Chapter 5: The War Begins

The air in the conference room was heavy with tension. Avira sat across from Aditya, her heart pounding like a drum.

After her earlier mishap with him—aka calling her own CEO an "idiot"—she had no doubt that this man was about to make her regret every breath she took in his presence.

Aditya leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his dark eyes locked onto her. His smirk was deadly, and she could almost hear the imaginary background music of doom playing.

"So, Miss Avira…" he began slowly, like a predator circling its prey. "You're applying for the executive assistant position, correct?"

Avira cleared her throat and sat up straight. "Yes, sir!" she answered, trying to keep her voice confident.

Aditya glanced at her résumé and hummed. "Impressive qualifications. But let's see if you're actually worth my time."

And just like that, the grilling session began.

For the next twenty minutes, he threw one difficult question after another at her, his tone sharp, almost ruthless.

"What are your strategies for managing high-pressure situations?"

"How do you prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment?"

"Why should I waste my time hiring you?"

Each question came colder than the last, and yet, Avira kept up. She answered with confidence, even when she could feel the challenge in his gaze.

But then, he finally dropped the ultimate question.

"Why should I hire you?"

There it was. The deciding moment.

Avira looked at him, taking in his sharp, arrogant expression. The way he sat there, so sure of himself, as if the entire world revolved around his presence.

Her gut told her one thing—this man had already decided not to hire her.

So instead of trying to convince him, she decided to answer the way she wanted to.

With pure, undiluted sarcasm.

She crossed her arms, tilted her head slightly, and smirked.

"To prove that Mr. Aditya Singh can handle a talented employee like Ms. Avira."

The room went silent.

His assistant's jaw dropped open. His father, who had been sitting there as a silent observer, looked like he was holding back a laugh.

Aditya? He… froze.

For the first time since this interview started, he had no comeback.

For a brief second, Avira thought she had officially ruined her chances. But then—

"You're hired."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

His smirk returned, but this time, there was something almost dangerous in his expression. "Let's see who can handle whom, Ms. Avira."

Oh. Crap.

The Rules of Hell

Before Avira could celebrate (or, in her case, mourn) her hiring, Aditya began listing his "rules."

"Rule number one—late for even a minute, and your entire day's salary is cut."

"Rule number two—every task should be done exactly as I say. No shortcuts."

"Rule number three—no unnecessary talking, giggling, or roaming around during office hours."

"And most importantly…" His voice lowered, his eyes locking onto hers with pure authority. "No nonsense. I hate nonsense."

Avira blinked.

Wow. Congratulations to me. I just landed myself in my personal hell.

As she walked out of the room, she felt a storm of emotions. Should she be happy about getting the job? Or should she cry because her boss was an absolute devil in a suit?

One thing was for sure—this job wasn't going to be easy.

Singh Mansion: The Grand Roast of Aditya Singh

That evening, as Aditya stepped into Singh Mansion, he was met with a different kind of battlefield.

The moment he walked in, his entire family attacked him with teasing.

Kabir, his elder brother, smirked. "Adi, humein suna toh chhoti si nokri bhi mil gayi tujhe?" ("Adi, we heard you also got a little job today?")

His father shook his head in amusement. "Sunita ji, aapne kaha tha bhagwan iske liye ladki bhejenge. Lagta hai bhej di!" ("Sunita ji, you said God would send a girl for him. Looks like He did!")

His sister-in-law, Ananya, added fuel to the fire. "Adi, sunne mein aaya hai ki aaj kisi ladki ne tumhare mooh pe taala lagaya?" ("Adi, I heard a girl shut you up today?")

Aditya's little niece and nephew ran up to him, giggling.

"Chachu, kya sach mein aaj aap haar gaye?" ("Uncle, did you really lose today?")

His mother simply smirked proudly.

"Beta, main toh bas keh rahi hoon… Bhagwan ka shukar hai!" ("Son, I'm just saying… thank God!")

Aditya sighed heavily. He should've known his family would make a national celebration out of this.

"Bas. Koi kuch nahi bolega." ("Enough. No one will say anything.")

Of course, no one listened.

Late Night Thoughts

That night, as Aditya sat alone in his study, he found himself thinking about her.

The way she challenged him. The way she glared at him fearlessly. The way she flirted with him without realizing who he was.

He clenched his jaw.

"Miss Avira… you have no idea what you just got yourself into."

This wasn't over. Not even close.

Game on.