The boardroom of Malhotras Innovation was nothing short of regal — a long polished table, leather chairs, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a smart screen that blinked awake the moment Arav entered.

The room was already half-filled — investors, strategy heads, and department leads greeting each other politely.

Meher followed a step behind Arav, notebook in one hand, the tablet in the other. She wore a simple pale blue kurti tucked neatly into charcoal-grey pants — minimal makeup, hair tied back into a low ponytail.

And yet, the moment she entered, a few heads turned.

Not for how she looked.

But for how she held herself.

Confident. Silent. Focused.

No one here needs to know how nervous I am, she reminded herself. They only need to see I belong here.

She settled at the assistant's desk beside the screen while Arav took his position at the head of the table.

"Let's begin," he said, voice calm but commanding.

The screen lit up, and Meher began clicking through the presentation as rehearsed. Every time he nodded slightly, she understood which slide to switch, which to pause on.

She kept her eyes on the screen, her fingers steady.

But once — just once — his eyes flicked toward her.

When she switched to the summary slide she had added herself, highlighting Q3's revised projections and adjusted growth strategy...

Arav paused.

Looked at the slide.

And then, subtly... looked at her.

A brief moment. Barely a second.

But it wasn't the glance of a CEO to his assistant.

It was the glance of a man trying to figure someone out.

Someone who was quietly sharper than expected.

He looked away quickly and resumed the presentation, but Meher felt the air shift slightly.

Not enough for anyone else to notice.

But enough to know... he did.

After the meeting, as the board members slowly filed out, a few executives murmured to Arav:

"Smart addition to the team."
"That assistant of yours seems efficient."
"Quick fix on the deck. Impressive."

Arav didn't say much — just gave a small nod.

But as Meher gathered her things quietly and turned to leave the room...

He called her name.
"Meher."

She stopped, turned back. "Yes, sir?"

He looked at her for a moment before replying:

"Good work today. That slide — the summary — wasn't in the original plan."

Meher's lips curved into the tiniest smile.

"Sometimes, the plan needs a little help."

He didn't smile back. But his gaze held steady for a second longer than necessary.

"Be ready at 10 AM tomorrow. We have an internal strategy review."

"Understood," she said softly, then left.

And this time... it wasn't her heart racing.

It was his thoughts that wouldn't slow down.

..

AT HOME.

The clock had barely struck 8 PM when Meher unlocked her phone, kicked off her sandals, and sank into the corner of her bed.

Today had been long.

Demanding.

Unexpected.

But above all... it had been good.

She smiled to herself, scrolling past random messages until she saw the one name that always brought a sense of home.

Naina calling...

She swiped up instantly.

"Well?!" came Naina's voice, sharp and dramatic as ever. 

"Are you alive or did Mr. CEO freeze you to death with his arctic personality?!"

Meher laughed — the tired kind of laugh that only came when you'd made it through something big.

"I survived," she replied, voice full of tired pride.

"And?! Spill, Sharma. I want details. Full scene. Background music optional."

Meher curled her knees up to her chest and let the words flow — like water rushing past a broken dam.

The cold welcome.

The last-minute deck crisis.

The boardroom presentation.

Arav's glance. That one word: "Good work."

Naina didn't interrupt even once. She just listened — the way best friends always do when they know their girl has fought her way through hell and somehow still managed to walk out like a queen.

By the time Meher finished, there was a moment of silence.

Then...

"I swear to God, Meher... I am so, so proud of you," NAINA whispered. "You've done more in one day than most do in a month."

Meher smiled, eyes stinging slightly.

"I didn't think I'd feel this... alive again, Anvi. I was just surviving. Now, for once, I feel like I'm living."

Naina giggled, wiping her own imaginary tears. "Okay, enough emotional TED talk. Just answer one thing..."

"What?"

"Does the CEO look hotter in person than he did in your college dreams?"

Meher laughed so hard she had to clutch her stomach.

"Shut up!" she squealed. "He's the same — cold, arrogant, unreadable. But yeah... still unfairly handsome."

"I knew it!" Naina shrieked.

They both laughed until their stomachs hurt, the night echoing with the kind of joy that felt brand new.

....