AUTHOR'S POV

The silence in Arav Malhotra's cabin was louder than the buzz outside.

He picked up the cup of black coffee Meher had just delivered.

Still warm.
Still perfect.

Just like every single time she did it.

He took a slow sip and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples with one hand.

 A long breath escaped his chest as he stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment.

Then he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Damn it.

The words he'd thrown at her earlier kept playing in his head like a broken loop.

"Where the hell is my coffee?"
"If you're just about to bring it at 10:05, you're already late."
"Be what you're hired for — efficient. Not... visible."

He placed the cup down and sat up, elbows on the desk.

He hated himself for saying that but why... why is it concerning me that much??? 

It's not the first time I have shouted on any employee.. then why her?

It wasn't even about the coffee.

It  was never.

His phone buzzed — a message from his private investigator:

Still running a fresh background scan on the entire staff. Will update if anything unusual pops up.

Arav stared at it.

Someone from inside is still leaking sensitive data... again.

The memory of his previous betrayal — the employee he once trusted and loved — tightened his chest again.

He clenched his fists.

I trusted wrong once. I can't afford it again. Not at the cost of this company. Not at the cost of my people.

That fear — that paranoia — was eating at him.

And unfortunately, this morning, Meher had been the first to bear the brunt of it.

She wasn't the enemy.

But right now, Arav didn't know who was the betrayer.

He opened the file of staff profiles and leaned forward.

Every department.

 Every entry.

 Every new hire from the last two months.

His eyes paused at one name:

"Meher Sharma – Executive Assistant to CEO"

Something in his chest shifted again.

She's efficient. Sharp. Never late. Keeps her head down. Still... there's something in her eyes I can't read.

He closed the file.

Then called his PI again.

(PI-Personal investigator)

"Double-check every new hire from the last sixty days. If someone's leaking internal deals, I want to know exactly who, how, and why — discreetly. And give me daily updates."

The voice on the other end confirmed and hung up.

Arav leaned back again, staring at the coffee cup now half-empty.

He took a final sip and whispered to himself—

"I can't let my guard down again... but I will not leave the betrayer this time.. No.Never...."

...

...

....

EVENING

It was close to 7:00 PM.

Most employees had already logged out, the office growing quieter with each passing minute.

Meher sat at her desk, eyes on the screen, fingers gliding across the keyboard as she wrapped up the last few tasks on her to-do list. Her hair was tied back in a low bun now, glasses slipping a little on her nose.

She had been silent the entire day.

Didn't show even a flicker of hesitation in front of Arav again.

She did her work. Stayed in her lane. Focused.

The sting of the morning hadn't disappeared. 

But she chose not to carry it forward.

As she hit 'Send' on the last email, she glanced at the clock — it was getting late to head home today.

Gathering her things, she headed toward the office exit. By the time she reached home, exhaustion weighed her down — first from Arav's cold behavior, and then from the relentless workload of the day.

As soon as she stepped inside, she was greeted by none other than her aunt and her cousin — the welcome wrapped in a taunt. 

Well, look who's finally decided to grace us with her presence,her aunt remarked.

At the words, Avishi's brows knit together. But her aunt wasn't done.

Earlier, you used to help with the household chores. Now, ever since you've taken that so-called assistant job, you don't even bother to glance at the work here. As if we're living off the pennies you bring home... as if we're servants,to finish all the work until the princess finally decides to arrive.

Her cousin smirked, piling on.

 'Yeah, must be nice... climbing your way up in the boss's good books while we're stuck here like maids.'

Mom, I know these kinds of assistants very well. Girls like her only make it to the top of their CEO's list so they can earn a little extra... in more ways than one.

Avishi's patience snapped.

"SHUT UP. JUST SHUT UP!" she shouted, her voice shaking with anger. 

"Who are you to tell me what I do or don't do? I haven't backed away from my responsibilities in this house — I used to do them before, and I still do them now. From what I can see, dinner isn't even made, and both of you were out for lunch today... right?

And for God's sake, stop playing these petty games of taunting. I know you have guests coming tomorrow, and you want me to handle the entire workload of this big house all by myself... right? So that you both can enjoy your salon sessions in peace?"

Her eyes blazed as she took a step forward.

"Listen to me very carefully,From today onwards, I'm not doing all the household work alone. And remember — you're not the only owner of this house. I'm an equal partner in this property. So from now on, you'll work too, instead of expecting me to do it all."

The room fell into stunned silence. Both women stared at her, wide-eyed at this sudden defiance.

 Her aunt took a step forward, hand raised to slap her—

"DON'T YOU DARE!" a deep voice cut through the tension. Everyone froze.

They turned to see her uncle standing in the doorway, eyes stern.

"Don't. She's absolutely right."

Hearing those words, Meher felt a lump form in her throat. Her vision blurred as tears welled up — for the first time in a long while, someone had stood up for her.

Both her aunt and cousin stormed off to their room, their faces tight with anger. The sound of their footsteps faded, leaving the air heavy with tension.

Her uncle walked over, his expression softening. "Meher... I'm sorry"

he said quietly, as if apologizing could erase the sting of the words she had endured. "On their behalf... for the way they spoke to you."

She shook her head gently, wiping at the corner of her eye.

 "It's not your fault, Uncle. You've always treated me with respect. Their words... that's on them, not you."

He sighed, looking both relieved and helpless. "Still... I wish they understood you better."

Her appetite had vanished in the chaos. Without even glancing at her phone, she changed into her nightclothes and slipped into bed, exhaustion pulling her into a deep, dreamless sleep.

ARAV POV

7:30 p.m.

Finally, the day had come to an end. Hours of back-and-forth with investors since evening had left his head pounding. Only one thing could ease the burn — coffee. His sukoon. His all-time relief.

Quickly, he grabbed his phone to call Meher for coffee.

"Yes... her coffee," he thought with a faint smile. 

"It's more than just a drink — it's a relief, a sukoon."

When no one picked up the call, his brows furrowed. This had never happened before — Meher always answered. Pushing back his chair, he stepped out of his cabin, only to find the floor deserted, the lights already switched off.

And yes — Meher, his assistant, the one he had shouted at earlier that day, was nowhere to be seen.

He tried calling her again — still no answer. Meher never left without informing him, never. But today, she had. No message, no word... she was simply gone.

Still thinking about it, he headed to the cafeteria to grab a coffee. But as he passed the window, something caught his eye — Meher, stepping into an auto, her bag in her lap, heading home.

Seeing this he muttered,

Why is she going in an auto? Doesn't she know she can book a cab... or that she should have a car? Does it look good that Arav's assistant is heading home in an auto?

Returning to his cabin, he sank into the couch. That's when the realization hit — he shouldn't have shouted at her that morning. She had only been talking to another employee; it was nothing unusual in an office.

Still, a thought slipped out in a low mutter,

Then why does it bother me? Why do I care if she goes home by car, by cab... or by auto?

With those thoughts still circling in his mind, he left the office and headed home.......

.................

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