Joint project ka pressure badh raha tha.
Media speculation.
Board deadlines.
Government audit.
Apurva teen din se properly sleep nahi kar rahi thi.
Aethra Consulting ke office mein 9:30 PM tak lights on thi.
Sab staff ja chuke the.
Sirf ek cabin mein light jal rahi thi.
Apurva ka.
Laptop screen glare uske tired face pe reflect ho raha tha.
Financial risk projection galat ja raha tha.
Numbers align nahi ho rahe the.
Aur iss baar mistake ka scope nahi tha.
Phone vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
She ignored.
Phir second call.
Third call.
Annoyed hoke pick kiya.
"Ms. Sharma," deep calm voice.
She froze.
"Board meeting prep file incomplete hai," Rithvik said. "Tumne annexure attach nahi ki."
"I'll send it," she replied coldly.
Pause.
"Tum theek ho?" he asked.
She hated that question.
"I'm fine."
"You sound exhausted."
"That's not your concern."
Silence.
"Board tumhe personally target kar raha hai," he said calmly. "I can see it."
She stiffened.
So he noticed.
Of course he noticed.
"You think I can't handle pressure?" she snapped.
"I think you're handling too much alone."
That line hit somewhere deep.
Apurva stood up, walked to the window.
City lights blurred.
"I don't have the luxury of failing," she said quietly.
Voice softer than she intended.
Rithvik didn't interrupt.
"My father invested everything for my education," she continued. "Scholarship wasn't pride. It was survival."
That was the first time she ever said something personal.
Even in school, she never explained.
Rithvik leaned back in his chair.
"So that's why losing wasn't an option," he murmured.
"Losing still isn't."
Silence stretched.
Heavy but different.
Not hostile.
Honest.
"You don't have to prove yourself every second," he said.
She laughed lightly.
"You wouldn't understand."
"You're right," he replied. "I don't have to prove money. I have to prove I deserve it."
Pause.
She hadn't thought of that.
Darkness wasn't pain.
It was pressure.
Different kind.
"Send me the file," he said finally. "We'll fix the numbers together."
"I don't need—"
"I know," he cut her off calmly. "You don't need anyone."
Beat.
"But you can still choose help."
That line stayed.
After the call ended, Apurva stood still.
For the first time in years…
she didn't feel alone in the fight.
And that scared her more than rivalry ever did.