Chapter 4 Past
1123 Words
The next morning, the atmosphere inside the office was unusually tense.
Employees hurried from one department to another, arranging files and checking presentations. Everyone knew that today's meeting was important.
Randhir walked out of his cabin with his usual commanding aura.
"Everyone, conference room in thirty minutes," he announced.
He looked at Sanyukta.
R: "A new client is coming."
She looked up from her laptop.
S: "Okay."
R: "If we get this deal, it'll be very profitable for the company. I don't want any mistakes."
S: "Everything is ready."
He simply nodded and walked away.
Sanyukta sighed.
"Why is he behaving so strangely these days? Sometimes he's rude... sometimes protective... and sometimes he just keeps staring at me."
She shook her head.
"Forget it. Just focus on work."
With half an hour still left before the meeting, Sanyukta decided to take a walk around the office to clear her mind.
She was passing through one of the quiet corridors when music suddenly started playing from someone's phone in a nearby cabin.
The melody alone was enough.
Her feet froze.
Her breathing became uneven.
The smile disappeared from her face.
Her eyes widened with fear.
That tune...
It was the same one...
The same song that reminded her of the darkest chapter of her life.
Memories she had buried years ago came crashing back.
A dark room.
Someone laughing.
Someone saying...
"You can never escape me."
Her hands began trembling uncontrollably.
Her vision blurred.
She couldn't hear anything around her anymore.
Her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears.
"No..."
She whispered to herself.
"Not again..."
She took a step back, but her legs refused to cooperate.
At that exact moment...
Aryan walked into the corridor.
He immediately noticed her pale face.
A: "Sanyukta?"
She didn't respond.
He came closer.
A: "Sanyukta... what happened?"
The moment she heard his voice...
She instinctively hugged him tightly.
Aryan was shocked.
For a second, he simply stood there.
Then he gently placed a comforting hand on her back.
"It's okay..."
"You are safe."
Slowly...
Her breathing returned to normal.
A few seconds later she realized what she had done.
She immediately stepped back.
Her face turned red with embarrassment.
S: "I'm... I'm sorry."
Aryan smiled warmly.
A: "It's okay."
He looked at her worriedly.
A: "What happened?"
She avoided eye contact.
S: "Nothing."
Aryan knew she was lying.
A: "You know you can share anything with me."
She forced a small smile.
S: "Maybe... someday."
Aryan didn't pressure her.
A: "Okay."
To distract her, he started talking about random office gossip.
Within a few minutes...
She actually laughed.
For the first time that morning.
Unfortunately...
Someone had witnessed everything.
Standing near the glass partition...
Randhir.
His jaw tightened.
His fists clenched.
His eyes remained fixed on the scene where Sanyukta had hugged Aryan.
Something burned inside him.
Jealousy.
Possessiveness.
Anger.
He didn't even understand why it hurt so much.
"Why did she hug him?"
"Why does she smile so freely with him?"
"She never smiles like that with me."
He looked away angrily.
A few minutes later...
An office assistant came to Sanyukta.
"Ma'am, sir is calling you."
She nodded.
After knocking twice...
She entered Randhir's cabin.
He didn't even look at her.
He continued signing documents.
A long silence filled the room.
Finally...
Without raising his head...
He spoke.
R: "How much time do you need to come to my cabin?"
Sanyukta blinked.
S (thinking): Has he gone mad?
Why is he behaving so weird these days?
First he keeps staring at me... then gets angry for no reason... now this.
She pushed those thoughts aside.
This wasn't the time.
She had work.
S: "You called me?"
Randhir finally looked up.
His face was expressionless.
R: "The presentation."
She handed him the file.
He carefully went through every page.
Everything was perfect.
Yet...
He still wanted to find some excuse to keep her there.
After a moment...
He closed the file.
R: "Good work."
Sanyukta was surprised.
Compliments from Randhir were extremely rare.
S: "Thank you."
She turned to leave.
Just then...
R: "And..."
She looked back.
R: "Stay focused during the meeting."
S: "I always do."
She left.
Randhir leaned back in his chair.
"Why did I even say that?"
Soon...
Everyone gathered inside the conference hall.
The projector was ready.
Coffee was served.
Files were arranged neatly.
Aryan sat beside Sanyukta.
Randhir noticed it immediately.
His mood worsened.
A few minutes later...
The receptionist entered.
"Sir, the clients have arrived."
Randhir stood up.
The conference room door opened.
Several people entered.
Leading them was a tall man wearing a perfectly tailored black suit.
He had an expensive watch, a confident smile...
...and eyes that looked strangely familiar.
Randhir walked forward professionally.
R: "Welcome, Mr. Sameer Mittal."
They shook hands.
Sameer: "Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Shekhawat."
Till then...
Sanyukta hadn't looked at the client.
She was arranging her notes.
Then...
She heard his voice.
That voice...
The color drained from her face.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
She lifted her head.
The moment their eyes met...
Time stopped.
Her fingers tightened around the file.
Her heartbeat accelerated.
"No..."
"It can't be..."
Standing in front of her...
Was the man she had prayed never to see again.
Her past.
Sameer Mittal.
A slow smirk appeared on his face.
Not of surprise.
As if he had expected this meeting all along.
As if he had been waiting for it.
Sanyukta's breathing became uneven again.
Randhir, unaware of the storm raging inside her, spoke confidently.
R: "Mr. Mittal..."
He turned toward Sanyukta.
R: "She is my wife..."
He paused proudly.
R: "Mrs. Sanyukta Singh Shekhawat."
Sameer's eyes flickered for a fraction of a second before that smirk returned.
He extended his hand.
Sameer: "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Shekhawat."
For a moment...
Sanyukta couldn't move.
Aryan noticed her trembling hands.
He looked at her with concern.
Randhir frowned.
"Why is she so nervous?"
Taking a deep breath, Sanyukta forced herself to remain professional.
She slowly extended her hand.
The handshake lasted only a second.
But to her...
It felt like an eternity.
Sameer's grip was firm.
His smile carried a meaning only she understood.
Very softly, so that no one else could hear, he murmured,
Sameer: "After all these years... fate brought us together again."
Sanyukta immediately pulled her hand back.
Her face remained calm, but inside she was shaken.
Randhir noticed the change in her expression.
Aryan noticed it too.
Both men exchanged confused glances.
Neither of them knew one thing—
The arrival of Sameer Mittal was not just the beginning of a business deal.
It was the return of a past that Sanyukta had desperately tried to leave behind, and it threatened to change all of their lives.
- Writer
