Two days had passed since Zara last saw Ayaan……. two days that felt like a lifetime to her. Every morning and evening she awaited in the lobby glancing toward the doors he used to walk through, her eyes searching for a glimpse that never came. The sound of footsteps made her heart leap, only for disappointment to follow when it wasn’t him. Everything around her faded as if the world had shut down on her.
Ayaan noticed. From a distance, he watched her…… the restless way she scanned through the people.
There was a cruel sort of pleasure in watching her ache, her eyes clouded with confusion, her steps slowing when she thought she might see him. He told himself it was amusing, pride held him still.
Let her miss me a little more, he thought.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Zara’s lonely figure walked past the lobby once again.
“All right. Let’s get this done,” Ayaan muttered to himself. He sent an email to the finance head that he had chosen Zara Ramkumar to work as his PA in the absence of his PA Rohan. She was to report the next day and work with Rohan for a week before he left for three months.
He closed the laptop, poured a cup of coffee, and looked at Zara’s photo, tracing her cheek with a gentle fingertip.
“I will make her pay for what she did to us, love. I won’t let her play me. I won’t be the fool in her trap. I will uncover who she really is and everyone involved in your death will pay,” he whispered, and then returned to bed.
Across town, Zara stood over a pot of Maggie, though her thoughts were far away. Her fingers clutched the pendant on her chest, tears welling as she stared blankly at the noodles. The trance broke when her phone rang and saw it was the finance head was calling.
” God, I don’t care what happens if I have to work for Ayaan, at least I’ll see him every day. That’s what keeps me sane. Please let this be the call to tell me he’s chosen me. Though the chances are slim since I carry the same name as his dead girl friend ” she prayed inwardly and with trembling fingers and a head full of hope, she swiped to answer the call.
“Ah, Zara, I hope I’m not disturbing you?” the polite voice of the Finance Lead came through, warm but formal as always.
“N-no, sir, Please, tell me.” she stammered, straightening instinctively though he couldn’t see her.
“Good, I just wanted to inform you of an internal update. Mr. Ayaan has chosen you to work as his Personal Assistant for the next three months.” he said and Zara froze.
The words barely registered. “I’m sorry, sir… did you say Ayaan sir chose me?” she couldn’t believe he actually did choose her. A part of her was scared that things might go haywire but she was ready to face anything to be by his side everyday as long as possible.
“Yes, He mentioned you by name. Said you’ve been handling your current responsibilities with precision and that you’d adapt quickly to his workflow.” the finance head with a hint of amusement at her disbelief.
Zara swallowed hard, her pulse racing. ” What should I do now ? I mean what happens next ? I.. I mean… I m sorry I m lost ” she stammered and that amused the man on the other side of the line.
” Relax and Calm down Zara. You would excel this just like you do always. You’ll start reporting to him tomorrow morning. For the first week, you’ll be shadowing his current PA to learn the routine before you officially take over. After that, you’ll be handling everything while he’s away on his break. ” Finance head said and her breath caught.
“Tomorrow morning ? What about the assistants in Mr. Rohan’s team ? ” she repeated faintly, as if confirming it to herself. That was too soon to face him in person.
” “They only assist Rohan. Ayaan doesn’t let them handle operations on their own, so they’ll be assigned different tasks until Rohan is back. Until then, you’ll be in charge of everything. And yes, tomorrow at 9 a.m. sharp, report to Mr. Ayaan’s office. He’s already been informed you’ll be joining. Congratulations Zara, Ayaan personally handpicks someone only on rare occasions. Make the most of this opportunity,” he said.
Zara nodded, gripping the phone even though it was audio-only, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation.
“Of course, sir. Thank you for letting me know.”
When the call ended, she stood there frozen, the phone still pressed to her ear. A rush of thoughts flooded her mind.
“Ayaan chose me ” she thought and her chest tightened………. confusion, anticipation, and a faint spark of fear mixing into something unsteady. She lost her appetite and returned to the bed room. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her reflection in the dark phone screen. Tomorrow, she would have to face him……. after two days of longing.
“Am I ready to appear before him ? “
” Would he recognize me ? “
” What if recognize me or what if he doesn’t ? “
The next morning arrived far too soon for Zara. Sleep had evaded her the entire night, every time she closed her eyes, Ayaan’s face appeared. Now, standing before her mirror, she could see the nervousness written all over her face. Her fingers trembled slightly as she fixed her hair into a ponytail, smoothing every strand into place.
“It’s just work, You would be professional and he wouldn’t have any idea what he means to you. ” she whispered to her reflection, though her voice betrayed her.
But this wasn’t like always. This time, she wouldn’t be one among many. She would be directly under his gaze….. every day, every moment, for three months.
Zara took a slow breath and looked down at her attire, a crisp white shirt tucked into a charcoal pencil skirt, paired with a soft beige blazer. Every line was professional, every detail carefully chosen to look composed, calm, unshaken. But inside, her heart was racing so fast that she could hear its faint drumming beneath the silence of her room.
Grabbing her bag, she walked out, locking the door behind her. The drive to the office felt longer than usual. The morning air did little to calm her; her fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
By the time she reached the office, her nerves were wound tight. She didn’t linger at the entrance, didn’t scan the lobby the way she usually did hoping to catch sight of him. Not today. Not when she was already battling the storm inside.
