Author pov

Anirudha returns from the gym and heads straight to the shower. After freshening up, he gets dressed for work and makes his way to the dining area for breakfast.

His family is already there, seated at the table.

"Good morning, everyone," he greets as he takes his seat.

"Good morning, beta," his mom and dad respond.

"Good morning, Bhai," Anahita and Anuj chime in.

His mother serves him breakfast, and just as he starts eating, Anuj speaks up.

"Bhai, the watch project is almost complete. Only the final testing is left," Anuj informs him.

Anirudha nods in acknowledgment.

"What watch, Bhai?" Anahita asks, curiosity evident in her voice.

"It's our new gadget—the Love Detector," Anuj says, a hint of excitement in his tone.

"Love Detector? What does that mean?" Anahita asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It looks and functions like a normal smartwatch, just like any other smart gadget. But it has a hidden feature. There's a secret button on the back, and when you press it, a small panel slides open, revealing details about your partner," Anuj explains.

"Details? Like what?" Anahita leans forward, intrigued.

"You can check how much they love you—there’s a love percentage indicator. It also monitors their health, including blood pressure, body temperature, and other vitals," Anuj continues.

"Wow," Anahita says, listening carefully.

"And that's not all," Anuj adds. "If your partner is ever in danger, the watch will automatically flash a red light, alerting you immediately."

"That sounds amazing! I want one too," Anahita exclaims excitedly.

"You? What will you do with it? This watch is for couples," Anuj teases. "So, no, I’m not giving you one."

"Look at this, Bhai! Anuj Bhai is being unfair. He won’t give me the watch!" Anahita complains to Anirudha.

Both of you, stop arguing. Let the watch launch first. Then you can take one," Anirudha says, shaking his head at their bickering.

"Thank you, Bhai!" Anahita grins, victorious.
"Waise, testing kab hai watch ki?" Anirudha asked.
(By the way, when is the testing for the watch?)

"Do hafte baad," Anuj replied.
(Two weeks later.)

Before more could be said, their mother, Sunaina, intervened, feigning annoyance. "Acha, ab chup chaap nashta karo. Khane ke time pe bhi kaam ki baatein? Kaam karne ke liye office hai, yeh time khaane ka hai," she said sternly.

(Alright, now quietly have your breakfast. Talking about work at the dining table? There's an office for that. This is the time to eat.)

Rajveer, their father, nodded in agreement. "Tumhari maa sahi keh rahi hai. Abhi nashta karo, kaam ki baatein baad mein kar lena."

(Your mother's right. Eat breakfast now, and talk about work later.)

"Ok, Papa," Anirudha said.

They were still having breakfast when Arnav walked in and greeted everyone.

"Good morning, Uncle and Aunty! How are you all?" he said cheerfully.

Anirudha glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Arnav, what are you doing here?"

Arnav feigned hurt. "What? Now I can’t even come here? Uncle, Aunty, do you see how your son talks to me?" he said, making a fake sad face.

Anirudha smirked, unimpressed. "Stop the drama and get to the point."

Arnav continued dramatically. "What times have come! Now I need a reason to visit my best friend's house?"

Sunaina laughed. "Since you’re here, have breakfast with us, beta. We’re just eating," she said with a warm smile.

"No, Aunty, I already had breakfast. But see how much you care for me, and yet this guy talks to me like this," Arnav teased.

The family chuckled.

Then, Arnav turned serious. "By the way, I didn’t just come here for no reason. You seem to have forgotten that we’re both working on the same project in your office. And I need to pick up some files from there. Since I don’t have much left to do, I’ll finish the rest in my own office. So I thought I’d go with you," he explained.

Anirudha rolled his eyes. "Fine, let’s go."

As they got ready to leave, Anirudha turned to Anuj. "Anuj, you should also head to your department in a while."

In car

Anirudha gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road as Arnav sat beside him, observing him keenly.

Arnav broke the silence, his voice thoughtful. "By the way, Anir, did you find out about the girl you were looking for?"

Without taking his eyes off the road, Anirudha replied, "Not yet, but I will find her soon."

Arnav sighed, shaking his head. "I think, Anir, it's time to stop searching for her. You don't even know her name, and you don't have a photo. You're looking based on assumptions without any solid clue, and you’re not getting any results. Maybe you just got a hallucination that day."

