Episode 1 — The First EncounterMaya had always believed that some people entered your life quietly.No dramatic music.No warning.No promise that they would stay.She just never expected one of them to be him.It was raining the evening Maya first saw Arjun.She stood beneath the narrow roof of a small café, hugging her handbag against her chest while watching the rain turn the street into a silver blur.Her phone was dead.Her cab had cancelled.And she was already twenty minutes late for an interview that could change her life.“Perfect,” she whispered.“Do you always talk to yourself when you're stressed?”The unfamiliar voice came from beside her.Maya turned.A man stood there, holding a black umbrella.Tall. Calm. Dressed in a simple white shirt with his sleeves rolled to his elbows.He wasn't smiling.Not even slightly.Maya raised an eyebrow.“Do you always listen to strangers' conversations?”“Only when they're loud.”She stared at him.“I wasn't loud.”“You were.”“I whispered.”“Still loud.”For some reason, that annoyed her.For some other reason, she almost smiled.Almost.He extended the umbrella toward her.“Take it.”Maya looked at the umbrella, then at him.“What about you?”“I have another one.”She glanced behind him.There was no second umbrella.“You're lying.”His expression didn't change.“Probably.”Before she could respond, he placed the umbrella in her hand and walked into the rain.Maya stood frozen.“Wait!”He turned.“Why did you give it to me?”He looked at her for a moment.“Because you looked like you needed it.”Then he walked away.Maya watched him disappear into the rain.She didn't know his name.She didn't know where he worked.She didn't even know if she would ever see him again.But she remembered his eyes.They were strangely sad for someone who looked so indifferent.Three days later, Maya walked into her new workplace.She had gotten the job.The office was larger than she expected, filled with glass walls, quiet conversations and people rushing from one meeting to another.Her manager smiled.“Welcome to our team, Maya. I'll introduce you to your department head.”They walked down a long corridor.Maya adjusted her ID card nervously.The manager stopped in front of a glass door.“Mr. Arjun Mehta.”Maya's heart skipped.No.It couldn't be.The door opened.And there he was.The man who never smiled.The man who had given her his umbrella.Arjun looked at her.For the first time, his expression changed.Only for a second.Surprise.Then it disappeared.“Maya,” he said.She swallowed.“You remember me?”“I remember the girl who accused me of lying.”“You were lying.”“I had another umbrella.”“Where is it?”He looked at her.“In my car.”Maya folded her arms.“Convenient.”Something almost like amusement appeared in his eyes.Almost.Her manager looked between them.“You two already know each other?”“No,” Arjun said.“Yes,” Maya said at exactly the same time.They looked at each other.Her manager laughed.“Interesting.”Maya wanted the floor to open beneath her.Arjun simply returned to his desk.“Give her the project files.”The manager nodded and left.Maya remained standing.“You're my department head?”“Yes.”“You could have told me.”“You didn't ask.”“You knew who I was.”“Yes.”“And you didn't say anything?”Arjun finally looked up.“You were busy arguing about an umbrella.”Maya rolled her eyes.“I don't like you.”“I know.”She blinked.“How?”“You've been standing there for three minutes trying to convince yourself of it.”For the first time, Maya saw it.A tiny smile.Barely there.But real.Her heart did something ridiculous.She immediately looked away.“Where are the project files?”“Second shelf.”She walked toward the shelf.Then stopped.“Arjun?”“Yes?”“Thank you.”“For what?”“The umbrella.”He looked at her quietly.“You're welcome.”Maya picked up the files and returned to her desk.She told herself it was nothing.Just a coincidence.Just a new job.Just a man who happened to be standing in the rain that evening.But as she opened the first project file, she noticed something written on a small sticky note attached to it.Three words.Don't trust him.Maya slowly looked toward Arjun.He was staring at his computer.But somehow…she had the feeling he already knew she'd seen it.And for the first time, Maya wondered—Who was Arjun Mehta really?And why did everyone seem to be afraid of him?To be continued…