Episode 18: The First Step
1148 Words
(Aarohi's POV)
The moment we stepped out of the conference room, the excitement from a few minutes ago was replaced by responsibility.
This wasn't training anymore.
This wasn't a mock assignment.
This was a live project.
Abhay clapped his hands once as the three of us—Nisha, Kayish Sir's newly assigned team, and I—stood outside the conference room.
"Alright, team," he said with a smile. "Welcome to the fun part."
"The fun part?" Nisha raised an eyebrow.
Abhay laughed. "You'll regret asking that in a few days."
He led us to a collaborative workspace near Kayish Sir's glass cabin. Whiteboards covered one wall, sticky notes were neatly arranged, and a large round table was already occupied by files, competitor reports, and market research documents.
"These are all the previous campaigns," Abhay explained. "Don't copy them. Learn from them."
He handed different folders to each of us.
"Nisha, you're focusing on social media strategy. Study how competitors use i********:, LinkedIn, YouTube, and short-form content."
She nodded confidently.
"Aarohi, these files contain competitor campaigns, customer surveys, and market reports. Your job is to understand how every competitor positions itself. We don't want to look like them—we want to stand apart."
"I understand."
"I'll coordinate everything and make sure we're on schedule."
Just then, two senior employees walked over.
"Morning, Abhay."
"Morning," Abhay greeted them. "Perfect timing."
He turned towards us.
"Meet Aman Verma, Senior Sales Executive."
A man in his early thirties smiled warmly.
"And this is Dev Khanna, Corporate Sales Manager."
"Welcome to The Legacy," Dev said with a polite smile.
Abhay pointed towards Kritika and Pooja, who had just joined us.
"You two will be working closely with Aman and Dev for lead generation."
Pooja smiled nervously.
"We're looking forward to learning."
"You'll have plenty to learn," Aman replied with a chuckle.
Soon everyone dispersed towards their respective workstations.
I switched on my laptop and opened the first report.
One competitor focused on affordability.
Another promoted luxury.
One sold emotions.
Another sold convenience.
I scribbled notes rapidly.
"If everyone is selling products... what if we sell an experience instead?"
The idea stayed in my mind as I continued reading.
Hours passed without me noticing.
The office buzzed with activity.
Phones rang continuously.
Printers worked nonstop.
Meetings happened one after another.
Employees walked past carrying laptops and coffee mugs.
This was the corporate world I had dreamed of.
And I loved every bit of it.
Around noon, Abhay stopped beside my desk.
"How's the research?"
"I'm trying to identify gaps in competitors' branding."
He pulled a chair beside me.
"Good. But don't just look at what they're doing."
He pointed towards one graph.
"Find what they're not doing."
I looked at him.
He smiled.
"Sometimes the biggest opportunity hides where nobody is looking."
I quickly noted his advice.
At the next desk, Nisha sighed dramatically.
"I've changed this content calendar five times."
Abhay laughed.
"That means you're thinking."
"It means I'm confused."
"Same thing."
Everyone around us laughed.
Across the floor, Kritika and Pooja were learning from Aman and Dev.
"This," Aman explained while pointing at his screen, "is our lead management dashboard."
Rows of company names filled the display.
"We don't contact everyone."
Dev continued, "First we identify potential clients, then qualify them based on industry, budget, and requirements."
"So quality over quantity?" Kritika asked.
"Exactly," Dev replied.
Pooja carefully noted every point.
By evening, reality finally hit us.
None of this was easy.
Nisha had forgotten to include audience engagement timings in her strategy.
Kritika accidentally duplicated several entries in the client database.
Pooja had categorised a few companies incorrectly.
Even I realised one of my competitor comparison charts included outdated market data.
Frustrated, I leaned back in my chair.
Abhay noticed immediately.
"Problem?"
"I compared last year's campaign instead of their latest one."
He looked at the screen.
"It happens."
"I'll have to redo everything."
"So redo it."
He smiled encouragingly.
"Mistakes aren't failures."
"Leaving them uncorrected is."
His words eased my frustration.
By seven in the evening, most departments had started leaving.
Our floor hadn't.
Coffee cups covered almost every desk.
The lights outside the windows slowly blended into the city skyline.
At exactly seven-thirty, an email arrived.
Conference Room One. End-of-Day Review.
We all picked up our laptops and entered the room.
Kayish Sir was already there.
He stood beside the screen with a notebook in his hand.
"Let's begin."
Abhay presented first.
He explained the team's progress, task allocation, and overall timeline.
Kayish listened carefully.
"Good coordination."
He paused.
"Maintain better documentation."
"Noted, sir."
Next came Nisha.
She presented her social media strategy.
Instagram campaigns.
Influencer collaborations.
Posting schedules.
Engagement ideas.
Kayish studied each slide.
"The ideas are creative."
Nisha smiled.
"But your posting schedule ignores weekday engagement patterns."
Her smile disappeared.
"Review audience behaviour between seven and ten p.m."
She quickly wrote it down.
"Yes, sir."
Then it was my turn.
Taking a deep breath, I connected my laptop.
"My analysis focuses on five major competitors."
The first slide displayed comparison graphs.
The second showed customer demographics.
The third explained brand positioning.
I spoke confidently, explaining how each competitor targeted a different customer segment and why our campaign needed a distinct identity rather than copying existing trends.
When I finished, the room became silent.
Kayish looked at the screen for several seconds.
Finally, he spoke.
"Strong research."
Relief washed over me.
Then he added,
"But your conclusion is incomplete."
I looked up.
"You've identified where competitors stand."
He walked towards the screen and pointed at my final graph.
"You haven't shown where our brand should stand."
He drew a small circle on the positioning map.
"This is the gap."
I immediately understood.
Instead of competing directly, we needed to create our own space in the market.
"I'll revise it tonight."
He nodded once.
"Good."
No smile.
No unnecessary praise.
Just one word.
But somehow... it felt like appreciation.
Kritika and Pooja presented the lead generation report next.
Aman and Dev supported them whenever required.
Kayish pointed out a few improvements in client categorisation and follow-up planning before closing his notebook.
He looked around the room.
"For the first working day..."
"...good progress."
Everyone exchanged relieved smiles.
"But remember..."
His voice remained calm.
"This project will only succeed if every department works together."
He picked up his file.
"Tomorrow, I expect better."
With that, he walked out.
The room remained silent for a second before Abhay dramatically dropped into a chair.
"I survived."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Nisha laughed so hard she almost spilled her coffee.
"I was sure he'd reject everything."
"He almost did," Pooja replied.
Abhay looked at me.
"Welcome to working under Kayish Sinha."
I smiled as I closed my laptop.
It had been a long day.
An exhausting day.
But for the first time since joining The Legacy...
I truly felt like I belonged.
- Writer
