The office was big and shiny. Everything looked clean and expensive. A long line of people waited for their turn.
Meera stood quietly, holding her file. Her hands were a little cold, and her heart was beating fast.
She looked at the line and sighed.
"It's going to take forever. Maybe I can grab a coffee," she muttered.
Meera walked to the small coffee machine in the corner. While pouring herself a cup, she overheard two girls talking nearby.
"Did you hear about the CEO? Aarav Roy?"
"Of course! Everyone knows him. Rich, powerful, and super arrogant."
"Yeah, I heard he scares everyone. But thank god he's not here today. I would die if I had to face him!"
Meera quietly sipped her coffee, trying not to laugh.
He sounds like a cartoon villain. Can someone really be that bad? She murmured
She looked around. Everyone seemed nervous. She took a deep breath and smiled to herself.
"Okay, Meera. Time to show them what you've got."
---
Meera walked back to the line, holding her coffee carefully. She smiled a little, feeling better after the short break.
But then—
"Ahh!"
Her foot slipped on the shiny floor. The coffee cup flew from her hand and—splash!—the hot drink spilled all over someone's shirt.
She gasped and looked up quickly.
A tall man stood there, wearing a black suit. The coffee had hit him straight on the chest. He looked down slowly, then stared at her with sharp eyes. His face was calm, but his eyes were cold like ice.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I didn't see—"
"Clearly," he said, his voice cold.
The room went silent. People turned to look.
"Let me help—wait, I have tissues—"
She pulled tissues from her bag in panic and reached out to wipe the coffee, but he caught her wrist gently, stopping her.
"Don't."
He looked her straight in the eyes.
"What's your name?"
"M-Meera Sharma," she gulped.
He said nothing. Just stared for a moment, then turned away.
One of the assistants ran up to him.
"Sir, are you okay?"
Meera blinked.
Wait… Sir? He's the CEO?? she murmured faintly
Her eyes widened in horror.
No way… that was Aarav Roy?
Meera sat down again, heart beating fast.
"Even if he's angry… he won't kick me out just like that"
She looked down at her bracelet. It was her mother's.
She kissed the bracelet
"Wish me luck, Maa" she whispered softly
The assistant called her name.
"Meera Sharma. Your turn."
She stood up, fixed her kurti, and walked in. Her hands were shaking a little, but her head was high.
---
Meera stepped inside the sleek, intimidating room. It smelled like power—rich leather, polished wood, and tension. She clutched her file to her chest, determined.
Behind the massive desk, Aarav Roy looked up slowly… and smirked.
"Oh. The coffee girl."
He didn't even glance at her résumé. His eyes roamed lazily across her face, like she was some mild entertainment.
"Still trying to get my attention? That little stunt in the lobby—was it clumsiness or strategy?"
He tossed her file aside without opening it.
"Let me guess—you thought if I noticed you, I'd hand you a job? That works with boys in your hometown?"
"I didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident."
Aarav rose from his chair slowly, walking around the desk with that cocky swagger like he owned every inch of the floor beneath her feet.
"Right… an accident. Just like you accidentally showed up looking all innocent and wide-eyed."
He circled her once—close enough for her to feel the heat of his presence, but never touching.
"Do you know how many girls like you walk in here with a 'tragic backstory' and a sweet little smile? Hoping I'll play the savior?"
He stopped in front of her, folding his arms, gaze sharp and cruel.
"Let me save you some time: I'm not your prince charming.
And you? You're not special."
"Then why don't you just do things normally?
Like an interview.
See my profile. Ask questions."
Aarav chuckled—low, amused, venomous. He stepped even closer, towering over her just enough to make the moment heavier.
"Because normal is boring.
And boring doesn't survive in my world."
He picked up her résumé again, flipped through a page carelessly, then looked her in the eyes.
"Top of your class. Volunteer work. Recommendation letters from teachers who probably cried when you left town."
A pause. His voice dipped, mocking now.
"You really thought this was enough to impress me?
Sweetheart, you belong in a charity, not a boardroom."
He dropped her file onto the desk like it was trash.
"Next time, don't spill coffee. Try spilling ambition."
"I told you, it's not like that."
Aarav stepped in even closer, that arrogant tilt to his mouth never fading. His voice dropped to a cold whisper.
"Then stop pretending."
He reached out, brushing his fingers near her cheek
"If you really want to seduce me…
Do it without the mask. I might actually consider giving you the job."
He leaned in,invading her space, waiting for her to flinch.
"Or is playing innocent part of the act too?"
Meera stepped back, her chin high, voice firm—no stutter, no fear.
"Sir, please don't cross the line."
Aarav's smirk faded just slightly, replaced by something sharper—annoyance? Or curiosity? Maybe both. He wasn't used to resistance—not the kind that didn't tremble.
"Tough girl, aren't you?"
He looked her up and down once more, then turned away like he was bored—like she was just another file on the desk.
"Don't worry. You're not worth the trouble anyway."
He waved a hand dismissively toward the door.
"But sir, you didn't even talk about the interview."
Aarav paused with his back half-turned. Slowly, he glanced over his shoulder, eyes narrowing with a cruel smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, I did. I just didn't use boring questions."
He turned fully now, walking back toward her one slow step at a time, his voice lowering like a threat wrapped in velvet.
"You want to work here, sweetheart? You'll have to learn real fast—this isn't about grades, or glowing recommendations."
He stopped just in front of her again, leaning slightly, voice mocking.
"It's about knowing your place…
and staying in it."
---
SPLASH.
The hot coffee hit his crisp white shirt, staining it like a declaration of war. Silence followed—sharp, heavy.
Meera's hand was still in the air, her face calm but eyes burning.
"I'll never work under someone like you."
She didn't wait for his reaction. She turned, heels clicking against the marble floor as she walked straight out of his office, leaving the stunned silence—and the shocked receptionist—behind.
Aarav stood there, drenched, motionless. His jaw clenched, one brow twitching.
Interesting, he muttered to himself under his breath.
---
Outside the building, Meera took a deep breath. Her hands were still shaking slightly—not from fear, but from the adrenaline. She'd done it. She stood up for herself. No regrets.
But as she reached for her bag—
"My bracelet…" she murmured.
Her eyes widened. Her wrist was bare.
"Where did it go?"
Panic started to rise in her chest. It wasn't just a bracelet—it was her mom's. The one thing she always wore, always kissed for luck. And now… gone.
She closed her eyes, trying to retrace her steps.
I had it… before the interview… it must've fallen inside.
Meera slipped through the tall glass doors again, her steps light, cautious. The receptionist was busy on a call, so she didn't stop her.
The interview area was mostly empty now. Silent. Dim.
She moved carefully, scanning the floor near the chairs, the hallway… her heart racing.
"Come on… where are you…" she whispered to herself.
She inched toward the office. The door was slightly open.
Just as she was about to step in—
"So this is how you want to play?"
She froze. Her heart skipped.
Slowly, she turned—and saw him.
Aarav. Standing inside. Shirtless. A towel slung casually over his shoulder, as if he owned not just the building, but the moment.
His gaze locked on her, sharp and unreadable.
Aarav: "First coffee. Now breaking and entering. You're not subtle, are you?"