Chapter 1

Alarm buzzed

A pair of sleepy eyes roamed here and there searching for the source of sound. As soon as eyes fell on the alarm clock, Veronica woke up.

"Oh no not again" Veronica shouted running here and there.

"Veronica. Honey you are late for college" Mom shouted from the dining room

"Coming" Veronica replied

Running here and there, finally getting dressed, Veronica ran downstairs.

"Mom I am really late for the presentation, I don't think I can have breakfast with you all. Bye" she kissed her Mom on the cheek and started running towards the door. Suddenly her Dad appeared.

"Dad, you sacred me." She screamed

"Honey, you should wake up early in the morning to be on time. Here, take this" Her Dad spoke while handling her an apple.

She took the apple from him and kissed her Dad on his cheek and left.

"Why is she always running late?" Mr Ray asked

"I don't know, but I am sure of one thing, she didn't inherit this quality from me." Mrs Ray replied to Mr Ray while passing the toast from her hand to his mouth.

"Honey, even I don't have that quality. From where did she inherit this quality?" Mr Ray asked

Mrs Ray made a funny face in reply to that question.

"Honey are you sure she is ours?" Mr Ray asked

"What do you mean by ours? Are you trying to say she is not your daughter? Which means you are trying to say I had an affair with someone and had her?" Mrs Ray fumed in anger

"No no no. That's not what I meant. What I wanted to say is, are you sure we didn't exchange our child with someone by mistake?" Mr Ray replied

Mrs Ray looked way more angrier than before. Just one look from her and Mr Ray held his ears to say sorry.

"Honey it was just a joke. Why are you taking it seriously. I was just kidding. You know she does has my looks and your brain." Mr Ray said

"Shut up. You are sleeping on the couch today." Mrs Ray said with finality in her voice and left in anger.

"Honey. Honey. Listen to me. She surely has your anger too." Mr Ray joked.

But it was too late Mrs Ray already left from there.

At presentation room

" Veronica, you are late again. Can you ever learn how to be on time?" Navi asked

"Come on dude, presentation has not yet started. How can you say that I am late." Veronica replied

"Dude you are seriously insane." Navi replied

"Well, when I have you as my friend what else can I expect?" Veronica answered back

"Shut up. And its best friend, not only friend." Navi replied

"Yes Captain." Veronica joked

'May I have your attention please everyone.' They announced over the mike.

"Veronica, the presentation is going to start soon. Are you nervous?" Navi asked

"Nervous, dude I need to pee. You go and stand in the queue, take the token number. I will meet you directly in the hall." Veronica replied and left.

"Oh God. I am hell nervous. What am I going to do. My hands and feet are all numb and sweaty. With this speed I am going to faint soon." Veronica kept talking to herself without realizing that she is walking in an alley. Suddenly she bumped into someone. That someone held her hand to save her from falling.

Veronica looked scared and she closed her eyes waiting for ground to embrace her. But that didn't happen. She opened her one eye to check. She suddenly realized that a strong pair of arms were holding her. She looked above her and found a pair of chocolate brown color eyes looking directly at her.

And then suddenly the strong pair of hands left her and she fell with the 'thud' sound. She was too shocked to react. She shouted "Hey you jerk. What the hell are you doing." and she looked up to find that the stranger disappeared.

On her way back, she kept thinking about him. She only saw his eyes. She was not able to see his face. She finally reached out the presentation hall where Navi was waiting for her.

"You are finally back. I was just going to call you." Navi told her

"Yeah. So what is our queue number?" Veronica asked

"Its 197. Gosh there are lot of people." Navi informed

"I agree. And lot of creep too." Veronica replied

"Creep? Whom did you meet?" Navi asked

"I don't know, some crazy stupid guy." Veronica answered

"Crazy! Stupid! Wow wow. Wait a sec. You said guy? Am I listening correctly? You met a guy?" Navi asked excitedly

"Shut up Navi. Its not what you are thinking. Lets concentrate on our presentation first. I will tell about that jerk later." Veronica answered back

"Fine." Navi replied

After sometime their turn came.

"Lets go" Navi told Veronica

"Lets rock it" Veronica replied

"Shit. I forgot my glasses." Veronica cursed

"Don't worry, I will do they presentation part. You just handle questionnaire. Okay?" Navi assured Veronica

"Done." Veronica smiled

They went inside together.

"Good morning everyone" Navi And Veronica greeted everyone present their

"Good morning." They replied back in unison

Veronica and Navi noticed there are three people in the panel. Both looked surprised. Both of them heard that there are four people in the panel. So where did the fourth person go. Both assured each other and started the presentation.

As decided, Navi started the presentation. Veronica too continued in between, so that it won't be awkward for her to just stand.

Panel started asking questions. Veronica handled every question smartly and explained everything precisely.

"Good work guys. The presentation was wonderful. And the way you presented it was more wonderful." One of the judges told them

"Thank you" Both Navi and Veronica said in unison

Veronica started feeling weird. She felt that someone was staring at her. She tried to look here and there and then suddenly her eyes met a pair of chocolate brown eyes looking directly at her.

At that time, the person made his presence known to everyone.

Navi came closer to Veronica and whispered "I think he is the fourth person."

"You think?" Veronica asked

"Yes. Why? Navi asked

"I think we are doomed." Veronica whispered

"What do mean by doomed?" Navi asked

As Veronica was about to answer Navi, one of the panel member informed them that they are done with their presentation.

Suddenly the fourth person interrupted. "I am not done with them."

Veronica looked directly at him. He too was staring at her intently.

