Chapter 1

Devi sat stiffly on the chair placed opposite the company manager’s wide wooden desk, her fingers tightly clasped together on her lap. The air inside the cabin felt heavier than it should have been, thick with expectation and quiet judgment. The manager adjusted his spectacles and flipped through her file slowly, the sound of paper turning echoing louder in Devi’s ears than it probably was. His eyes paused at a particular page, brows knitting together as he leaned back slightly in his chair.

“Miss.Devi,” he began, his tone formal yet edged with curiosity.

“You completed your Master degree in structural Engineering seven years ago. But I don’t see any work experience related to your field during this period. May I know the reason?”

The question pulled Devi straight out of the thoughts she had been drowning in. For a brief moment, memories rushed through her—arguments at home, tearful pleas, her helplessness.

After completing her studies with hope burning bright in her chest, she had wanted to work, to stand on her own feet. But her parents, secure in their upper middle-class comfort, had dismissed her dreams without hesitation.

“Why should you work when we have enough money? There’s no need for you to struggle.”

This was the response she received every time she spoke about taking up a job. Devi had tried to reason with them, even begged them to understand that it was never about money—it was about identity, about being someone of her own. But they never listened.

Reality snapped back sharply, dragging Devi into the present.

“Sir… I… I… I…”

The words tangled on her tongue as panic rose within her chest.

The manager’s expression shifted instantly. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes hardened with clear disapproval. Without saying a word, he closed the file halfway and placed it flat on the desk, the gesture carrying more weight than any sentence.

Devi’s heart sank. She had no speech problem—she knew that. But nervousness had always been her enemy. The moment pressure mounted, her voice betrayed her, stumbling and shaking until even simple words became a struggle. Interviews were the worst. Each one felt like a battle she kept losing before it even began.

Summoning every ounce of courage she had left, she forced herself to breathe and finally managed to answer, her voice barely above a whisper but steady enough to be understood.

“Family issues.”

The manager let out a tired sigh, clearly unimpressed, and straightened the file again. His patience was thinning, and it showed.

“Alright,” he said curtly before continuing.

“Miss.Devi, you haven’t specified any software skills in your resume. Do you know how to work with the latest design and project software used in this field?”

Devi swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. Her gaze dropped to the floor as disappointment washed over her. This question—again. After completing her degree, she had asked her parents to at least allow her to learn the necessary software. Once again, they had refused, brushing it off as unnecessary knowledge.

Now, everywhere she went, this single lack followed her like a permanent stain. Slowly, she shook her head.

“I don’t have any knowledge related to those softwares,” she admitted in a low voice, surprisingly without a stutter this time.

Gathering courage, she lifted her head slightly and added,

“But… give me some time, sir. I will learn quickly.”

The manager’s expression made it clear that her words had done nothing to help her case. He glanced at his watch briefly, as though irritated at the time being wasted. To him, Devi was not a candidate—she was an inconvenience. With a practiced professionalism, he pushed the file across the desk toward her.

“You may leave, Miss.Devi. We will inform you if you are selected.” he said coolly.

Devi stood up slowly, her legs feeling weak under the weight of rejection she had grown far too familiar with. Clutching the file to her chest, she gathered the courage to speak again, desperation seeping into her voice.

“Please, sir. Give me a job. I will work very hard and do my work sincerely. About the softwares—I promise I will learn as fast as I can.”

That was the breaking point. The manager’s chair scraped back slightly as he leaned forward, his patience finally snapping. His voice rose, sharp and unforgiving.

“We are not running a company to teach you what you are lacking,” he snapped.

“We hire people to earn profit using their existing knowledge. And frankly, I don’t think you are useful to our company in any way. So please, leave without wasting more time.”

The words hit Devi harder than she expected. She nodded silently, unable to say anything more, and turned toward the door. As she walked out of the cabin, her shoulders slumped—not just with rejection, but with the crushing realization that her dreams were slipping further away, not because she lacked ability, but because she was never given the chance to prove it.

Devi stepped out of the company building with slow, dragging footsteps, the weight of rejection pressing heavily on her chest. The noise of the city felt distant, muffled, as though she were moving through it without truly being a part of it.

