Episode 5: Learning the Language of The Legacy
1056 Words
(Aarohi’s POV)
Mornings in a new city don’t feel like mornings.
They feel like… tests.
And today—
was my second one.
I was still trying to decide what to wear when Riya walked in without knocking.
Two coffee mugs in one hand.
A paper bag in the other.
Before I could say anything—
she stuffed a sandwich into my mouth.
“Eat.”
“Mmm—Riya!” I mumbled, trying to speak.
She placed the coffee mugs on the table calmly.
“You’re not leaving this room until you finish that.”
“I was getting ready!”
“And you’ll faint in the office if you don’t eat.”
I rolled my eyes…
…but sat down anyway.
Because this—
this was her love language.
We sat cross-legged on the bed, holding coffee.
The room was quiet.
For a moment, it felt like home.
“So…” she looked at me, “tell me everything. Marketing queen.”
I sighed.
“I don’t feel like a queen. More like… confused intern.”
She laughed.
“Normal.”
“They’re teaching marketing like it’s some rocket science,” I said. “So many terms—consumer behavior, targeting, positioning…”
“And you?” she asked.
“I’m trying to keep up.”
She nodded approvingly.
“That’s enough for now.”
After a pause, I looked at her.
“You came late yesterday…”
“Hmm.”
“You were working?”
“And flat hunting,” she added casually.
I stared at her.
“You went alone?”
“It’s fine,” she shrugged. “You had your first day. I handled it.”
Something in my chest tightened.
“You always do too much for me…”
She smiled softly.
“And you always overthink.”
Soon, I left for the office.
This time—
my steps felt slightly more confident.
At the entrance, I saw them.
Nisha. Kritika. Pooja.
Already waiting.
“Good morning!” Nisha waved.
“Morning,” I smiled.
“Ready for marketing torture?” she asked.
“Never,” I replied.
We walked into the training room together.
And just like yesterday—
Abhay was there.
“Ah, the future marketing legends have arrived!” he announced dramatically.
“Legends?” Nisha laughed. “We don’t even know basics.”
“Exactly,” he said. “Every legend starts confused.”
Training began.
But today—
it was different.
More structured.
More real.
“Let’s start with the basics,” Abhay said, writing on the board.
MARKETING ≠ SELLING
“What do you think marketing is?” he asked.
Kritika raised her hand.
“Understanding customer needs and fulfilling them.”
“Good,” he nodded.
Pooja added softly, “Creating value for customers.”
“Very good.”
Then he looked at Nisha.
“Talking too much and convincing people?”
We laughed.
“Also correct… in your own way,” he smiled.
Then—
his eyes shifted to me.
“And Aarohi?”
I paused for a second.
Then spoke.
“Marketing is… about connection. Understanding what people feel, what they need—even before they realize it themselves… and then creating something that fits into their lives.”
There was a small pause.
Abhay smiled slightly.
“Nice perspective.”
For the first time—
I felt a little… confident.
Hours passed with real learning.
Market segmentation. Target audience. Branding.
Real examples.
Real logic.
And slowly—
things started making sense.
“Remember,” Abhay said, “you’re not just selling a product. You’re selling a solution… an emotion… sometimes even a dream.”
I wrote that down.
Because something about it stayed with me.
Break Time
We sat together again.
More relaxed now.
“I think I actually understood something today,” I said.
“Same!” Pooja smiled.
“Abhay should be our permanent trainer,” Nisha added.
Kritika nodded. “He explains logically.”
But then—
the break ended.
And just like yesterday—
the air shifted.
He walked in.
Kayish Sinha.
Same calm expression.
Same controlled presence.
But today—
I paid more attention.
“Let’s continue,” he said.
His training was different.
More technical.
More detailed.
More… intense.
“Define market segmentation,” he asked suddenly.
Kritika answered confidently.
“Dividing a broad market into smaller groups based on shared characteristics.”
“Correct.”
“Targeting?” he asked.
Pooja answered softly.
“Selecting specific segments to focus on.”
“Good.”
His eyes moved across the room.
Then stopped.
On me.
“Aarohi.”
My name again.
But this time—
I was ready.
“Yes, sir.”
“Positioning?”
I took a breath.
“It’s how a brand is perceived in the customer’s mind… compared to competitors. It’s about creating a distinct image that makes the product stand out.”
Silence.
For a second—
I felt it.
That small moment of expectation.
He looked at me.
Directly.
Without expression.
Then—
he turned away.
“Next.”
That’s it.
No “good.”
No “correct.”
Nothing.
Something inside me paused.
Not hurt.
But… confused.
Was that wrong?
No.
I knew it wasn’t.
Then why—
no reaction?
I looked down at my notebook.
Trying to focus again.
The training continued.
Strategies. Case studies. Data.
He spoke clearly.
Perfectly.
But emotionally—
distant.
By the end—
my head was full again.
Outside the room—
Nisha grabbed my arm immediately.
“YOU ANSWERED PERFECTLY.”
“Did I?” I frowned.
“Yes! And he didn’t even say anything!”
Kritika added, “Your answer was correct.”
Pooja nodded softly. “Maybe that’s his way.”
“His way?” Nisha scoffed. “That’s rude.”
I shook my head slightly.
“No… maybe he just expects more.”
But deep inside—
a question stayed.
Why did he look at me like that… but say nothing?
As we walked out of the office—
the city felt the same.
But something inside me…
had shifted slightly.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
Something quieter.
More confusing.
Because now—
this wasn’t just about learning marketing.
It was about understanding people.
And some people—
were harder to understand than any subject.
Kayish Sinha…
was one of them.
- Writer