"You. What is your name?" He asked pointing towards Veronica

"Me?" She pointed herself while stammering.

"Great Veronica, you are seriously doomed." She told herself.

"Yes you. Why are you stammering?" He asked her

"I.. I am not stammering." She replied

"Okay then, answer my question." He told

"My... My name is.... Veronica." She answered

"Again you are stammering. Are you scared of me? Did you do something wrong to me that you are scared?" He asked in amusement

"Shit. He saw my face. He remember the incident in the hall." She spoke to herself

"No.. No.. I didn't do anything wrong. Why would I be scared. I never met you before." She answered back

"Really. You didn't meet before. Are you sure? Why do I feel like I have met you before? He questioned her looking directly in her eyes.

Everyone present in the panel room was looking at him and Veronica. They all were shocked that what is happening here.

"I don't think so." She answered back

"Okay if you say so." He replied with that he started walking towards her. She was to shock to react.

He stopped walking as he stood in front of her.

"I think this is yours." He told her while looking at his hand.

She followed his gaze to find her glasses in his hand.

She immediately took it from him.

"How do you have these?" She asked

"You forgot this in the hallway." He informed

She was too embarrassed to say anything.

"I see. You are very honest." He sarcastically commented

She stood there frozen.

"How was her presentation?" He asked the panel.

They too were too shocked to respond. One of them replied "It was good."

"Okay then. You are going to work for me as a intern from next week onwards." He informed her

She looked at him as if he has grown two heads.

"Excuse me?" She asked looking at him

"So you have hearing problem too?" He asked

"Huh" She stood dumb folded

"You can't see well. You don't speak well. You can't hear well. Is there anything else that you got struck with. Tell me now. You are going to work for me from now on. I should know about it." He replied with amusement.

"Jerk." Veronica spoke to herself

"Did you just said something?" He asked her

"No." She replied

"I thought you just remembered me. I heard something that sounded familiar." He replied with amusement written all over his face.

"He is enjoying this." She thought to herself.

"You didn't even see my presentation. Why do you want me to work for you?" She asked him

"So you are rejecting it?" He asked her with intimidating gaze.

She already knew that her life is doomed now. So she decided to face it.

"I am just asking out of curiosity. I mean a person hiring me without even knowing my potential is something bothering me." She answered him back

"True. Panel said you are good enough. That's enough for me. I trust their decision." He replied

"Yeah right." She replied sarcastically.

He smiled a little and soon covered it with a straight face.

"So Miss. You got your results here only. You can leave now. Take this." He handed her his business card.

She took it from him and looked at it.

"Give a call on this number. My secretary will inform about the rest of the thing. You may leave now." With that started going back to his seat.

"May I ask you something?" She asked him

He looked at her.

She didn't even wait for his response.

"Who are you?" She asked

But it sounded more like "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Everyone present in the room looked shocked.

Navi who was so lost in the whole scenario was trying to understand what was happening. When Veronica asked who is he, she was more than shocked. Before Veronica asked any more stupid question, she stopped her.

"Dude, you don't know him? Even if you don't know, don't speak anything stupid." Navi whispered

"You already have a answer to that question in your hand." He replied with amusement on his face

"Huh" Veronica looked confused

"Hand." He replied. Gesturing her to look.

She copied his gesture to see his card in her hand. She turned it over to look at the name.

'Arek Alden, CEO of Alden group of industries'

She saw him and then the business card. She repeated it few time.

"I think you got your answer Miss. Any more questions?" He asked

"No. Thankyou." With that she left the room.

As soon as she was out of the room, she sank down. Navi rushed to her.

"What the hell was happening back there?" Navi enquired

"I told you bumping into a crazy creep jerk?" She asked

"Yes" Navi replied confused

"He was that creep." Veronica replied keeping her hand on her head and messing her hair in frustration.

"What?" Navi asked too shocked.

"You called him names too? Didn't you?" Navi asked again

Before Veronica could reply her Navi continued "Don't tell me what you did. Just say that you didn't say."

"I wish I could say that." Veronica replied

"We are seriously screwed now." Navi replied in frustration.

"Why the hell he wants me to work for him. Its more like revenge." Veronica asked

"Its revenge I guess because you can't keep your big mouth closed." Navi replied

"You are seriously not helping." Veronica replied

"Not helping... Not helping.. Are you kidding me. You just opened your big mouth in there as well. And you seriously don't know him?" Navi asked

"Do you think I am a fool to ask him after knowing about him?" Veronica asked

"Nah. You are not fool. Fool is just a small word to describe your big action. It should be something as big as your action. Like FOMB." Navi replied

"What the hell does that mean?" Veronica enquired

"FOMB= Fool+Dumb." Navi replied

"Seriously. At this moment you can seriously joke like that. Aist. I am doomed. He will make my life a living hell. Just 5 minutes with him, and I experienced hell. How am I suppose to work with him? He is living form of hell." Veronica spoke frustrated.

"What the hell did you do in the hallway? Why is he acting like that?" Navi asked

"I bumped into him by mistake. First he held me and saved me from falling on the ground. But as soon as he saw my face, he left me and I fell on the ground. I cursed him. But he was no where to be seen. I thought he left." Veronica replied

"You didn't see his face at that time?" Navi asked

"No. I only saw his eyes. When I saw him in there with the panel. I thought I saw his eyes. But my question was answered as soon as he started directing questions on me." Veronica informed

"We already got the thing we were here for." Navi said

"But I don't have a very good feeling about this thing." Veronica said

"We will see how this will end. Lets go" Navi said

With that both left.