By the time she reached the bus stand, her energy had drained completely. She sank onto one of the cold metal waiting seats, clutching her bag tightly against her side. Her shoulders drooped, and her eyes stared blankly at the road ahead, unfocused and empty. She was supposed to return to her hostel, but even that felt uncertain now. The thought of paying the next month’s hostel fees made her chest tighten with fear, and the responsibility of sending money home pressed painfully against her heart.

Until a few months ago, life had not been this cruel. As long as her father was alive, everything had felt secure. He had taken care of the household expenses, managed the business, and ensured that nothing ever lacked in their home.

However, after his sudden death, their world had collapsed overnight. Devi had barely recovered from the shock when everything else started falling apart. Her mother, shattered by grief and unaware of the complexities of her husband’s business, had trusted her own brother—the man who had worked under Devi’s father for years. Blind faith had cost them dearly. Taking advantage of her mother’s vulnerability, he had presented false loss documents, slowly manipulating her into believing that the business was sinking.

Under the guise of managing the losses, he had taken complete control of the business and even seized the property left in her father’s name, claiming it was needed to compensate for the so-called losses. Her mother, drowning in sorrow and unable to think clearly, had signed everything without question.

After that, struggles entered their lives one after another, without pause. The first blow was financial. With no income and no savings left, managing daily expenses became a battle. Her younger brother’s education had to be stopped midway, a decision that still haunted Devi with guilt.

As if that wasn’t enough, her mother’s health began to deteriorate, weakened by stress, grief, and untreated exhaustion. Hospital visits, medicines, and household needs—all demanded money they did not have. Watching her family crumble, Devi had made the hardest decision of her life: she would work, no matter what it took. She knew there was no future in searching for work in their village, so she had come to the city with hope clutched tightly in her heart.

However, a month had passed, and hope had slowly started slipping through her fingers. Interview after interview ended in disappointment, and today’s rejection felt like the final blow.

Her eyes burned, but no tears fell. She was too tired even to cry. She didn’t know how she was going to survive in the city, how she would manage hostel expenses, or how she would send money home. More than that, she didn’t know how she was going to fix a life that seemed broken beyond repair. Just then, a voice sounded behind her—soft, familiar, and unexpected.

“Devi.”

She froze, her heart skipping a beat, as though that single word had reached deep into her sadness and pulled her abruptly back into the present.

Chapter 2

“Devi.”

Hearing her name, Devii lifted her head instinctively, and the moment her eyes met his face, shock rippled through her like a sudden jolt. Of all the people she had imagined meeting in this city, he was the last one she ever expected to see. Her breath hitched, and for a second, the noise of the bus stand faded away as memories she had buried deep inside her heart surged back to the surface. Meeting him again forced her to relive the day he had shattered her without mercy, his words still echoing with painful clarity.

“Some of them can’t see others being happy. I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person. Shame on you, Devi.”

The cruelty in his voice that day had cut deeper than any scream ever could. He had hurled accusations at her without giving her even a moment to explain herself, without stopping to question whether she was truly capable of what he blamed her for. Worse, he hadn’t cared about where he was standing or who was watching. In the middle of the college corridor, surrounded by curious and judgmental eyes, he had insulted her openly, letting every student witness her humiliation. No one had ever spoken to Devi like that before.

The shame had burned her from the inside out, leaving her frozen and speechless. That very day, she had made a silent promise to herself—she would never speak to him again, never allow herself to have any connection with him, no matter how much it hurt.

Perhaps, if it had been someone else, she might have endured it without breaking. But it wasn’t just anyone—it was him. The pain had been unbearable because she had given him a special place in her heart without even realizing when it happened. He was the first man she had trusted after her father and her younger brother.

When she had joined college as a timid newcomer, he had been the first to speak to her normally, the first to treat her as an equal rather than as someone invisible. Fate had seated them side by side—his roll number next to hers—and from then on, they were always paired together for labs and exam halls. Somewhere along the way, unknown to even herself at first, feelings had quietly grown in her heart.