Anirudha glanced at him briefly, his jaw tightening.

Arnav continued, his tone laced with concern. "I think maybe you were deceived that day. Perhaps that girl is just a part of your imagination."

Anirudha's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He turned to Arnav and said firmly, "She exists. Maine use apni aankhon se dekha hai. Ye koi waham nahi hai. Mera dil kehta hai ki main usse zarur dhoondh lunga, aur jab dhoondh lunga, to use kabhi jaane nahi dunga."

(She exists. I've seen her with my own eyes. This isn't an illusion. My heart tells me I will definitely find her, and when I do, I won’t let her go.)

He paused, his gaze softening. "Wo mere dil ki wo khawab jise main chah kar bhi nahi bhool sakta. Wo sirf ek ladki nahi, mera junoon hai, meri zindagi jeene ki wajah hai. Aur isi wajah ki wajah se main uska intezaar karta rahunga."

(She is the wish of my heart that I can never forget. She's not just a girl; she's my obsession, the reason I live. And for this reason, I will keep waiting for her.)

Arnav asked, "Wasn't that a bit too much anir?"

He chuckled, "Too much? If she hadn’t been there that day, I wouldn’t be alive right now."

Arnav sighed, nodding slightly and straight his neck. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Anir, dekh saamne!"

(Anir, look ahead!)

Anirudha snapped his neck forward to see a girl crossing the road. He hit the brakes hard, the tires screeching as the car came to a halt mere inches away from her.

Anirudha pov

I quickly hit the brakes, and the car screeches to a stop right beside the girl. She squeezes her eyes shut in fear.

Everything around me blurs, my surroundings slow down. I watch as she slowly opens her eyes, but—wait a minute. It’s her.

She looks at me with anger in her eyes, but my heart is racing. I can hear the pounding in my ears.

"Anir, what happened?" Arnav shakes me slightly, snapping me back to reality. I blink my eyes..

I look around frantically—she’s gone.

She left.

I rush out of the car, my eyes scanning the street like a madman. My chest tightens. How could she disappear so fast?

"What’s wrong, Anir?" Arnav asks.

"The girl…."

"What girl?" he asks, confused.

"The girl is gone again!" I say, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

"Which girl? What are you talking about?" he asks, clearly not understanding.

"The one who saved my life that day," I say breathlessly.

Arnav sighs. "You must be mistaken. You were just thinking about her, so you thought it was her," he says.

I shake my head firmly. "No. I know it was her. Trust me," I insist.

"Okay, fine. Let’s say it was her. But she’s gone now. We have work to do—let’s go to the office," he says, trying to bring me back to reality.

I nod reluctantly, but my heart whispered—it was her.

We both get back into the car and drive away.

I reached the office, handed the car keys to the valet, and headed straight to my private elevator. Employees greeted me with polite "Good morning" wishes, but I ignored them, my thoughts consumed by her.

Once in my cabin, my PA, Aditya, entered. "Good morning, Sir. The interviews are about to begin. You'll need to head to the interview room on the second floor."

I nodded and headed to the room shortly after.

I conducted a few interviews, but my mind was elsewhere. Where did she suddenly disappear? After seeing her again after so long, I just let her walk away. "How stupid am I?" I couldn't focus on anything. My thoughts kept drifting back to her.

I was lost in my own world when another candidate walked in. I barely paid attention until Mr. Sahid interrupted my thoughts by handing me her file.

"Sir..."

"Hmm?" I responded absentmindedly.

"Here is her file," he said, placing it in front of me.

I took the file and, out of habit, glanced at the candidate. My heart skipped a beat.

She… she is here…

I blinked a few times, making sure I wasn’t dreaming. But no—she was really standing there, in front of me. My lips stretched into a wide smile before I quickly masked it. What are the chances?

She looked at me with a weird expression, probably noticing my reaction, but soon replaced it with a professional smile. I kept staring, unable to look away. I tried to hide my excitement, but my eyes refused to obey me.

She started answering questions with confidence. I like it. But then she glanced at me again, and I noticed the slight shift in her expression. Am I making her uncomfortable?

Realizing this, I forced myself to look at her file instead. Isha… Her name was written there in bold letters.

