Sparks Behind Glass wall

The first day at Oberoi Enterprises already felt heavier than Ruhi had imagined. The glass towers of the building seemed to watch her every step, as if demanding she prove she belonged.

The HR manager led the group of fresh interns down the hallway into a boardroom that looked like something out of a corporate magazine — sleek glass walls, polished mahogany table, chrome chairs. The air-conditioning hummed softly, but the chill went deeper, crawling into nerves.

Ruhi sat down quietly, clutching her notebook. Around her, the other interns whispered nervously.

“Do you think he’ll show up today?” one whispered behind his hand.

“They say Mr. Oberoi doesn’t waste time on interns. He’s… different,” another replied, awe mixed with fear.

Ruhi’s lips pressed into a thin line. She had heard the same stories: Reyansh Oberoi, CEO of OE, a man who built empires out of numbers and crushed competition without blinking. Cold. Brilliant. Untouchable.

But she hadn’t come here to fade in the background. She was here to be seen.

The glass door opened with a sharp click.

Silence fell instantly.

Reyansh Oberoi walked in.

Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a charcoal-grey suit that fit him like second skin, his very presence commanded the room. His eyes swept across the interns in one swift movement — assessing, calculating, as if he could weigh their worth in a single glance.

“Good morning,” his voice rang out, low and deep. Not warm, not cold. Just an echoing authority that filled the space.

The HR manager hurried forward. “Sir, the interns for this year’s Marketing and Strategy program.”

Reyansh didn’t nod. He didn’t smile. He folded his arms across his chest and stood at the head of the table.

“Introduce yourselves. Name, background, and why you think you’re fit for OE.”

One by one, the interns scrambled to their feet. Most stumbled through the usual rehearsed lines: passion, hard work, eagerness to learn. Reyansh’s face didn’t shift once, not even an eyebrow raised.

Then it was Ruhi’s turn.

Her knees felt heavier than stone, but her chin lifted with quiet defiance. She pushed back her chair and rose.

“Ruhi Khanna. Marketing graduate, Delhi University. Why OE?” She paused, meeting his eyes without flinching. “Because OE doesn’t just create success, sir. It creates storms. And I don’t want calm waters. I want to know if I can stand in the middle of that storm without breaking.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

One intern shifted uncomfortably. Another let out a soft gasp. No one ever spoke to him like that.

Reyansh’s eyes narrowed. He tilted his head slightly, as if weighing her words. For a second, Ruhi thought she had overstepped.

And then — just for the briefest flicker — his lips curved into something between a smirk and a challenge.

“Storms, Ms. Khanna?” His voice was dangerously smooth. “Do you know what happens to people who stand in storms? They get swept away.”

Ruhi’s heartbeat pounded, but she didn’t lower her gaze.

“Or they learn to dance in the rain.”

For a fleeting moment, she thought she caught surprise in his expression — gone so quickly she wondered if she had imagined it.

The HR manager cleared his throat nervously. “Shall we… continue, sir?”

Reyansh finally sat down, but his eyes remained on her.

“Very well. Let’s see if your actions can live up to your dramatic metaphors.”

The introductions ended quickly after that, but the atmosphere in the room had shifted. Every intern stole glances at Ruhi — some impressed, some annoyed, some already marking her as competition. She ignored them, though her own pulse hadn’t yet steadied.

As everyone filed out of the boardroom, Ruhi’s spine tingled with unease. She hadn’t just met Reyansh Oberoi. She had challenged him — knowingly or unknowingly.

And by the look in his eyes, he was not a man who let challenges go unanswered.

To be continued ~

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