But Devi had never let those feelings show. She knew he would never look at her that way, and she had accepted it without resentment. He already had a girlfriend, and Devi had no intention of complicating his life or ruining their friendship with emotions she considered unnecessary and one-sided. She had chosen silence over confession, dignity over desire. And yet, when the moment came, he had abandoned her so easily. He had believed others without question, without seeking her side of the story, and had erased years of trust with a few harsh words. Standing there now, staring at the man who once meant so much to her, Devi felt the old wound ache again—raw, unresolved, and painfully alive.

“Devi, you are here! I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Rudra’s voice carried a mix of surprise and forced familiarity, as though the past between them had never happened. Devii stiffened the moment she heard it clearly. Pushing herself up from the bench, she gave a brief, emotionless nod—not out of respect, but out of habit—and turned away without offering a single word or even sparing him a glance.

She didn’t want a conversation, not now, not ever. Her heart was already too bruised, and in her current state, she knew she wouldn’t have the strength to endure another wound. A bitter thought crossed her mind—if he came to know about my struggles, he would surely say I deserve this. She couldn’t allow herself to hear that.

Just as she tried to walk away, a sudden grip around her wrist stopped her. The shock rippled through her entire body as she felt his hold tighten. Then his voice bloomed around her, confusion lacing his tone, as though she were the one behaving strangely.

“Ya, Devi, what’s up? Why are you avoiding me?”

She had never expected him to hold her hand. He had never crossed that boundary before, not even during college. Devi had been raised in a conservative village environment, taught strict values from childhood.

According to the way she had grown up, a woman allowing a man to touch her—other than her husband—was considered sinful. She had followed those teachings sincerely, never letting any man come too close to her, never allowing such familiarity. Panic surged through her as she immediately tried to pull her hand away, her voice firm yet shaken.

“Leave my hand, Rudra.”

Instead of releasing her, he tightened his grip, stepping closer and invading the space she desperately tried to protect. His voice turned plain, almost mocking.

“Why are you showing this much attitude, Devi? Looks like it’s true about city life after all, huh? Everyone changes here. Even you changed. So much attitude.”

His eyes slowly scanned her from head to toe in a way that made her skin crawl. A crooked smirk tugged at his lips as he continued, his words dripping with cruelty.

“Nothing changed much anyway except your attitude. Same dressing sense and body size. Still looking like our college days—old-fashioned kurti sets, same old hairstyle, and that pumpkin body size.” he said dismissively

The words struck her like slaps. Devi’s eyes welled up instantly, tears blurring her vision as humiliation wrapped tightly around her chest. She knew she wasn’t attractive by society’s standards. She knew she wasn’t slim or fashionable like other girls. But that didn’t give him the right to tear her apart so mercilessly. Her lips trembled, anger and pain bubbling dangerously close to the surface, and she was on the verge of finally speaking out—When his phone rang.

Rudra pulled it out of his pocket, irritation flashing across his face as he glanced at the screen. Still holding her hand, he answered the call briefly, then released her abruptly and pointed a finger at her in a commanding manner.

“Wait here. Don’t leave.”

Turning away, he walked a few steps aside to attend the call.

That was all the chance Devii needed. Without a second glance back, she hurried toward the road, her heart pounding wildly as she flagged down the first bus that came into view. She climbed in quickly and collapsed into a seat, her chest heaving as she let out a long, heavy breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

The bus started moving, carrying her away from the place—and from him. Resting her head against the window, Devi closed her eyes tightly and whispered a silent prayer in her heart, hoping with every ounce of her being that fate would never make her cross paths with Rudra again.

Chapter 3

Days passed quietly, one after another, and Devi did not meet Rudra again. As time moved on, the sharpness of that encounter slowly dulled, not because it had healed, but because her life left her no space to dwell on it. Her thoughts no longer wandered toward the past or broken emotions; they revolved only around one thing—finding a job and earning money.

Every morning she woke up with the same question echoing in her mind,

How will I manage today?

Interview after interview followed, but none of them ended in her favor. Companies looked at her qualification with doubt, her lack of experience with judgment, and politely—or sometimes bluntly—turned her away.

With the little money she had left, she somehow managed to pay her hostel rent, but she knew she couldn’t continue surviving like this without an income. Desperation pushed her to make a hard decision. She stopped searching for jobs that matched her qualification and applied for an office helper position after seeing a small advertisement in the newspaper. It wasn’t what she had dreamed of, but she needed work—any work.

