The boardroom buzzed with polite chatter, but Yakshit's mind was a whirlwind. He accepted the firm handshakes and half-hearted smiles, his eyes still fixed on the doorway where Anika had exited. The woman he'd dismissed as an unprofessional slacker was the very person who had just unanimously sealed his position.
He broke away from the crowd, his gaze sweeping the room for his father, but before he could reach him, a familiar figure appeared at his side. It was his younger brother, Yuvaan, a broad grin on his face.
"So, the king returns," Yuvaan said, clapping him on the back. "And not a moment too soon, it seems."
"What was that, Yuvaan?" Yakshit asked, his voice low and tight. "Who is she? Why was she… on my desk?"
"Ah, Anika," Yuvaan chuckled. "I figured you’d have questions. Come on." He gestured toward the deserted hallway. "Let's find her first. She must be off to grab a coffee before Dad corners her."
They found Anika by the large glass window overlooking the city, her gaze distant. She turned at their approach, her expression once again unreadable.
"Ms. Verma," Yakshit began, his tone a mix of confusion and frustration. "We need to talk. Why were you in my office? Why were you sleeping on my desk?"
Anika simply looked at him, her hazel eyes unwavering. "Working," she stated, her voice soft but firm.
"Working?" Yakshit scoffed. "Sleeping is not working, Ms. Verma."
"Finished," she replied, a subtle defiance in her tone.
"Finished what?" he pressed. "And why did you help me in there? After how I spoke to you?"
Anika's gaze shifted to the side. "Duty."
Yakshit’s frustration mounted. He felt like he was speaking to a brick wall. "Duty? What does that even mean? Agar ye ek word me answer karne ki aadat se chhutkara mil jae, then please enlighten me, otherwise I'll die with both confusion and frustration if I kept talking to a monotonic robot like you."
Before Anika could respond, Yuvaan stepped in. "Okay, alright, enough of the interrogation." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's my fault, Bhai. Well, sort of. Your arrival was… sudden, to say the least. Dad wanted everything perfect for your office, but he also wanted to keep it a secret from you until the last minute."
He turned to Anika. "Anika, here, is a perfectionist. A total workaholic, honestly. I asked her for help with your cabin, specifically. I wanted her to go through all the incoming documents, organize them, and color-code everything so it was perfect for you to start right away. You know… to make a good first impression."
"So she was doing my work?" Yakshit asked, a flicker of comprehension dawning on him.
Yuvaan nodded. "Basically. We both have been in there since yesterday, sifting through years of data. I slept while completing the work and anika had to handle all the work because of my exhaustion. After i woke up in the morning i found her sleeping soundly and didn't want to trouble her more foe the work she was not required to do, so i left her in the cabin to have rest without waking her up. She must have just… passed out from exhaustion." He glanced at Anika, a gentle, worried look in his eyes. "Didn't I tell you to go home, di?"
Anika gave him a small, weary smile. "Needed to finish the last file."
Yakshit felt a wave of shame wash over him. He had just publicly humiliated the person who had spent the last two days working tirelessly on his behalf. Before he could apologize, his father’s voice boomed from down the hallway.
"Anika! Yuvaan! And Yakshit, you too! Get in here, now!"
Neerav Singhania was standing in the doorway of his personal office, a deep frown etched on his face. He gestured for them to enter. Yuvaan and Yakshit took their seats on the plush sofas, but Neerav's gaze was fixed on Anika.
"Anika," he said, his voice dropping to a low rumble, devoid of its usual booming authority. "Mrs. Nigam told me you were in the office all night. Are you trying to kill yourself? Do you think I built this company on a graveyard of my employees’ health? And yuvaan I will deal with you later I specifically gave that work to you and you asked anika to help you that"
"Sir, I'm fine," Anika began, but Neerav held up a hand.
"Do not tell me you are fine. You look terrible. Tired, pale. This is not the first time, either. I have told you repeatedly to take care of yourself." He shook his head, a mix of genuine concern and frustration in his eyes. "You work too hard. One of these days, I'm going to lock you out of the building and force you to take a vacation."
Anika simply looked at the floor, a hint of a flush on her cheeks.
Neerav sighed. "I am going to assign a new project. A big one. The 'Infinity AI Project.' It is our most important undertaking this year, and it requires both of you." He looked between Yakshit and Anika. "You will be working together on this. Yakshit, you bring the modern, innovative perspective. Anika, you bring the deep, foundational knowledge of this company. This project is a test, for both of you."
Anika looked up, her expression a mix of surprise and a familiar weariness.
Neerav's gaze softened slightly. "Now go home, Anika. Get some rest. We can't have our best Managing Director collapsing from exhaustion."
Anika nodded, her eyes meeting Yakshit's for a moment before she turned to leave.
"I will prepare a brief for tomorrow's meeting," she said to Yakshit as she passed him. "We can discuss the initial plans then." She paused, her voice dropping. "If I stay any longer, Neerav sir will scold me again. He might even give me forced leave." A tiny, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips before she was gone.
Yakshit watched her leave, the fleeting smile playing in his mind. Forced leave. He'd never heard of an employee worried about that before. Then his mind went back to Yuvaan's explanation. He had been so wrong about her. And yet, something about her, the green eyes, the quiet defiance, the way she seemed to shoulder the world's weight without complaint… she reminded him so much of Ruhaani.
But that was impossible. Ruhaani was dead. He'd mourned her for years. This Anika Verma was just a stranger, a workaholic who had just made the most convenient excuse to leave work early. Still, the thought lingered, a cold, unsettling feeling in his gut. Could it be? No. It couldn't. It was just an absurd coincidence.
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