It was around 7 AM, when an alarm rang loudly in Shehnaaz's room, she was curled up like an infant hugging a pillow on her comfy bed.

She swished through her side to find her mobile & turned off the alarm without even opening her eyes. She slipped into sleep again for some 15 minutes & woke up to another alarm that she had set knowing very well that she wouldn't wake up for the first alarm.

Shehnaaz twisted & turned to her sides before getting up to sit. She rubbed her palms and touched her face to flutter open her eyes.

"aaj ka din acha Jaye... waheguru meher kari" she mumbled & walked towards her dressing table.

She searched for her clutch in the drawers and clipped her hair in a bun. She looked at herself in the huge mirror in front.

Her eyes seemed low; face was devoid of any expression. She looked exhausted even before she could begin her day. She shrugged her shoulders at her mirror image as if saying "I care a damn" and rushed to the washroom to do her morning rituals.

Shehnaaz got ready for office, skipped her breakfast & called up her driver Meher to get her car ready as she walked up to her mother's room. She found her still sleeping alone on the bed, she walked closer & sat at her foot.

Vimaljeet Kaur Bhalla, an intellectual in her late 40's was a wise award winning writer for art films in Bollywood. She rarely wrote now owing to her health issues & her strained relationship with her husband. She suffered from depression & refused to take therapy even after insistence by Shehnaaz. So mostly she stayed at her bungalow doing nothing & worked for an NGO.

"Amma..." Shehnaaz mumbled softly pressing the top of her mom's feet. Her warm touch & voice woke her up.

"Office ja rhi hu... Breakfast vahi pe kha lungi don't worry" she said knowing very well what her mom would ask next.

"Theek ah, khyal rakh" her mom replied rubbing her eyes to open wide.

"Ready ho ke kuch kha lena, dawayi bhi" Shehnaaz said a bit firmly.

"Ha okay" her mother mumbled.

"Theek ah mei hun chali, bye amma" Shehnaaz replied curtly with a faint smile.

"Bye" her mom said & curled into her plush comforter to sleep again. Shehnaaz left her room & found her dad Randheer Bhalla, sipping on his tea while reading a newspaper in the living hall.

"Office ja rhi hu papa... Breakfast kha liya apne?" Shehnaaz asked stuffing few documents into her office bag.

"Ha puth, done. Tu ne kha li?" He asked softly keeping aside the newspaper.

"Umm no, office mei kha lungi. Late ho rhi hu papa... Yeh lo apki dawayi, mere samne lo I don't trust you" Shehnaaz gave him a few tablets herself, kept aside her bag & poured a glass of water from the water flask on the teapoy.

Her dad obediently did as she said.

"Ha ho gya, ab theek ah?" He asked with a tiny smile.

"Ha yes, Good. Aaj Annual Meet ke preparations almost final ho jayenge, aap tension na lo okay? Bye papa..." Shehnaaz assured & rushed towards the door without waiting for her dad to reply.

This was her everyday morning ritual followed ever since her father chose to retire from the management of Pioneer Corp. As much as she'd like her morning to be filled with happiness,fun & love she wasn't lucky enough to have that other than this mechanical way of beginning her morning by greeting her parents & rushing to her office.

Her Maserati GranCabrio black beauty was awaiting her already. She got into the passenger seat next to her driver Meher. Yes, her driver was a woman in her mid 30s whom she hired after she met her on a business trip to Chandigarh 2 years back. Meher's story could be a one for some other time for now.

Shehnaaz smiled at her & greeted "Morning Meher di"

And she easily fell into a casual conversation with her till she reached her office. She quickly got down the car & walked swiftly towards the seperate lift lounge that allowed only top management to use.

Her personal associate Rahul met her in the corridor & accompanied her to her work suite.

The escalation to her office suite that was on the 27th floor took few minutes while she discussed her schedule for the day with Rahul. He was fumbling in between & she knew there was some impending issue.

They walked out of the lift that connected straight to the waiting lounge in front of her suite.

