Ch-3

NEXT DAY.

UDAIPUR, RAJASTHAN

The next morning, Ambika created a huge fuss about getting out of bed. She tossed and turned, mumbling excuses about being tired and not wanting to go to the office. But her mother, being just as stubborn as her daughter, had her own ways of dealing with Ambika’s laziness. Without any warning, she picked up a jug of cold water and poured it right on Ambika’s face.

“TSUNAMI! TSUNAMI!” Ambika shrieked, sitting up with a jolt, completely drenched. Her eyes darted around the room as if she was searching for the waves.

Her mother stood there with her hands on her hips, a victorious smirk plastered on her face.

“Ab uth gayi na? Jaldi se tayyar ho ja, warna office late pahunchegi!” Her mother said, walking away as Ambika wiped her face, grumbling.

Muttering curses under her breath, Ambika dragged herself out of bed. She had spent half the night memorizing the names of all the department heads and reading through some important files. Her eyes burned with exhaustion, but she knew she couldn’t slack off today.

After a quick shower, Ambika stood in front of her closet, contemplating what to wear. Finally, she opted for a crisp white shirt, navy green jeans, and paired them with white sneakers. She let her hair fall loosely over her shoulders and wore a classic black wristwatch. A black handbag completed her look.

As she glanced at herself in the mirror, she gave herself an encouraging nod. “You’ve got this, Ambika,” she murmured before leaving for her office.

—

AT THE OFFICE…

As soon as Ambika entered the building, heads turned. The men couldn’t help but be stunned at how effortlessly she carried herself. It didn’t matter if it was a traditional outfit or a casual one—Ambika knew how to make any attire look stunning.

Walking with grace and confidence, she strode toward her cabin, ignoring the stares.

The moment she settled into her chair, a soft knock echoed from the door.

“Come in,” she said, without looking up.

The door opened, and Rakshita walked in with her usual cheerful smile.

“Good morning, Ambika,” Rakshita wished her.

Ambika looked up and returned the smile. “Good morning, Rakshita.”

After the formal greetings, Rakshita placed a few files on her desk and got straight to business.

“So, in today’s schedule, you have a meeting with all the directors and department heads,” she began, pausing briefly. “And with the company’s CEO.”

Ambika’s brow arched at the mention of the CEO. “Okay… and after that?”

“After that, the CEO will assign you some work related to the new hotel project,” Rakshita informed her, sitting down across from her.

Ambika nodded while picking up one of the files on her table. “Anything else?”

Rakshita shook her head. “No, that’s all for today.”

“Hmm, okay then.” Ambika leaned back slightly. “Can you bring me some ginger tea?”

“Of course,” Rakshita nodded with a smile and left to get the tea.

Ambika, now left alone, immersed herself in reading client files. Time passed quickly as she analyzed data and familiarized herself with ongoing projects. Almost two and a half hours had gone by when Rakshita returned.

“The meeting will begin in 15 minutes,” Rakshita informed her softly.

Ambika glanced at the clock and nodded. “Alright. Wait for me near the meeting room. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Rakshita smiled and walked out, leaving Ambika to finish her notes.

Ambika took a deep breath, closed the file, and stood up. She adjusted her shirt and ran her fingers through her hair, mentally preparing herself for what was about to come.

“Let’s do this,” she whispered to herself, her eyes narrowing with determination as she walked out of her cabin, ready to take on the day.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened, and the air in the room shifted. All the employees stood up from their places, their voices merging in unison to greet the person entering.

"Good morning, Sir."

Ambika followed the crowd, standing up almost mechanically. But as her eyes landed on the man who walked in, her entire world came to a standstill.

No... It can't be.

Her breath hitched, and her grip on the pen loosened unconsciously. The pen slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the floor, but Ambika barely registered the sound. Her heart pounded in her ears as her mind struggled to process the sight in front of her.

Yuvraj...

The same man she had clashed with at the mall. The one who had been insufferably arrogant, annoyingly smug, and infuriatingly charming. He was standing across from her now-except this time, he wasn't just a random stranger.

He was the CEO.

What the actual hell?!

The word echoed in her mind like a mantra, leaving her frozen. Her pulse quickened, and her thoughts spiraled in confusion.

How is this possible? Of all the people in the world...

Her gaze remained locked on Yuvraj as he walked in, exuding an aura of unshakable confidence and authority. He was dressed impeccably in a tailored charcoal suit, his jawline sharp and his expression calm-but there was something else in his eyes. A flicker of recognition.

