phone screen, utterly confused about what had just happened.

He stood there for a full thirty minutes, trying desperately to figure out what the conversation had meant.

Finally, like a lightbulb switched on, understanding suddenly flooded through him.

"I get it now!" He slapped his forehead in realization. "She called me but pretended to be angry because she is still too shy to admit her feelings openly! Her voice also sounded different, is she sick? Yes, she must be sick!"

"Oh no, my poor Kirti is not feeling well!"

Without a second thought, Yash sprinted to the nearest pharmacy outside the complex.

He bought antibiotics, vitamins, herbal tea, throat lozenges, and even some expensive chocolates to help her feel better.

Then he rushed back to her apartment building, rode the elevator up to her floor, and carefully placed the bag of medicines outside her door.

He knew she would not answer if he knocked, she was too shy, so he did not even bother trying. Instead, he simply left the gifts there with a handwritten note:

"Get well soon, Kirti! I will always be here for you. Love, Your Yash"

He even drew a heart at the bottom.

As he walked back to the security booth with a spring in his step, Yash felt an overwhelming sense of joy and accomplishment washing over him.

"Today was such a good day," he said to himself happily, practically skipping. "I am definitely getting closer to winning her heart! At this rate, we will be together by the end of the month for sure!"

Inside the apartment, Kirti heard the sound of something being placed outside her door.

She waited a few minutes, then carefully opened it and saw the bag of medicine and the note.

Her hands trembled as she read it.

She immediately called her boyfriend with shaking hands.

"He is here again," she said, her voice shaking with fear. "The stalker guy. He left more stuff outside my door. I am getting really scared now. How did he even know I was sick?"

"That is it," her boyfriend said firmly with anger in his voice. "I am calling the police right now. And your building management, how did they even dare to recruit him as a security guard? This has gone way too far."

"Please hurry," Kirti said, tears forming in her eyes. "I do not feel safe here anymore."

But Yash, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around him, continued his security shift with a genuine smile on his face.

In his delusional mind, everything was going according to plan perfectly.

He had no idea that his actions were about to have serious consequences, or that his cousin Alex had already set a plan in motion to save him from himself.