I felt as if the air around me had suddenly grown heaI
y.
Why did this happen? Why did the horror of that dark night come and stand before my present today?
I had never imagined that Neel Chowdhury—the one I thought was just a drunken mistake—would turn out to be the one controlling my livelihood.
Had I been too rude? Somehow I feel I could have stayed calmer.
But the way Neel had looked down on me at that moment, my stubborn mind refused to stay silent.
What if he takes out his anger on me now?
If I lose my job, who will pay for Abir's education? Where will the money for Amma's medicines come from?
I was almost curled up in a corner of the conference room.
As Neel stood on the stage shaking hands with everyone, I quickly let my hair fall over my face, trying to create a "human shield" so that his sharp gaze wouldn't fall on me.
As soon as the meeting ended, I quietly slipped out like a cat and returned to my desk.
I thought—well, maybe the angel of death didn't notice me! Seeing my nervousness, Audrey smiled and said,
"What's wrong, Sahana? Why do you look so pale? The boss is really handsome!"
Looking at her with a trembling voice, I said, "Audrey, I don't know if he's handsome, but he's my mistake from last night!"
At first, Audrey was stunned. Then she said, "You're lucky! Use this chance to grab a promotion!"
I snapped at her, "Are you crazy? If he recognizes me, instead of a promotion, I'll be thrown out through the main gate!"
At that very moment, it felt like thunder struck beside my ear.
The office peon came and said, "Sahana apa, the boss is calling you to his personal chamber right now."
My feet felt rooted to the ground. Trembling, I stood at the door and knocked.
The "come in" from inside sounded like a call from some dark abyss.
As I entered, I saw Neel leaning back on an expensive leather chair.
His gaze felt like an X-ray machine, trying to strip away all my guilt.
In a cold voice, he said, "I thought people working in such a reputed organization would at least have basic manners.
But it seems my assumption was wrong."
The contempt in his voice lashed at the Sahana inside me.
I knew I should remain silent, but my stubbornness rose again.
Looking straight into his eyes, I said, "Mr. Chowdhury, will you judge someone's work based on how they are outside the office?
You may be the boss here, but you have no right to certify my character."
Neel's blue eyes narrowed for a moment. The muscles on his face tightened.
I realized I had just set fire to my own house while playing with flames.
My heart was pounding wildly inside my chest like a mad horse.
I had said the words while looking into Neel Chowdhury's icy eyes, but the moment I finished, it felt like I was standing on the mouth of a volcano.
His fair face had turned red with anger, his jaw clenched like stone.
I closed my eyes, waiting—any second now he would shout and throw me out of the cabin.
Thoughts of my mother's medical expenses and Abir's education hammered in my head.
I wondered why I couldn't control my stubbornness! Why did I let the lingering humiliation from Rudra poison my present as well?
But strangely, even after a few seconds, no storm came.
Instead, a heavy silence filled the cabin.
Carefully, I opened one eye. Neel was still looking at me, but the destructive fire in his eyes seemed to have faded into a deep, mysterious calm.
Letting out a long sigh, he stood up from his regal chair. His sudden calmness unsettled me more than anger would have.
He walked slowly behind the desk—right behind my chair.
My whole body froze like stone. He stood directly behind me while I sat stiff like a statue. Suddenly, I felt his hands rest on both sides of my chair.
His fingertips brushed close to my shoulders, sending a cold shiver down my spine. He leaned closer.
The scent of his expensive perfume and his warm breath touched my ear.
"You seem quite brave, Sahana. At least not a coward like Rudra," his voice was no longer angry, but soft like velvet—yet deeply intense.
I was startled. Hearing my ex-lover's name from his mouth made my heart skip a beat.
Without turning back, I swallowed and said, "You… you know Rudra?"
He gave a small, mocking laugh. I could feel its vibration on my shoulder.
."I don't need to know him to understand him. A greedy, spineless man like him—and you spent months with him. That surprises me."
It felt like someone had rubbed salt into my old wounds. In a tight voice, I said, "That was my personal choice.
He may have betrayed me, but I truly loved him.
Neel leaned even closer, his lips almost near my ear. "Loved him? Or did you mistake his neglect for love?
Last night's stubbornness, the 200 dollars you threw on the bed… was that proof of your love? Or a failed attempt to get back at Rudra?"
Each of his words pierced my self-respect like arrows. He was right.
That one-night stand, that rudeness—everything was just a toxic expression of my pent-up anger toward Rudra.
"Do you know where Rudra is now?" he suddenly asked. I shook my head—I thought he had gone abroad.
Neel lowered his voice even more. "He didn't go anywhere. He's here.
And he's an invited guest at Uncle Kasem's special event."
Hearing that, it felt like the ground slipped beneath my feet.
The event Abir had been urging me to attend—Rudra would be there too! Neel removed his hands from my chair, but I could still feel his presence.
"You will go to that event, Sahana. But not as Rudra's abandoned lover—rather, as Neel Chowdhury's personal assistant.
I want to see how you reclaim your worth in front of Rudra."
He walked past me toward the window. I remained seated, stunned.
I realized that before I could free myself from Rudra's suffocating grip, I had already become entangled in the enchanting web of this blue-eyed magician.