Chapter 4 – The Offer

Two months later.

X Branch Headquarters, Mumbai.

The conference room was buzzing before the meeting even began. A long glass table stretched across the center, lined with polished leather chairs. Nameplates gleamed under the fluorescent lights. Laptops hummed, coffee cups steamed, and conversations overlapped in that particular corporate way—half greetings, half subtle sizing up.

Sana Kapoor sat somewhere in the middle, notebook open, pen poised. She looked the part—neat blazer, hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, expression attentive—but inside, her mind was foggy with the usual conference fatigue. The regional director was already fifteen minutes into his speech about expansion strategies, client partnerships, and “synergy” across branches. She dutifully scribbled the keywords, but her focus wavered.

Expansion. Growth. Integration.

Buzzwords she had heard a hundred times before.

Then—

“…and for our flagship overseas project, we’ve selected two of our most capable employees: Ms. Sana Kapoor from Y branch, and Mr. Arjun Malhotra from X branch.”

Her pen froze mid-word.

The room erupted into polite applause, and Sana blinked, her stomach tightening.

Wait. What?

Overseas project?

Her eyes darted to the director, half-convinced she’d misheard. But no—he was smiling proudly, continuing to outline the plan.

“Relocation will be required for a period of five years,” he explained, his tone smooth and celebratory. “Accommodation, travel, and living expenses will of course be provided. This is a rare opportunity, both professionally and personally, for two of our brightest.”

Five years.

Abroad.

Away from her family. Away from the city she’d always known, the friends she leaned on, the familiar rhythm of her life.

Her grip tightened on the pen, but her notes ended abruptly in a half-finished sentence.

From the corner of her eye, she sensed movement. She glanced up—just for a second—and caught Arjun looking at her. His brows lifted, a flicker of surprise crossing his usually composed face. But in the next instant, he masked it, leaning back in his chair with that effortless calm he carried everywhere.

As if five years abroad was just another bullet point on a meeting agenda.

Sana forced herself to clap with the rest of the room, her palms mechanical, her smile stiff. The applause faded, the meeting resumed, but her mind was no longer in the room.

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By the time the session ended, her head felt heavy, her throat dry. She slipped out before anyone could corner her with congratulations, her heels clicking briskly against the marble floor of the lobby.

The building’s massive glass windows let in the glare of late-afternoon sun, but she didn’t stop to admire the skyline. Instead, she found a quiet corner near the far wall, set her notebook down, and pressed a hand to her forehead.

Five years. Abroad. Five years.

Her chest tightened at the thought. She’d always prided herself on being independent, but this—this was bigger than anything she’d imagined. Leaving behind family dinners, her mother’s Sunday phone calls, the comfort of her own city streets.

It felt less like an opportunity and more like an exile.

“You look like someone just told you you’re being shipped off to Siberia.”

Sana’s head snapped up.

Arjun was standing a few feet away, his hands tucked casually in his pockets, his jacket slung over one arm. His expression was calm as ever, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes.

She exhaled, a humorless laugh escaping her. “Feels like it. Five years abroad is… a lot.”

He stepped closer, leaning lightly against the wall near her. “It’s an opportunity people wait their whole careers for.”

“Yes, I know the official line,” she muttered. “Big project. International exposure. Career-defining moment.” Her voice softened. “But it’s not just a project, is it? It’s leaving everything I know behind.”

He studied her for a moment, not rushing to respond. His gaze wasn’t intrusive, but steady—like he was weighing her words carefully.

Finally, he said, quietly but firmly, “If you’re scared, it means it’s worth doing.”

She frowned, arms crossing over her chest. “That’s not comforting, you know.”

“It’s not supposed to be.” His lips curved faintly. “It’s supposed to make you think.”

Sana looked away, focusing on the stream of employees passing by in the lobby. Her mind spun with what-ifs. What if she said no and ruined her chances at growth? What if she said yes and lost pieces of herself along the way?

“Five years,” she murmured again, as if repeating it would somehow make it feel less daunting.

“You’ll adapt,” Arjun said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Her eyes flicked back to him, a spark of frustration mixing with her anxiety. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because you’re the kind of person who adapts,” he said without hesitation. “I’ve seen it. You don’t waste time pretending. You cut through things. That’s exactly what you’ll need there.”

His certainty disarmed her. It wasn’t flattery. It wasn’t corporate pep talk. It was… conviction.

Her throat tightened. “And what if I can’t?”

He tilted his head, considering her. Then, with the smallest curve of his mouth, he said, “Then I’ll remind you that you can.”

The words weren’t loud. They weren’t dramatic. But they landed in her chest with a quiet weight.

Her heartbeat stumbled.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. So she said nothing, letting silence stretch between them.

Then he straightened, slipping his jacket back over his arm. “Think about it, Sana. Don’t let fear decide for you.” He turned to go, then paused just long enough to add, “And besides…” His gaze caught hers, steady and unreadable. “…you won’t be alone there.”

She blinked, but he was already walking toward the elevators, his steps unhurried.

Her hand tightened on her notebook, her mind a whirl of doubts and possibilities.

But for the first time that day, the idea of saying yes didn’t feel impossible.

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