I was dead asleep curled under my blanket, when my phone jolted me awake with its annoying ring. Groaning, I fumbled blindly across the nightstand, my eyes barely open I squinted at the glowing screen.
Mom.
I stared at her name now awake, hand hovering over the answer button. Part of me wanted to let it go to voicemail. But another sharp ring made me sit up. Fine. I answered.
"Hello?" My voice was thick with sleep. "Amara!" Her voice was cheerful, maybe a little too cheerful for six-thirty in the morning. "Hey! are you still sleeping? don't you have classes to attend to." " No ma, I wasn't sleeping." "You sound sleepy Amara". "It's just my voice is bit raspy and my first class is at 9 so even if I was sleeping I have plenty of time before my first class. "
"Yeah sure. Anyways, don't forget we're expecting you this weekend. Your sister's turning sixteen, and we want you home. Cake, candles… all that stuff."
I pressed the phone closer, blinking at the ceiling. "I… I know, Mom. I'll be there."
She chuckled. "Try not to leave us hanging, alright? Your sister's been planning this for weeks." I sighed. "I promise." Four hours of driving. Four hours of family. A father who expected perfection and to whom I'll be be good enough, a mother who hovered me and to her, I reminded her of HIM, my twin brother, a younger sister who was about to turn sixteen we have a good relation but she was young when I left for collage, and my elder sister… well, I wasn't sure I wanted to think about her today.
I hung up and leaned back against my pillow, letting the warmth of sleep linger for a moment. I wasn't planning to be up this early it was only six-thirty since I was up I decided to get ready. Reluctantly, I peeled myself out of bed and headed for the shower, half awake, half dreaming about coffee
I kept my head down, letting the noise wash over me, thinking about the weekend ahead, about the long drive, about my sister's birthday as I picked up mine and June's coffee order who was waiting for me outside the coffee shop.
"A small flat white with extra hot milk, just how madam likes it." I said as I handed June her coffee. "Thank you! you are such an angel. By the way, Jason has a party at his place this weekend you coming?" She asked, "I'll be going home this weekend for Ava's birthday" "Oh you'll be alright? or want me to get in an accident so you'll have an excuse to miss it." "yeah I'll be alright the plan is to go cut the cake be out and about. I don't wanna break Ava's heart she really wants me to be there. Thank you for the offer, I'll keep my options open" "I'll be just a text away my warrior!" we both laughed at her melodramatic delivery before parting ways.
By the time I stepped onto the NYU campus, the sun was up, bright and shining. Students all around, laughing, chatting. I never understood how people had this much energy in the morning
I passed the English department noticeboard and froze. A new poster caught my eye: "The Digital Word: A CS-English Collaboration" Preservation Something about it pricked my curiosity maybe it was the bold letters, or the mention of collaboration with the IT department. I couldn't stop staring.
Inside the department office, a teaching assistant waved me over. "Amara! Perfect timing." She handed me a crisp printed note.
"You've been selected to be a part of the interdisciplinary research team about this project," she said. "The professors were impressed with your essays and your analytical work. They specifically recommended you."
Me? Recommended? My stomach did a flip. "But… this is IT, isn't it?"
"Not coding," she said quickly, as if reading my thoughts. "Your role is essential you'll help with writing content, Content Selection and Curation, testing narratives, and giving creative input for user experience. Your professors thought your writing and analytical skills were perfect. Professor Lang wants to meet you to go over details."
I held the note, reading the meeting time. My heart thumped not with excitement, exactly, but with that familiar, slightly panicked flutter that always hit before something new. This was different. This was… important.
As I walked toward the room, my eyes caught a sleek black car parked outside. My chest tightened. I glanced at the letterhead again. Asher Hayes. The sponsor. The name buzzed faintly in my memory. CEO. Billionaire. Legendary for building empires from the edge of collapse. And now, he was funding this project and somehow, I'd be part of it.
I swallowed hard, feeling that mix of anticipation and dread curling in my stomach. This was new. This was different. And maybe… it was going to be a challenge I couldn't walk away from.
After my after noon class I went to professors Lang's office. I had made up my mind that I would polietly decline his offer because, I already had enough on my plate. As I went in his office I was greeted with a polite smile the kind that would instantly light you up, Mr. Lang was actually one of the few professors that actually cared about his students,
"Amara! I was waiting for you. Come on in have a seat, I am sure Emma would have told you about the project." He said, "Yeah she did. Thank you so much for considering me for this project, Professor. I really appreciate it, but I don't think I can take it on right now. My schedule is a bit full, and I want to make sure I can give my full attention to whatever I commit to." "It's a big project Amara, Big opportunity let me give you details first and you can decide from then on." "I don't understand how can an English major and an IT major do a project together? It doesn't make sense to me."