Instead, she walked straight to her cubicle, arriving earlier than anyone else. The silence of the floor gave her a strange comfort. She opened her laptop, pretended to review emails, but her mind was far from the screen. Every tick of the clock felt louder than the last.
When the digital display showed 8:45, she stood up, straightened her blazer, and gathered her courage. The elevator ride to the topmost floor, Ayaan’s domain felt endless. The faint hum of the machinery was drowned by the pounding of her own heartbeat.
As the doors slid open, the air felt different, quieter, heavier, as though even the walls held their breath here. Zara stepped out, heels clicking softly against the marble, and walked down the corridor that led to Ayaan’s office.
Outside his cabin in the cubicle seated was his PA Rohan, composed, and efficient, just as Zara remembered from brief encounters. He looked up, offering a polite, knowing smile.
“Zara? You’re early. That’s good, Mr. Ayaan likes punctual people.” he said, standing to greet her.
Zara nodded, her throat dry. “I… wanted to be on time.”
Rohan chuckled lightly. “Smart choice. He has arrived early than usual. I will let him know you are here before letting you walk in ” he said and entered the room with a gentle knock.
Zara’s pulse quickened as Rohan disappeared into the room with a soft knock. Less than a minute Rohan walked out and let her enter the room giving her an encouraging nod.
Zara took a steadying breath, forcing her trembling hands to still. ‘It’s just work’, she told herself again as she walked in.
The moment she entered, the faint scent of his cologne hit her …….the familiar and unsettlingly one. The air around him carried an authority that made everything else in the room feel smaller.
Ayaan was standing near his desk, tall, sharp. His sleeves were rolled up, his tie perfectly in place, and his expression unreadable as always.
Ayaan finally looked up, his dark eyes landing on her.
“Good morning, Ms. Ramkumar”, He said and his voice was low, steady, completely professional.
“Good morning, sir,” she managed, her voice quiet but clear. She thanked the stars she was still standing composed rather being on the floor unconscious.
He nodded once, then gestured toward the chair across from him. “Sit.”
She obeyed, trying to focus on his words instead of the pounding in her chest.
“You’ll be working as my Personal Assistant for the next three months. During this week, you’ll shadow my PA, Rohan and learn the workflow, schedules, and you’ll take over full responsibility when he leaves for his break ” Ayaan said and Zara nodded her head.
“Yes, sir.” she replied in a soft voice.
“Good, When you’re handling my work, I expect complete confidentiality. Nothing leaves this floor without my approval, not a word, not a document.” His gaze sharp and unwavering never left her eyes. “Do I make myself clear?” he said, his tone brisk and sat in his seat.
“Yes, sir,” she replied, her palms sweating and tightening in her fist, for a moment her gaze averted to the laptop before him.
“You’ll also be required to attend all the meetings with me. I don’t tolerate delays or excuses. Efficiency matters more than effort here.” he said and Zara met his gaze briefly, forcing herself to nod again. “Understood, sir.”
“Good, You will start your training today. I expect you to adapt quickly.” he said, closing the laptop with a soft thud
“Anything you wish to ask before you begin?” he asked, leaning back in his chair, his eyes unreadable.
Zara shook her head. “No, sir. I’ll do my best.”
He gave the faintest nod, almost a gesture of approval before glancing at the door. ” Then start, you may leave now “
Zara stepped out of Ayaan’s cabin, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. The instant the door clicked shut, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her heart was still racing, though slower now, steadying itself after being trapped under his piercing gaze for what felt like an eternity. She pressed a hand lightly against her chest, feeling the faint thrum beneath her palm.
” Calm down, Zara, He was just being professional… nothing else” she told herself.
She stood by the corridor for a moment, gathering herself, inhaling deeply until her breathing evened out. The top floor was silent except for the soft hum of the air conditioning, the faint clicking of keyboards from the far end, and the echo of her own footsteps as she walked back to Rohan’s cubicle.
Rohan looked up from his desk as she approached, his easy smile returning. “All set?” he asked.
Zara nodded, forcing a small smile of her own. “Yes. Ayaan sir has briefed me. I’ll start today.”
“Perfect, You’ll get used to the pace soon enough. For now, go ahead and have your things brought up here ” Rohan said, leaning back slightly in his chair.
Zara nodded again, grateful for his casual tone that contrasted the tension still coiling inside her. She gave him a polite smile and pulled out her phone to message her teammate about moving her things from her new workstation, she couldn’t help glancing, just once towards the closed door of Ayaan’s office.
What she didn’t know was that behind the closed door, Ayaan sat at his desk, his fingers resting on the touchpad, the soft glow of the CCTV feed reflected in his eyes.
He had cameras covering every corner of the executive floor, a system meant purely for supervision. But his gaze lingered on one particular frame, Zara, standing by Rohan’s desk, still visibly steadying herself, her nervousness written in every small movement.
He watched as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, spoke politely, and moved with careful precision, professional, composed, and yet… vulnerable.
” I haven’t even started yet ” Ayaan smirked looking at her.
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A/N:
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