Broken Before Singapore
Aanya never thought the person she loved the most would become the reason she stopped believing in love.
For three years, she gave everything to her relationship — her trust, her time, her heart.
She imagined a future with him. A forever that felt safe and real.
But forever ended the night she saw him with someone else, smiling the same way he once smiled at her.
The betrayal shattered something inside her.
After the breakup, Aanya changed completely.
The cheerful girl who laughed at everything disappeared somewhere between sleepless nights and silent tears. She stopped talking unless necessary, buried herself in work, and convinced herself that love was nothing more than a beautiful lie.
A few weeks later, her company announced an important international conference in Singapore.
Aanya had been selected to present one of the company’s biggest projects along with her team members.
Normally, the idea of traveling abroad for work would have excited her.
But now she felt nothing.
She only wanted distraction.
The conference was in two days, and everything was ready — presentations, meetings, schedules.
But on the morning of the flight, things suddenly changed.
One team member fell sick.
Another got stuck because of a family emergency.
The rest of the trip was canceled for them at the last moment.
Aanya was the only one left.
She had no choice but to go alone.
Standing at the airport with her boarding pass in hand, she felt strangely empty.
Around her, people laughed, families hugged each other goodbye, and announcements echoed through the terminal… but none of it reached her.
That was when she received the final message from her ex.
Move on, Aanya. It’s over.
She stared at the screen for a few seconds before locking her phone silently.
Maybe some endings were meant to hurt forever.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up her suitcase and walked toward the boarding gate, unaware that this trip to Singapore was about to change her life completely.
After standing silently at the airport for a few minutes, Aanya finally took a deep breath and called her boss.
“Sir… I reached the airport,” she said softly, trying to sound normal.
“But… who exactly am I supposed to meet in Singapore?”
Her boss replied from the other side.
“Don’t worry, Aanya. Since your team couldn’t make it, we’ve arranged someone to guide you there for the conference.”
Aanya frowned slightly.
“Someone?”
“Yes,” he continued.
“He’s handling the Singapore side of the project. He’ll receive you at the airport, stay with you during the conference meetings, and help you with everything for the next five days.”
Aanya adjusted the strap of her bag nervously.
“Who is he?”
There was a small pause before her boss answered.
“Veer Malhotra.”
The name sounded unfamiliar, yet something about it stayed in her mind.
“He’s one of our senior partners,” her boss explained.
“Professional, responsible, and honestly… the best person we could send with you. Don’t stress. He’ll take care of everything.”
Aanya looked around the crowded airport while listening quietly.
“And how will I recognize him?” she asked.
Her boss chuckled softly.
“Trust me,” he said.
“You will.”
Before disconnecting the call, he added one last thing.
“He’ll be waiting for you outside Terminal 3 when you land in Singapore. Don’t disappear before meeting him.”
The call ended.
Aanya slowly lowered her phone, repeating the name in her head.
Veer Malhotra.
Little did she know, the stranger waiting for her in another country would slowly become the reason she learned how to smile again.
