Naman suddenly started feeling tightness in his chest, his breathing heavier than usual. His entire forehead had filled with sweat, despite it being cold inside the library. Selena panicked seeing his crumbled condition.

"Wh... what's wrong? What's happening?" She almost shouted in panic. Naman held her hand, and shook his head to stop, gesturing towards the students.

"Are they even important right now?" Selena scolded, before hugging Naman and caressing his head, hoping to somehow get him better.

What was happening to him? How was she going to help him? Should she ask one of the readers to take him to hospital? Will they even help?

"Damn! What a bad timing! Just when I was winning the argument...," Naman joked through his pain.

Selena stared at him blankly. Was he seriously concerned about their stupid banter right now? In this state? Shaking off the urge to whack him in the shoulder for his stupidness, Selena focussed on what was more necessary at the moment.

She tried giving him water, patting him, and even holding him upright, all the things Naman told her to do. She was at a loss on what to do. And Naman had to help her so she could help him.

"Has...has this happened before?" Selena asked, as it seemed Naman was well aware of what was happening to him.

Naman closed his eyes for a second, rubbing his chest, before he gathered the energy to speak up.

"I was in a critical condition, hanging between life and death. Do you really think I would get better so soon?"

"But you were talking and walking just fine a few minutes ago," Selena muttered, rubbing his back gently, hoping it would provide some relief.

"Yeah, I keep switching from normal to critical," Naman said, before heaving a sigh. "It's the fight between the human Naman and the character Naman."

"What?" Selena whispered, feeling the dread.

She knew, Swara had told her, yet it felt so alarming to see it in front of her eyes. Naman would have never survived from that assault. He wasn't meant to. Naman...Naman was only alive because he was destined to deliver the books.

If Swara hadn't stopped her from writing titles on all the books then...

"No no no." Selena gulped in panic, shaking her head frantically to remove the image out of her head.

"Hey," Naman whispered, cupping her cheek to bring her attention back to him. "It won't last long. I will be fine. I will meet you tomorrow morning."

"But—" Selena protested as she saw him trying to get up. It seemed as hard as pushing a boulder.

It was taxing, but Naman had to get up and reach the hospital in time. Although he had assured Selena, he himself didn't know how long the character Naman could win. After all, he was just an extra.

"Naman," Selena shouted in panic, as he lost his balance. But before he could touch the ground, Swara broke the fall.

"Swara," Selena whimpered in panic, but she was also relieved. Swara was her last hope. The author always came in time to help her when everything was falling apart.

"Don't worry, he will be fine," Swara assured. "I will take him to the hospital. He will surely be fine."

Selena and Swara grunted as they helped Naman get up. Naman was conscious but barely had any energy left to move on his own. Both the girls took off his weight, helping him walk. However, Selena could only help until the entrance door. She had already made peace with the fact that she was stuck inside, but it was the times like this that really crushed her heart. She felt guilty and enraged at the same time. Her inability to go outside made her so useless.

"Everything will be okay," Swara assured one last time, before taking over Naman's most of the weight as she walked ahead.

Swara called for Misha as soon as they stepped out of the library. She lived near the library. She would arrive with her family car way faster than the ambulance.

"Nothing is going to happen to you," Swara promised Naman, while clearing the stray hair that had fallen over his eyes with her fingers.

"I know," Naman muttered lazily, sounding more drunk than injured.

"How many times has this happened before?"

Naman raised his four fingers, making Swara curse under her breath.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Swara whisper-yelled. They had spoken about so many nonsensical things. Why couldn't he just add one sentence in between?

'Hey, just so you know I keep on almost dying randomly.' What was so hard in saying this to her?

"Why?" She whispered, almost breaking down, but still standing firm to support him.

"A main lead...a main lead can handle this much pain," Naman replied in between the wheezing.

Swara couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Even in this condition, this guy was so dedicated.

"Oh no! What happened?" Misha ran out of the car, seeing Naman's condition.

"I will explain later. Help me first."

Swara and Misha heaved a huge sigh, after helping Naman get inside.

"Tall and athletic boys are only amazing until you have to help carry their heavy bodies," Misha mumbled, seeming out of breath.

Swara snorted, before getting inside the car as well. She held onto Naman, while Misha drove recklessly towards the hospital.

"What happened to him?" Misha asked, after they successfully managed to admit him.

"Side-effects from the injury," Swara made it up. "He didn't take proper care after getting discharged."

"Makes sense." Misha nodded. "I was surprised that he even got discharged so soon in the first place."

"You think the hospital discharged him early to save that Author?" Misha questioned suddenly.

"What?" Swara looked up at her in question.

Looking here and there to check that no one was eavesdropping, Misha whispered, "Malpractice. To save that Author who beat Naman and stop the Pens Down movement."

"How did you even come up with this?" Swara asked, astonished by her friend's thought process.

"It has been already declared that the fan is alright and discharged. That the case wasn't as vile as everyone made it out to be. They have moved on to the new news item. Now if something happens to Naman, no one would know or care."

"Pens Down movement was shut down?" Swara asked, feeling happy for the library.

She didn't put much thought into Misha's theory. Even if it was true, it was a blessing in disguise. The lesser attention on Naman, the better. If someone found out about the weird happenings around him, it would create a mess.

"Do you live under a rock?" Misha asked instead, looking at Swara as if she was a lost case. She didn't know when it started and now she doesn't know how it ended as well.

"Even if you don't know about other news, shouldn't you be more informed about the ones that cater around authors and writing?" Misha huffed.

"I don't have time to even write, so let's forget about reading the news about writing," Swara said, before asking again, "So the Pens down movement..."

"Naman posted a request on his social media handles to take that movement down. He said he didn't bear any grudges against authors and to not stop writing at any cost, let alone for him," Misha said, before taking out her mobile to show what Naman had posted.

A small smile formed on Swara's lips. In the end, she did agree with him. He had all the qualities of becoming a main character.

Only if he was a little less annoying...