Two days later, Pakhi was finally discharged from the hospital. The little extra money she had possessed had all been drained by medical bills. Her pockets were empty, and she didn't even have her ID for identification, making it impossible to check into a hotel. To make matters worse, she was already late to report for her internship.
Surrounded by these suffocating thoughts, Pakhi took a deep breath, composed herself, and quietly booked a cab.
A few moments later, the cab pulled up outside the hospital. Pakhi sat inside in silence. Throughout the journey, she stared out the window as a crowd of questions swirled in her mind. Eventually, the cab stopped at the location Pakhi had entered. She stepped out and looked up at the massive building standing before her. Above the towering heights, the company's name shone brightly. Pakhi glanced up and read the name to herself...
Gripping her trolley bag firmly, she stepped inside the building without looking back. With every step, her heart hammered against her ribs; it felt as if this door wasn't just an entrance to a building, but a gateway to a new turn in her life.
Pakhi reached the reception area. Placing her bag down, she pulled some papers from inside and slid them toward the receptionist. The receptionist glanced at the documents. A few moments of silence followed, made heavier by the sound of clicking keys and the ticking of the clock.
Then, she looked up and said in a formal tone—
"Sorry, ma'am… but you are late."
A deep sense of disappointment clouded Pakhi's face. Composing herself, she spoke in a soft, trembling voice—
"Ma'am, please… just give me one chance."
"I will never be late again… please, ma'am…"
The woman at the desk looked at Pakhi with a gaze full of pity.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," she said formally. "If you had come two days ago, perhaps I could have helped you." Closing the file, she added, "Your internship seat has been cancelled. It has already been given to someone else."
Hearing this, Pakhi's heart skipped a beat. This company… this internship… it was her biggest dream. Tears welled up in her eyes involuntarily, but she didn't let them fall. She spoke once more with a final spark of hope—
"Can I talk to Mr. Vivek Bansal…? Just once… just one call…"
The receptionist replied bluntly, "Sorry, but I can't help you."
"Please, ma'am… just one call…" Pakhi pleaded, gathering her courage. "I won't take much of your time."
The woman's voice grew even sterner. "Sorry, ma'am. I really can't help you. Please… leave now."
Pakhi stood there, frozen. Her hands gripped the strap of her bag tightly. Broken dreams filled her eyes, and a strange silence filled her heart. Perhaps… some dreams are meant to be lost before they are even fulfilled…
But Pakhi didn't know that the very door that had shut her out today was going to become the biggest turning point of her life tomorrow. She took one last look at the reception desk, but she saw no hope there.
Perhaps… I wasn't destined to work in this company…
At that thought, the tears finally began to flow. Her throat felt tight. Wiping her eyes with her palm, she picked up her bag and walked toward the exit with heavy steps. She was just about to step out when—suddenly, a voice came from behind—
"Miss Pakhi…!"
Pakhi froze. She turned around to see the same receptionist standing there—the one who had just refused to help her.
"Yes…?" Pakhi asked, her voice thick with emotion.
The receptionist was much calmer now. "Ma'am, you can go upstairs. For the interview."
"What…?" Pakhi gasped. In an instant, disbelief and joy flashed across her face simultaneously. "Are you serious…?"
The receptionist gave a slight nod. "32nd floor. Sir is waiting for you."
A wide smile broke across Pakhi's face. Tears still clung to her lashes, but this time, they were tears of happiness. She hurried forward and turned back toward the desk. "Thank you so much, ma'am… for helping me."
The receptionist looked as if she wanted to say something else, but then simply smiled weakly. "Go on… Sir does not like waiting at all."
Pakhi took a deep breath. Today—the door hadn't closed. Today—fate had called her inside. She gave a small nod and headed for the elevator.
Within moments, the elevator stopped on the 32nd floor. A quiet, formal atmosphere greeted her. She walked toward the reception area of the floor. The receptionist there saw her and immediately said, "Miss Pakhi, go straight through here. Room number 503."
Pakhi left her bag at the desk, smoothed her hair, and straightened her clothes. Then, she walked toward the room. A few people were already standing outside—likely for the interview. Pakhi quietly joined the line.
She was waiting for her turn when a girl walked up to her. The girl looked Pakhi up and down with a sneer and said in a sharp voice, "Are you Pakhi Rajput…?"
Pakhi nodded slightly. "Yes."
"Follow me."
They entered a separate room. The girl pointed to a chair. "Sit."
As Pakhi sat down, the girl pushed some documents toward her. "Sign it."
Pakhi picked up the papers and was about to read them when suddenly—"Hey!" the girl shouted. "I don't have time to wait for you to read your documents. Just sign it!"
Pakhi was startled by the girl's volume. She was usually brave, but the trauma of the past few days still lingered. Her hands shook slightly. Still, she composed herself and began to sign while scanning the pages.
But the girl shouted again, "Hey! Sign it quickly! I can't stay in this closed room with you for another minute." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You smell terrible…! I don't know how Sir hires people like this… Yuck!"
Pakhi's fingers froze on the paper. For a moment, her eyes filled with moisture—not from pain, but from humiliation. But she kept her head down and said nothing. Her face burned with suppressed anger. For a second, everything inside her boiled over, but she stopped herself. Right now, this job was the only thing that mattered.
Without a word, she finished signing. With every signature, she told herself—just a little more… this is the final step…
She slid the documents back. The girl snatched them, glanced at them, and turned to leave. "Wait here," she commanded. She walked out of the room.
Pakhi was left alone. A closed room. A heavy silence. She took a deep breath and unclenched her fists. The anger was still there, but her eyes were filled with determination. I have come this far… I won't back down now. Her eyes fixed on the door. She was waiting—not knowing for whom.
But she had no idea—the moment that door opened, her life was about to take another massiveTurn.
At 50th Floor,
The 50th floor held only one cabin. The entire floor belonged to one name. The office was so vast it felt like a royal palace—expensive wood paneling, Italian furniture, and a cold, shimmering luxury that filled every corner. On the wall directly beside the CEO's desk hung a massive LED screen. It was playing a live telecast—a girl sitting on a chair in the middle of a room flooded with yellow light. The camera was zoomed in directly on her face.
The man sitting in the plush chair stared at the screen with bloodshot eyes. There was no emotion in his gaze—only a cold calculation of a debt to be settled. A few seconds later, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a man stepped inside. He placed the documents he was carrying directly on the CEO's desk and bowed his head. "Sir… everything happened exactly as you wished." Without even looking at him, the CEO gave a dismissive flick of his hand.
The man turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he hesitated. Gathering his courage, he turned back and whispered, "Sir… I don't think any of this was that girl's fault—"
BANG!
The next instant, a bullet whizzed past his face and embedded itself in the wall. The man froze in sheer terror, the color draining from his face. "S-sorry, sir…" he stammered, then bolted out of the cabin without looking back.
The CEO slowly placed the gun back on the table. He picked up the documents and began flipping through the pages. Name… Details… Photo—Pakhi Rajput. A moment later, he crushed the papers in his fist. His voice was cold, yet dripping with venom. "Because of you, I lost my love…" He gritted his teeth. "Pakhi Rajput… I will make sure you pay the price."