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Nrithi's POV
I drove my beloved jeep like it was an extension of me.
With love. With confidence.
And maybe... a little too much speed.
Appa, on the other hand, sat beside me in silent panic. Because he knew. If given a chance, I could easily turn this into a race and give professional drivers a run for their money.
We spoke about current affairs, office updates, and-of course-Bengaluru traffic.
No matter how well your life is sorted, traffic in Bengaluru will humble you.
Every. Single. Time.
Even though we lived in a well-planned gated community with decent road access, traffic was something no one could escape.
But then again-
Bengaluru is Bengaluru.
That's its chaos. That's its charm.
I dropped Appa off at his office and drove toward mine.
My office was located near the old airport-slightly away from the chaos of the city.
Peaceful. Calm.
Exactly what I needed.
HR Base.
That was more than just my workplace.
It was my escape.
From noise.
From thoughts.
From myself.
I greeted the security guard with a smile and drove into the parking lot.
And then-
I slammed the brakes.
There it was.
A jeep.
The same model as mine.
Jeep Compass. Grigio Magnesio Grey.
Parked.
In my spot.
I narrowed my eyes.
Hmm. Interesting.
I chose that spot for a reason.
No one had the patience to park that far. And honestly?
I loved the thrill of speeding through the empty stretch of the parking lot to reach it.
Everyone in the office knew-
That was my spot.
I parked in the next slot, stepped out, and walked toward the lift nearby. One advantage.
But the disadvantage?
A longer walk to my cabin.
Unless I sprinted. Which I usually did. Athletic perks.
Before stepping into the elevator, I gave that jeep one last glare. The doors closed.
But not my curiosity.
*******
At the Office
I stepped out onto the 8th floor with a wide smile.
"Good morning, AK bhai!"
The receptionist smiled back, already used to my energy.
I settled into my cabin.
Minimalistic. Clean. Clutter-free.
Just the way I liked it.
My friends called it borderline OCD. I called it-
Nrithi clean.
I opened the curtains. And there it was. My favorite part.
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
A distant view of the old runway.
And in the evenings?
The most beautiful sunsets.

Every. Single. Day. The nature lover in me?
Always satisfied.
I closed my eyes briefly.
"Devare Ganesha... let's survive today." And just like that-
Work mode: ON.
*********
I was one of the youngest Senior HRBPs at HR Base.
And yes-
I was damn good at what I did.
In just two years, I had climbed faster than most. At 25, I had a role people dreamed of.
But success never got to my head. Because I loved my work.
And when you love what you do-
Growth just follows.
*******
Lunch Break
By lunchtime, I had already wrapped up most of my work.
Yeah.
I'm that fast.
Time to chill.
I headed to the cafeteria on the 10th floor.
My people were already there.
Payal. Chaya. Arun. Akash.
My chaos crew.
My comfort zone.
And also-
Two green flag couples.
Payal & Akash.
Chaya & Arun.
Love stories brewed in HR Base. They had already gotten my lunch.
Dal chawal. My favorite.
"I love you guys," I said, grinning like a child.
Because I never held back.
I wore my heart on my sleeve.
Always.
Even if there were parts of me I didn't want anyone to see.
But something felt off.
Too quiet.
Too still.
"Aaj itni sannata kyun hai, bhai?"
(Why is it too silent today, bro?)
They looked at each other.
And then Payal spoke.
"HR Base is getting a new company under its wing."
"That's good news. We already knew that."
Chaya added, "We didn't know which company."
I nodded.
Fair.
Arun hesitated.
Akash looked uneasy.
Then finally-
"The company is NR World. We found out just 10 minutes ago."
I blinked. Okay... still not bad. So why the funeral faces?
Then Akash dropped the bomb.
"It's Rudransh Nayak's company. And he's joining as one of the VPs... effective today."
Silence.
My soul?
Gone. Evaporated. Disappeared.
Rudransh Nayak.
I had never seen him.
I had heard of him. Everyone had. A ruthless businessman. Aggressive. Unpredictable. Feared.
And now-
He was here? I forced a laugh.
"Guys, relax. Don't make the food uncomfortable by staring at it like that."
No response.
Great.
"Yes, he's aggressive. Yes, he's... intense. But that doesn't mean it affects us directly. He'll handle his team. We'll handle ours."
They all spoke at once.
"He wants to work with someone who has achieved a lot at a young age."
I froze. Oh no. That someone...
Was me.
"Aiyo, Devare..."
They went on about restructuring, layoffs, and changes.
But I wasn't listening anymore. I wasn't scared for myself. I was scared for them.
This team? They were good. Genuine. Drama-free. Rare.
And now-
Everything was about to change.
We sat there in silence for the next 40 minutes.
No one knew what was coming.
A Distraction
I was lost in thought when I spotted Mithun walking past. And just like that-
My brain reset.
I turned to my friends with a stupid grin.
They knew.
Mithun.
Operations manager.
My harmless little crush.
I never wanted anything serious. Never dated. Never been in a relationship. Even though I was a hopeless romantic.
And yet-
One look at him and I turned into a teenage girl.
They started laughing. Teasing. And just like that- The mood lightened.
But Not for Long
Because deep down-My mind was racing.
Rudransh Nayak. New VP. Temper issues. Control freak.
I hated toxic workplaces. I hated shouting.
I hated disrespect. Work needed empathy.
Always.
But what if he didn't believe in that?
I spiraled. Hard.
And then-I saw him.
A man in black. Blazer in one hand. Phone in the other. Walking ahead.
I couldn't see his face. But his back- God.
Broad shoulders. Sharp frame. Perfect posture.
"Damn..."
I fanned my face.
"Who?" my friends asked instantly. I pointed.
But he was already gone.
Disappeared into the crowd.
Typical.
*******
Back in my cabin, I barely had time to sit when my phone rang.
Mithra.
"Hi Mithra, what's up?"
She sighed.
"Good afternoon, kid. There's a meeting at 2:30 p.m. on the 9th floor. VP boardroom. Be there."
"Topic?"
"New acquisition."
Of course. "No prep needed."
Hmm. Suspicious.
"Kid, stop pouting and start moving. It's already 2:20."
"Yes, yes, I'm leaving!"
"Be there 5 minutes early."
Call disconnected.
That was... odd. She never cut calls like that.
Something wasn't right.
I had to literally go to the lift and go to the meeting room. Sit there and be a part of the meeting after having my favourite lunch. Arrghh i don't like it.
I grabbed my things and stepped into the lift.
And then-I froze.
A scent. Cologne. Familiar.
Too familiar.
It hit me like a memory I didn't want. A past I had buried.
"Shit..." I closed my eyes.
"Nrithi, stop. Don't go there."
But I wanted to run.
Because sometimes-A smell is enough to break you.
To pull you back into a time you fought so hard to leave behind. My chest tightened.
"Devare..."
I whispered softly.
"Why are you playing with me today?"
***********
The storm is coming guys 🙂
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