Prologue

Inaaya's POV

Beep

Beep

Beep

"Ugh," I groaned, reaching for my phone to turn off the alarm. It was 4 in the morning. Today is my interview for a job at an MNC. I desperately need this job. I got up and took a quick shower, finishing in just five minutes.

My roommate and best friend, my soul-sister Stuti, was still asleep. We've been friends since childhood—school in the village, college, and now job hunting. We've always been together. Without Stuti, I might have lost my mental balance long ago. Wow, the word 'rest' seems like such a luxury. I got dressed, slipping into a pair of skinny denim blue jeans and a black formal shirt. Before leaving, I called out to Stuti, "Stuti! I'm leaving. Make sure to lock the door."

Stuti stirred and asked groggily, "So early?" I reminded her, "Remember, I have an interview today?" She mumbled, "Hmm," and turned over to sleep again. I chuckled softly and left for the interview venue.

Once outside, I pulled out my phone to confirm the interview venue one more time. The weather was particularly bad today. The interview was at Cyber Hub, and at this moment, I was standing in a lane in Uttam Nagar, Delhi. The metro wouldn't start before 6 a.m., and my interview was scheduled for 8 a.m. Who schedules an interview at 8 a.m. anyway? I checked my watch—it was 4:45 a.m. I took out my purse and counted my money. Working at the nightclub had earned me enough to afford a cab. Given the rainy weather, the metro might be delayed too. I quickly booked a cab and waited under the building. The cab took 15 minutes to arrive. I got in, and we headed towards Cybercity, Gurugram.

It took me 1.5 hours to reach Cybercity. I checked the time—it was 7:30 a.m. Thank God I arrived on time. I paid the cab driver and walked towards the venue. Upon reaching, I handed my documents to the receptionist and showed her my interview call email. After registering, I began to wait. By then, at least 20 candidates had arrived for the interview. I was feeling very nervous.

Everyone in this office looked so good and classy. All the girls were so beautiful and slim. The office ambiance was so subtle and classic as well. It was 8 a.m., and the interview still hadn't started. Because of hunger and nervousness, I started feeling nauseated, so I went to the washroom. By the time I came back, the interview had already started. I checked my watch—it was 9 a.m. It seems I spent a bit too much time in the washroom.

Just before I could register, a girl in a beige mini skirt and office suit came out and called my name. I nervously replied, "Yes, it's me." She gave me a disdainful look and gestured for me to go inside. Anxiously, I picked up my file of documents and went in.

The office was modern and luxurious. Just looking at it made me anxious. In my nervousness, I started scratching the back of my neck. I quickly grabbed the thread tied around my wrist and began fidgeting with it to calm my nerves. The office was filled with an awkward silence. The interviewer's chair was turned away from us, facing the door, while he read some files, gazing out the window behind him. The stern-looking female staff cleared her throat and said, "Sir, the next candidate is here, Ms. Inaaya Rathore."

My eyes went to the table where a board was displayed with the label "CEO." My nervousness intensified as I noticed that the moment my name was called, the interviewer stopped flipping through the pages and, after a moment, turned the chair towards me.

What I saw next made me doubt my own eyes. I abruptly stood up from my seat. The shock on my face seemed to mirror that of the person in front of me. "Aadu?" was all that escaped my lips. For a moment, there were emotions on his face before I could fully grasp what was happening. He said, with a hint of anger, "Mr. Atharv Singh Chauhan."

I abruptly stood up from my seat. Suddenly, my clothes felt very tight, and I started having trouble breathing. In the blink of an eye, I began struggling to breathe, and darkness started to close in on my vision. I could only hear one voice—Atharv's voice, which seemed to soothe me. And then, everything went black.

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