The interview continued, but my mind was elsewhere. When it was my turn to speak, I looked at her and said with a small smile, "You are selected, Miss Isha Narayana. I need you."

Her eyes widened. "Ji?"

I quickly corrected myself. "I mean, we need employees like you."

Mr. Sahid hesitated. "But sir, she doesn’t have—"

"She has confidence," I cut him off. "And confidence is more important. It makes a person perfect in their field."

Mr. Sahid nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's true she is very confident."

Isha smiled, a little unsure but grateful. "Thank you, Sir."

I nodded, but inside, I knew one thing for sure—this time, I won’t let her disappear again.

As soon as her interview ended, she got up and left.

She left.

One second—she left?

Realization hit me like a storm. Without a second thought, I stood up abruptly, pushing my chair back. My sudden movement caught everyone’s attention, but I didn’t care.

"Sir, there are still interviews left," Aditya reminded me.

"The rest of you handle them," I said dismissively and strode out of the room.

I barely noticed the other candidates standing as I passed by. My focus was solely on one thing—her.

Reaching the entrance, I scanned the area frantically, my heart pounding in my chest. And then, I saw her.

She was walking away.

"Miss Isha!" I called out, my voice firm yet urgent.

She stopped. Slowly, she turned around, her eyes meeting mine with a hint of surprise.

My heartbeat quickened. It felt as if my heart would break free from my ribcage at any moment.

I took a deep breath and walked toward her, closing the distance between us.

She stood there, looking at me with a calm expression. But I noticed the slight confusion in her eyes.

"Aapko kuch kaam tha, sir?" she asked, her voice polite and professional.

Isha pov ~

I entered the interview room, and as soon as my eyes landed on him, I realized it was the same guy. He was driving his car like a madman, but sadly, he was my boss. I couldn’t say anything; I couldn’t risk it. I had heard that bosses can be very harsh, and I didn’t want to take any chances. On top of that, when he saw me in the interview, he smiled. Neera had told me that he was very strict, so I thought his mental state wasn’t quite right. But then again, what could I do? I just needed to focus on the work.

I couldn’t help but think, though, that my boss wasn't exactly handsome. "No, no, Isha, don’t think like that," I told myself. "The interview is over, and now you can go home." As I was lost in these thoughts, I suddenly heard a voice from behind me—"Miss Isha." For a second, I froze. My heart dropped.

I thought to myself, "Did I do something wrong? No, no, I didn’t mess up this time, but still..."

Taking a deep breath, I turned around, and there he was—my strict yet still somewhat handsome boss. He was walking toward me, and I forced a smile.

"Oh my God, Mahadev, please save me," I silently prayed.

He stopped beside me.

"Do you need something, sir?" I asked him.

"No," he replied, stammering. He nervously touched his hair. "He’s so nervous," I thought.

Then he said, "I just wanted to say congratulations."

I was confused. He came all the way here just to say that?

I smiled and said, "Thank you, sir."

"I mean, Anirudha Singh Rathore," he added.

"I know, sir," I replied. I realized he must have introduced himself during the interview.

"How?" he asked, still sounding puzzled.

I explained, "sahid sir introduced everyone inside during the interview."

"Oh, okay," he said, forcing a simple nervous smile.

"Sir, do you need anything else?" I asked.

"No, I just wanted to say congratulations and introduce myself. You’ll be working in my department, under me, so I thought I’d come and introduce myself," he explained.

Ander interview room Mai introduce hi to Kiya tha thore chane chil rhe the.

(Inside the interview room, that was introduction introduced myself when a few chickpeas started crunching.)

"Okay, sir," I forced another smile.

Now, I need to tell my parents the good news. I have to go now, I thought feeling the urgency to leave.

"Sir, I have to go now" i said.

"Alright," he said.

"Bye," I said, and quickly walked away from him.

Anirudha pov~

The After a long day at work, I walked back to my room, still caught in the swirl of emotions that had been haunting me for years. I stepped into the bathroom for a cold shower to refresh myself, but even as I stood there, I couldn't shake the thoughts that had taken over my mind. After drying off, wrapped in a towel, I stood in front of the mirror and couldn't help but ask myself:

"Aakhir kya hai usme jo main use itne sal bad bhi bhool nahi paya?"

