𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲

• 𝐞 𝐥 𝐞 𝐯 𝐞 𝐧 •

I gaze at the clouds floating away in the sky as my mind continues to replay the events of this morning. I tried to focus on the wispy clouds drifting by, but Aarav's smug face kept intruding in my mind.

I can't believe Aarav ditched his work to help me. It was kind of him, but also foolish from a business perspective. He should focus on his own company's success, not get distracted by personal matters.

His concern for Maa seemed genuine though. Not many would drop everything for a mere acquaintance. There's clearly a caring soul under his professional facade.

I feel conflicted - on one hand, I appreciate his empathy and support during the difficult moment. But on the other, having a man from a rival company see me so vulnerable didn't sit right.

But I barely know Aarav. Our interactions so far have been about business, nothing more. Surely there's no deeper meaning to be read into his actions today.

Baba would disapprove if he thought I was getting close to the son of our biggest rival. Personal relationships have no place in these family business dynamics.

Yet Aarav's support gave me comfort in a difficult time. I felt truly seen and understood. It's been so long since someone made me feel that way. A small, traitorous part of me found comfort in his touch. Even if it was for a split-second...

Wait. No.

No. Absolutely the fuck not.

You can't think this way, Meher. Focus!

I need concentrate solely on recovering from my recent failure and finding a way to launch my startup successfully. Anything else would just be a distraction.

Still, I couldn't deny the flutter in my stomach when our eyes had met, or the way he seemed to genuinely listen and understand me in a way few others did.

What did it mean that this competitor was one of the few who truly got me?

Frustration welled up - with my churning emotions, considering the delicate position I'm in regarding my family business, with her project's recent setback. I let my head fall back as a tired whine escapes from my throat.Why did Aarav have to complicate things further?

The office had taken on a dreary, drained quality that matched almost matched my frustrated mental state. The walls were painted a dull whitish-grey, the color of overcast skies. I didn't have time to add artworks or decorative touches - just functional shelving and filing cabinets lined with paperwork worked well enough for me. Rows of evenly spaced shelves held reference manuals and reports from previous years. Everything was neatly arranged but quite frankly bleak and corporate in style.

The desk sat in the middle of the room, a sleek glass surface that usually reflected the dismal surroundings. Today, its shiny surface is cluttered with documents from my failed startup attempts—a visual reminder of my recent setbacks, some other files and my laptop.