Is he... smirking?

Her suspicion was confirmed when her eyes caught the unmistakable curve of his lips-a smirk that screamed pure amusement.

Of course, he's enjoying this!

Ambika's heart dropped to her stomach. Her palms grew clammy, and her mind screamed at her to look away, but she couldn't. Yuvraj's piercing gaze met hers, and for a brief moment, it felt like the air in the room had thickened.

"Ambika..."

The voice snapped her out of her daze.

It was Rakshita.

Ambika's gaze darted toward her friend, who had noticed her unease. Rakshita, ever perceptive, excused herself and quickly walked over to Ambika's side.

"What happened? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Rakshita whispered, her voice laced with concern.

Ambika's throat felt dry as she swallowed and leaned closer, whispering back with urgency.

"Who is he?" She pointed subtly with her eyes toward Yuvraj, her voice barely above a whisper but filled with disbelief.

Rakshita's eyes followed Ambika's gaze. When her eyes landed on Yuvraj, her expression shifted from confusion to pure incredulity. She turned back to Ambika with wide eyes and gave her a look that screamed, Are you serious?

"Ambika... what kind of useless question is that?" Rakshita's voice was a whisper but carried enough emphasis to express her disbelief.

Ambika blinked, her frustration mounting.

"I'm not joking, Rakshita." Her voice was sharper this time, though she kept it low. "I'm asking you a serious question. Who. Is. He?"

Rakshita's expression turned to one of genuine confusion now. "Ambika..." She paused, lowering her voice even more. "That's Yuvraj Singh. The CEO of this company. The man who practically built this empire from scratch after his father's retirement."

Ambika's heart dropped even further.

Yuvraj Singh... CEO...

Her mind raced, trying to connect the dots.

The man I argued with so openly...

The one I called arrogant and full of himself...

The one I said I'd never see again...

And now he was her boss.

Ambika's jaw clenched as her world spun faster than she could handle.

This has to be a nightmare. Please let this be a nightmare.

But the smirk on Yuvraj's face told her otherwise. He was watching her closely, his dark eyes filled with amusement, as if he was waiting for her reaction.

He knows.

Of course, he did.

And by the look of satisfaction plastered on his face, he was thoroughly enjoying this.

"Ambika," Rakshita murmured, leaning in slightly. "Why are you looking so-"

"Not now, Rakshita," Ambika cut her off, her voice barely steady. She didn't trust herself to speak any louder.

Her eyes flickered toward Yuvraj once again, who was now addressing the team with his usual authoritative tone. But even as he spoke, his gaze found hers occasionally, his smirk never fading.

Ambika could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.

I am so dead.

The meeting proceeded, but for Ambika, it was nothing more than background noise. Her mind was stuck on one single, horrifying thought-

Her boss was the same infuriating man she had sworn never to cross paths with again.

Having no option left, Ambika finally whispered back to Rakshita, her voice barely above a murmur.

"He's... the CEO of the company."

For a moment, Rakshita blinked, as if processing the words. Then, without warning, she smacked her forehead with her palm and muttered under her breath-

"What the nark..."

Ambika's eyes widened. "What?" she whispered, now more confused than ever.

Rakshita glanced at her, her brows furrowed in confusion. "What happened to you? Are you okay? Any problem?"

Ambika opened her mouth to reply, but before a single word could escape, a cold, authoritative voice echoed through the meeting room.

"Ms. Sharma," Yuvraj's voice cut through the air, sending a chill down Ambika's spine.

Her eyes darted toward him, and her heart skipped a beat.

"If your 'important' talk is over... can we start the meeting now?"

Yuvraj leaned back in his chair, clicking the tip of his pen against the table rhythmically-tip... tip... tip-as if counting down the seconds of her silence.

Ambika's eyes met his for a fleeting second before she quickly averted her gaze, her heart pounding.

"Y-Yes... I mean... s-sorry," she stammered, her voice barely audible.

Great. Just great.

Yuvraj's expression was unreadable, but the glint in his eyes told her that he was enjoying this far more than he should. However, he didn't drag it out any further.

He stood up from his chair, his cold gaze sweeping across the room as he spoke.

"I believe most of you already know me."

His tone was calm yet commanding, sending a shiver down Ambika's spine.

"But for those who don't..." His gaze shifted back to Ambika, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he added with deliberate emphasis-

"I'm Yuvraj Singh. The CEO of this company."

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