(What is it about her that I still can't forget her, even after all these years?)

I thought back to the first time I met her, the way everything seemed to fall into place in an instant, and I whispered:

"Aakhir kyu main us se pehli mulakat me hi use se pyar kar baitha. Uski smile, uski aankhein, uski har chiz se mujhe itna pyar kyu ho rha hai?"

(Why did I fall in love with her the very first time we met? Why do I feel so much love for her smile, her eyes, and every little thing about her?)

With those thoughts still lingering, I walked to my wardrobe, put on my night suit, and headed toward my special room. It’s located on the second floor of my bungalow, on the right side. Alongside my office, personal garden, and attached swimming pool, it's a space that holds everything related to her. On the left side, there are rooms for Anuj and Anahita, but my room... my room is different. It's a room that holds all the memories of her, neatly tucked away in each corner.

I entered my special room, and as always, I took in the sight of everything that had been created for her—paintings I had done of her, capturing every detail of her beauty. My eyes moved toward the cupboard on the right, where I kept the bracelet she gave me, and that torn dupatta, the one she had wrapped around my bleeding head. It was still stained with my blood, but more than that, it was soaked with memories of her care, her touch.

I pulled out that dupatta, draping it over my face, and instantly, her fragrance surrounded me. The blood stain didn’t matter—her scent, the essence of her, still lingered, and for a brief moment, I could feel her presence again.

"Wo rat mere liye us uljhi paheli ki tarah hai jisme dard bhi hai aur khushi bhi, bechaini bhi hai aur sukoon bhi."

(That night is like a tangled riddle for me, where there is both pain and happiness, restlessness and peace.)

I gently placed the dupatta back in the cupboard and picked up the bracelet she gave me, holding it in my hand as I spoke softly:

"Mujhe wo sab se pyar hai jo tum se judi ho."

(I love everything that is connected to you.)

Sitting down, I opened my diary and began to write, my heart racing as I poured my thoughts onto the pages:

"Aakhir aaj wo mujhe mil hi gyi. Kismat ka khel dekho, jise main 2 sal se paglon ki tarah dhundh raha tha, wo aaj mujhe mil gayi. Meri Miss Special."

(Finally, I found her today. See the game of fate—someone I had been searching for like crazy for the past two years came into my life today. My Miss Special.)

Just like her, her name was as lovely as everything about her. A smile tugged at my lips as I called her name Isha.

As I placed the bracelet and diary back into their place, I was lost in the memories of that moment when I found her, and the room felt like it was alive with everything that was hers. But

suddenly, a knock at the door pulled me back from my thoughts.

Who could it be now?

Author pov ~

Anirudha stood there, his anger boiling over as he stared at the housemaid, who had dared to knock on the door of his special room. His eyes burned with fury, and he couldn’t hold back anymore.

"How dare you come here? Don’t you know that no one is allowed here except me—not even my family members—and yet you are here?"

The housemaid trembled in fear, her body shaking as she lowered her head. She stuttered, almost inaudible, her voice filled with guilt. "Sir... I am new here, and I didn’t know that coming here is not allowed. I was told by ma’am to invite you downstairs for dinner."

Anirudha’s expression hardened as he cut her off. "I don’t want to hear anything. I don’t want to see you here tomorrow. And it’s my final decision. Now leave."

maid flinched under the weight of his harsh words, her heart racing as she felt the darkness emanating from him. His anger was palpable, and she could sense that disobeying him further would only worsen the situation.

But desperation clouded her judgment, and she looked up, her voice cracking as she spoke. "No sir, please don’t do this," she begged, her eyes brimming with tears. She didn’t know how to plead for her job or for any mercy, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave without one final attempt.

Anirudha’s eyes narrowed with irritation. He had made his decision, and he wasn’t going to back down now. "I said leave."

Her sobs filled the room, her body trembling as she wiped away the tears that flowed uncontrollably. But Anirudha’s face remained cold, his gaze unwavering.

Without another word, he rolled his eyes, fed up with her pleas. "I am telling you for the last time," he said, his voice lowering in threat. "If you don’t leave this time, it won’t be good for you."

