And just like that, I had agreed to the most insane thing anyone had ever asked me to do.
Chapter 4
Viya
Today had been a very productive day at work.
I arrived at New Gen Corp early in the morning, my heart still racing with the excitement of being here as an actual employee. My manager, Vikrant, was waiting for me when I reached my desk. He was a friendly man in his mid thirties with kind eyes and an easygoing smile.
"Good morning, Viya. Welcome to the team officially," he said, shaking my hand. "I have your first project assignment ready. Let me introduce you to Akshita. She will be working with you on this."
He gestured to a young woman sitting at the desk next to mine. She had short hair and wore bright red glasses that suited her cheerful face perfectly. She stood up and extended her hand with a warm smile.
"Hi, I am Akshita. It is so nice to have another woman on the team. We are going to work great together, I can already tell."
I shook her hand, feeling instantly comfortable with her energy.
"Thank you. I am really excited to be here."
Vikrant explained the project to us. It was a new module for one of the company's existing applications, and we would be working on the backend development together. As he talked, I could feel my excitement growing. This was exactly the kind of work I had dreamed of doing.
Akshita and I spent the entire day working side by side. She was patient and helpful, explaining things I did not understand and sharing tips she had learned from her time at the company. By lunchtime, I felt like I had known her for months instead of hours.
During our lunch break, we sat in the cafeteria together. Akshita was telling me about the different people in the office, pointing out various team leads and senior developers. Then she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Okay, I have to tell you something. Our CEO is ridiculously handsome. Like, unfairly handsome. I may have a tiny crush on him."
I laughed at her dramatic expression.
"Really? I have not seen him yet."
Akshita pulled out her phone and quickly scrolled through something. Then she turned the screen toward me.
"Look. This is Armaan Khanna."
My breath caught in my throat.
It was him. The man from the elevator. The man who had given me CPR. The man whose arms I had collapsed into on my very first day here.
Oh god. I had fainted in my boss's arms.
My face immediately went hot with embarrassment. I could feel the color rising in my cheeks. Akshita noticed immediately.
"What? What is it? Do you think he is hot too?"
I shook my head quickly.
"No, I mean, yes, I mean... I just... nothing. He is very handsome."
Akshita grinned.
"Right? I told you. Anyway, he is totally out of our league. But a girl can dream, right?"
I nodded, still staring at the photo on her phone. His face was serious in the picture, all sharp angles and intense eyes. The same face that had looked down at me with concern when I could not breathe.
I pushed the thought away and focused on my lunch.
The rest of the day flew by. Akshita and I made good progress on the project, and I felt a sense of accomplishment I had never experienced before. This was mine. This work, this achievement, this place in the world. It belonged to me.
