The Manager Across My Desk

Monday.

The most hated day of my week.

The kind of day where your bed feels like the safest place in the world and your alarm clock feels like your biggest enemy.

“I’m late... again!”

I rushed through the crowded streets, somehow managing to catch the office bus just before it left. Breathing heavily, I climbed inside and immediately spotted an empty window seat.

A smile appeared on my face. “Okay... maybe today won’t be so bad.”

As the bus moved through the city, I rested my head against the window and watched the world pass by. Everyone seemed to be moving forward. Building careers. Making plans. Living their lives.

And then there was me.

It had been almost a year since my breakup. Almost a year since the boy I thought was my forever walked away like our memories meant nothing. People say time heals everything. Personally? I thought time was doing a terrible job.

Outside, my life looked normal. I had a stable job. Supportive parents. Good friends. But inside, there was still an emptiness I couldn’t explain.

Before I could sink deeper into my thoughts, the bus reached the office. Thankfully. I wasn’t in the mood to cry before 9 a.m.

The moment I entered the building, another miracle happened. An empty elevator. No crowd. No waiting. No awkward small talk.

Definitely suspicious.

When I reached my desk, I opened my laptop, prepared my to-do list, and headed toward the coffee machine. Because coffee solved most of life’s problems. Or at least distracted me from them.

That was when I heard the news.

“Deepanshi is leaving.”

My smile disappeared instantly. “What?”

A colleague nodded. “Today she’s introducing the new manager.”

I stared at my coffee cup. Deepanshi wasn’t just my manager. She was my mentor. My biggest supporter. The person who had guided me through my toughest projects and my worst professional mistakes. She never made me feel like just an employee. She made me feel capable.

And now she was leaving. A heaviness settled inside my chest.

“Hey.”

I turned around. It was Riya. My best friend. My neighbor. My daily source of chaos.

She handed me a coffee stirrer and looked at my face. “You look like someone stole your favorite snack.”

“Deepanshi is leaving.”

Riya’s playful smile disappeared instantly. “Oh.”

Exactly. Oh.

A few minutes later, everyone gathered for the introduction. Deepanshi looked around the room and smiled warmly. “Guys, I want you all to meet our new manager.”

The office became completely silent. Then, he walked in.

Ayansh Sharma.

And wow. Even I had to admit it. The man was ridiculously handsome.

He was tall, fit, and had a razor-sharp jawline. With his perfect posture, clean-shaven face, and an expensive watch, he looked like a model who had accidentally walked into a normal office.

Beside me, Riya almost stopped breathing. She nudged my arm.

“Natasha.”

“No.”

“Natasha.”

“No.”

“He’s beautiful.”

I sighed, whispering back, “Please behave.”

“No promises.”

Typical Riya.

Meanwhile, Ayansh greeted everyone politely. He wasn’t overly friendly, but he wasn’t completely distant either. He just stood there with a calm, confident energy that didn’t need to beg for attention. His face was unreadable, like he kept his real emotions hidden away.

As introductions continued, Deepanshi stopped beside my desk. “And this is Natasha Mishra.”

I looked up, suddenly feeling nervous.

Deepanshi smiled proudly. “My right hand. She’s the best person to guide you through the team’s processes.”

I immediately wanted to disappear into my chair.

For the first time, Ayansh looked directly at me. His dark eyes held mine, and his expression softened just a little bit.

“Good to know,” his voice was calm, deep, and professional. “I’ll probably be bothering you with a lot of questions.”

A small, nervous laugh escaped me. “That’s part of the job.”

For a brief moment, a small, genuine smile appeared on his lips. It wasn’t big or dramatic, but it completely changed his face. And unfortunately... one of the people staring at that smile was Riya.

The moment he walked away to his cabin, she grabbed my arm tightly. “Did you see that smile?”

“Riya, stop.”

“Did. You. See. That. Smile?”

I just shook my head. It was going to be a very, very long week.