The traffic in Dhaka's old city was pure chaos.
Cycle-rickshaws and street vendors practically swallowed the already narrow roads. The loud honking of cars and the shouting of vendors constantly assaulted Rahul's ears.
Whenever Rahul stood by the roadside, a few rough-looking guys would shoot him suspicious glances.
But Rahul stayed completely calm. He didn't have a single rupee on him anyway, so he wasn't exactly worried about getting mugged. He just had to keep a tight grip on his camera and phone.
Rahul had originally planned to use Google Maps to walk straight to the slums.
But somehow, he had taken a wrong turn and ended up at a battered old bus depot.
Massive crowds of people were desperately trying to shove their way onto a rusted local bus. Meanwhile, the passengers who actually needed to get off were literally jumping out of the open windows.
Rahul immediately pointed his DJI camera at this wildly unique Dhaka scene.
It was perfect raw footage for the intro of his first vlog. His plan was to grab a few good shots and immediately head back to the upscale neighborhoods, since this area was notoriously sketchy.
Rahul figured he wouldn't exactly run into any wealthy heiresses or fortuitous encounters around here.
However, Rahul's upgraded, flawless face quickly grabbed everyone's attention, standing out instantly in the crowded depot.
The local women around him were completely stunned the second they looked at him.
A few younger girls quickly pulled out their smartphones and secretly started snapping pictures of him.
The bolder ones simply grabbed their friends, walked right up to him, and asked for selfies.
His filming schedule was completely derailed.
Watching the growing crowd of girls asking for photos, Rahul let out a helpless sigh.
"I'm seriously going to have to start wearing a mask outside, or I won't be able to get anything done!"
Just then, Rahul looked past the crowd of girls and spotted someone climbing out of the bus. A girl wearing a simple, traditional salwar kameez was trying to jump down from the window.
But her dupatta snagged on the metal frame, and as she jumped, she lost her balance and took a hard tumble to the dirt.
The chaotic crowd around her didn't even blink; everyone was too busy fighting to get a seat on the bus to notice a girl falling.
Since Rahul saw it happen, he wasn't just going to stand there.
He gently pushed past the girls crowding him, jogged over to the fallen girl, and offered his hand to help her up.
"Dhonnobad (Thank you)!" the girl blurted out, dusting herself off.
But when she looked up and saw the face of the guy who had just helped her, her eyes went wide with absolute shock.
Oh my god, this guy is unreal!
Am I hallucinating?
Did a K-Pop idol just drop into a Dhaka bus stand and help me up?
Ignoring the scrape on her knee, she excitedly bowed her head and thanked Rahul again.
"Kamsahamnida!"
Hearing the Korean thank-you, Rahul's friendly smile instantly vanished.
Not this again!
They mistook me for a Korean. Again!
The global grip of K-Dramas and K-Pop was getting ridiculous! Not every good-looking Asian guy belongs to South Korea!
Annoyed, Rahul immediately corrected her in flawless Bengali:
"I am Indian, not Korean!"
The girl immediately realized her mistake and looked deeply embarrassed.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! You're Indian?"
"You just don't look like an average guy—you're way too handsome!"
Rahul was speechless. Why was that everyone's default excuse?
He couldn't take this anymore! India's soft power and global pop-culture export really needed a massive upgrade!
A sudden, highly dramatic sense of mission flared up in Rahul's chest.
He needed to make this YouTube channel massive. He had to represent Indian guys on the global stage! So that the next time someone saw a ridiculously handsome brown guy anywhere in the world, their first thought would be 'India'!
Not Korea, and definitely not Japan!
Seeing that Rahul looked a bit exasperated, the girl glanced around at the massive crowd that was starting to stare at them. Without a word, she grabbed his arm and quickly led him away from the chaos.
She didn't let go until they had completely exited the bus depot and reached the quieter entrance of a nearby public park.
"I am so sorry. I really didn't know you were Indian. Please forgive me if I offended you!"
Now that they were in a quieter spot, she apologized sincerely.
It was an honest mistake, and Rahul wasn't the type to hold a grudge over something so silly. He immediately waved his hand, his jovial mood returning. "Hey, relax, it's totally fine. You didn't know, so no offense taken."
The girl let out a long sigh of relief, patting her chest.
Away from the loud crowds, Rahul finally got a good look at her. She was a bit shorter, the top of her head just reaching his chin.
She had simple black hair and large, bright eyes.
Her features were neat and well-proportioned, different from the typical local girls he had seen so far. Her skin was a healthy, warm wheatish tone.
She wasn't as fair or decked out in designer brands like Samina, but she had a very natural, vibrant energy. She wore a modest traditional outfit and had zero makeup on.
She just gave off a very polite, well-mannered vibe.
Rahul couldn't help but wonder—was this girl drawn to him because of the Karma Succubus Attribute? Could she secretly be from an even more powerful family than Samina?
"Are you visiting Bangladesh for a holiday? How do you speak Bengali so perfectly?"
Her soft voice snapped Rahul out of his ridiculous theories.
"Yeah, I'm just traveling and shooting videos for my vlog," Rahul replied with a light cough.
"My name is Anjali. It's really nice to meet you."
Anjali looked at him, blinking curiously.
"I'm Rahul," he said. "And the Bengali... I just picked it up. It wasn't too hard."
"Thank you again for helping me up," Anjali repeated earnestly. "And I'm sorry for interrupting your filming and dragging you all the way out here."
Why does she keep apologizing? Rahul thought. She is way too polite. Definitely raised in a strict, traditional household.
"You really don't need to apologize. I was just grabbing B-roll footage anyway."
"Where are you heading to film next? I can show you the way," Anjali offered, looking a bit shy, as if just talking to him took a lot of courage.
Rahul didn't beat around the bush. "I'm heading to the slums."
Hearing that, Anjali's eyes widened and she immediately waved her hands in panic.
"No, no, you can't go there! That area is incredibly dangerous!"
"A tourist walking around with expensive gear? You'll be a walking target." She pointed anxiously at the DJI camera in his hand.
"It's fine. I don't have a single rupee in my pockets right now anyway, literally just the camera and my phone," Rahul laughed. He explained that since he had already walked all this way, he wasn't going to leave without getting the shots he needed.
Seeing that Rahul was stubborn and determined to go, Anjali bit her lip and thought about it for a second. She seemed to make up her mind.
"Fine. Then I'm going with you!"
"You?" Rahul looked at the quiet, delicate Anjali with pure skepticism. "Are you secretly the boss of that area or something?"
Anjali shook her head, then nodded confidently, looking right up at him.
"I can go with you. I took the bus out here because I was heading in that general direction anyway."
"If I'm walking with you, they won't mess with you."