She was late today for the office as she had an appointment with her doctor. Doctor said that her condition is quite improving and Aadhya said to the doctor that her nightmares are still continuing.

Doctor conducted a counselling session on Aadhya and suggested her to practice yoga and meditation. Doctor was happy to know that she is slowly coming out of the trauma as he saw her talking from her side for the first time as in the past all she used to do was give him one word answers everytime.

When he met her first time, it looked like she had no life left in her. She was breathing but was not alive and the worst thing was that she was blaming herself for the whole thing. She even wanted to end her life at one point of time due to the unbearable guilt and regret she has in her heart but was rescued by the doctors.

She didn't ever try again to kill herself as she came to know that there was someone who is alive in her family who needs her. After she came to know that Aman was alive, she cried falling on her knees asking for forgiveness from God for trying to end her life.

Doctors couldn't have handled her if not for Mr. Malhotra's support as she used to listen to him......infact only to him. Aman's condition was even worst than Aadhya as he was a little kid and used to always cry asking for his parents. The whole accident thing had happened in front of him and he was in shock for many days. Slowly he came out of the shock but the nightmares due to the accident doesn't let him to sleep.

They both stayed together helping each other to get over the trauma but it is wasn't easy.

Doctor didn't give any medicines to her but just talked to her and told her to talk more which will help her to let out emotions rather than suppressing them. She is not a depressed patient so doctor just advised her some natural stress free methods like yoga, mediation, morning walk and jogging.

She reached the office and it's already 11. She had already messaged Rishabh that she will be late and there was no reply from him. She entered into the elevator and reached her floor but as she exited the elevator, she heard what everyone were talking.

She halted hearing Rishabh's name in their conversations.

" He can't talk to us like that!" She heard a woman's voice.

" Yes! He is not our boss to pass on orders like that." She heard a man's voice and she thought it must be that arrogant bald man.

" He might be the CEO but he has no rights on the employees of our company." Another cringing voice can be heard.

" As soon as our boss comes, he had to leave this company right?" That woman said again.

" I think so as he has his own company to manage." Said that bald man.

" But where is our boss? When she will take the charge?" A scared and timid voice asked must be their junior.

" They said that she is still not recovered from what happened.....she will be back when she is okay." An elderly voice said.

" But either way he is our boss now, we can't talk about him like that." She heard Anjali's low voice.

" You are a junior.....be like a junior.....don't intervene between seniors talk." She heard an arrogant voice.

She sighed at their behaviour and made her presence known by walking in. Everyone looked at her whispering to each other as she was never late to the office and started talking about her.

Anjali smiled at her who just nodded her head at her and walked towards her seat. She sat and thought about what they said. Though they act very sincere and honest in front of Rishabh, they speak such ill things about him behind his back.

He is the CEO of this company and they should respect him but they aren't doing it. She balled her fists tightly controlling her anger and thought how her dad even hired such people in their office who cannot even  respect their boss.

She took the schedule and went inside his cabin knocking on his door. She glanced at him who was looking angry and thought what must they have done to make him so angry.

" Good Morning Sir, your schedule." She said giving him the schedule.

He took it from her silently and was looking at it but his mind was somewhere else. She looked at him who was lost in his thoughts.

" Sir, are you okay?" She asked.

He looked at her and looked away.

" I will attend all the meetings and join these also in today's schedule." He said giving her some paper.

She took and looked at it frowning. Four more meetings along with already scheduled five meetings. It will be an hectic schedule which means he will not have atleast five minutes break also.

" Sir but....." She was cut off by him.

" Just do it Ms. Aadhya." He said seriously looking into his laptop and she looked down.

" Ok Sir." She said and went away from there.

She would be lying if she says that it didn't hurt but composed herself. He must be worried due to the current  happenings in the company and did as he told.

Whole day he was busy in back to back meetings and she was busy taking the notes of all the meetings. He involved the whole staff also into these meetings and made them run the errands from time to time.

In short, the whole staff was running in and out of the conference room with one after the other meetings back to back. He didn't spare any mistakes and everyone got serious warnings.

Though they didn't said anything infront of him, they were cursing him at his back and this was the limit to Aadhya's patience.

He didn't even had his lunch except a coffee here and there in between. He worked continuously without any break and that made her worried.

" Sir, it's already 3 pm.....please have your lunch until the next meeting starts." She said to him hesitantly.

" No, I am fine." He said.

" What happened Sir? Why are you so angry today?" She asked him softly.

" It's none of your business." He said curtly and she left saying sorry to him.

It was already 5:30 and she was in his cabin submitting the reports of today's meetings.

" It's a draft report Sir, Can I submit the complete report tomorrow as I had to leave?" She asked him.

" No, complete it today itself and leave." He said sternly which made her look at him in disbelief.

" But Sir....." She was cut off by him.

" Finish the report and leave." He said coldly.

She nodded her head and left hurt from his cabin.

More than the hurt, she was worried about Aman. She immediately called Shanthi Ma and informed her to be with Aman as she will be late today.

Rishabh sighed leaning his head back on his chair and cursed himself for behaving so rude with Aadhya for no mistake of hers. He regretted everything he said to her since morning but he didn't mean to hurt her. It was just that he felt that he had no value in this company.

