9:00 AMInside Ruhi’s Cabin…
Ruhi was making copies of some files when she heard a knock at the door.
She looked up and said, “Come in!”
The door opened, and Aditya walked in with his usual soft smile lighting up his face.
Seeing him, Ruhi said, “Sir, you?! If you needed something, you could’ve just called. Why come here yourself?”
Sitting down in a chair, Aditya smiled and said, “It’s always the thirsty who goes to the well… not the other way around.”
Ruhi blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
Aditya’s tone softened, with a hint of concern. “Yesterday, you called Saaniya for help… but not me. Why?”
“What?!” Ruhi replied instantly. “You came all the way here just for that?”
Narrowing his eyes, Aditya said, “I’ve told you before… Just like Ira is to me, so are you. If my sister needs me, I should be there, right? Tell me—why didn’t you call me?”
Ruhi looked down and smiled slightly. It felt good… knowing he genuinely cared.
She said, “Actually… it wasn’t anything serious.”
Aditya took a deep breath and looked away. “I figured you wouldn’t tell me. But I already know everything. I asked Saaniya about it.”
Ruhi lowered her eyes, hesitating. “Sir… that…”
Cutting her off, Aditya said, “And I know why you didn’t call me. What happened last year… I still remember it, Ruhi.”
Ruhi’s mind flashed back to that day—
Her father, drunk, had barged into the office and not only hurled abuses at Aditya, but had even slapped him.
Aditya stayed silent.
He had shown respect for her father… But her father was simply angry about how Aditya had dared to give his daughter a job.
Maybe no one had ever humiliated Aditya like that before.
Even after all that, Aditya still cared for Ruhi. That concern had never changed.
Leaning back in the chair, looking at the ceiling, Aditya said, “I stayed silent because he was your father.
But the more I got to know him… the more I felt like you weren’t a daughter to him— you are just like a social symbol for him.
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He wants to keep you beneath him… just to preserve his hollow pride.”
Ruhi’s eyes welled up. But she held herself together.
“Sir… I didn’t want you to hear such awful things again. I didn’t want him to insult you again. That’s why I called Saaniya instead.”
But Aditya didn’t respond to that.
Instead, he continued, “That night… I saw Rahul for just a second. But I was worried about you, so I went to meet your brother again. I wanted to understand—why does your father treat you like this?”
Ruhi turned her face away and said, “My brother and dad don’t get along.
Maybe he said something harsh about him…”
Aditya turned to her and said firmly, “He’s tired, Ruhi. Rahul is tired of hoping your father will ever change.
Why are you still trying to prove yourself to someone like that? Why do you keep justifying yourself to him again and again?”
Her hands were trembling. She tried to hold back tears.
Moments from her childhood flashed before her eyes— School and college functions, where her father proudly held her brother’s hand, patted his head, and praised his every achievement in front of others.
And her?
She was remembered only for chores.
Can she cook?
Can she do laundry?
Is she well-mannered?
Those were the only things he ever acknowledged.
She was just raised to become a perfect daughter for others to see.
But that’s not what she wanted.
Truthfully… maybe she wasn’t doing all this to prove anything to him.
Maybe she was just trying to push out the anger within her— By doing things her father wouldn’t approve of.
Maybe she was trying to find her real self, the one buried under her father’s ideal image of a “good daughter.”
Looking up, Ruhi said with conviction:
“Whatever I’m doing… it’s not to prove anything to anyone.
Especially not to someone who only wants a puppet who agrees with him.
For someone who sees me more as household décor than his daughter.”
Aditya’s face lit up with relief. Pride shone in his eyes.
Ruhi’s face now held a quiet confidence as she added, “I’m doing this for the people who believe in me— To make them proud.
I want you… my brother… and all my friends… To feel so proud of me that you never hesitate to say my name aloud.
And yes, I also want to follow my own heart. Anyway… I’ve made things clear.
I’m no longer that man’s daughter. And he’s no longer my father.”
Aditya stood up, gently patted her head, and said as he left: “This is the Ruhi I want as my secretary. Don’t lose her.”
Aditya’s part was done for now.
Meanwhileready to continue his own series of questions and answers.
He approached the reception and asked about Saaniya.
And once again, like last time, that same nosy nurse arrived and said: “Saaniya ma’am is busy calming down that crazy woman.”
The receptionist frowned. “Why is she doing that? We have a psychiatrist for those cases.”
The nurse replied, “Who knows? She seems too interested in that woman’s case.
But anyway, Saaniya ma’am is weird like that—always goes where she shouldn’t!
Take the other night, for example. That man—he escaped jail and came to kill that crazy woman. And instead of calling security, she fought him herself!”
Another nurse walking by chimed in, “She looked terrifying! I’ve never seen that side of Saaniya ma’am before.”
The nosy nurse sighed, “Good thing I didn’t have night shift that day—otherwise, I’d have had to see that horror too.
Anyway, Rudra sir eventually stopped her, or else that guy would've been dead!”
The receptionist nodded, “I heard about it… He was beaten up so bad.
Teeth broken… ribs fractured… But still—he deserved it. How could he try to kill his own wife?”
The nosy nurse scoffed, “Still… Saaniya ma’am isn’t a judge!
Her job was to call security, not beat someone up herself.
Sometimes I really think she’s mentally unstable herself!
There’s something evil in her eyes… like she wants to hurt people!”
Just then—a loud thud made everyone jump.
Aniket had slammed his hand on the desk in anger. His eyes burned with barely restrained rage, but with a forced smile, he said:
“Don’t you think talking about your senior like that in public could… threaten your job?
If you ask me— You should focus on your work during work hours.”
The nurse, now terrified, ran away without saying a word.
The receptionist bowed slightly, apologetic. “She’s old and a bit loud-mouthed. Please don’t take her words seriously. Saaniya ma’am is strict, but we all respect her.”
“And you should show that respect— even when she’s not around,” came a voice from behind.
Rudra walked up, his expression serious.
Aniket had never seen that look on his face before.
After giving a silent warning to the receptionist, Rudra turned to Aniket with a smile.
“You came for Saaniya, right? Come—I’ll take you to her.”
Rudra had watched the entire scene from afar.
He had stayed back… because he wanted to see how much respect Aniket truly had for Saaniya.
And now that Aniket had spoken up—Rudra was pleased. But Aniket’s mind was elsewhere.