Finally, as if fate had taken a brief pause from testing her, she got selected. The very next day, she was asked to join. Though the job wasn’t the one she desired, Devi felt a quiet happiness bloom inside her chest.

The company was a construction and designing firm, and that alone gave her hope. She believed that once her family’s financial struggles were under control, she could learn the required software, prove her capability, and maybe secure a better position within the same company someday. That thought was enough to keep her going.

On her first day of work, Devi woke up before sunrise, took a bath in cold water despite the chill that seeped into her bones, and got ready carefully, as though the day itself deserved respect. Before heading to work, she stopped by a nearby temple and prayed that her workplace and the people working there would treat her better. With a hopeful heart, she then made her way to the office.

The company wasn’t large or imposing. It was a small, developing firm with around fifteen employees, housed in a modest building that lacked grandeur but carried a sense of earnest effort. Devi scanned the access card the HR had given her the previous day, the soft beep sounding almost like a welcome. She stepped inside with a gentle smile, her heart fluttering with nervous excitement.

A few employees had already arrived and were immersed in their work. Devi stood near the HR cabin, unsure of her responsibilities, waiting patiently to be guided. As more employees walked in, some glanced at her with curiosity, some with faint amusement, and others with open scrutiny—as though she were an unfamiliar presence dropped suddenly into their world.

The stares made her uncomfortable, but she didn’t let it show. Keeping her head slightly bowed, she stood quietly, and whenever she caught someone looking at her, she offered a small, polite smile. It wasn’t confidence—it was resilience. Even in that moment of uncertainty, Devi held on to the belief that this was the beginning of something, however small it seemed.

After the HR arrived at the office, she immediately assigned work to Devi without much explanation. Devi listened attentively, nodding as the instructions were given. She was asked to go to the records room—a separate space meant only for storing old files—and arrange the documents neatly on the shelves according to the respective years. Devi accepted the task with quiet obedience.

Inside the dimly lit room, surrounded by dusty files and the faint smell of old paper, she worked steadily, her fingers moving carefully as she sorted and stacked each file with precision. By the time the clock crept toward afternoon, her work was complete. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, straightened her kurti, and returned to the HR cabin, waiting silently near the doorway.

The moment the HR noticed her, she called out sharply, her tone brisk and commanding.

“Devi, quickly take this file and go to the conference room. The MD is in a meeting with the engineers. Without disturbing the meeting, just keep these documents on the table near him and come back.”

Devi nodded immediately, holding the file close to her chest, and walked toward the conference room.

She had never met the company’s MD before, but she remembered the words of the security guard she had spoken to when she came for the interview. He had spoken with admiration, saying the MD had started the company alone with just two employees and built it through sheer hard work.

According to him, the MD was a gentleman—humble, disciplined, and respectful toward everyone, regardless of their position. Those words had left a good impression on Devi, filling her with quiet confidence.

With that belief in mind, she approached the conference room without fear or hesitation. She gently pushed the door open, careful not to make a sound, and slipped inside.

The room was wrapped in complete silence, heavy with focus and professionalism. A group of engineers sat around the table, eyes fixed on the documents before them.

Near the window stood the MD, speaking on his phone in a low, controlled voice.

Devi took one cautious step forward—and in the next second, the silence shattered. The sharp, heavy jingle of her anklet echoed loudly across the room, drawing immediate attention. Every head turned toward her, and even the MD paused mid-sentence, lowering his phone as he looked in her direction.

Her heart leapt into her throat. Realizing that the sound had come from her anklet, Devi hurried her steps in panic, her face flushing with embarrassment as nervousness crept into her expression. She cast a quick apologetic glance at everyone in the room, silently cursing herself for not removing the anklet before coming to work.

“Great devi. On the first day itself, you were already creating trouble with your ding-dong anklet.” She scolded herself bitterly.

Her hands trembled slightly as she tightened her hold on the file. Then, as if fate wished to deepen her unease, the MD turned around fully. The moment Devi saw his face, the world seemed to tilt beneath her feet. Shock ran through her veins like ice. Her eyes widened, and her breath hitched as recognition struck her hard—Rudra was the company’s MD.

