She woke up with a banging headache. Last night she had a little too much of that special drink, and the credit goes to Mr. Saxena. Her heart ached when he was laughing and flirting with other ladies while not even acknowledging her presence. ....

She went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. She wanted to strangulate him for dancing so closely with other ladies. Naina knows that she is acting silly, it's not like he made promises of forever to her. Still there was a silly teenage girl alive in her, who wants all the attention of her crush on her.

While doing her most favourite hobby i.e. overthinking, she got all ready to leave for office. Will grab coffee on the way. She saw time before leaving, 8:25 a.m. still almost half an hour left for the office to start.

"Good job Naina, abhi bhi time hai, it will hardly take 20 minutes to reach...thoda aur so Lena chahiye tha" she pouted.

She grabbed her phone and saw it ran out of battery. She cursed under her breath and collected the charger and keys of her car. After checking the lock twice she left for the office.

She was driving in a joyful mood. New day, beautiful day and a fresh start, nothing can go wrong. She grabbed coffee on the way while humming a song when suddenly her car started to jerk and stopped all of a sudden, making her heart skip a beat.

She got worried "What the hell, isey ab kya hua" she got out of the car, it's engine was leaving fumes "ye bhi abhi hona tha" she saw time in her wrist watch and got horrified "Shit! 15 minutes left".

She started biting her nails in nervousness "ab kya karu, cab? Nahi time lagega. Auto?" She was reluctant "aur koi option bhi nahi". She tried to stop auto but all in vain. She huffed "Delhi aur yaha ke auto walo ki dadagiri".

Finally an auto stopped and she sighed in relief "Bhaiya Cannaught Circle chaloge?" She hopefully asked.

He replied "Haan, 100 rupiya lagega".

She widens her eyes in shock "100! Pagal ho kya 10 minute ka rasta hai zyada se zyada 50 lagega, loot thodi na mach rahi hai" she argued.

He replied nonchalantly "madam wo mera route nahi hai aur upar se bony ka time hai, aur subha subha kaha auto milega, apko chalna hai to baitho warna dusra auto karlo, mera time mat waste Karo".

All of a sudden she remembered something "time!!" She frantically saw time "just 8 minutes, Oh God! Mera record." She sits in auto quickly "chalo bhaiya, jitna Lena ho lo magar 9 baje tak pahoncha do".

He started his auto "Chinta mat karo madam 12 saal ka experience hai aj tak ek bhi sawari late nahi pahonchayi".

She said out of irritation "AP zaban kam aur auto tez chalao" finally she reached the office on the exact time with a big smile on her face.

She greeted her colleague Saurabh who looked worried.

He fired questions at her "Naina where the hell were you? Aur tumhara phone kyu off tha? And most importantly why are to late? It was such an important meeting!"

Naina looks at him as if he is an alien "Dude, relax first. Take a breath" he gives her a hard look "okay okay to answer you first question, I was stuck, my car broke down in the middle way and there was no ride. Second, I forgot to charge my phone. Third," she gives a silly smile "I am at the correct time" she flips her hair back "like always, lagta hai teri raat ki ab tak utri nahi. And what meeting you are talking about" she sips her coffee while sitting in her cubicle.

He got annoyed with her remark "meri chhod, lagta hai raat ki teri nahi utri, bhul gayi kal raat Vivaan ne sabko bataya tha ki office will start half an early, that means 8:30 a.m. and for the first time ever in history" he mocks her "you are late".

She exclaimed "Haye daiya...ye kya ho gaya. Mera record to gaya" she was about to cry.

He stops her in the middle with a sarcastic expression"arey Puri kahani to sun le, fir jee bhar ke Rona, apne asuon me pure office ko baha le jana".

She looks at him with the dreaded expression "suspense kya create kar raha hai, jaldi bak na".

"Vivaan ne special 5 counsels ki team banayi thi" he took a pause giving her time to adjust with about to get shock "jisme tu bhi included thi....THI". He stressed on the last word.

Her face went pale as her heart stopped beating "I am doomed" he nodded "I am ruined" he felt pity "I am so gone" she exclaimed standing up from her position, and almost ran towards the meeting room.

He shouted from behind "arey ab kya karegi ja kar, meeting khatam ho chuki hogi". She didn't pay any heed "pagal ladki" he shook his head.

She ran muttering curses under her breath "shit, shit, shit, shitt" and that's when she collided with a hard wall. No a person. When she looked for that person her eyes met with his brown orbs. It was Vivaan who was standing in front of her all in his glory, too close yet too far. She was too numb even to mutter an apology and was having goosebumps all over her body as if she touched an electric wire. Last night she was sulking that he never glanced at her and now she is in his arms but the situation right now is not favouring as Vivaan was glaring at her with grimace.

He asked in a stern tone "where the hell you were running to? Yaha kya kar rahi ho?" His tone was enough to send shivers down her spine due to nervousness and fear.

"Vivaan sir" His P.A. came to aid as Naina wasn't in state to reply "Ye Ms. Ahluwalia hai, hamari hi firm mein practice karti hai, and you have selected her in the new panel of councils".

His hard glare was still intact "wrong, She was in the panel, not anymore" her heart stopped beating "aise careless, unprofessional aur disoriented Advocates, meri team to kya firm me bhi rehne layak nahi hai" he left her standing like a statue with his bitter remark.