Her heart dropped, and with a final, heartbreaking sob, she turned to leave. Every step was heavy as she walked away from the door, unable to stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks.

As she disappeared from his sight, Anirudha slammed the door shut.

Next morning

Isha walked into the Rathore Group’s office, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and nerves. She looked up at the sky, muttering to herself as she made her way toward the entrance.

"Hey Mahadev ji, aaj mera pehla din hai job pe. Sab aacha karna, please, aur mere khadoos boss se mujhe bacha kar rakhna."

(Oh Mahadev, today is my first day at the job. Please make everything go well, and protect me from my grumpy boss.)

As she entered the office, she walked toward her department and noticed a few new employees standing off to the side. Curiously, she turned to one of the boys and asked, "Why are they standing here?"

Aman, standing nearby, responded with a smile, "New employees have been gathered here. Radhika ma'am will come, introduce us to everyone, and then show us our desks and explain our work."

Isha nodded and walked over to join the group of new recruits.

"By the way, I’m Aman Nanda. I’m new here, and you?" he asked with a friendly smile.

Isha returned the smile and replied, "I’m Isha Narayana, I’m also new here."

Aman extended his hand for a handshake and said with a warm grin, "Let’s be friends; after all, we’ll be working together now."

Isha smiled and shook his hand. "Okay, now we’re friends."

Just then, Radhika arrived and greeted the group. "Good morning, everyone! I’m Radhika."

The group chorused in unison, "Good morning, ma’am."

Radhika quickly assigned desks to everyone and explained their duties before leaving, and Isha settled into her new workspace. She took out a small photo of her family and a moonlight ball from her purse, placing them on her desk as a comforting reminder of home.

A few moments later, her new colleagues, Riya, Niharika, and Vivek, came over to introduce themselves.

"Hi, I’m Riya," said the first, followed by "I’m Niharika," and "This side Vivek."

Isha smiled and replied, "I’m Isha Narayana, nice to meet you all."

"We’re your seniors," Riya said, "If you need anything, feel free to ask us; we’ll help you."

Niharika and Vivek nodded in agreement.

"Everyone here is nice, but just stay away from two people," Niharika warned, lowering her voice.

Isha raised an eyebrow. "Which two people?"

"Anirudha sir and Radhika ma'am," Niharika replied.

Isha was confused. "But why?"

Riya grimaced and said, "Anirudha sir doesn’t tolerate any mistakes. If you make even one, he’ll fire you on the spot."

Niharika and Vivek nodded solemnly.

Isha frowned, unsure of what to think. "And Radhika ma’am?"

Riya scoffed, making a face. "That witch yells at us for the smallest mistake, all to impress Anirudha sir. She wants to prove herself perfect."

Isha's curiosity deepened, "But why does she want to impress him?"

Niharika, placed her hand on Isha’s shoulder. "Well, Anirudha sir is so handsome, rich, and has a great personality. Anyone could have a crush on him. So, that witch wants to impress him."

Isha murmured thoughtfully, "Well, he is handsome."

Riya smiled mischievously and added, "Anyway, any girl who marries Anirudha sir will be both lucky and unlucky at the same time."

Isha raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "But how?"

Riya continued, "He’s handsome, rich, and good-looking, so she would be lucky, right? But at the same time, he gets so angry over small mistakes. That’s why she’d be both lucky and unlucky."

Vivek and Niharika nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, just stay away from sir and Radhika," Riya warned.

Vivek interjected, trying to ease the tension. "Hey, don’t scare Isha."

Isha smiled reassuringly. "Don’t worry, mujhe kuch nahi hoga."

(I’ll be fine.)

"Yeah, still take care of yourself," Niharika added.

Isha nodded, determined to stay positive. "Come on, guys, get back to work; otherwise, Radhika will scold us for no reason." Vivek said, and they all dispersed to their desks.

Isha sat back in her chair, feeling a little nervous but trying to reassure herself. "Maine keh to diya kuch nahi hoga, lekin dar to mujhe bhi lag raha hai."

(I said I’ll be fine, but I’m still feeling scared.)

She shook her head, trying to stay focused. "Koi baat nahi, main achhe se kaam karungi aur shikayat ka koi moka nahi dungi."

(No worries, I will work well and won’t give anyone a chance to complain.)