Interview .
The glass doors of the corporate office slid open with a soft hiss as Niharika stepped inside, clutching her file a little too tightly.
Everything felt too big.
Too polished.
Too intimidating.
She adjusted the edge of her simple kurta, her nervous fingers brushing against the fabric as she walked toward the reception. Her eyes stayed low, careful, almost as if she didn’t want to be noticed.
“Interview?” the receptionist asked
Niharika nodded softly. “Y-yes… assistant post.”
“Top floor. Conference room.”
Top floor.
Her heart skipped.
The elevator ride felt endless.
When the doors finally opened, she stepped into a quieter, more luxurious space. Dark wooden panels. Soft lighting. Silence that felt… heavy.
A peon guided her to a large conference room.
“Wait here, ma’am.”
She sat down at the edge of the chair, her back straight, file resting on her lap. Her fingers traced the corner of the paper unconsciously.
Minutes passed.
Then—
The door opened.Three men walked in.
But it was him—the one in the center—who made the air change.
Tall. Sharp features. Black suit. Eyes that didn’t just look…
They studied.
Aarav Malhotra.
Owner. Founder. Power.
And at that moment—
Completely distracted.
Because the second his eyes landed on her…
He stopped walking.
For just a second.
But it was enough.
His friends noticed.
Of course they did.
One of them smirked, leaning toward the other. “Gone.”
“Completely,” the other whispered.
Aarav walked to his chair slowly, his gaze never leaving her. Niharika felt it—like a weight, like something pressing against her skin.
She lowered her eyes instantly.
“Name?” he asked, voice calm.
“Niharika Sharma.”
Soft. Almost a whisper.
He leaned back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Why do you look so scared, Miss Sharma?” he said, tilting his head. “We don’t bite.”
A small, nervous shake of her head. “I—I’m not scared, sir.”
Lie.
And he knew it.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table as he watched her fidget.
Cute.
Too cute.
Dangerously so.
His friend coughed lightly. “Aarav… interview?”
“Hmm?” Aarav didn’t look away from her. “Right.”
Silence stretched.
Then instead of opening her resume…
He asked—“Do you always avoid eye contact like this?”
Niharika froze.
That wasn’t…
That wasn’t an interview question.
“I… I just…” she stammered, fingers tightening over her file.
“Or is it just me?” he added, voice softer now, almost teasing.
Her breath hitched.
The other two men exchanged glances, clearly amused now.
“This is new,” one of them muttered under his breath.
Aarav leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table.
“Look at me, Niharika.”
Her name sounded different in his voice.
Heavier.
She hesitated.
Then slowly… very slowly… she raised her eyes.
And the moment their gazes locked—
Something shifted.
His expression darkened—not anger, not exactly.
Possession.
Interest.
Something intense.
Too intense.
He smiled faintly.
“Better,” he murmured.
Niharika’s heart was racing now, her breaths shallow.
This didn’t feel like an interview anymore.
It felt like she had walked into something else entirely.
Something she didn’t understand.
“Tell me,” he continued, his voice low and steady, “if I hire you… will you be able to handle pressure?”
“I… yes, sir.”
“Hmm.”
A pause.
Then—
“And attention?”
Her brows knit slightly in confusion.
“I don’t understand…”
He leaned even closer.
“You will,” he said softly.
Her pulse spiked.
The room felt smaller.
One of his friends chuckled lightly. “At least ask something from her resume, Aarav.”
Aarav didn’t even look at him.
“I already know everything I need.”
His eyes never left her face.
“And what’s that?” his friend asked, amused.
Aarav’s lips curved slightly.
“That she’s perfect.”
Niharika’s breath caught.
Her grip tightened on her file as her cheeks flushed instantly.
Perfect?
Why would he say that?
He stood up slowly, buttoning his coat.
“Congratulations, Miss Sharma. You’re hired.”
Just like that.
No real questions.
No evaluation.
Nothing.
Her eyes widened. “B-but sir… the interview—”
“This was the interview,” he said calmly.
And then, leaning just enough so only she could hear—
“And you passed.”
A chill ran down her spine.
Not relief.
Not happiness.
Something else.
Something unsettling.
Because the way he looked at her—
It didn’t feel like she got a job.
It felt like—
She had just been chosen.
As she walked out of the room, her steps slightly unsteady, she didn’t notice Aarav watching her leave.
But his friends did.
One of them smirked. “You’re going to ruin that girl.”
Aarav’s gaze darkened, a faint smile forming.
“No,” he said quietly.
“I’m going to keep her.”
And somehow—That sounded far worse.