Her heart broke into a million pieces, her idol, her unrequited love not only disregarded her but also thought her to be worthless.

*********

Saurabh was trying to console her devastated state as she silently sobbed in her cubicle. "It's alright Darling, hota hai kabhi kabhi."

She shook her head "nahi hota" she looked at him wiping tears "Saurabh, it was a golden chance to work right under him and I let it slip away so easily. Kitno ko ye chance milta hai. So many interns, seniors and juniors are working in this firms and out of them he selected just 5 councils including me." She sobbed "How can I be so careless, not just this opportunity but I lost my job also".

He patted her back "Shh... Don't cry, he wouldn't even remember this incident".

She smiled ruefully "How much I wanted him to remember me, now he will always, that what a careless, unprofessional and disoriented kind of an Advocate I am" she remembers his choice of terms for her.

He felt bad for her "I know how devastated you are feeling right now. Tujhe iss waqt ka kabse intezar tha jab wo tujhe acknowledge karega, how much you wanted his attention and..."

She stopped him in the middle "it's not just about my liking for him, he is not reserved for that criteria only Saurabh" she shook her head "apart from that, he is a great council. It would had been an honour to get trained under his guidance. Kitna kuch seekhne ko milta" she sighed "It was such a good day aur mein" her face fell again "it was my loss".

He immediately corrected her " No. His loss" she saw him in astonishment "it's his loss that he never noticed your efforts and hard work. He lost the opportunity to work with the future star of the legal world. Poor him" she chuckled lightly at his efforts to make her feel light.

"Tu kisi se kam nahi hai" he held her shoulder and gazes right in her eyes. "Tu wo nadi hai jo khud apna rasta banati hai...tujhe kisi ki zarurat nahi...." Naina saw the intensity of his words, something in his eyes which was different.

She felt little wierd but not uncomfortable. She just smiled and nodded her head in gratitude for his kind words.

He held her hands "sun na, mein tere liye ek bar Vivaan se baat karu?" She shook her head in negative "mein pehle kaam kar chuka hu uske sath, it wouldn't not be a problem".

She smiled sweetly "that's so considerate of you Saurabh but mein nahi chahti ki koi bhi mere liye sifarish kare, shayad it was meant to be like this" he smiled sadly at her.

**********

"No means no Kavya, am not gonna recruit her in my team, irresponsibility ki bhi hadh hoti hai" Vivaan sternly said.

"But she is amazing in her field, uska majors Civil mein hai which is needed in our case, and most importantly she is a gold medalist, jo ki ek normal cheez nahi hai. Meine khud uski history check ki hai, She is an asset" she tries to convince her hard headed friend cum colleague.

He was still firm on his decision "Topper or no topper doesn't matter. I need professionals, jinhe time ki kadra ho and not some immature newbie".

Kavya was offended as he was doubting her research on her selected council for the case "she is not immature, yad hai, Kunal Khede wale case mein jitne bhi loopholes the wo sab Naina ne file kiye the, it was an almost a lost case but she made it possible".

He thought for a while as Kavya looked at him with hope, waiting for his verdict. He takes a deep breath "Fine, am not firing her" She smiled broadly "but am not taking her in this case". He made the final decision.

She replied being satisfied "Well that's enough for now, maybe later in future She can prove her worth to you" He nodes.

**********

Naina was packing her stuff when that stern voice skipped her heartbeat for the second time this morning "Ahluwalia" she looks at him standing rigid.

She again got nervous seeing him in front of her desk, her mouth went dry. The great Vivaan Saxena, taking her name, no, surname. She gulped her saliva. Saurabh saw her zoning out and shook her hand from under the table. She came back to reality. She composed herself. No, she is a bold and confident woman who fears nothing and can present herself very well in front of anyone.

She gathered courage "Good afternoon sir, am sorry for morning, it was my fault" he was still staring, she tried to ignore his gaze "I am just packing up my stuff and..."

He curtly cuts her "that's not a good sign" he firmly said as she looks at him confused "itni jaldi give up karna is not a good trait of an Advocate, you should defend, put forth your reasons and not just give up just because I am your boss." He gives her a hopeless look which again makes her sad, he turns to Kavya "aur tum iski vakalat kar rahi thi" he said pointing at Naina.

His taunts were giving her unbearable pain but she didn't let it come on her face. What a great actress she turned into "Anyways, I am giving you a second chance." Her face suddenly lights up, even Saurabh smiles "Go back to your work". He then turns to Saurabh "and Saurabh you are in the new team as a replacement for Adv. Ahluwalia" his smile vanished slowly. "Kavya will mail you the case details. We will leave the day after tomorrow for Shekhawati, be ready".

Naina was about to thank him when he roughly cut her off "save it. It wasn't me but Kavya who wanted you" He left as her heart dipped as he said those words. Of course why would he need an employee like her. She smiled at Kavya in gratitude to which she smiled back.

Saurabh was still in shock when Vivaan announced him as a new panel member "That was unexpected" Her attention diverted to him "How? You should be here in my position. You wanted this. Right?" He was in disbelief. "Should I talk to him. It should be you".

She stopped him "no, it's alright. You earned it" she was genuinely happy for him "and am happy at least I got my job back." She said with a smile convincing him but only Saurabh knew how badly she wanted to be in.