Collision Course

The next morning, Ruhi arrived at OE earlier than usual. The memory of yesterday’s presentation and Reyansh’s unexpected words refused to leave her mind.

“Assign Ms. Khanna directly under Strategy.”

The weight of that sentence still lingered in her chest. It was a win — but it also felt like a trap. Everyone at OE knew working directly under the CEO wasn’t just an opportunity. It was a battlefield.

As she stepped into the sleek, glass-walled Strategy floor, she caught the lingering stares. Whispers followed her like shadows.

“That’s her… the intern Oberoi picked.”

“Let’s see how long she lasts.”

Ruhi ignored them. She had survived whispers before.

The secretary appeared, crisp and efficient.

“Mr. Oberoi will see you in his office.”

Ruhi smoothed her blazer, inhaled deeply, and stepped inside.

---

His office was vast, lined with bookshelves and floor-to-ceiling windows that made the city skyline look like part of the décor. Reyansh stood near his desk, reading something on his tablet. Without looking up, he spoke.

“You’re late.”

Ruhi blinked, startled. She checked her watch. “It’s 8:55, sir. You said nine.”

Reyansh finally looked up, his eyes sharp, the corner of his mouth tilting just slightly.

“Exactly. If you want to work under me, Ms. Khanna, you arrive before me.”

Heat crept into her cheeks, but she straightened her spine. “Noted.”

He gestured to a chair across his desk. “Sit. Let’s see if you’re as sharp as your metaphors claim.”

Ruhi sat, her notebook open, pen ready.

“I want a comprehensive competitor analysis of the luxury skincare sector within seventy-two hours. Market trends, consumer behavior, pricing models, digital positioning. No recycled data, no copy-paste reports.” His voice was cool, detached. “If I see even one generic insight, your internship ends that second.”

Her pen hovered above the page. She looked up slowly. “That’s a week’s work at least. You want it in three days?”

He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, eyes narrowing with challenge. “Impossible deadlines are the only kind worth giving. The weak break under them. The strong…” His gaze flicked over her deliberately. “…prove they can dance in the rain.”

Her breath caught at the deliberate echo of her own words from yesterday. For a moment, something electric passed between them — unspoken, sharp.

Ruhi’s grip on her pen tightened, but her voice stayed steady.

“Then I’ll deliver something even you don’t expect.”

Reyansh’s lips curved in the faintest smirk, approval hidden behind mockery.

“We’ll see.”

---

Hours later, Ruhi sat at her assigned desk, buried in research. Every number, every chart felt like a piece of a massive puzzle she had to solve before time swallowed her. But her determination burned brighter than her exhaustion.

Several times, she felt Reyansh’s gaze through the glass walls of his office. He didn’t need to step out. Just his presence was enough to remind her: she wasn’t invisible anymore.

But the strangest part?

He wasn’t ignoring her.

He was watching. Testing. Almost… curious.

And Ruhi Khanna had no intention of failing his test.

To be continued ~

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