The Twist Of Fate

chapter 3

Barkha had no idea how she had managed to reach her apartment. What she did know was that the wall she was staring at so earnestly was much more interesting than her messed up life.

Imagine being unexpectedly handed 17% shares in a company worth a fortune. It was as if the universe had played a cosmic prank on her.

Barkha's mind was in a frenzy. Her posture was slouched, her eyes wide and bloodshot, her hair disheveled, and her cheeks slightly tear-stained. Her bag leaned against the wall awkwardly, and her phone lay discarded on the couch.

It was only her morning alarm, which sounded like a rooster, that brought her back from her thoughts. Barkha flinched."Did I spend the entire night staring at this wall?" she wondered aloud. The realization hit her like a freight train—she was still in her work clothes.

She became conscious of herself. Shaking off her self-pity, Barkha stood up, only to regret it immediately. Her legs felt numb, and she collapsed. Slowly, she regained her composure and stood up again. Her legs now cooperating, she headed to the bathroom. "No point going to the gym today," she muttered. "Better get ready quickly and head to the office."

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Barkha ascended the stairs of the underground metro, making her way to the colossal skyscraper that housed her office—a kilometer or two from the metro entrance gate. Glancing at her watch, she noted the time: 8:45 a.m.

She had taken a nice shower, took some time to wash her hair, and donned a set of formal wear. Good clothes = positive body language was her mantra. As she walked toward the office, she mentally prepared for a 'talk' with Devansh Naik, her boss.

On reaching the gigantic building, she made her way to the interior, scanned her ID card, and made her way to the lift.The architecture exuded modernity, a testament to its construction just two decades ago. As she walked through the bustling interior, she observed a sea of people—some engrossed in phone conversations, others deep in discussion with colleagues, and a few enjoying breakfast in the ground floor cafeteria.

She sighed and walked into the elevator and pressed 14. She looked at herself in the mirror behind and adjusted her attire with precision. Today was crucial; she needed to appear flawless.

The elevator dinged, and she stepped outside. She made her way to Mr. Naik's cabin and stood at its door.

She knocked.

"He hasn't arrived yet," she heard a voice behind her. It was Aryan leaning against the corridor wall. Barkha blinked. "He won't be here until 11 today. He has scheduled another board meeting and is on the way," Aryan informed, glancing at his phone.

Barkha hummed and walked towards her desk. "I was waiting, you know," he said casually, walking alongside her. She was confused at first, but then she remembered.

"I gotta discuss something with you, I was wondering if we could talk about that in the cafeteria later..." Aryan asked, scratching the back of his neck with his hand.

She widened her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Aryan... I forgot," she said, grinning guiltily, "I was caught up with something and... I left... just like that," she continued.

"Yeah, I got to know. You missed yesterday's aamras. It was heavenly," he said, reminiscing the previous day's dessert. He closed his eyes and smiled dreamily. "I gobbled a fair few bowls," he added.

"Uh-huh," she prompted him while setting her laptop on the desk. "Anyways, the real reason why I wanted you was because..." before he could complete, the lift dinged. Devansh Naik entered, talking on his phone. Along with him walked thw infamous Arun Mehta.

Barkha watched him enter his cabin and, absentmindedly, checked her worn-out watch: 9:25  She looked at Aryan, who raised his eyebrows. "He's early," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'll see you soon. I have to talk to him," she said. Her eyes had a strange fire in them. Without wasting any time, she walked straight into the Managing Director's office.

Aryan saw her walk straight into the cabin and gulped. Her face showed no emotions except for her eyes. He just hoped she hadn't gone to murder Naik. After all, she was known to be scarily ambitious.

On the other hand, Barkha walked in and regretted it. She had just walked into Devansh and Arun discussing something deeply. At the sound of the door, they had turned towards it and were currently staring at her, making her self-conscious.

Barkha smiled awkwardly.

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A/N: So I thought, one big critical chapter would be too boring, so I divided it into two. 😁 It's more of a filler, ain't it?

P.S. I dedicate this chapter to Chat GPT, because it edited this. Mind you, it was a difficult task but GPT made it easier. 🫡