𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝘿𝙚𝙡𝙝𝙞

6:00 AM

The entire mansion is awake.

Employees rush around nervously.

Because their boss has already started working.

Kartik Malhotra.

The biggest workaholic anyone has ever seen.

Three laptops.

Five meetings.

Countless calls.

No sleep.

No rest.

No distractions.

At least... that's how he used to be.

Aarohi(Manager) : "Sir, today's schedule."

Kartik: "Keep it on the table."

Aarohi: "You have eight meetings today."

Kartik: (typing) "Add two more."

Aarohi: "Sir... you've barely slept."

Kartik: (coldly) "Sleep doesn't make money."

Suddenly...

The image of a girl among pink flowers flashes in his mind.

He stops typing.

Aarohi: "Sir?"

Kartik: (annoyed with himself) "Nothing."

𝙉𝙂𝙊

Meanwhile...

Shrishti is helping children prepare breakfast.

But today she looks distracted.

Priya: "Why do you keep looking outside?"

Shrishti: "Am I?"

Priya: "Yes."

Shrishti: "No."

Priya: "You're overthinking again."

Shrishti sighs.

She has always been an overthinker.

One small thing stays in her mind for days.

And yesterday's mysterious man in the black SUV is still bothering her.

Shrishti's Thoughts:

"Who was he?"

"Why was he looking at me?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Was there mud on my face?"

"Maybe I looked weird..."

Priya: (laughing) "See? You're overthinking."

𝙆𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙠 𝙂𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Back at the mansion...

Aryan enters.

Aryan: "Boss."

Kartik: "Report."

Aryan: "I found her."

Kartik immediately closes his laptop.

Aryan: (trying not to smile) "Interesting."

Kartik: "Talk."

Aryan: "Shrishti Rathore."

Kartik: (repeats softly) "Shrishti..."

Aryan: "Works at Udaan Foundation."

Aryan: "Twenty-four years old."

Aryan: "No criminal record."

Aryan: "No enemies."

Aryan: "Basically an angel."

For the first time...

Kartik smiles.

A real smile.

𝙋𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩

Aryan places another file on the table.

Aryan: "Boss... there's one more thing."

Kartik: "What?"

Aryan: "Shrishti Rathore."

Aryan: "The same surname as Rathore Syndicate."

Silence.

The Rathore Syndicate.

One of Kartik's biggest enemies.

Aryan: "We don't know if she's connected to them."

Kartik: "Find out."

Aryan: "Immediately."

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜

That evening...

Shrishti leaves the NGO.

Rain suddenly starts pouring.

Shrishti: "Oh no!"

She runs toward a bus stop.

But the rain gets heavier.

Suddenly...

A black umbrella appears above her head.

Shrishti: (surprised) "Thank you."

She turns around.

And freezes.

The same man.

The black SUV man.

Kartik: "Hello."

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Shrishti becomes nervous.

Shrishti: "You..."

Kartik: "Me."

Shrishti: "Have we met before?"

Kartik: (smirks) "You tell me."

Shrishti: (thinking)

"Why is he so handsome?"

"Why is he smiling?"

"What if he's a criminal?"

"What if he's a good person?"

"Why am I thinking so much?"

Kartik: "You're doing it again."

Shrishti: "Doing what?"

Kartik: "Overthinking."

She looks shocked.

Shrishti: "How do you know?"

Kartik: (smiling) "I can see it on your face."

For the first time...

Shrishti laughs.

And Kartik completely forgets about work.

𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙...

Back in the mansion...

Kartik stands by the window.

Holding the umbrella she accidentally left behind.

Aryan: "Boss, the meeting starts in five minutes."

Kartik: "Cancel it."

Aryan almost faints.

Aryan: "You... WHAT?"

Kartik: (looking at the umbrella)

"Something more important came up."