Time passed, but for Sasmita, it felt suspended—trapped somewhere between doubt and realization.
The soft glow of the laptop screen illuminated her face, but her eyes were no longer focused on it. They were distant, lost in thoughts she could not organize.
Aarav.
The name stared back at her from the search bar.
Simple.
Common.
And yet—
Empty.
She had checked everything.
Corporate records. Employee databases. Background verification portals. Even unofficial networks she rarely relied on.
Nothing.
Not a single trace that connected to him.
No past employment.
No education.
No identity strong enough to exist in the real world.
That wasn't just unusual.
It was impossible.
Sasmita slowly closed the laptop, her fingers lingering on the edge of it.
For the first time in years, she felt something she wasn't prepared for.
A lack of information.
And with it—
A lack of control.
She stood up and walked toward the window, pushing the curtains slightly aside. The city lights stretched endlessly in front of her, glowing like distant stars.
Everything out there was real.
Visible.
Trackable.
But the man inside her life—
Was none of those things.
"Who are you…?" she murmured again, softer this time.
Behind her calm exterior, something had begun to change.
It wasn't fear.
Not yet.
It was curiosity.
Sharp.
Persistent.
And dangerous.
The next morning arrived like any other.
Disciplined.
Structured.
Uncompromising.
Sasmita entered the office with her usual presence, every step carrying authority. Employees greeted her, but today, their voices felt distant, as if her mind refused to register anything unnecessary.
Her focus had narrowed.
She walked straight to her office, but before entering—
Her eyes moved.
Automatically.
Aarav was already there.
Seated at his desk, reviewing documents, as if he had always belonged in that space.
As if nothing about him was out of place.
But now—
Everything about him was.
For a brief moment, she stood there, watching him without announcing her presence.
There was something unsettling about how normal he looked.
How easily he blended in.
And yet—
She had seen enough to know—
He wasn't.
As if sensing her gaze, Aarav looked up.
Their eyes met instantly.
No surprise.
No hesitation.
Only awareness.
"You're early," he said.
Sasmita stepped forward, her expression returning to its usual calm.
"So are you."
She entered her office without waiting for a reply.
But the conversation didn't end there.
Because this time—
She had decided something.
She wouldn't wait for answers.
She would find them.
The opportunity came sooner than expected.
Later that afternoon, a meeting was scheduled with external partners—people who didn't belong to the Roy Group.
People who saw things differently.
Sasmita watched carefully.
Not the meeting.
Not the presentation.
Him.
Aarav remained quiet for most of it, as usual.
Observing.
Listening.
But then—
One of the partners made a mistake.
A small one.
Easy to miss.
Before Sasmita could respond—
Aarav spoke.
"It won't hold," he said calmly.
The room shifted.
Attention moved toward him instantly.
The partner frowned. "Excuse me?"
Aarav didn't raise his voice.
Didn't hesitate.
"The structure you're proposing is unstable," he continued.
"It might work short-term, but within weeks, it will collapse under market pressure."
His explanation followed.
Clear.
Precise.
Too precise.
Sasmita watched him carefully.
Not his words.
His confidence.
Because that kind of certainty—
Didn't come from guessing.
It came from knowing.
By the time he finished—
The room had no arguments left.
The partner adjusted his proposal immediately.
The meeting moved on.
But Sasmita didn't.
Her thoughts had already shifted.
After the meeting ended, she didn't return to her office.
Instead—
She followed him.
"Aarav."
He stopped.
Turned.
"What is it?"
Sasmita walked closer, her gaze steady, unyielding.
"How many industries have you worked in?"
A brief pause.
"Enough," he replied.
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you'll get."
The calmness in his voice didn't provoke anger this time.
It confirmed something.
"You're hiding your past," she said.
Aarav didn't deny it.
"Everyone does," he replied.
"Not like this."
Silence.
The tension between them thickened.
But neither of them stepped back.
"You said you find answers," Aarav said quietly.
"Then find this one too."
It wasn't arrogance.
It wasn't fear.
It was confidence.
And that—
Made it worse.
That evening, Sasmita made a decision she rarely made.
She asked for help.
Not openly.
Not officially.
But through someone she trusted.
"Find everything you can about him," she said over the phone.
"Anything."
The reply came quickly.
"I'll try."
But even before the call ended—
Sasmita already knew.
This wouldn't be easy.
Because Aarav wasn't just hiding something.
He was erased.
Far from the city's main roads, hidden beneath layers of silence—
A different world moved.
Aarav stood inside it.
The calm man from the office—
Was gone.
In his place—
Stood someone else.
"Everything is under control," one of the men said carefully.
Aarav didn't respond immediately.
His gaze was distant, thoughtful.
Then—
"Keep it that way," he said.
A pause.
"And her?" the man asked.
For a brief moment—
Something shifted.
Small.
Almost invisible.
But real.
"She's not involved," Aarav said.
The answer was firm.
Final.
And yet—
Something about it didn't feel entirely true.
Because whether he admitted it or not—
She already was.