Soft.

Warm.

Dangerously close.

His breath brushed against her lips-slow, teasing, like he had all the time in the world.

And she... didn't move away.

Didn't think.

Didn't question.

Because somehow-

It felt right.

Her fingers curled slightly into his shirt as the distance between them disappeared completely.

A kiss.

Not rushed.

Not desperate.

But something that lingered... like it meant more than just the moment.

And just when she started to melt into it-

A voice.

Distant.

Annoying.

Very unnecessary.

"Uth ja pagal ladki... kitne der tak soyegi...!"

(Wake up, you crazy girl! How long will you keep sleeping!)

Her brows furrowed slightly, still half-lost in the dream.

No.

Not now.

Not when things were finally getting interesting.

The voice got louder.

Sharp.

Unapologetic.

"Ladkiyon ko itne der tak sona nahi chahiye! Sasural jaake bhi yehi karegi toh waha wale ghar se nikal denge!"

(Girls shouldn't sleep this much-if you do this in your in-laws' house, they'll throw you out!)

She frowned mid-kiss.Wait.

Why was her brain adding background noise?

And more importantly-

Why was it her maasi of all people?

She tried to focus again.

Tried to go back.

Tried to ignore-

But the man in front of her had already pulled back slightly, watching her like he knew something was wrong.

"Tum-" he started to say-

And that's when-

(you-)

Her eyes snapped open.

Reality hit like a slap.

No soft lighting.

No mysterious man.

No kiss.

Just-

Her maasi.

Standing right across her bed.

Hands on hips.

Judging her entire existence.

She blinked once.

Twice.

Then groaned, dragging the blanket over her face.

"Ughhh... seriously?" she mumbled, voice muffled. "Itna acha dream tha..."

"KAUNSA DREAM?!" her maasi snapped instantly.

She peeked out, completely unbothered. "Koi nahi... aapko nahi batana."

"Badtameez ladki! Subah ke 9 baj rahe hai!"

"Exactly," she stretched lazily, "subah hi toh hai..."

Her maasi looked like she might actually throw something at her.

"Uth! Aur taiyar ho ja! Interview ke liye jaana hai tujhe ya nahi?"

(It was such a nice dream)

(WHICH DREAM?!)

(Nothing... It's nothing)

(you mannerless girl... It's already 9 in morning)

(Exactly... It's morning) she said to her maasi

(Get up and get ready don't you have an interview today..)

That.

Finally.

Got her attention.

She froze for a second-

Then sat up instantly.

"Oh shit-INTERVIEW!"

And just like that, chaos began.

Water splashed.

Closet doors banged.

Hairbrush vanished and reappeared like it had its own personality.

Twenty minutes later-

She walked out, fresh, dressed, and almost presentable.

Confidence? 80%.

Panic? 100%.

She slid into her chair at the dining table, grabbing a toast like she hadn't eaten in years.

Everyone was already there.

Of course they were.

Because apparently, the entire house functioned on discipline-

Except her.

Her maasi gave her a look.

The look.

She smiled sweetly in return.

"Good morning," she chirped, completely unfazed.

A pause.

Then she added, casually-

"Waise... agar main late uthti hoon na, toh iska matlab yeh nahi hai ki main irresponsible hoon."

Her maasi narrowed her eyes. "Toh matlab kya hai?"

She took a bite, thinking for exactly one second.

"...creative hoon."

( By the way... just because I wake up late doesn't mean I'm irresponsible.)

(then what does it mean?..)

(I am creative)

Silence.

Then someone at the table coughed, clearly hiding a laugh.

She grinned.

Energy intact.

Mood unbothered.

Because honestly?

Life was already dramatic enough.

At least her dreams were fun.

Even if-

They weren't real.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The building stood tall.

Glass.

Steel.

And the kind of silence that made you automatically straighten your posture.

She stopped right at the entrance for a second-tilting her head up, scanning the structure like she was mentally calculating her chances.

"Okay..." she whispered under her breath, adjusting the strap of her bag, "you've got this."

Did she?

Debatable.

But confidence wasn't always real.

Sometimes, it was just well-acted.

And she was very good at that.

The moment she stepped inside-

Cold air.

Polished floors.

People walking with purpose like they had their entire lives sorted.

She glanced down at herself quickly.

Outfit? Good.

Hair? Manageable.

Nervousness? Ignored.

"Intern interview?" the receptionist asked, professional smile in place.

She nodded instantly. "Yes."

"Third floor. Conference Room B."

"Thank you!"

Short.

Simple.

Efficient.

No dramatic entry.

No cinematic slow motion.

Just reality.

The elevator ride was quiet.

Too quiet.

She watched the numbers change, tapping her foot lightly.

What if they ask something weird?

What if I blank out?

What if-

"No."

She shook her head slightly.

"Not today."

The doors opened.

And just like that-

She stepped into a different game.

The waiting area already had candidates.

Some revising notes.

Some pretending to be calm.

Some clearly panicking.

She sat down, crossing her legs, scanning the room casually.

No overthinking.

No comparison.

Just observation.

A girl beside her leaned closer. "First time?"

She smiled lightly. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little."

They both laughed.

Tension-reduced.

Good.

Names were called.

One by one.

Time passed.

And then-

"Miss Jaiswar...? "

She stood up instantly.

"That's me."

The room wasn't intimidating.

Three panelists.

Files.

Laptops.

Neutral expressions.

Professional.

Predictable.

She walked in, offered a polite smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning. Please have a seat."

She sat straight.

Back aligned.

Hands steady.

Heart?

Running a marathon.

The questions started simple.

Introduction.

Background.

Why this company.

Why this role.

She answered clearly.

Not memorized.

Not robotic.

Just-

Real.

One of them leaned forward slightly. "You don't seem nervous."

She smiled, just a little. "I am."

A pause.

Then she added-

"But I also know that being nervous won't help me answer better... so I'm choosing not to let it control me."

A glance exchanged between panelists.

Noted.

Another question.

"Why should we select you?"

Typical.

Expected.

She didn't rush.

Didn't throw buzzwords.

Instead-

"Because I'm not here to just complete an internship," she said, voice steady. "I'm here to understand how things actually work."

A small pause.

"I learn fast. I adapt faster. And I'm not afraid to ask questions-even if it makes me look inexperienced at first."

Silence.

But not the bad kind.

The thinking kind.

One of them raised an eyebrow. "And what if you fail?"

She didn't hesitate.

"Then I'll know what doesn't work."

A beat.

"And I'll do it better the next time."

The interview ended quicker than she expected.

"Thank you. You can wait outside."

She nodded, standing up. "Thank you for the opportunity."

And just like that-

She walked out.

Same pace.

Same composure.

But the moment she stepped outside-

She exhaled sharply.

"Okay... that was something."

Minutes later-

Her name was called again.

She frowned slightly.

That was fast.

She walked back in.

One of the panelists looked at her, a faint smile this time.

"Congratulations. You're selected."

For a second-

She didn't react.

Then-

"Wait... seriously?"

Professional mask-gone.

Just pure, unfiltered surprise.

They smiled. "Yes."

And that's when it hit her.

She got it.

She actually got it.

Outside the building-

She stepped out into the sunlight, pulling her phone out immediately.

Dialing.

The moment the call connected-

"HELLO-GUESS WHAT?!"

Energy.

Loud.

Unfiltered.

Alive.

Because this-

This was her win.

And she was going to celebrate it exactly the way she lived-

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