unfinished promises

Aashvi had been staring blankly at nothing for what felt like an eternity. Her fingers absentmindedly traced the rim of her coffee mug. The steam had long since disappeared—just like the warmth of her old memories had faded away.

Outside, the rain lashed against the glass windows, blurring the city's view. Much like the tears welling up in her eyes, bringing back every ache, every longing, and every wound she had tried to forget.

"I shouldn't think about him anymore..."

But some wounds never heal, do they?

Nidaan.

His name itself felt like an unfinished breath—like an unfulfilled promise, like a dream one was never supposed to dream.

Aashvi shut her eyes, and suddenly, she was pulled back ten years...

An eleven-year-old girl stood at the edge of Fatehsagar Lake. Her fingers intertwined with Nidaan's, her voice filled with confidence—

"I will come back soon… You will be mine forever."

"Mine forever… mine forever…"

Even now, his words echoed in her ears. Even now, she felt as if she would find him standing there, just as she had left him the last time, saying—

"See? I kept my promise..."

But promises aren't made to be kept, are they? Their very fate is to be broken.

It had been so easy to believe in his words, so comforting. But how long does comfort last? Mine vanished, just like he did…

One last meeting, one last promise… and his final goodbye.

"I have to go to America, Aashvi, but I will be back soon..."

But he never came back.

Neither did he, nor any news of him.

Aashvi had tried countless times to convince herself that people change, circumstances change. But the heart? The heart is like a stubborn child—it only wants what it can't have.

Even now, after all these years, a familiar laugh, a certain way of speaking, an old song—anything could pull her back to that past, to the place where Nidaan still stood… but where she no longer did.

"Aashvi!"

A voice, one she recognized well, pulled her out of her memories and back to the present.

"Aren't you coming for lunch?"

Standing at the door of her cabin was Nia, her best friend and colleague, arms crossed.

"I've been calling you forever! Where is your mind wandering off to?"

Aashvi forced a smile, trying to hide the storm inside her—the pain that was just one moment away from spilling over as tears. But these damn eyes… they had never learned how to lie.

Nia must have noticed. She walked over and sat across from her.

"What's wrong? You look so lost. Thinking about someone?"

And just like that, it was as if the ice inside her cracked.

She said nothing, only looked out the window. The rain was still falling just as hard.

"There was someone who once told me he would always be mine..."

…And her eyes overflowed.

The entire day passed in the chaos of party preparations. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky was painted in hues of red and orange.

Aashvi was just about to press the "Close" button on the elevator when—

Thud!

The doors were almost shut when someone—no, not just anyone—Garvit—yes, her boss—leaped inside like some superhero.

"Ah! You scared me!"

Aashvi clutched her chest, her heart pounding wildly.

"Oh my God! Look who I found! This must be fate!" Garvit flashed his signature 1000-watt grin.

"And why are you so out of breath? Does my presence take your breath away?" he teased, raising an eyebrow, his smirk firmly in place.

"This isn't fate. It's my never-ending bad luck…" Aashvi muttered under her breath.

"Sir, this hotel is yours, and you even have a private elevator. So why, exactly, did you feel the need to jump into this one like Spider-Man? What if you got hurt?" she asked, forcing a polite smile.

"Exactly! The hotel is mine, the elevator is mine, and so are the people inside it…" he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. "But the thing is, there's some technical issue with my private lift, so it's out of order. Hmm, Ms. Aashvi, I hope I've answered all your questions properly?"

"Then instead of wasting millions on pointless parties, maybe you should invest in better elevator technology! How did it even break down so conveniently that you had to take this public lift?" she shot back, unimpressed.

"Oh? So you're worried about me?" Garvit narrowed his eyes at her, tilting his head.

"I'm worried about myself! You almost gave me a heart attack just now!"

"You… you're so heartless!" He pointed a dramatic finger at her. "If you weren't my sister's friend, I swear, I'd have thrown you out of this elevator!" He folded his arms across his chest, sulking.

(Aashvi had known Garvit for the past three years—he was her best friend's brother. In fact, if she was being honest, she only got this job because of his sister's recommendation. Otherwise, how could a simple graduate, with neither high qualifications nor influential connections, end up as the secretary to Garvit Singhania—one of India's top entrepreneurs and owner of the Singhania Hotel Group?)

But here she was, three years later, still his PA—since the time she was just a first-year BBA student.

"By the way, I'm glad I ran into you. How are the party preparations going? Everything under control?" Garvit asked, his expression turning serious. "Not that I doubt your skills, but this party is very important to me. There's no room for mistakes."

"And why is that?" Aashvi asked.

"My best friend and his fiancée are attending. They're getting engaged next week at this very hotel, and I want them to be so impressed with this party that they have no choice but to say…" His eyes sparkled mischievously. "'Wow, Garvit! What a party! And your hotel is amazing!'"

Aashvi, who had been studying his expressions, had a strange feeling in her gut. She hesitated but still asked—

"And what's your best friend's name?"

Garvit opened his mouth to answer…

But before he could say a word, the elevator suddenly jolted to a stop. The lights flickered.

Aashvi, who had been standing calmly, instinctively grabbed onto the handrail to steady herself. Her breath hitched. Garvit, too, looked momentarily shaken—but there was no way he was going to show that in front of her.

Because even the biggest cowards become brave in front of the girl they like. And this was Garvit.

So, he composed himself instantly.

"Don't worry… I'm here." His voice was steady, reassuring.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about, sir!" Aashvi quipped, her anxiety making her talk faster.

"So, tell me… if we stay stuck here for a long time, what do you think will happen?"

"What will happen?" she asked, frowning.

"The same thing that always happens when a man and a woman are trapped together for too long…"

The corners of his lips twitched upward.

Aashvi's face contorted in exasperation.

Garvit suddenly burst into laughter.

"If that happens, then I'll quit this job!" she declared, folding her arms.

"That mad at me?"

"Yes! Your hotel can't even maintain a functioning elevator?"

"Should I get it married then? So it stops halting in the middle due to loneliness?" Garvit smirked.

"Yes! And don't forget to invite the entire hotel staff to its wedding!"

(Just then, the elevator jerked and started moving again. The moment the doors slid open at the ground floor, Aashvi bolted out.)

Behind her, Garvit called out—

"Nidaan! His name is Nidaan!"