Episode 7: The Night Before Everything Changes
1073 Words
(Aarohi’s POV)
The entire week led to this moment.
Submissions were done.
Everyone had presented.
Everyone had been acknowledged.
And now—
it was my turn.
Tomorrow.
That night, I stayed back.
Again.
The office looked completely different now.
Empty chairs.
Silent desks.
The faint hum of AC.
And my laptop screen glowing in the darkness.
I stared at my slides.
Again.
And again.
“Slide 4… no, this line sounds weak.”
I deleted it.
Rewrote it.
Paused.
“No… still not strong enough.”
“You’re going to rewrite the whole presentation at this rate.”
I froze.
Slowly turned.
“Abhay…”
I exhaled.
“You scared me.”
He walked closer, hands in his pockets, a small amused smile on his face.
“I’ve been standing here for a full minute.”
“I didn’t notice.”
“That’s the problem,” he said, pulling a chair beside me. “You’re too deep into this.”
“I have to be,” I replied, looking back at my screen. “It has to be perfect.”
“Why perfect?” he asked calmly.
I paused.
Because I didn’t have a simple answer.
“Because…” I searched for words, “…I don’t want to fail.”
He leaned back slightly.
“Failing and not being perfect are two different things.”
I shook my head.
“Not here.”
There was a silence between us.
Not awkward.
But heavy.
“Show me,” he said softly.
I opened my slides and started explaining.
This time—
not just the content.
But my thought behind it.
“This is competitor analysis,” I said, pointing at the screen.
“They’re all focusing on pricing and features. No one is building emotional connection.”
He nodded.
“And your solution?”
“Storytelling,” I replied. “Real people. Real experiences. Something that makes the brand feel… human.”
“Hmm,” he leaned forward slightly, studying the screen.
“Is it too simple?” I asked quietly.
He looked at me.
“Do you think it is?”
I hesitated.
“No… but it doesn’t feel… big enough.”
“That’s because you think ‘big’ means complicated,” he said.
I frowned slightly.
“Simple ideas,” he continued, “are the hardest to execute. And the most powerful.”
I didn’t reply immediately.
Because… he was right.
“You’ve done the hard part,” he added.
“You’ve understood the problem.”
I looked at my screen again.
Then at him.
“But what if he doesn’t like it?” I asked.
He smiled faintly.
“You’re not here to make him ‘like’ you.”
“I know, but—”
“You’re here to prove your thinking,” he interrupted gently.
That hit somewhere deeper than I expected.
We sat quietly for a moment.
Then he suddenly closed my laptop.
“Hey—what are you doing?!”
“Break,” he said simply.
“I don’t have time—”
“You do,” he cut in. “Come.”
Before I could argue further—
I followed him.
The cafeteria was almost empty.
Only a couple of staff members cleaning.
The lights softer.
The silence… calmer.
He brought two coffees.
Placed one in front of me.
“Drink,” he said.
I wrapped my fingers around the cup.
Warmth spread slowly.
For the first time that night—
I relaxed.
A little.
“So…” he leaned back, looking at me, “who are you outside this office?”
I blinked.
“What?”
“Outside deadlines, presentations, stress… who are you?”
I smiled faintly.
“I don’t know anymore.”
“That’s not true,” he said.
I looked at my coffee.
Then spoke slowly.
“I’m someone who wants to do something big,” I said.
“Not just work… but create something that matters.”
He nodded.
“Good.”
“It’s just me and my mom,” I added quietly.
“She’s… everything.”
His expression softened slightly.
“She must be proud,” he said.
“I hope so,” I replied.
He didn’t say anything for a moment.
Then—
“Boyfriend?” he asked casually.
I almost choked.
“No!”
He laughed.
“Okay, okay.”
“What about you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.
He smirked.
“What about me?”
“Family? Life? Anyone special?”
He leaned back, looking at the ceiling for a second.
“Family’s in another city,” he said.
“And life…” he paused, “…mostly ended up here.”
“That sounds sad,” I said honestly.
“Or practical,” he replied.
I studied him for a moment.
“You don’t talk much about yourself, do you?”
“Depends on who’s asking,” he said lightly.
“Fair,” I nodded.
“Where do you stay?” he asked.
“PG… for now,” I said. “We’re looking for a 1BHK or RK.”
“Good,” he said. “You’ll need your own space.”
“I know,” I smiled slightly. “This city doesn’t feel permanent yet.”
“It will,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“Because everyone says that in the beginning,” he replied.
We both smiled.
Silence again.
But this time—
lighter.
“Thank you,” I said suddenly.
“For what?”
“For helping,” I said. “With work… and this.”
He shrugged.
“You’re doing the work. I’m just guiding.”
Still—
it meant something.
After a while, he stood up.
“Okay, enough. Let’s go back.”
We walked back together.
At my desk—
he stopped.
“Need a drop?” he asked.
I shook my head instantly.
“No. I’ll manage.”
“You sure? It’s late.”
“Yes,” I said firmly.
He looked at me for a second.
Then nodded.
“Okay. Don’t stay too long.”
“I won’t.”
But I did.
Because I wasn’t done yet.
Because tomorrow—
was important.
And as I reopened my laptop—
his words stayed in my mind.
“You’re not here to impress. You’re here to prove your thinking.”
For the first time—
I believed that.
And maybe—
that’s what I needed all along.
- Writer