He was angry on his staff who took his serious project lightly and didn't prepare a proper presentation. He lashed out on them in the morning when he came to know about their carelessness towards the project and he was more angry for their reason of their carelessness he came to know from his manager. Just because he is not their boss doesn't give them the right to disrespect him and take his work and words so lightly.

He looked at her who is talking worriedly on her phone.

Oh Shit! Aman!

How can he forget about him?

He immediately dialled her intercom and she answered the call.

" You can leave.....submit the report tomorrow." He said.

" No Sir, I will complete it today only." She stated.

" Aadhya....I...." He was about to say but she already had cut the call and resumed her work.

He looked at her through the glass and saw her working seriously and ran his hands in his hair frustratingly.

He went outside and walked to her desk.

" You need anything Sir?" She asked standing up from her seat.

" Nothing, you go home......I forgot about Aman." He said looking down and sighed.

" You don't need to worry about him Sir, I will complete the work and leave." She said coldly and sat down resuming her work without giving him any chance to talk any further.

He went back to his cabin and sat down resuming his work but he couldn't concentrate on the work.

He remembered that once he took Aadhya's house landline number and he called on it immediately. Shanthi has lifted the call and he asked her about Aman. She told him that she is staying with Aman until Aadhya comes home.

He thanked her and sighed in relief.

He continued his work stealing glances at her in between who is working with a straight face. She went somewhere in between and returned after 10 minutes. Everyone in the office left one by one and now the time is 6:45 pm.

Rishabh was getting tensed by looking at her as she was still working and he felt terrible at his behaviour.

After sometime there was a soft knock on his door and saw that Aadhya was coming inside.

" Sir final report of today's meetings." She said keeping the file on the table.

" And I have sent a copy of it to your mail also." She added and turned to leave.

" Aadhya....." Her phone rang when she turned towards him.

She excused herself while talking on the phone.

" Ha beta, I am coming."

He just heard those words from her before his door was closed. He looked through the glass to see her leaving hurriedly taking her bag.

He cursed himself for the 100th time today and leaned back on his chair. His stomach grumbled loudly and he then remembered that he didn't eat anything since morning. He remembered the way he behaved with Aadhya when she asked him to eat.

He wondered if she even had her lunch or not and sighed that she must have not eaten as she was with him only the whole time.

Aadhya reached her house and saw that Shanthi Ma was telling some story to Aman who was listening to her interestingly.

"Aman." She called and he grinned looking at her.

He ran towards her and hugged her legs. She picked him up and kissed his cheeks.

" Mumma, why you came late today?" He asked her.

" There was some urgent work in the office beta." She said.

" Oh." He said looking down and she could sense his sadness.

" I am sorry beta.....I promise I will never be late again." She said and he smiled at her sleeping on her shoulder.

" Thank you so much Shanthi Ma for being there with him and for taking care of him. If it's not for you then I don't know what I will do." She said honestly holding her hand.

" Arey Shanu baby, it's okay.....there is nothing to worry." She replied squeezing her hand.

" I will go now baby." She said going towards the door.

" Wait! driver will drop you off to home." Aadhya said.

" No, it's okay baby." She said but Aadhya did not listen.

She made Aman sit on the sofa and went outside with Shanthi towards the car.

" Shanu baby, Aman baba was worried about you a lot.....for every five minutes he would ask when you will come." Shanthi said.

" Oh! Sorry Shanthi Ma from next time....I will take care about it." She said apologetically.

" No baby it's not about me, it's about him.....he thought something had happened to you and was so worried. After what happened in the past it must be difficult for him to understand that you have work as all he could think was something bad  happened to you.....I saw fear in his eyes today that you may not return.....that he might lose you too." Shanthi Ma said with tears.

Tears fell from Aadhya's eyes and thought that his fear was natural according to what happened in their past and she blamed herself for making him even think like that.

" Thank you Shanthi Ma for telling me about how he felt and I would take care about it.....it will never happen again." She said determined.

" Take care beti." Saying this she went away and Aadhya went inside closing the door.

She freshed up and looked for Aman who was watching T.V. She fed him food while eating her own and made him sleep.

She sighed looking at his sleeping face and kissed his forehead. Nothing is  important to her more than Aman.....not work, not herself and not even Rishabh.....she decided.

She went to her wardrobe and took out her father's laptop. She caressed it remembering him and tears fell from her eyes. She never thought that she will be using his laptop like this but today she had to as issues are arising in the office.

She logged into the official Email Id of the company from where all the instructions and processes go to the employees and saw that there were many mails in the inbox.

She just started typing the mail that she thought she would do after what she saw at the company today. The environment of the company is becoming unhealthy and it's not good for the company. She wrote that Rishabh is the CEO and he will not only have the responsibilities regarding the deals and projects of the company but also have the responsibilities of the whole team. He will have all the rights to hire or fire, to promote or to demote any employees. If anyone had any problems or issues with this decision, they are allowed to leave the company freely and if anyone disobey or disrespect the CEO, a severe action would be taken against them.

She typed the whole matter and smiled in satisfaction. The signature under the mail is already there with her father's details and she didn't change them. She sent the mail to each and every member of the company in different departments.

She logged out and closed the laptop. She thought it's the least thing she can do for the sake of the company and her inner voice asked her if she is doing this for the company or for Rishabh. She froze thinking about it and shook her head to herself thinking that it's not for him she did all this for the sake of company.
Thinking that she went and slept beside Aman hoping that she can have a peaceful sleep without any nightmares.

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To be Continued..............

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