The morning started like any other. Arun logged in, opened a cluster of logs that contradicted their own logic, and wondered for the tenth time why Phoenix behaved like a living organism instead of a system.
Rahul rolled his chair over. "You look disturbingly calm today. Something wrong?"
Arun didn't look away from his screen. "I'm reading logs."
"Exactly. People only look calm reading logs when they're about to resign or explode internally."
"I'm not resigning."
"Internal explosion it is," Rahul said, nodding to himself.
Before Arun could reply, Neha appeared beside their desks.
"Arun," she said quietly, "Aditi wants to see you. Room 3."
Rahul's eyes widened. "Again? That's… frequent."
Neha shrugged. "She didn't ask for anyone else."
Rahul whispered, "If she calls you again this week, I'm buying you a crown."
Arun ignored him and walked toward Room 3.
Aditi was already inside, standing near the window, studying a document. She didn't turn as he entered.
"Come in."
He closed the door behind him.
She laid the document down and faced him. "I'll get straight to it," she said. "You're being promoted."
Arun didn't react outwardly. He only asked, "To what role?"
"Senior Systems Analyst under oversight's core cluster," she replied. "You'll operate closer to strategic decision-making rather than execution."
He processed that. "That's a significant shift."
"It is. And overdue."
He didn't comment on the last part.
She slid a printed sheet toward him. Responsibilities. Access privileges. Escalation rights. It was enough to tell him the seat came with weight.
"This role comes with scrutiny," she said. "You'll be visible. You'll be accountable when something breaks. You'll be expected to justify your conclusions in political rooms."
"Is that supposed to scare me?" he asked.
"It's supposed to prepare you."
"Then I'm prepared."
Aditi held his gaze, checking for a hint of stress or ego. She found neither.
"When does the transition start?" he asked.
"This week."
She opened the door, and they stepped into the corridor. For two seconds, the office noise softened—not fully, not dramatically, just enough for people to notice they were walking together.
Ritesh happened to pass by.
"Congratulations, Arun," he said, smiling a little too wide. "Oversight roles are… rare."
Arun nodded. "Thank you."
"But be cautious," Ritesh added. "Oversight visibility isn't always good visibility."
Before Arun could reply, Aditi spoke. "If Arun faces visibility issues, they'll be from people who misunderstand their own responsibilities. Not from oversight."
Silence.
Ritesh blinked twice, unsure how to respond.Neha nearly spilled her coffee down the hall.Rahul, watching from his desk, mouthed, "BRO WHAT."
Aditi didn't wait for a reaction. She turned and gestured for Arun to follow.
They returned to Room 5. She closed the door behind them.
"There's another matter," she said.
Arun waited.
"I'll be traveling to Udaipur next week for system reviews and stakeholder meetings," she said. "Three days."
He nodded. "Alright."
"I want you to accompany me."
Arun blinked once. "Me?"
"Yes."
"Reason?"
"Phoenix's regional architecture audit is overdue," she said. "I need someone who will give an unfiltered assessment. You're the only one who has consistently done that."
Arun processed quietly.
"There are also internal inconsistencies in the Rajasthan division," she added. "Your presence will be useful."
"What kind of inconsistencies?"
"You'll understand when you see them."
He took a moment, then asked, "Any issues with my Mumbai workload?"
"Clear your Mumbai tasks before Friday," she said. "I want you fully available during the trip."
"Done."
Aditi gathered her documents and walked to the door. Before exiting, she paused and looked at him.
"Arun."
He looked up.
"Don't underestimate this role."
"I won't."
"And don't underestimate Udaipur."
He frowned faintly. "Why would I?"
Her expression stayed controlled, but there was a flicker of something—warning, familiarity, history.
"Nothing there functions the way you expect," she said.
She left the room.
Arun stood alone, absorbing the weight of the new position, the shift in dynamics, and the upcoming travel.
A promotion.A closer seat to her circle.And a journey to Udaipur next week.
The path ahead wasn't clearer.But it was unmistakably deeper.