She nodded her head silently… but the tears didn’t stop.
Instead, they fell faster, her shoulders trembling as she tried to control herself.
Siddharth watched her for a moment, the irritation on his face slowly fading. Something about the way she was crying didn’t look dramatic or fake—it looked real… painfully real.

He sighed softly and stepped closer.
“HEY… LOVE… WHAT HAPPENED?”

he said, his voice unusually gentle.
He picked up a glass of water from the side table and held it out to her.

“HERE… DRINK THIS.”

Shehnaaz hesitated for a second, then took the glass with slightly trembling fingers. She took a small sip, trying to steady her breathing.
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
Siddharth leaned against the table, watching her carefully.

He didn’t interrupt… didn’t ask anything.
He just waited, thinking that once she calmed down, he would ask what had broken her so badly.
Just then, his phone started ringing.
The sharp sound broke the silence of the room.
Siddharth glanced at the screen and answered the call, turning slightly away.

“YEAH… I’LL BE THERE IN AN HOUR… NO, RESCHEDULE THE MEETING TO ELEVEN… AND SEND ME THE FILE BEFORE THAT.”

His voice became professional, composed… distant.

While he was busy on the phone, Shehnaaz slowly came back to her senses.
Reality hit her like a slap.
Unknown room.
Unknown man.
Last night’s blurred memories.

A wave of humiliation rushed through her.

“What have I done…”

she whispered to herself, lowering her eyes.
She looked toward Siddharth.
He was still busy talking on the phone, completely absorbed in the conversation.
For a moment, she just stood there, feeling small… embarrassed… out of place.
Without making any noise, she quietly picked up her purse from the table.
Her steps were slow, hesitant… but determined.
She decided to leave.....

.

.

By the time Siddharth ended the call, he turned around casually…
But the room was empty.
For a second he frowned, looking towards the door… then towards the bed… then the washroom.

“NO ONE?”
He walked a few steps forward, realization dawning on him.

“CHALI GAYI…?” he muttered under his breath.
A faint smirk appeared on his lips, mixed with surprise.

“AJEEB LADKI HAI…”
He ran a hand through his hair, remembering how she had been crying just a while ago… how fragile she had looked… and then suddenly—gone.

“NA THANKS BOLA… NA APNA NAAM BATAYA… BAS CHALI GAYI.”

He shook his head lightly, but something about her stayed in his mind.
That stubborn attitude…
those tear-filled eyes…
and the way she had held him the previous night…
Siddharth exhaled slowly, looking at the empty doorway.

“TAXI GIRL…” he murmured softly, almost to himself.

.

.

.

Shehnaaz was walking aimlessly on the roadside, her steps slow and unsteady, her mind completely lost in her thoughts.
Everything felt heavy…
her lost job…
her broken relationship…
giving away her apartment…
and the memories of last night that refused to leave her mind.
Her vision started to blur, but she kept walking.
Suddenly—

THUD!

She collided with a car.
The impact wasn’t very hard, but Shehnaaz was already weak and exhausted. The world around her started spinning.
Before she could even understand what was happening, her body lost balance…
…and she fainted.
The car door opened immediately.
A man stepped out, shocked.

“Hey! Are you okay?”

he said, rushing toward her.
But Shehnaaz was unconscious by then, lying motionless on the road.
He quickly bent down, checking her pulse, his expression turning serious.

“DRIVER, JALDI… HELP ME LIFT HER,” he said urgently.
Together, they lifted Shehnaaz carefully and placed her in the back seat of the car.
The man looked at her pale face for a moment, concern clearly visible in his eyes.

“HOSPITAL CHALO… fast,” he ordered.
The car sped away, cutting through the busy Mumbai traffic.
.

.

.

THE IMPERIAL

Siddharth walked inside his cabin,

loosening his tie slightly as he sat on his chair. He picked up the file kept on his desk and looked toward his secretary.

“AAJ KYA HAI MERA SCHEDULE?”

Siddharth asked casually.
His secretary immediately checked the tablet in his hand.

“Sir, today your interview is scheduled with Fortune magazine’s CEO,” he said politely.
“Wo lagbhag 2 ghante mein yahan pahunchne wali hain.”
Siddharth leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.

“Hmm… alright. Make sure everything is perfectly arranged. I don’t like delays,”

he said in his usual calm but commanding tone.
“Yes, sir,” the secretary nodded and left the cabin.
Siddharth picked up his coffee, his mind already shifting to work mode, unaware that the day was about to bring something completely unexpected into his life.