Chapter One – The Meeting
The first monsoon rain always had a way of making the city look softer. Streets that usually screamed with chaos and horns wore a gentler mask under the drizzle. Pavements glistened, the air smelled of wet earth, and the world seemed to pause just long enough for people to notice the small, beautiful things they often ignored.
Ananya Mehra, however, was too busy muttering at her umbrella to notice any of this.
The stubborn thing refused to open properly, its metal ribs bent from the last storm. She tugged at it, twisted it, shook it like a frustrated child shaking a toy that wouldn't work, but the umbrella had clearly decided it had had enough of life. Finally, with a groan of defeat, she snapped it shut and hugged her bag closer to her chest.
"Of course. First day at the new job, and this is how it begins," she sighed, half-running under the drizzle.
Ananya had moved to Mumbai only a week ago, leaving behind the quieter streets of Lucknow and the comfortable predictability of home. She had always dreamed of working in publishing—stories had been her constant companions since childhood—and when she landed an editorial assistant position at Blue Ink Publishers, she had grabbed the chance without hesitation.
The building loomed ahead, sleek and glass-fronted, almost intimidating in its perfection. She hurried inside, shaking off droplets from her kurti and trying to fix the frizz that the rain had already gifted her hair.
The lobby was wide, the kind of place that echoed even soft footsteps. As she walked toward the reception, trying to remember if her boss's name was pronounced "Shukla" or "Shook-lah," she heard a voice behind her.
"You're new here, right?"
She turned, and for a split second, she forgot how to respond.
The man standing there looked like he had just stepped out of one of the novels she used to devour late at night. Tall, with slightly messy hair that seemed styled by the rain rather than gel, and eyes the kind of warm brown that made you think of coffee on a cold day. He wasn't dressed like the others in sharp suits—just a pale blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pen tucked behind his ear, and an easy smile that reached his eyes.
"Uh—yes," Ananya finally managed, adjusting the strap of her bag. "I just joined today."
He nodded. "Editorial?"
"Yes."
"That explains it," he said, as though the answer satisfied some private observation. Then he extended his hand. "I'm Arjun."
She shook it, her palm warm against his. "Ananya."
There was a comfortable pause. Not the awkward kind that begged to be filled with chatter, but the sort that simply… lingered.
Arjun tilted his head toward the elevators. "Come on, I'll show you the way. First days can feel like mazes around here."