"Good morning Ma'am. Should I send in your usual breakfast?" Rosy, the receptionist asked politely.

"No, thanks Rosy. I'm good" She replied & walked ahead pushing the door.

She waltzed to her chair & turned on her laptop anxiously. Rahul was almost scared for what was coming next his way for he knew.

"Like seriously Rahul? How can you all be so negligent? Why is an entire department of PR working for me when a simple security application gets rejected by the Deputy Commissioner because there's no signature of mine? How can such an important sheet be missed?As far as I remember I'm sure this wasn't in the file that I checked?"

Shehnaaz fumed seeing a rejection email from the DCP office, Mumbai Police.

"Ma'am so sorry I've really no idea how this one sheet got missed out from your sign that even I couldn't see before sending it to the team. I've heard the DCP is very strict, but please don't worry I'll... I'll definitely fix this in two days" Rahul fumbled but managed to say what he wanted to.

"Rahul, do me a favor. Cancel my schedule till noon. I got to visit whoever this Mr Strict DCP is & fix this myself TODAY!" She said firmly and stood up to leave.

********

"Mom... yar phir se pohe? Banana easy hai toh roz pohe banao yeh theek hai..." Sidharth whined seeing the bowl of Poha on the dining table.

"Sidharth chup chap khaa... roz kaha banati hu pohe? Aisa hai toh sach mei banaungi ab se roz dekh le na" Rita ji said smacking his shoulder while simultaneously serving Poha on his plate.

"Ha banao mujhe kya? Yaha pe 2 spoon kha lunga aur office jaa ke mast khana order karke khaunga" Sidharth chuckled sticking his tongue out, teasing his mom. He was literally a child trapped in a 39 year old physique.

"Acha toh chal kal se no breakfast for you... Office Jake kha lena mast khana, mein kyu banau tere liye subah jaldi uthke?" His mom chided as she sat next to him & served herself some poha.

"Uff..., acha toh mein banau? Dono ke liye? Yeh theek rahega.. subah jaldi uthke I'll cook breakfast for us" Sidharth said being all excited.

"Tu? subah? jaldi? uthega? Aur khana bhi banayega? tu mere uthane se pehle uthna seekh beta, bada aaya subah uthke mere liye breakfast banane wala" his mom teased him.

"Mom yaar, don't underestimate your son" he replied with a fake poker face & his mom chuckled & he laughed along with her.

"Sidharth, bacha aise hi khush reh na...jab tu hasta rehta hai toh hum sab ache se sote hai...Aaj kal kuch pareshan dikhta hai mujhe toh bohat bura lagta hai bache" Rita ji said caressing his head with her left hand.

"Mein theek hu mom, sachi. Apko bataunga na kuch hai toh... Don't worry I'm alright" Sidharth smiled as he got up & kissed her head assuring her. He took his plate and put it in the sink. He came back to the dining table, sipped on water & took his bag to leave to work.

"I'll leave mom...Adith car nikal rah hoga I'm late already. Aap nashta karlo phir dawayi kha le na please okay?" He hugged his mom, pecked her head and left.

His government provided white Innova stood ready for him as soon as he got down his apartment. The white beast with a government beacon light on the top & Maharashtra Police board above the number plate indicated that the vehicle belonged to a police officer.

He got in swiftly, Adith Sabarwal, constable, his confidante, his junior, his friend & only person he trusted at work greeted him. He greeted back & spoke about his day.

He reached his office in 30 minutes, he quickly walked towards his cabin.
He looked suave & dapper in his uniform & perfectly set hair. His 6"2 height, his moustache & well built body made him look the most handsome Police officer, his way of walking, his aura itself made the staff at office alert & his subordinates saluted him along the corridor to his cabin.

He settled in his chair & started looking the files that were already kept ready for him when Jennifer D'Souza, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) & his dearest best friend barged into his cabin. Other than her nobody had the courage to do so.

