📍Kolkata, West Bengal

The first day of the month in Rathod Group & Company was always hectic. New targets, new presentations, new deadlines-basically, new stress. And in the middle of all this seriousness, entered Riya Sen.

She was laughing at something Priya, her bestie and colleague had said. Her voice carrying across the office floor like a spark of energy. Her long hair bounced as she walked, her ID card swinging, and her high heels clicking against the marble tiles. If positivity had a human form, it would've been her.

But to her boss, Mr. Adarsh Rathod-she was chaos personified.

"Good morning, Mr. Khadoos,...sorry..I mean Adarsh sir" she muttered under her breath while arranging files, a playful smirk tugging her lips. She didn't know the man himself was right behind her, watching with those piercing eyes.

Riya, completely oblivious, carried on her mock-acting in front of her colleagues.

"If I were the boss," she declared dramatically, "I would organize two office parties every week! Because hello, life is too short to be khadoos all the time."

Her colleagues giggled. Priya gave her a please-stop-before-you-die look. But Riya, as always, ignored all warning signs.

And then, silence.

The kind of silence that screamed: He's here.

Her smile froze. She turned slowly-and there he was. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a crisp black suit that probably cost more than her entire salary, Adarsh Rathod stood there like the villain of her story. His jaw was clenched, his eyes sharp, his aura screaming authority.

"Done with the comedy show, Ms. Sen?" His voice was calm, but every word sliced like a knife.

Her face flushed crimson. Embarrassment burned through her veins as her colleagues quietly scattered, suddenly very interested in their computer screens.

"Ms. Sen, come to my cabin right now." He said, walking past her.

"Amar chakri ta mone hoy gelo, hey thakur! Aaj amay bachiye nao please, ami ar kono din khadoos... I mean Adarsh sir-er pechone kono baaje kotha bolbo na."

(I think my job is gone. O God, please save me today, I will never say anything bad behind Khadoos... I mean Adarsh Sir again.) Riya's eyes went wide in panic, lips trembling in a nervous grimace, cheeks flushed with embarrassment, hands clasped as she pleaded silently.

Inside, his cabin smelled like expensive cologne and coffee. He sat down, not even looking at her, flipping through files.

"You're not paid to entertain, Ms. Sen. You're paid to work. So instead of wasting time, finish this report and submit it by evening."

Riya nodded furiously, clutching the files like they were her lifeline, and escaped the cabin.

By afternoon, she was drowning in spreadsheets and graphs. Exhausted, she thought to herself, "Uff... ek garam coffee mil jaye toh kya baat ho."

And as if the universe heard her wish, a steaming cup of coffee appeared on her desk. She blinked in surprise. Just in time, she saw Adarsh walking past, sipping from his own cup, not even glancing at her.

"Wait wait wait... did Khadoos just read my mind?"

Riya hesitated, then picked up the coffee, took a sip, and whispered dramatically, "Thank you, God, and... thank you, Khadoos... I mean Adarsh sir."

Later, when she reached for her cup again, it was gone. She turned in shock, only to see Adarsh walking away... sipping from her coffee cup.

Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?! That was mine!" she muttered under her breath, glaring at his retreating figure. He didn't even turn back.

"Unbelievable. Khadoos to achhei... tar opor coffee chor-o!"

(Unbelievable. He's khadoos and... a coffee thief too!) She whispered, slamming her pen against the table.

Priya tried to control her laughter. "Riya, please... stop before you get fired."

But Riya was unstoppable. "Arrey, fire ki korben? Ami to ekhanei board-er saamne dariye jabo ar bolbo-Mr. Rathod stole my coffee, please write it in the company policy: No Coffee Theft Allowed."

Priya buried her face in her hands. "Ar bolish na, nahole ei coffee chor ekhuni eshe tor brain-er cappuccino bananiye debe."

(Stop it, or else this coffee thief will come and turn your brain into a cappuccino too.)

Meanwhile, inside the boss's cabin...

Adarsh sipped the last drop of her coffee, a rare smirk tugging at his lips.

"Ms. Sen is impossible... lekin entertaining hai."

At evening As the office wrapped up. Riya was packing her bag when she saw Adarsh walk out of his cabin. She narrowed her eyes, muttering,

"Coffee thief spotted."

Before Priya could stop her, Riya called out loudly, "Mr. Rathod!"

The entire office froze. Normally no one dared to speak his name above a whisper, and here was Riya, calling him like he was her next-door neighbor.

Adarsh stopped in his tracks, turned slowly, and raised one eyebrow. "Yes, Ms. Sen?"

Riya took a deep breath and walked up to him, clutching her empty cup like evidence.

"With due respect, sir... stealing an employee's coffee is against human rights."

Gasps echoed across the floor. Priya facepalmed so hard she almost left a mark.

Adarsh tilted his head, clearly amused but hiding it well. "Human rights? Over coffee?"

"Yes, sir. Coffee is an emotion," Riya declared boldly. "Aur aapne woh chheen liya."

For a second, silence. Everyone expected her termination letter to be typed within two minutes.

But instead, Adarsh's lips curved-just slightly.

"Then maybe, Ms. Sen... you should work hard enough to earn your own coffee."

And with that, he walked out, leaving a stunned office behind.

Riya stood frozen. "Did... did he just... smile? At me?"

Priya dragged her back to the desk. "Ota smile chilo na, warning chilo! Tor jonno bipod barchhe, Riya Sen."

(There was no smile, it was a warning! Trouble is brewing for you, Riya Sen.)

But Riya wasn't listening. Her heart was doing somersaults.

Because for the first time, she realized Mr. Khadoos wasn't just scary. He was dangerous... in a way that was very risky for her heart.

• The Sen Residence

The yellow taxi stopped in front of the Sen residence, a typical North Kolkata house with green-painted windows and hanging flower pots. Riya stepped out, heels in one hand, bag in the other, and sighed like she had fought a world war.

Riya (muttering): "Khadoos ta office-ke jail kore rekheche!"

(That grumpy has turned the office into a jail!)

The moment she opened the door, the familiar smell of begun bhaja (brinjal fry) hit her nose. She dropped her bag on the sofa like a dead weight.

Riya (with a dramatic sigh): "Maaaa, aajke amar din-ta noshto hoye gelo!"

(Maaaaaa, my whole day is ruined today!)

Tara, her mother, walked in, wiping her hands on her pallu.

"Ami bolchilam toh, office-e eto beshi bokbok korish na, boss rag korbe."

(I keep telling you, don't chatter so much at work, your boss will get angry.)

Riya (pouting): "Maa, amar shobdo niye boss-er ki problem? Ki kharap korechi ami?"

(Maa, what problem does my boss have with my words? What wrong did I do?)

Just then Gautam, her father, entered with his newspaper and glasses sliding down his nose.

"Riya, ekdin tui boss-ke straight mukher upor bole dibi 'Khadoos', then dekhbo ki ultimate bhul tui kore boshechis!"

(Riya, one day you'll end up calling your boss 'Khadoos' to his face, then we'll know what wrong you did!)

They burst out laughing. Riya dramatically flopped on the sofa, covering her face with a cushion.

Riya (muffled): "Ei barir lokgulo amake konodin support kore na!"

(Nobody in this house ever supports me!)

But her smile peeked through. Because truth was-after the suffocating Rathod Group & Co. , this noisy Sen house was her safe place.

This is for today butterflies 🦋

Rest those wings, because you're definitely going to need them for the next chapter.

Till that tell me in the comment how's today's chapter and which moment became your favorite.

See you in the next update 📖

~Love Riya 🦋🦋