Fear knotted in her stomach as he strode toward her with long, firm steps, his expression dark and unreadable. Stopping right in front of her, his voice came out rough and sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

“Devi… you? What are you doing here?”

Chapter 4

Rudra’s shock slowly twisted into irritation, his jaw tightening as he looked at Devi standing in front of him with her head bowed, clutching the file like a shield. Lowering his voice but not his anger, he asked sharply,

“Why did you leave that day without informing me? You just disappeared. Do you have any idea how that looked?”

His words carried authority, not just as a man demanding answers, but as someone used to being obeyed.

Devi stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the floor, her throat tightening until no words would come out. She didn’t know how to answer him—whether to speak as an employee, as a former friend, or as a woman still bruised by his past cruelty.

Her silence only fueled his temper. Mistaking her quiet for defiance, Rudra stepped closer, his patience snapping. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed her hand, his grip firm as he demanded again, his voice rising slightly,

“I asked you something, Devi. Answer me.”

The touch sent a wave of panic through her. Devi stiffened instantly, her heart pounding wildly against her ribs. She had never expected Rudra to hold her hand like this, not so casually, not in front of everyone, and not with such authority. The weight of the moment crushed her as she became painfully aware of the curious eyes around them.

The engineers who had been moments ago immersed in discussion now watched in stunned silence, exchanging uneasy glances. Their composed, controlled MD was behaving in a way they had never seen before—raising his voice, holding the hand of a newly appointed office helper in the middle of a meeting.

Embarrassment burned through Devi’s veins. She tried to pull her hand free, her movements hesitant but desperate, her eyes darting briefly toward the onlookers before dropping again in shame. Her lips trembled, torn between fear and dignity, as she struggled silently against his grip, wishing with all her heart that the ground would open and swallow her before this moment could scar her any further.

The tension in the conference room had grown thick and uncomfortable when one of the senior engineers, Suresh, finally pushed his chair back and stood up. His expression was cautious yet firm as he walked toward Rudra and Devi, glancing briefly at Devi’s visibly shaken state before turning to Rudra. In a respectful but concerned tone, he asked,

“Sir… Do you know her?”

The question landed heavily in the silence, and it was then that reality seemed to crash into Rudra all at once. His grip loosened instantly, and he released Devi’s hand as though he had just realized what he was doing.

Taking a step back, Rudra ran a hand through his hair, his face clouded with confusion and disbelief. His eyes flicked from Suresh to Devi and then back again, as though he were trying to make sense of the situation he had just walked into—and the one he had unintentionally created.

Sensing Rudra’s visible bewilderment, Suresh cleared his throat and spoke cautiously, choosing his words with care.

“Sir… she is the one who joined today as an office helper.”

The words struck Rudra like a physical blow. His eyes widened, and his composure cracked. Shock surged through him, quickly followed by disbelief, and his voice rose despite himself as he blurted out,

“What office helper?”

He paused, staring at Suresh, then swung his gaze back to Devi, irritation creeping into his expression.

“Who appointed her to that position?”

Devi stood frozen under his gaze, her fingers tightening around the file, her head lowered as if the floor beneath her had suddenly become more interesting than the faces before her.

Meanwhile, Suresh frowned slightly, confused by the MD’s uncharacteristic reaction. He had never seen Rudra lose his temper like this—certainly not over a new recruit. Still, maintaining his professional composure, he answered calmly,

“HR appointed her, sir.”

Rudra clenched his jaw, clearly struggling to regain control of both the situation and himself. Without another word, he straightened his posture, his authoritative demeanor slowly returning. Turning toward the engineers, he said curtly,

“That will be all for today. You may leave.”

One by one, the engineers gathered their things and exited the conference room, casting curious glances back at Devi before the door finally closed behind them.

Once the room was empty, Rudra turned toward the intercom and called for the HR to come to the conference room, his tone clipped and commanding, signaling that the storm was far from over.

After a while, the door to the conference room opened again, and Kamuni walked in with calm, measured steps. She was impeccably dressed in a well-tailored formal saree, the kind that reflected both elegance and authority, her hair neatly tied back in a low bun without a single strand out of place. A simple watch adorned her wrist, and minimal jewelry highlighted her refined features. There was a natural grace in the way she carried herself—confident, composed, and professional to the core. Her sharp eyes briefly flicked toward Devi, assessing her in a single glance, not out of cruelty but out of instinctive responsibility, as though assuming that some mistake on the new recruit’s part had led to this unexpected summons.