"Woah woah! Itni speed... Voh bhi itni subah... Kya baat hai bhai? Kaunsa politician bhagwan ko pyara ho gya?" Sidharth muttered in his usual sarcastic manner because unless it's a demise of some politician his office was most certainly not in chaos.

"Sid yar, bola tha na Pioneer Corp ka voh security permission sign karne ko reject kyu kiya?" Jennifer whined as she sat on the chair in front of his desk.

"Jenny, mujhe nahi karna tha, those idiots think government office hai toh kuch bhi chalega & don't even send authentic paperwork,aise lightly lete rahenge police ko aur mein chup chap baitha rahu? Chaplusi Karu dusro ki tarah? I don't do such things sweetheart you know that. Ab ho kya gaya hai vaise? Phir se application bhejne ko bolo theek se tab dekhunga" Sidharth replied casually as if nothing bothers him.

"Sidharth ek signature ki wajah se you rejected their application, ab dubara process start karenge pehle se toh time zyada lagega na... Anyways, Pioneer Corp ki honewali CEO yaha pe aa chuki hai already. She wants to talk to you... Now, sort it yourself!" Jennifer raised her hands in despair.

"Oh aisa bol rhi hai ki Prime Minister ki honewali biwi yaha pe aayi hai interesting, she already wants to grab police under her reign? Yaha pe khareed ne aayi hai hume?" Sidharth mocked but Jenny glared at him for how judgemental he acted at that moment.

"Tum judge kar rahe ho Sidharth, that's wrong. I heard she's here to get this sorted bas aur kuch nahi. Choti ladki hai Sid... Anyways, mujhe bohat kaam hai I need to leave. Enjoy your day Sir" Jennifer winked as she stood to leave.

"Kameeni" Sidharth muttered.

"Mr Sidharth Singh Ranawat, behave" Jennifer chuckled a bit on her way out.

Sidharth was intrigued now about this certain young girl, who was waiting to meet him. Given her status, she need not visit the office for a small issue as such. Many officers would run around her father's mere signals. He knew well about how huge her company was. He had visited their office premises to check on the security once when the Home Minister attended an event for their company.

"Jai Hind Sir, Pioneer Corp se Shehnaaz Kaur Bhalla aayi hai aapse milne. Adhe ghante se intezar kar rhi hai sir" one of his subordinates' Manav saluted him & informed.

"Hmm... Unhe bolo mein busy hu toh wait kare" Sidharth said curtly looking at a file.

"Sir voh... Voh Randheer Bhalla sahab ki beti hai..." Manav hesitated.

"Toh?" Sidharth asked flipping the pages of the file.

"Jee sir bol dunga wait kare" Manav saluted again & left.

Sidharth for an unknown reason felt like testing this young to be CEO's patience. He had nothing against her or her company but he was just irked with the negligence of her team. He believed in "If you set the bar, I'll raise the bar" so he thought to play a tiny mischief by making her wait for the mistake that her team did.

He immersed himself in his work for next 3 hours when Manav again knocked on his door and entered.

"Sir, voh... Shehnaaz madam... Nai nai unhone kuch bola nai par mujhe laga apko ek bar bata du ki voh abhi bhi wait kar rhi hai apse Milne ki" Manav informed.

Sidharth was surprised to hear that she was still waiting patiently for him even after 3 & a half hours. He thought she'd leave after an hour of waiting, perhaps he thought she was one among the "Ameer Baap Ke bigde Bache".

"Acha... Theek hai. Wait karne do" He said just that & continued his work.

"Sir... Voh.." Manav fumbled, he knew of Sidharth's temper & he didn't want to anger him.

"Voh kya?" He looked at him with the same stoic face.

"Jee sir kuch nai... Voh yahi baithi hai abhi door ke samne sofe pe" Manav said & left.

Sidharth felt a tiny bit of concern for her & walked till the glass window covered with blinds to see her. He didn't understand this pull towards this girl until he saw her.

