Khushi POV
The security guard at the entrance gave me a respectful nod as we entered the gleaming glass building of the Volkov Group Headquarters. My ID badge hung freshly laminated around my neck, fluttering against my chest as the morning breeze slipped through the lobby doors.
“Whoa,” Meher whispered beside me, glancing around at the high ceilings, the chandelier that looked like falling crystals, and the marble floors that felt like we were walking on polished moonlight. “So this is what power looks like.”
“Luxury and capitalism had a baby,” Tanya added, smirking.
I smiled, but I was too busy soaking everything in. This wasn’t just any company. It was the Volkov Group. My first day as a design intern. Dreams had finally grown legs and walked into reality.
“I feel underdressed,” Aayushi said, pulling at her soft peach kurta. “Everyone’s in heels.”
“You look perfect,” I said gently. “All of us do.”
We reached the reception and got our directions from the assistant. The design department was on the 12th floor. We made our way toward the elevators, a few other interns joining us, buzzing with chatter.
As we turned the corridor near the executive wing, I saw him.
Luca Volkov.
Standing tall in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, hands in pockets, hair slicked back in quiet rebellion, he looked like a painting from a different time. Timeless and untouchable. A strange hush fell over the hallway. Even my breath paused.
I couldn’t help it. I smiled.
Then, as if on instinct, I lifted my hand in a soft wave.
But he didn’t wave back.
He didn’t smile.
He didn’t even nod.
He just… walked past.
Like I was invisible.
My hand froze mid-air, then slowly dropped to my side. My heart did a weird thing — a slow drop, like missing a step on a staircase.
Tanya leaned in, whispering, “Oof. That was cold.”
“No, he probably didn’t see me,” I said too quickly.
But I knew he had. He’d looked right at me. And still, nothing.
“Maybe he’s in a bad mood,” Meher offered kindly.
I nodded, trying to laugh it off. But a tight knot had already begun forming in my chest.
Why did it sting so much?
We were escorted to the intern induction briefing shortly after. The conference room was huge, with a large screen on the wall and rows of neatly arranged chairs. All the new interns — around twenty of us — filed in, trying not to look nervous.
I saw him again. Our eyes met but then he again looked away. I got uneasy.
Why was he doing so?
I took a seat somewhere in the middle row between Aayushi and Tanya. We exchanged a few jokes about how serious everyone looked. But my mind was elsewhere.
“Alright,” said the HR head, stepping forward. “Let’s begin.”
Presentations began — company history, safety guidelines, project policies. I tried to focus, jotting down some notes. Aayushi was busy highlighting everything like it was a college exam. Tanya had already dozed off.
Then I felt it.
That tingling on the back of my neck. A prickle of awareness, like being watched.
I turned my head slowly, eyes scanning the room.
Everyone was focused on the screen… or looked like it.
Then my gaze landed on him.
Luca Volkov.
He was seated at the end of the room, near the executive row. Hands folded, eyes fixed on the screen, jaw sharp. Cold. Still.
But I’d felt it. I was certain he had been looking at me a second ago.
Why did it matter so much?
The final slide ended. Everyone clapped politely. I reached for my pen.
Then his voice echoed, low and quiet.
“All the best.”
I froze.
It was meant for everyone, of course.
But he was looking at me.
His gaze didn’t flicker. Didn’t shift. Didn’t flinch.
Just those three words.
Then he turned and walked out of the room.
My heart… it stammered. Confused, offended, curious, and something else I couldn’t name.
“What was that?” Tanya whispered beside me as we filed out of the room.
I blinked at her. “What?”
“That! His stare,” she said, her eyes wide. “Khushi, all eyes were on him… but his were only on you. And he said ‘all the best’ to you. Just you.”
“No he didn’t,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “He meant it generally.”
“Girl,” Aayushi muttered, “don’t play modest. That was intense.”
Before I could respond, a high-pitched voice cut through.
“Oh my God. You guys seriously think she’s special?”
We turned.
It was Mira.
Mira Kapoor. I hadn’t spoken to her directly before, but I knew the type. Glossy lipstick, high heels, and enough attitude to drown in.
“He was looking at everyone,” she said, tossing her hair. “Just because he looked in your direction doesn’t mean you’re the main character.”
I opened my mouth, but Meher stepped forward before I could say a word.
“Shut up, Mira,” Meher snapped. “You’re just jealous because he didn’t even glance at you.”
Mira scoffed. “Please. As if I care. I actually know someone from the top team. So maybe don’t test your luck. You wouldn’t want to offend me.”
The threat was thin, but her tone was venomous.
Something snapped inside me.
I took a step forward.
“Oh, I’m shaking,” I said, smiling sweetly. “You ‘know someone’? That’s great, Mira. Maybe use that connection to get some manners.”
Tanya and Aayushi gasped.
Mira’s eyes narrowed, her jaw tightening. “You’ll regret that.”
“No,” I said, still smiling. “But you might. If you keep acting like a high school villain in an office full of grown-ups.”
Meher laughed out loud. “Boom.”
Mira glared at all of us, especially me, then stormed off.
I turned to my friends. “Was that too much?”
“Absolutely perfect,” Tanya said.
“We’re framing that quote,” Aayushi grinned.
