Ilakiya had been residing at the women's hostel in Brickfields, KL for a while now and had initially believed it was a secure and pleasant place. However, as time progressed, she began to observe some suspicious activities happening at the hostel.
One day, Ilakiya accidentally heard her room-mate Jeeva, speaking on the phone regarding an illegal or unethical side gig. "I can't believe how simple it is," Ilakiya eavesdropped on Jeeva saying. "I'm earning far more than I had ever thought possible. The best part is, nobody seems to have any issue with it as long as I keep it discreet."
Ilakiya was taken aback by what she had heard, so she decided to pay more attention to Jeeva and other roommates. It did not take her long to discover that many of the girls in the hostel were also involved in similar illegal or unethical activity. Men were consistently visiting the hostel at all hours and Ilakiya couldn't help but wonder about the nature of these visits.
Ilakiya started to connect the dots and realised that some of the hostel girls were working as "sugar babies" or in other such industries in order to pay for their accommodation and tuition fees. Ilakiya was surprised and saddened by this revelation. It was hard for her to accept the fact that the young women were driven to such extremities just to make ends meet in a city like Kuala Lumpur.
At first, Ilakiya tried to brush off what she had seen and heard at the hostel and focus on her studies. However, it was impossible to ignore the constant stream of men and the strange atmosphere that seemed to hang over the hostel.
She started to worry about her own safety and whether she could trust her roommate and the other girls around her.
Ilakiya began to feel isolated and alone in the hostel. She knew she needed to do something to protect herself and find a safer place to live. But with no family or friends nearby, she wasn't sure where to turn.
One night, while Ilakiya was trying to sleep, a man who had been visiting one of the other girls in the hostel made a move on her. Ilakiya was terrified and immediately jumped out of bed, shouting for help.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Ilakiya yelled at the man, trying to push him away.
Her roommate, Jeeva, heard the commotion and rushed into the room to see what was going on. "What's going on here?" Jeeva asked, looking from Ilakiya to the man.
"This creep tried to attack me!" Ilakiya cried, shaking with fear.
Jeeva immediately stepped in and helped Ilakiya get the man out of the room. "You need to leave right now," Jeeva told the man sternly. "And don't you dare come back here again."
After the man had left, Ilakiya collapsed on her bed, still shaking with fear. "I can't stay here anymore," she told Jeeva. "I can't live in a place where I feel unsafe and where I'm constantly surrounded by all of this...this questionable business."
Jeeva felt guilty for not doing more to protect her roommate. She knew that her involvement in the escort business had contributed to the dangerous atmosphere at the hostel and had put Ilakiya at risk.
"I'm so sorry this happened to you," Jeeva said to Ilakiya, tears welling up in her eyes. "I never wanted you to get caught up in all of this mess. It's my fault for getting involved in this business in the first place."
Ilakiya shook her head. "It's not your fault," she said. "You were just trying to make ends meet, same as everyone else. But I can't stay here anymore. I need to find a safer place to live."
Jeeva nodded. "I understand," she said. "And I have an idea. Why don't you move in with your fiancé, Suresh? Does he have a spare room at his home? I hope he wouldn't mind."
Ilakiya hesitated. "I don't know," she said. "We're only engaged at the moment. What will his mom say? What will my parents say?."
Jeeva waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that," she said. "If what you described about your fiance is true, he wouldn't believe in all those old-fashioned rules. And besides, you need a safe place to stay. Talk to Suresh and see if he's okay with it."
Ilakiya was still unsure, but she knew she didn't have many other options. She was afraid to ask Suresh if he was willing to take her in. Jeeva stepped in and called Suresh. She explained the situation and what just happened to him. After a short conversation, Jeeva turned to Ilakiya with a smile.
"Suresh agreed to take you in," she said. "However, his mother might have some reservations. Don't worry about it. He will handle her."
Ilakiya was relieved and grateful for Suresh's generosity.
"He's coming over in a while. You better get started packing."
As she packed her bags and prepared to leave the hostel, Ilakiya couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. She was finally leaving that place and its questionable business behind.
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