Shining Fragments of a Heartbeat

Call

 Anaya and Neha reached the outer ring road and took a turn into the tech park. After parking the car in its usual spot, they entered the elevator on the ground floor. Anaya pressed the button for the 8th floor, and as the door was about to close, a hand darted in, stopping it. Anaya visibly gasped; she had always been critical of using the elevator's sensor doors. What if the sensors failed and someone got hurt? But the sensor worked, and the door opened to reveal a tall, dark man in a black blazer.

"Good morning, ladies," he greeted with a charming smile.

"Good morning to you too, Narang," Neha responded cheerfully. "How are you?"

"Good, Neha. Yourself?" he replied, positioning himself opposite Anaya.

He kept glancing at Anaya while Neha continued the conversation, but Anaya only gave him a polite nod when he greeted them. Otherwise, she focused on the numbers changing above the door.

"Do you have a client visit today?" Neha asked.

Narang looked puzzled. "Not that I know of. Why?"

"I was just wondering why you're so early to work," Neha said, feigning ignorance. She knew precisely why Narang often came to work early—he was trying to work his way into Anaya's busy schedule. He had tried several times to ask Anaya for a date under various pretexts, but she flatly refused each time. Anaya was never interested in any man other than the one who disappeared from her life.

Neha had witnessed Narang's many attempts to flirt with Anaya, only to be shut down. She suspected his ego had taken a beating. Narang's charm always worked on other women, even the CEO's young wife, who flirted back playfully. But Anaya was unreachable. Even now, as Narang laughed at Neha's question, his eyes were on Anaya, who ignored him and the conversation. The beautifully decorated "Global Adverts" reception area greeted them as soon as the elevator doors opened. The name shone brightly, reflecting the warm and welcoming atmosphere. Neha, the marketing manager, waved goodbye as she headed towards her team's section, while Narang went in the opposite direction towards his team's desks. Anaya made her way to her cabin. She headed the HR team in the India office, which consisted of five recruiters, three HR operations staff, and two HR legal advisors.

Even though the main office in Turkey had a larger team, Anaya's reporting manager had given her the responsibility of managing all HR needs in India. Gabriel Aksoy, the Global Head of HR, was a young and dynamic leader who believed in balancing organizational needs with employee welfare. His philosophy was one of the main reasons Anaya had stayed with Global Adverts for the past three years. Unlike other HR departments she had encountered, which often prioritized the company's interests over those of its employees, Gabriel had fostered an environment where both could thrive together. Gabriel's passion for making HR what it is supposed to be for both organizations and for the employees made Anaya's job both challenging and fulfilling.

Ananya always reached the office early to read her emails, sort out her daily tasks, and start her day purposefully. By lunchtime, Anaya had already completed most of her work, including preparing for one-on-one meetings and other scheduled activities. Feeling satisfied with her progress, she messaged Neha to let her know she was ready for lunch. Neha replied that she would meet her at the cafeteria. Anaya and Neha had a pleasant lunch, sharing food and exchanging anecdotes from their day. Anaya ignored her phone's constant beeping during lunch, not wanting to be disturbed while she ate. However, heading back to her cabin, she checked her phone and saw a familiar number.

She was about to call back her uncle Raghuvaran when another call came in from him, causing her to worry. Uncle Raghuvaran never called more than once unless it was something urgent. Seeing two missed calls in 15 minutes and now a third, she quickly answered, her heartbeat picking up.