Professor smiled patiently. "It's a good question, Amara. Let me explain. The project is a Digital Archive with Advanced Search. Our goal is to digitize rare manuscripts and historical documents and make them accessible online in a way that anyone can search efficiently."
I blinked, leaning against the edge of the desk. "Okay… but where do I fit in?"
"You'll be essential," the professor said. "The computer science students will focus on, building the database and creating complex search algorithms, so users can filter by date, theme, or even specific characters. That's the technical side." he paused, letting me absorb it. "Your role and the role of other English students is equally important. You'll work on curation, selecting which documents to include, writing descriptions, and making sure the archive is clear, accessible, and engaging for readers. You'll also help ensure the language in the interface and search results is readable and user-friendly."
Amara's chest tightened slightly, a mix of nervousness and intrigue. "So… it's like… I'm helping the tech students speak human?" she said with a small, uncertain laugh.
"Exactly," her professor said, smiling. "This is where your skills shine. You bring clarity, context, and a literary perspective. You make sure that all this technical brilliance actually makes sense to the people who will use it."
I glanced down at the note again, the initial confusion giving way to curiosity which showed on my face. This… this actually sounded interesting. Challenging. Different. And maybe, just maybe, a little exciting.
"I understand, Amar, and I respect that. But your writing and analytical skills are exactly what this project needs. I really believe it could be a valuable experience for you and open up opportunities you might not otherwise get. You won't be on your own we'll guide you through every step"
It was still a bit unsettling because a project like this had never happened before, but the opportunity was big and I didn't wanted to miss it and I actually didn't had a proper reason to let it go. The idea of working on something so different from usual coursework both excited and intimidated me. I glanced up at her professor, going back and forth with my thoughts.
"I… I think I'd like to do it," I said finally, my voice quiet but steady. "It sounds challenging, but.… I guess I could learn a lot. And it's not something I'd get in regular classes."
My professor's face lit up with a small, approving smile. "I thought you might say that. I truly believe this will be a valuable experience for you, Amara. You'll gain skills that go beyond literature things like project collaboration, digital literacy, and real-world experience that will help you in the future."
Amara nodded, still a little nervous, but there was a flicker of excitement she couldn't deny. "Okay… I'll do it. Thank you for thinking of me."
"You won't regret it," professor said kindly. "And remember, you won't be doing this alone. We'll guide you, and the IT students are looking forward to your perspective. You're going to make this project stronger just by being part of it."
As I got up to leave his office, a strange mix of nerves and anticipation twisted in my stomach. Just as I was about the leave, Vice Chancellor for global Research and Innovation, Dean and Asher Hayes walked in. Running into Asher Hayes today so casually wasn't something I expected today.
"This is the brilliant student I was telling you about," professor Lang said, gesturing toward me. My stomach tightened as I realized he was speaking to the Dean and the Vice Chancellor for Global Research and Innovation, who were standing just inside the door.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said, bowing my head slightly, my nerves buzzing in my chest.
"Likewise," the Dean replied warmly. "We've been looking forward to meeting you, Amara."
"Absolutely," the Vice Chancellor added, smiling. "Your work has already caught the department's attention." Professor Lang's eyes twinkled, and then he turned to the tall man standing just behind them. "And this is Mr. Asher Hayes, who's funding the Digital Archive Project."
Asher's gaze landed on me immediately. He was impossibly tall, impeccably dressed, and his eyes seemed to look right through me, intense and calculating in a way that made my stomach flutter.
"Yeah," he said slowly, his voice low but steady, "I remember Professor Lang mentioning her. I have read some of your work. It's impressive"
"Uh… Thank you Mr. Hayes," I managed, my voice quieter than I wanted it to be.
He tilted his head slightly, studying me with that same sharp intensity. "Amara, right?"
I nodded, unsure what else to say. "Yes. That's me."
A brief silence hung between us, in a way I couldn't explain. Then, his lips almost curved into the faintest smile. "Looking forward to seeing what you bring to the project."
"Thank you," I murmured,
The Dean cleared his throat gently. "Well, we should let Professor Lang go over the project details with you."
I nodded, suddenly aware of every step I took as I followed Professor Lang out of the office. My mind was spinning, not from the project itself, but from the intense unreadable man.
As I walked down the hall, I couldn't shake the feeling that this meeting was only the beginning and that somehow, Asher Hayes had seen my work. I had published blogs, Articles and written few project proposals but nothing so popular to be read by Asher Hayes. As I recall only my one article "The Forgotten Voices: Women Writers Who Changed Literature" went popular, which I submitted to the NYU literary magazine. A small online literary site or newsletter picked it u, but nothing fancy.
These questions whose answers I had no idea where to get from, These thoughts leaving a strange mix of nerves, curiosity, and anticipation swirling inside me.