The Paris business trip was just a day away, and the atmosphere in the office had shifted from stress to excitement. Rishi had noticed a quiet transformation in Niharika Sharma. From a scared girl hiding behind half-truths to a sharp, dependable professional-she had evolved. She had picked up tasks quickly, handled pressure with grace, and slowly earned her place in the team.
Rishi had seen it. He didn't say it out loud, but it reflected in how much responsibility he had started giving her.
The evening before departure, Rishi addressed the team, "Our flight is early. Everyone, be at the airport by 8:00 AM. Raj, coordinates with Anjali and Kunal. Handle the check-ins."
"And you?" Raj raised a brow.
"I'll be picking Niharika."
Raj smirked. "Of course, you will."
Rishi ignored him. "Focus on the team, not your movie dialogue."
The next morning, as Rishi picked up Niharika, a thought struck him. "Damn, I left the presentation files at home," he muttered, taking a sharp U-turn.
They reached his house-quiet, imposing, far too large for one man. Niharika hesitated at the doorstep.
"You live here... alone?" she asked softly.
Rishi nodded. "Come in. Don't stand out there."
At the airport, Raj was pacing. "One day this man will give me a heart attack," he said before spotting them.
As they entered, she noticed the eerie silence and the emptiness of the space. Yet it felt... heavy. Like the walls were holding stories.
While Rishi searched frantically for the file, Niharika wandered slightly, wanting to help. That's when she noticed a part of the wall-faint scratches in a circular shape. Inside it, written in red ink:
"13 August"
The words had been scratched, rubbed, almost erased-but not enough to disappear.
Curious, she asked, "Rishi... what's with this date?"
He froze. His back turned to her, shoulders stiff and then softened in a way she hadn't seen before. His lips parted slightly. "Some unexpected things... become unforgettable memories."
The words came out low. Raw.
Then, to her shock, a single tear slipped from the corner of his eye. It caught the morning light like a shard of glass.
Niharika stood frozen, unsure what to say. She had never imagined someone as stoic, as composed as Rishi, could break like that.
Before she could speak, Rishi cleared his throat and turned away. "Ah, found it," he said, picking the file from a side table and quickly walking out of the room.
They reached the airport just in time. Raj's missed calls were stacking up, but he greeted them with a dramatic sigh. "You know, I almost died of anxiety. But seeing you both walk in together healed me."
The team boarded the flight, and hours later, the magic of Paris wrapped them in its arms.
At the expo, Rishi's presentation was a masterstroke. Investors nodded, partners clapped. The entire team looked at him with pride. But none more than Raj.
Later, as they walked out of the venue, Raj flung an arm around Rishi. "See, I always told you-you're the main character energy. You just needed a background score."
Rishi shook his head but smiled faintly.
Over the next two days, they visited the Eiffel Tower, sipped coffee near the Seine, posed at the Louvre, and laughed more than they had in months.
Still, Niharika was distracted.
But amidst the glory, Niharika felt distracted.
Her mind clung to that scratched date-13 August-and Rishi's strange silence around it.
The next day, they visited landmarks around Paris. Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Montmartre. Everything was magical. Yet Niharika's thoughts kept drifting.
One evening, outside a café, she finally asked Raj, "Why does Rishi keep such distance from people-especially women?"
Raj smirked, sipping his coffee. "Because someone already holds that space."
Niharika's fingers are still. "Who?"
Raj leaned back, gave a half-smile, and said, "Her name was Niharika."
Her breath caught. "What?"
Raj nodded, still smiling. "Yes. But not you. Another Niharika."
He didn't say more. He didn't need to. Niharika sat stunned, the name circling her thoughts like an unsolved puzzle.
On their way back to the airport, the team traveled in separate cars. Rishi left with Kunal and Anjali. Raj was with Niharika.
Her breath caught. "What?"
Raj nodded, still smiling. "Yes. But not you. Another Niharika."
He didn't say more. He didn't need to. Niharika sat stunned, the name circling her thoughts like an unsolved puzzle.
On their way back to the airport, the team traveled in separate cars. Rishi left with Kunal and Anjali. Raj was with Niharika.
The air in their car was silent, thick with thoughts.
Niharika turned to him slowly. "That Niharika... the one Rishi loved... what happened to her?"
Raj didn't answer immediately. He simply said, "Some names live forever-not because of the people, but because of the pain they leave behind."
Niharika sat still, her mind echoing with that name. Her name.
Was it just coincidence? Or something more?
To be continued....