Anabiya walked into the office with a strange mix of excitement and purpose.
And this time... on time.
Heads turned the moment she stepped in. For a second, the office fell into stunned silence.
Moiz, sitting at his desk, actually stood up in shock. Umer didn't even get the chance — he was too frozen to move. Leila, in mid-sip of her coffee, choked as it went down the wrong pipe.
Moiz turned to Umer and whispered, "Please tell me I'm dreaming."
Umer, wide-eyed, replied, "If you're dreaming, then how am I seeing this too?"
Anabiya walked to her seat like nothing was out of the ordinary and said casually, "Okay, guys... now you're overreacting. It's not like I'm always late."
Just then, the door opened — Musa had arrived. He glanced around, and when his eyes landed on Anabiya sitting at her desk on time, his expression froze in disbelief.
He blinked twice, then asked in all seriousness, "Am I late... or is Anabiya early?"
The whole office burst into laughter. Even Leila had to cover her mouth to stop herself from spitting out the rest of her coffee.
—
"Musa sir, you too?" Anabiya said with mock offense.
"Seriously, Anabiya — how did this even happen?" Musa teased, clearly still shocked.
Anabiya, slightly embarrassed, just shrugged her shoulders with a sheepish smile.
Musa shook his head with a soft grin. "Well, it's a good thing. The new boss is arriving soon — and your usual late entries won't leave a good impression. Try to stay on time from now on."
Just as he turned to leave, he paused at the door and added, "Anabiya, Umer — if your project is complete, be ready to present it. And Anabiya, the files I gave you yesterday for the see-through concept — bring me the updates."
"Yes, boss," Anabiya replied politely, picking up the file and heading toward his office.
—
Once inside, she placed the file on his desk, then sat down.
"Musa... you know we've been together since university. I only joined this company because of you."
Musa looked up, his expression unreadable.
Anabiya quickly added, "I mean... I thought if someone familiar was around, it'd be easier to settle in."
Musa smiled slightly. "You're not alone here, Anabiya. You have your friends now— Umer, Moiz, and Minahil."
At the mention of Minahil, Anabiya perked up. "She's coming back next week!"
Then her voice dropped again. "But you... you won't be here. Maybe I should just transfer with you to Karachi."
Musa burst into loud laughter. Anabiya's face fell. "That wasn't a joke."
He immediately stopped and said gently, "I'm sorry. It's just... you're really cute sometimes, Anabiya." He said i am cute Ooooo she said to herself.
Then, his tone shifted. "But first — I'll still be here for six more months. Second — you can't transfer. When you joined the company, your contract clearly said you can't leave for five years without facing a penalty. And third — what about the three major projects you've signed? Two of them are multi-year."
Each sentence hit Anabiya like a bullet. Her hope crumbled, piece by piece.
"That's not fair," she whispered, crushed.
Musa gave her a sympathetic look. "Don't worry. The new boss is even better than me."
She talked to herself, But he is not you.
Before Anabiya could reply, his phone rang. He gestured politely for her to step out. She nodded silently and walked out of the office.
Back at her desk, she slumped into her chair like her energy had been sucked out of her. Her face was blank, her heart heavier than it had been in a long time.
Umer quietly placed a cup of coffee in front of her. Without a word, Anabiya took a sip. She didn't need words. She just needed the coffee. And someone who understood.
Anabiya pulled out her phone, opened her chat with Bestie 1, and typed:
"I need youuu... please come over today too."
After hitting send, she let out a long, deep breath and forced herself to get back to work. Heartache had its place — and so did responsibilities.
When she reached home that evening, Mishal was already waiting at the apartment. Anabiya went straight to her room, changed out of her office clothes, and came out to find Mishal sitting with a bowl of hot noodles, waiting for her on the sofa.
"Bro... WhatsApp," Anabiya groaned, throwing a thumbs-down and collapsing onto the sofa. "Plan failed. Why, Mishal, why?! Why does everything bad happen to me?"
Mishal handed her the bowl of noodles calmly. "First food... then drama."
Anabiya took the bowl, started eating, and then quietly lay her head in Mishal's lap, closing her eyes. After a pause, she whispered, "Mishal... will everyone I ever love always leave me? First Baba, then Mama... then him... and now Moiz."
Mishal's heart sank. She knew Anabiya's smile often hid her deepest loneliness. She sighed and gently said, "That's not fair, Biya. What about me? Zaki? Urhaan? We've been with you since childhood. People come and go in life, yes... but some stay. And don't talk about Aunty like she's gone — she's still here. You're the one pushing her away from your heart."