Turning to Rudra, Kamuni spoke in a clear, professional tone, her voice steady and respectful.

“Sir, may I know the reason why you called me?”

Rudra met her gaze calmly. He made no effort to show the turmoil brewing inside him. Kamuni was not just an HR to him; she had been with him since the very beginning of the company, standing beside him from the day he started with just two employees. She was one of the most trustworthy people he had, and he respected her work ethic deeply.

More than that, he did not want to lose control again in front of his staff. Keeping his expression neutral, he asked in a composed voice,

“Kamuni, Devi is a master’s degree holder. Then why did you appoint her to the office helper role?”

Rudra’s sudden revelation about her qualifications made Devi stare at him in shock. Her fingers tightened around the file until her knuckles turned pale, the edges pressing painfully into her skin. Her heart pounded erratically as unease crawled up her spine.

“That’s it. I’m going to lose this job on the very first day.” She murmured to herself, her voice barely audible even in her own ears.

She lowered her gaze instantly when Kamuni turned toward her. The woman’s sharp, assessing look swept over Devi, making her feel as though she were being measured, weighed, and judged.

Kamuni, however, was genuinely puzzled. She could not understand why the MD was paying such close attention to an office helper’s recruitment. Nor did she recall Devi ever mentioning a master’s degree. Her mind moved swiftly, retracing the interview—each question asked, each answer given, the resume she had scrutinized line by line. Nothing had indicated this.

After a brief pause, Kamuni spoke, her tone calm and professional, betraying none of her confusion.

“Sir, she applied for the office helper position. And regarding her qualifications…”

She trailed off for a moment, her eyes flicking briefly toward Devi before returning to Rudra.

“Her resume states that she has completed only higher secondary education. Is there any issue, sir?” She added carefully.

Rudra listened in silence. Slowly, his fingers curled into a tight fist at his side. Something sharp—almost dangerous—flashed in his eyes, but he masked it before anyone could question it. Drawing in a controlled breath, he replied evenly,

“No, Kamuni. There’s no problem. You may leave and continue with your work.”

Kamuni nodded once, accepting his words without question. Turning gracefully, she began to walk out of the conference room, her heels clicking softly against the floor. Just as she reached the doorway, Rudra called out to her again, his tone still calm but carrying quiet authority.

“Also, Kamuni—forward her resume to my mail.”

Kamuni paused, nodded in acknowledgment without any change in expression, and walked out of the room, leaving behind a silence that felt far heavier than before.

Chapter 5

A heavy, suffocating silence settled over the conference room after Kamuni left. Devi stood frozen near the doorway, unsure whether she was expected to stay or leave. Her fingers clutched the file tightly, her shoulders tense, as she glanced at Rudra. He was standing a little away from her now, his attention fixed on his phone, his face unreadable and rigid. That very indifference told her everything.

Devi knew he never wanted her in his life again—let alone in his company. More than Rudra, his girlfriend Stella would never tolerate her presence under the same roof. Even without him saying a word, Devi could clearly understand the unspoken message: leave quietly.

With a sinking heart, she turned to walk out, carefully lifting her feet to avoid any sound. She prayed her anklet would remain silent just this once. But as if it had a will of its own, the metal bells clinked sharply against the quiet floor, slicing through the silence and drawing Rudra’s attention once again. He looked up instantly. Devi felt her breath catch as their eyes met. Anger flickered in his gaze, rising fast and hard, his jaw tightening as his expression darkened. Her steps faltered, and she stopped mid-movement, fear rooting her to the spot.

Without a word, Rudra raised his hand and crooked his finger, gesturing for her to come closer. The command was silent, but powerful. Sweat formed on Devi’s forehead as panic rushed through her veins. Every step she took toward him felt heavy, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Gathering what little courage she had left, she tried to speak, her voice trembling.

“Rudra… that—”

“Sir—” Devi began, her voice barely steady.

