The cabin had settled into a calm hush after Karan and Rishabh left — their laughter and jokes still faintly echoing in the hall.

But Arav Malhotra remained seated, still staring at the name on the file.

Meher Sharma.

There was something about her that didn't sit like a stranger.
Her tone, her poise, even the sadness hidden behind her words... reminded him of something.

Or someone.

Could she be the same girl mom mentioned? The one dad took to the hospital?

He shook his head lightly. Coincidence, maybe.

But one thing was clear — she wasn't like the others.

And for once, his gut didn't question the decision.

He tapped on the intercom.

"Nidhi," he said.

"Yes, sir?"

"Offer the role to Meher Sharma. Ask her to send in a confirmation email and forward the offer letter draft."

There was a pause of surprise on the other end, then:
"Right away, sir."

He hung up, leaned back in his chair, and muttered to himself:

"Let's see what else she brings to the table."

—

Meanwhile...

Meher, still on the way home in an auto, kept replaying the interview in her head. Every word. Every stare. Every question.

And that moment — when she had walked in and seen him.

Arav Malhotra.

The very same man she had once admired from afar in her college days.
Now her potential employer.

Her phone buzzed.

She fumbled to unlock it... and her eyes widened.

Subject: Offer Confirmation – Assistant to CEO, Malhotras Innovation

"Dear Meher Sharma,
We are pleased to offer you the position of Personal Assistant to the CEO at Malhotras Innovation. Kindly confirm your acceptance and share any ID proofs or documents as required. Your offer letter will be processed thereafter.

Regards,
HR Department."

Her breath caught.

She got the job.

She really did.

Tears pricked her eyes — not of sadness, but of something stronger.
Validation. Relief. A beginning.

She quickly typed a short reply:

Dear Ma'am,
Thank you for the opportunity. I accept the offer with gratitude. I will send my documents shortly.

– Meher Sharma

And just like that, the girl who once walked barefoot into the night, now took her first step into a future she was about to own.

.....

The auto slowed to a halt in front of the modest two-storey house tucked into a quiet Bangalore lane — Meher's house, though it had never truly felt like hers.

She stepped out, her small file of documents clutched tightly in hand, her heart still fluttering from the email she had just received.

She had a job.
Not just any job — a position she earned on her own merit, with a company that didn't pity her past but saw her worth.

She looked up at the house and took a deep breath before walking in.

As she pushed open the gate and stepped through the main door, she saw her Chachi and Tanya lounging on the sofa, cups of tea in their hands and that usual smirk sitting comfortably on their faces.

Their eyes flicked up — curious, maybe mildly annoyed — until they saw her.

Tanya raised a brow. "Back so soon? Didn't they even bother taking your interview?"

Before Meher could reply, the sound of a door unlocking came from the hallway.

Ramesh Sharma, her uncle, stepped in, having just returned from a neighborhood errand.

His tired eyes landed on her — and immediately softened.
"Meher? You're back," he said, walking toward her. "How did it go?"

Meher's lips trembled — not with sadness this time, but with a kind of joy she hadn't tasted in years.

She took a shaky breath, then lifted her phone, holding it out to him.

"I got the job, Chachu... I got it."

For a moment, there was silence.

And then Ramesh took her phone, read the email, and let out a deep, proud laugh.

He pulled her into a tight hug.
"You did it, Meher. You actually did it. I'm so proud of you."

She buried her face into his shoulder, letting a few tears slip silently.

Behind them, Tanya's smirk had vanished, her tea cup now sitting still in her hand.

Her Chachi scoffed, "Job toh assistant ki hai na? What's the big deal?"

Meher turned to her — not with anger, but calm confidence.

"It's a big deal because I earned it. Without your support. Without anyone handing it to me."
"And yes, it's an assistant's job — but at least I won't need to depend on anyone's leftover sympathy or kitchen gossip anymore."

Ramesh gave her a subtle nod, proud of the way she carried herself.

Tanya looked away, irritated.

Her Chachi muttered something under her breath, but Meher had already started walking to her room — her shoulders a little straighter than before.

She had a long road ahead, but for now...

She had taken the first step.

Later that evening, after dinner — which she had quietly taken with her uncle while ignoring the pointed silence from her Chachi and cousin — Meher sat on her bed, phone in hand.

Notifications buzzed, but she only cared about one.

She scrolled through her contacts and paused at the name that made her smile.

NAINA– Idiot ♡

Her college best friend.

Her secret-keeper.

The one who had stood by her when the world felt too much — but whom she had drifted from in the last few months during all the chaos.

Fingers trembling slightly, she hit call.

The phone rang once.

Twice.

"OHHH MY GODDDDD!" came the scream from the other end before she could even say hello.

Meher laughed — an actual laugh, bubbling from her chest.

"YOU. ARE. ALIVE. I was about to file a missing person report!" Anvika shouted, dramatic as always.

"I missed you too," Meher said softly, wiping a happy tear.

"No, you don't get to be soft! You ghosted me for almost three months, Sharma! What the hell happened?!"

Meher took a deep breath and told her everything.

The job rejections. The house drama. The walkout.
The hospital.
And finally — the interview.

Anvika was silent for a second on the other end.

"...That's... Meher, that's insane. You walked out of your house with nothing?"

"I didn't feel like I had anything left to lose," Meher whispered.

"And now?" NAINA asked, her tone careful.

Meher smiled faintly, fingers brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Now I have a job offer. From Malhotras Innovation. I'm going to be the CEO's assistant."

NAINA screamed again. "SHUT UPPPPP! MEHER! That's Arav Malhotra, na? THE tech guy from our college fest? The black-shirt-with-the-watch-and-the-smirk guy?"

Meher laughed. "Yes, that Arav."

NAINA gasped. "No way. And you're working under him?"

"Yes. And I don't know if I should faint or scream."

NAINA was already doing both.

After a long pause, her best friend added,

 "I'm so, so proud of you, Meher. You didn't just survive. You fought your way into the light."

That line made her eyes fill again.

"I've missed you," Meher whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere..." NAINA promised. 

"Also, FYI... you're gonna slay this job. And maybe even steal some CEO hearts along the way."

Meher shook her head, smiling.

"Shut up and let me survive my first day, idiot."

They both burst into laughter — the first real laughter Meher had felt in a long, long time.