𝐹𝐴𝑇𝐸𝐷 𝑆𝐸𝑅𝐸𝑁𝐴𝐷𝐸 ✅

Chapter 5 : First Conversation

It's been a week since that evening on the beach, and Arohi was heading to her office. Instead of driving her car, she decided to take the bus. She wanted to enjoy the simple pleasure of commuting by public transport, something she hadn't done in a while. She found a seat near the window and watched the city rush by, taking in the sights and sounds around her.

As the bus moved through the bustling streets, her phone rang. It was her boss, and from the tone of his voice, she could tell he was furious. He had just lost a client due to some misunderstanding, and he needed Arohi to fix it immediately. She took a deep breath and did her best to calm him down, assuring him she would handle the situation as soon as she got to the office.

Despite her efforts to soothe him, her boss remained agitated, his voice crackling through the phone with frustration. Arohi listened patiently, taking mental notes on how to resolve the issue. She could feel the eyes of other passengers on her as she spoke in a calm, professional tone, but she didn't mind. She was focused on getting through the call without letting her boss's anger affect her.

When the bus reached her stop, she quickly got off and walked briskly towards her office building. She was preoccupied with her thoughts about the day ahead, the client issue, and her tasks for the day. As she entered the building and made her way to the elevator, she didn't notice the young man standing near the entrance who had been watching her intently.

The man, tall and with a sharp gaze, seemed intrigued by Arohi. He stood there, observing her with a curious expression on his face, as if he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to approach her. Arohi, completely absorbed in her own world, didn't even glance his way. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for her floor, her mind already shifting to the work waiting for her at her desk.

As the elevator doors closed, the man continued to watch, a slight smile playing on his lips. He turned away and walked towards the exit, but not before glancing back at the elevator one last time. Something about Arohi had clearly caught his attention, and it seemed he was determined to find out more about her.

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In his office, Shivay was in the middle of a heated meeting. As a consultant, his expertise was crucial, and he was leading the discussion about a challenging project.

"Look," Shivay said, pointing to a diagram on the whiteboard. "If we don't adjust the timeline for the implementation phase, we'll never meet the client's expectations. The budget constraints are already tight, and adding more resources isn't an option."

A colleague, a senior analyst, nodded in agreement. "You're right, Shivay. But if we cut corners, the quality might suffer."

Shivay looked around the room, his face serious. "We need to find a balance. The client wants speed and quality. We have to deliver both without compromising. Let's re-evaluate our process optimization. Maybe we can streamline some of the non-critical tasks."

After wrapping up the meeting, Shivay left the conference room, his mind still buzzing with thoughts about the project. As he walked down the hallway, a female employee, Sneha, called out to him.

"Shivay," Sneha said, stepping towards him. "You know today there's a discussion about our marriage at home. You'll come, right?"

Shivay stopped and looked at her, his face devoid of any emotion. He simply nodded, not wanting to get into a discussion.

As he was about to leave, Sneha grabbed his arm gently. "Please, Shivay, don't break my heart," she pleaded, her eyes searching his.

Shivay bit his lips, feeling a wave of frustration. He nodded again, not trusting himself to speak. Without another word, he turned and headed to his cabin.