That night, neither Abhir nor Zain could sleep.
Zain stared at the ceiling of his luxurious room, his jaw clenched. "This was just a trailer," he muttered to himself. "The real movie starts tomorrow." Let's see how long you last, Mr. Abhir." His heart still held the sting of that drunken insult from a stranger who now sat under his roof. And even though he knew Abhir didn't recognize him, his ego wasn't ready to forgive.
Across the city, in a tiny rented apartment, Abhir sat with determination in his eyes. "I don't know why Zain Sir shouted at me, but I will prove myself," he whispered. I won't give up this job. One day, Zain Sir will be proud of me."
The next morning, Abhir woke up early. He dressed neatly and reached the company gate well before time, determined to never be late again.
Inside Aarti Limited, tension filled the air. Zain had arrived in a terrible mood. His sharp expressions and silence made even the bravest employees nervous. No one dared to speak unless spoken to.
Suddenly, Zain's voice echoed across the office:
There will be a meeting in five minutes. I want everyone in the conference room. No excuses."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and disappeared into his cabin.
Five minutes later, the conference room was filled with uneasy employees. Murmurs passed between them—what could this be about?
Then, the door opened. Zain entered with a cold, unreadable expression. The room fell completely silent.
"I have always trusted this team with everything," Zain began, his voice sharp. "But today, someone has broken that trust."
Shocked gasps filled the room.
Zain continued, "Every detail of our latest project has been leaked to a competitor. I know who it is. But I'm giving that person a chance to come forward voluntarily. If not, I will hand this case over to the police."
He raised his hand and began counting.
"1… 2…"
Before he could say '3,' a trembling man stood up with lowered eyes. Zain walked straight to him and, without hesitation, slapped him across the face.
"I gave you everything—and this is what you did?" Zain's voice was filled with betrayal. From this moment, you're banned from this company. I will make sure you never work in this industry again."
The room was frozen in shock as the guilty employee was escorted out. Zain walked out without saying another word.
Abhir had silently observed everything. His heart ached seeing Zain's expression—not anger, but pain. Something about Zain's eyes reminded him of his own loneliness. No matter how Zain treated him, Abhir couldn't ignore the sadness he saw.
Abhir followed Zain to his cabin and gently knocked.
Zain, who was seated at his desk, glanced up sharply. "Yes?" he asked, voice clipped.
"Sir…" Abhir said softly, "I know I'm new here. But I just wanted to say… whatever happened in the meeting… I'm really sorry that someone betrayed your trust. I know how that feels. And I just… I hope you're okay."
Zain looked at him for a moment, surprised.
"Why are you here?" Zain finally asked, his voice softer than expected.
Abhir paused, then smiled a little. "Because even if you shouted at me yesterday… I don't like seeing anyone sad. Especially someone who gave me my first job."
Zain blinked. A strange emotion stirred inside him. For a moment, the walls around his ego cracked—but only for a second.
"Sir…" Abhir said gently. "If someone hurt you or broke your trust… you shouldn't let it affect you like this. People like that don't deserve your sadness."
Zain looked at him sharply.
"For me, my employees are like my family," Zain replied after a pause. "If someone from your family hurt you, wouldn't it affect you too?"
Abhir fell silent. He didn't know how to respond. That one line from Zain left him confused. Is this the same man who shouted at me?
He quietly walked out of the cabin, lost in thoughts.
All day, while doing his work, one question kept echoing in his mind—Who is the real Zain?
He appears strict, cold, and distant. But his words… they had emotion, they had pain.
After Abhir left.
Zain stared at the door long after he left.
Why… do this boy's words affect me?
Abhir quietly walked out of the cabin, lost in thoughts.
All day, while doing his work, one question kept echoing in his mind—Who is the real Zain?
He appears strict, cold, and distant. But his words… they had emotion, they had pain.
Is it possible that behind this tough boss is someone with a soft heart?
Meanwhile, in his cabin, Zain stared at Abhir through the glass wall.
There was something about Abhir that Zain couldn't ignore. The more he tried to push him away, the more curious he became. He reminded himself again: This is the same boy who insulted my family. I can't forgive him so easily.
Zain decided it was time for Phase Two of his ego-driven plan.
He called his secretary and gave her instructions.