I laughed. But even as the moment passed, a part of me still replayed Luca’s silence. His stare. His words. Why did it bother me that he hadn’t smiled?
The rest of the day passed like molasses.
I was assigned a desk near the design team — a corner overlooking the courtyard, sunlight pouring in through the glass. My supervisor, an assistant designer named Aman, gave me my task for the day — sketch mood boards based on the upcoming campaign for a luxury watch collaboration.
As I got to work, colors and lines began to pull me into my element. I felt calmer sketching. The world faded a little when I was creating something.
Around noon, we broke for lunch.
We headed down to the cafeteria — sleek, spacious, with glass walls overlooking a mini bamboo garden. The food was surprisingly good. I took my tray and found a table with my friends.
“Mind if I sit here?”
I looked up to see a boy — tall, fair, with a charming smile and messy hair.
“Sure,” Meher said before I could answer.
“I’m Yash,” he said, settling beside me. “Design intern too.”
“Hi,” I replied, smiling politely. “Khushi.”
“Pretty name,” he said.
“Thanks,” I replied, glancing at my plate.
“First day nerves?” he asked.
“Not really. Just… absorbing everything.”
He grinned. “Absorbing, huh? Hope you don’t absorb too much — we don’t want your brain to melt.”
I chuckled awkwardly.
“Want to exchange numbers?” he asked casually. “In case we get assigned group work later.”
“Uh… sure,” I said. I gave him my number without thinking.
Meher raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Yash smiled. “Great. I’ll text you. Maybe we can grab coffee after office hours sometime.”
“Okay,” I said vaguely, not realizing he meant it as flirting.
Later, when he winked at me across the floor, I frowned. Meher leaned over.
“You do realize he’s flirting, right?”
“What? No that’s not flirting. That’s talking normally.” I asked, genuinely surprised.
“Oh Khushi…” she sighed. “You’re too innocent for this world.”
I shook my head and tried to laugh it off, but suddenly, I felt guilty. Why did I feel guilty?
I didn’t owe anyone anything.
But still, one image wouldn’t leave my mind.
Luca’s eyes.
The afternoon was busy. I organized mood references, helped Aayushi sort palettes, and got a small pep talk from our department lead. The office was fast-paced but inspiring. The work felt real.
And yet, every time someone walked past the glass door, I’d look up.
But it was never him.
Not even once.
Why?
Why was he being cold?
Why say nothing… but stare like he could see inside me?
By 5:00 PM, my head was a tangled mess of color wheels, sketches, and questions. Tanya was already packing her bag.
“Bus stop?” she asked.
I nodded, slipping my sketchbook into my tote.
As we stepped out of the Volkov building, the sky was a soft orange. A warm breeze tousled my hair as we walked to the bus stand. The four of us huddled under the shade of the waiting shed.
“I still don’t get it,” I finally said, breaking the silence.
“Get what?” Aayushi asked.
“Luca Volkov. He saved my life twice. He said I looked like an angel. Then today… he was just a stranger in a suit.”
Tanya sighed. “Maybe he’s trying to stay professional?”
“Or maybe,” Meher added, “he’s scared of falling in love.”
I blinked.
“What?” I asked.
Meher shrugged. “Guys like him… they’ve lived in fire. You? You’re the first drop of rain.”
I looked out at the road as our bus approached, and something fluttered in my chest — soft, delicate, and dangerous.
And for the first time, I wondered...
If rain could reach a man made of flame — what would happen to the both of us?
We boarded the bus as it hissed to a halt, its doors creaking open like a tired sigh. Tanya grabbed the last window seat and pulled me down beside her while Aayushi and Meher sat just across the aisle.
Outside, the city blurred past in streaks of gold and grey — a canvas of rush-hour chaos. Inside, the bus was its own little world of quiet hums and weary silence. I leaned back into the warm plastic seat, letting the moment breathe around me.
“So…” Tanya said, stretching the word with a grin. “Yash seems nice.”
I blinked. “What?”
Meher smirked. “The intern boy who tried to flirt with you during lunch?”
I frowned. “Wait — tried to flirt?”
“Oh my God, Khushi,” Aayushi said, shaking her head.
“I thought he was just being… friendly,” I said, confused.
“Friendly doesn’t include winking across the room,” Tanya deadpanned.
Meher leaned over, mock whispering, “He asked for your number, remember?”
“Yeah, for work stuff—”
“No one asks for numbers on Day One unless they’re trying to secure emotional territory,” Meher replied with a mock sigh. “Texting at midnight will be next.”
“He won’t,” I said, crossing my arms. “Will he?”
They all laughed.
“You’re too pure for this jungle,” Tanya said, ruffling my hair. “We’ll protect you.”
I rolled my eyes, but a small smile crept in.
Still, somewhere beneath all that laughter, my thoughts kept circling back. Not to Yash. Not to his texts or his charm.
But to another set of eyes.
Darker. Older. Haunted.
A man who didn’t flirt — but set the air on fire with a single look.
A man who ignored me today like I was just another face in the crowd.
And yet, somehow, the only one he truly saw.
—
Hey guys hope you like this part. Thank you for reading the story till now. Do like for the chapters and comment your reviews in the comment section.
Stay tuned to experience a beautiful love story of our beloved leads Khushi and Luca😍😘
See you all tomorrow💕❤
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