However, he cut her off sharply the moment she reached him. His eyes hardened, and when he spoke, his tone was cold, clipped, and commanding, stripped of any warmth she once knew.

“Call me sir. I am your MD. Don’t forget that, Devi.” he said sharply.

The words landed like a slap, cruel in their precision, forcing a painful reminder of the distance between them—of how small and insignificant she was in his world now. Devi fell silent at once, her lips pressing together as her eyes dropped to the floor, her fingers curling nervously around the file. He didn’t pause, didn’t soften; instead, his voice turned bitter, each word edged with resentment.

“Every time you stand in front of me, you show me a new face, Devi. Your tricks, your games, your ways of fooling people—it never ends.” he said, a hollow laugh escaping him.

His gaze bored into her, accusatory and unrelenting, as he continued.

“You even had the audacity to enter my company and get a job by lying. What were you thinking?”

His voice rose slightly, sharp with disbelief and anger.

“What’s your plan now? Why did you come into my company with fake educational details?”

Devi stood frozen, trembling under the weight of his accusations, unable to form a single word in her defense. Her throat burned, her eyes stung with unshed tears, but she refused to let them fall. The room seemed to close in around her, the silence growing oppressive as Rudra’s judgment pressed down on her like a crushing weight—far heavier because it came from him, the one person she had never imagined would look at her with such contempt again. Her heart felt shattered, but no words came to her lips. She neither defended herself nor protested. Silence was all she had left.

Watching her remain quiet only seemed to ignite Rudra’s anger further. His patience snapped completely as he leaned forward, his voice turning threatening and sharp.

“Don’t think I’ll let this go just because you’re standing there silently,” he warned coldly.

“If you don’t speak out and explain why you entered this company, I won’t hesitate to report this to the police.”

The word police struck Devi like a thunderbolt. Her body stiffened instantly, fear rippling through her veins. It wasn’t just fear—it was deep hurt, humiliation, and disbelief. The man standing in front of her was treating her like a criminal, like some fraud who had deliberately come to deceive him. Her chest tightened painfully as she slowly lifted her gaze toward him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Before she could even steady herself, Rudra reached out roughly, gripping her chin and forcing her to look up at him.

The moment her tear-filled eyes met his hardened face, the dam broke. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks, one after another, silently tracing the depth of her pain. But Rudra didn’t pause. He didn’t soften. Her tears didn’t move him in the slightest. Instead, his lips curled into a mocking expression as he snapped impatiently,

“Stop all this drama of yours, Devi. Speak out. I don’t have time to watch your acting.”

Devi trembled under his hold, her tears falling faster now, her heart breaking with each word he hurled at her. She had never felt so small, so helpless, or so painfully misunderstood in her entire life.

Devi knew, deep in her heart, that Rudra would never try to understand her side of the story. He had already judged her, just like he had done years ago, and explaining herself to him would be nothing but a waste of breath.

More than that, she refused to show her weakness to a man who seemed to be waiting eagerly to witness her complete downfall. Gathering every broken piece of courage within her, she swallowed her pain, steadied her trembling breath, and with sudden strength, she pushed his hand away from her face, removing his rough hold harshly.

Lifting her chin, she looked straight at him, her tear-filled eyes now blazing with suppressed anger as she spoke in a hard, unwavering tone.

“Stop touching me, Rudra, like you own me. If you ever lay your finger on me again, I won’t tolerate it.”

Her voice, though strained, carried a fierce dignity that made the room feel tighter, as she continued bitterly.

“You want to know why I came to work in your company, right? Before questioning me, ask yourself. Do you really think I would step into this company if I knew it was yours? Never. The day you insulted me in front of everyone in college, I decided I would never have anything to do with you again.”

Her words cut sharply as she went on, each sentence fueled by years of silent hurt.

“I came here only to work, not for whatever twisted reason you’re imagining. Yes, I lied about my education. But not to deceive or cheat anyone. I did it because I needed a job—nothing more than that.”

Her lips trembled for a fraction of a second, but she didn’t let her voice falter. She continued in a hard tone,

“I know you don’t like my presence in your company. Trust me, even I don’t want to work here. I hope after this, we never meet again.”

She paused, took a deep breath, and concluded with quiet finality,

“Goodbye.”