There she sat, the same girl he saw at his gym, much more beautiful than she looked while she worked out. She wore a full sleeves black top & a grey formal pants paired with black shiny boots. Her hair left free, face had a serene peace with a tinge of nude make up. Her simple appearance was just perfect for a corporate professional. She kept fidgeting with her mobile phone in her palm as she looked around the office , perhaps observing things.

Sidharth was lost in ogling her for few minutes, lost in seeing her smile while she interacted with the staff there as if she knew them from ages. He wasn't able to hear her voice but seeing her expressions & the way she behaved even after waiting for such a long time without losing patience he knew that this girl was different, unique.

He walked back to his seat & called up on the intercom.

"Miss Bhalla ko bhejo andar" he mumbled & cut the call. He composed himself & sat on his chair. He felt an unknown tinge of emotion flow in him for the first time, as if he was going to give a maths exam, he was kind of having the jittery feeling to face the young girl.

"May I come in Mr Ranawat?" He heard her voice after a soft knock on the door.

"Yes, come in" he mumbled and pretended to be immersed in signing a file.

"Good noon Mr Ranawat. I'm Shehnaaz Kaur Bhalla, Pioneer Corp se ayi hu apse baat karne about our security personnel request application" she spoke fluently with confidence.

"Take your seat Miss Bhalla" Sidharth offered her to sit & she did mumbling a thank you. Sidharth was impressed at her cordial etiquettes even after he made her wait for almost half a day. But still he wanted to maintain a tough facade with her.

"Yes Miss Bhalla, boliye. Meine reject Kiya hai application kyunki..."Sidharth was about to justify why he rejected
but to his surprise, he was interrupted by her "It's alright Mr Ranawat, you don't have to explain. I know ki galti humari team se huyi hai & that's why you rejected the application. Fair enough. I'm really sorry about it"

She'd made him spellbound by accepting her team's mistake while he had thought that she would defend her team or throw tantrums at him for rejecting such a big company's application or tell him that she would use her father's power & threaten to get him transferred or offer to bribe him, basically like a rich snob girl. But, how wrong did she prove him?!

Sidharth visibly looked surprised & couldn't say anything so she continued "Mr Ranawat, I know yeh galat hai but can you please accept my apology for the error caused & permit for security? Please? It's a request" she asked genuinely that was evident in her face & the ever strict Sidharth Singh Ranawat was melting slowly but he was the best at acting so he held up his tough demeanor.

"Uh umm okay I'll think about it Miss Bhalla... You'll get an email by end of the day" Sidharth said adjusting the files in front of him.

"Oh that's kind of you to consider, Thank you Mr Ranawat. I hope aap permission grant kar de. It was great meeting you. I'll take your leave" Shehnaaz smiled, as a reflex action or her charm even Sidharth returned her a faint smile.

She stood up to leave and walked a few steps ahead when she tripped & fell down on the floor horrifying Sidharth.

He sprang up his chair while he gasped her name "Shehnaazzzzz!!" & rushed to her. Him being all professional calling her 'Miss Bhalla' long forgotten.

He crouched down and held her by her shoulders, tapped cheeks only to find her unconscious.

He gasped not knowing what happened in mere seconds as she was absolutely fine moments ago & here she was unconscious in his arms.

He tapped her cheeks again "Shehnaaz, ankhein kholo... Shehnaaz? Can you hear me?!" He was worried, hell worried.

He slowly let her on the floor and got up to bring a glass of water & sprinkled on her face. He rubbed her palm & kept talking whatever he could with her. His mind only worked to do whatever first aid he was taught to in his police academy.

He then realised it was of no use and he should call a doctor & immediately yelled "Adith!! jaldi aao...!"

*********
Thanks for reading guys ❤️ Hope you'll are liking how the story is progressing...

Please do let me know if you like it or not or if it's boring or anything! Please do comment 🙏❤️

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PS: Shehnaaz & her voice is divine in the yashraj mukhate song hai na? It's so addictive!

Much love,
Avni