Tears slipped from Anabiya's eyes. "If it weren't for you all, I think I'd be dead by now."
Hearing that, Mishal immediately sat up, lifted Anabiya's head off her lap, and stood up — furious. "Have you lost your mind? Don't you ever say something like that again! You want Mooz? Fine! I have a plan!"
Anabiya made a puppy face. "What plan?"
Mishal burst out laughing but quickly pulled herself together. "We have six months, bro. In that time, we'll make Musa realize that you're the smartest, prettiest, most capable girl in this world. Nobody likes you. We'll drive him crazy with love!"
A spark returned to Anabiya's eyes. A new Anabiya was ready to rise.
At 7 a.m. the next day, her room was a war zone of clothes. She couldn't decide what to wear for a fresh start — until her eyes landed on a yellow frock. Just the sight of it brought back memories of her dream. She put it on, styled her hair, added light makeup, and slipped on her heels. She looked radiant — and she knew it.
Mishal walked in and whistled. "Whoa. My girl's on fire today."
Anabiya smiled, picked up her bag, gently held Mishal's cheek, and said, "Thanks. And please clean the room after I leave."
Mishal pouted. "Seriously?"
Anabiya walked off, already focused on the day ahead.
—
When she entered the office, it was chaos. Everyone was rushing to organize — papers, chairs, files — everything.
Leila looked at her in shock. "Wow, Anabiya madam! All dressed up for the new boss?"
That's when it hit Anabiya — Oh right, the new boss is coming today.
Leila added sarcastically, "And you say you're not an attention-seeker?"
Anabiya rolled her eyes. "Leila, stop getting in my face so early." She walked away.
Moiz and Umer froze when they saw her. Moiz whistled. "Damn, girl. If I didn't already have a girlfriend, I'd be proposing."
Anabiya laughed. "Careful. I might say yes."
Just then, Musa came out of his office. "Everyone ready? He's about to arrive. Get in line."
Anabiya noticed something. Everyone had complimented her — except Musa. That bothered her.
She stepped out of line and muttered, "We've been standing here forever. Are we peasants now?"
The others signaled her to quiet down, but she was lost in words. What if he is CEO's son aaa i hate...Moiz eyes say something but she don't understand. Suddenly, she felt someone behind her. She turned — and her breath caught. There he was. The new boss. breathtaking. Her balance faltered, and she slipped.
Mahir reached out — then let go. She fell with a hard thud. She wished the earth would swallow her whole. Slowly, she looked up — and froze.
Standing in front of her was a tall man in a perfectly tailored suit. Every detail about him screamed luxury and control.
And his face... flawless.
She scrambled to her feet. Musa rushed in. "Mahir sir, please don't mind her. She's just... like that."
Anabiya stood still, her ears ringing. Mahir glanced at her briefly, then said coldly,
"Please introduce me to the rest of the team."
Anabiya was numb. Moiz brought her water. She drank it in one go.
Musa came over. "Come inside. I need to speak with you."
She followed him silently. Mahir was already inside.
Musa began, "This is one of our most capable team members — Anabiya Sikander. Every project she's handled has brought us nothing but success. Clients love her."
But Mahir wasn't listening. His gaze was fixed on Anabiya.
And she couldn't stop staring either.
Pinned to his coat was a silver horse-shaped brooch. Her breath caught. It was the same as in her dream that morning.
Mahir suddenly smiled — a smile that didn't reach his eyes — and said sharply,
"Oh, so you're the brilliant employee... but you haven't learned basic manners."
Musa leaned toward her. "Apologize."
Anabiya looked at him, stunned. "Apologize? I just spoke the truth."
Mahir gave a dry laugh. "Didn't realize your employees were this... unprofessional."
Anabiya snapped, "Since when is truth disrespectful?"
"Anabiya," Musa warned. "Apologize." She looked Musa. She can't refuse him.
She took a breath, met Mahir's eyes, and said,
"I'm sorry, Mahir sir... for speaking the truth."
Then walked out.
—
She rushed to the washroom, splashed cold water on her face, then sat on the toilet seat, her knees shaking. She bit her thumbnail, trying to breathe.
Pulling out her phone, she opened the chat with Bestie 1 and typed:
"He is back, Mishal. How can he do this to me?
How can he come back into my life like this?
He's here to destroy me... again.
Just like he did when he disappeared without a word."