π 9:06 AM β ZedCorp Headquarters
The elevator was packed.
Rohan Malhotra stood sandwiched between a senior executive who reeked of expensive cologne and an intern nervously clutching two cardboard trays of cappuccinos. His shirt collar itched, his ID lanyard was twisted, and his brain hadn't stopped spinning since that kiss.
Twelve hours.
That's how long it had been since Ishita kissed him⦠and called it a mistake.
He'd barely slept. Her voice still echoed in his ears."I feel safe with you.""That was stupid.""I didn't mean toβ"
He had wanted to call her. Text her. Anything.But instead, he was hereβback at work, pretending he was fine. Acting like the girl who'd kissed him in moonlight wasn't haunting him like an unfinished song.
The elevator dinged on the 23rd floor. Marketing.
Rohan stepped out, straightening his blazer. The floor was buzzingβtoo many keyboards, too many coffee orders, too much panic. Apparently, the CEO was making a surprise visit this morning. Which meant his entire department was collectively losing its mind.
"Malhotra!" his manager barked from across the floor. "Boardroom. Now. Bring your last campaign file."
"Which one?"
"All of them!"
Rohan groaned internally and grabbed the folder stack from his desk.
Why today?
Why now?
He adjusted his tie and walked toward the main conference room.
π’ 9:23 AM β Executive Boardroom
He hated this room.
It always smelled like fake leather and pressure. Long glass table. Twelve high-backed chairs. One at the head reserved for the kind of people whose shoes cost more than his rent.
Rohan walked in, trying to look calm.
The CEO wasn't there yet.
A few top managers sat already, murmuring over spreadsheets and whispering theories about mergers, resignations, and quarterly doom. Rohan found an empty seat at the corner, placed his folders down, and opened his laptop like he belonged.
Thenβthe door opened.
Everyone straightened.
In walked Mr. Raghav Rajawat, the CEO.
Broad-shouldered. Salt-and-pepper hair. Impeccable grey suit. The kind of man whose silence felt like a command.
But Rohan barely registered him.
Because right behind Mr. Rajawatβ¦
Was Ishita.
Rohan's breath caught.
She walked in like she'd done it a thousand times. White blouse tucked into a navy pencil skirt. Heels that clicked like punctuation. Hair tied in a loose, confident bun. Not a trace of the girl who'd cried at the seaface or kissed him under city lights.
She was calm. Collected.
And walked to stand beside the CEO.
"This is my daughter," Mr. Rajawat announced. "She'll be shadowing leadership for the next quarter. She's not here as a guestβshe's here to work. Treat her like any other executive."
Daughter.
Rohan's heart skipped a beat.Daughter.Not assistant. Not PR intern. Not some upper-level contact.
His daughter.
Ishita.
The girl who'd shared his hotel room.Called him at midnight.Kissed him.Now standing beside the man who signed his paychecks.
His brain shut down.
She looked right at him.
Cool. Composed.
No smile.
No hint of recognition.
Like he was just another face in a very long room.
You've got to be kidding me.
The next 47 minutes of the meeting passed in a blur.
Campaign numbers. Revenue goals. Department shuffling. Words entered Rohan's ears and died on arrival. He answered one question about a social media pitch and immediately forgot what he said.
Ishita never looked his way again.
When the meeting finally ended, people gathered their files and buzzed out.
Rohan sat frozen, pretending to write something down.
She was still there.
Still standing beside her father.
He watched her thank a manager. Nod politely at a finance lead. Smileβjust slightlyβat someone who clearly adored her.
When the room was nearly empty, she finally looked at him.
And gave him the smallest nod.
Professional. Perfectly distant.
Like nothing had ever happened.
ποΈ 11:47 AM β ZedCorp Rooftop
Rohan stood at the edge of the terrace, hands in his pockets, wind tugging at his sleeves.
He heard the door open behind him. Didn't need to look.
"So," he said without turning. "That's why you didn't want to say what you do."
"Figured it might scare you off."
"You think you're that powerful?"
"You tell me."
He turned to face her.
Ishita looked different now. Not because of the clothes or the title.
Because she had walls. Thick ones. Reinforced overnight.
"Was the kiss part of the job too?" he asked, unable to hide the bitterness.
"No."
"So what was it?"
She hesitated.
"It was a moment. One I wasn't ready for."
"And now?"
"Now I'm trying not to mess up the only thing in my life that still makes sense."
"Your company?"
"Myself."
They stood in silence.
Then Ishita took a breath.
"Lookβ¦ we crossed a line. I didn't expect to see you here either. But now that we're in the same building, same floorβmaybe we should justβ¦"
"Forget it happened?"
She didn't answer.
"I can do that," Rohan said.
But the ache in his chest made him doubt it.
"We're just colleagues now," she said.
"Of course," he replied, voice flat. "Colleagues who once shared a storm."
She looked at him then. Really looked.
"I never forgot the storm."
Then she turned and left.
And Rohan was left on the rooftop, staring at the skyline, wondering how two people could be so closeβAnd still worlds apart.