"Give Abhir a list of 100 priority clients. Each one has pending issues—some are angry, some are complicated, some are just impossible. Let's see how long he survives this."
Within an hour, Abhir received the list.
"These are high-priority clients," the secretary explained. Sir Zain asked you to handle them personally. You have 5 days."
Abhir stared at the list—100 names, each one more challenging than the next.
Most new employees were given 5 to 10 clients in their first week.
But 100?
Still, Abhir didn't complain. He had promised himself he wouldn't give up. He would prove he belonged here.
He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
The entire office was in shock.
Abhir, the newcomer who had joined just a few days ago, was assigned a target that even the most experienced staff member would struggle with—100 high-priority clients in just 5 days.
"Impossible," whispered one employee.
"He doesn't even know our company's systems properly yet," said another.
Even Rahul, who brought Abhir into the company under Zain's instructions, smirked to himself. He knew Abhir had trouble opening up to strangers. Talking confidently to clients? Handling pressure? It would break him. And with Zain already against him, this didn't work—it was a trap.
That evening, Abhir went home and stood in front of the mirror. He practiced over and over how to speak to a client.
"Hello, good morning sir, I'm Abhir from Aarti Limited…"
His voice trembled, but he kept going. Again and again.
The Next Morning
Abhir came to the office early. He didn't want to waste even a minute. He set up his files, opened the client list, and began memorizing their names and cases. But despite his preparation, nervousness gripped him.
Zain entered the office.
All eyes followed him. As usual, he looked sharp, powerful, in full control. But his eyes locked directly on Abhir.
Their gazes met.
Zain noticed Abhir's shaking hands and pale face.
He slowly walked toward him, step by step.
"Are you nervous?" Zain asked calmly.
Before Abhir could respond, Zain gently placed his hand over Abhir's trembling one.
"Chill," he said. "Customers aren't going to eat you over the phone."
Abhir looked up at him, surprised.
And then—just like that—the magic was broken. Employees began entering one by one, and Zain realized his hand was still resting over Abhir's.
Embarrassed, he quickly removed it and walked away without saying another word.
Abhir sat there, stunned. That one moment gave him unexpected confidence.
Zain sir… he understands me. Maybe… maybe he's not that bad after all.
But inside his cabin, Zain was furious with himself. He banged his fist against the wall where his hand had rested above Abhir's just minutes ago.
Why am I helping him? He thought. He insulted my family. I need to take revenge… not give him strength.
Suddenly, Zain's phone rang. His expression changed.
It was good news—a new project had just been confirmed.
Excited, he walked out and addressed his team.
"We've received a big project," he announced. Only two employees will get to work on it. I want each of you to think of your best ideas. You have ten minutes. After that, we met in the conference room."
Everyone rushed to prepare their ideas.
But as Abhir was about to enter the meeting room, an employee accidentally spilled juice on his shirt. Embarrassed, Abhir ran to the washroom to clean up. He didn't want to show up in front of Zain looking unprofessional.
Inside the conference room, Zain looked around.
"Are all the employees here?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," someone replied.
Zain narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure?"
Suddenly, the door opened.
Abhir rushed in, slightly out of breath. "Sorry for coming late, sir." I—"
"I'm not interested in hearing your nonsense excuses," Zain interrupted coldly. "This is not your house to roam around however you like. Learn to value time."
Abhir's eyes filled with tears. He blinked rapidly, trying to hide them.
Zain noticed—but ignored it—and started the meeting.
One by one, the employees presented their ideas. Abhir was the last to speak.
He spoke nervously at first, but as his idea unfolded, even the most senior employees began nodding. There was depth, originality, and practicality in his concept.
After a short wait, Zain's personal secretary entered with the results.
"The two employees selected for the project are—first, Rahul."
Everyone clapped politely.
"And second… Abhir."
There was a moment of stunned silence, followed by applause—some genuine, some clearly jealous.
Just three days in the company, and Abhir had already landed a major project.
Zain ended the meeting, and everyone filed out—except Abhir.
He hesitated for a moment, then approached Zain.
"Sir… thank you. I promise I won't disappoint you. I'll give my 100%."
Zain gave a faint smile.
"You got selected because of your idea," he said. "But let's see how you manage to balance two things at once—this project and your 100-client target."
With that, Zain walked away.
Abhir stood there, a quiet determination in his heart.
Game on.