Aaradhya

The vibration of my phone against the bedside table stirred me awake long before my alarm had the chance to. With a sleepy groan, I reached for it without opening my eyes, almost knocking my water bottle over in the process. I squinted at the glaring screen, my brain still refusing to function at this hour, only to realise it was a message in the team's WhatsApp group.

The sender's name alone was enough to wake me up a little.

Anshul Raghavendran.

I tapped on the notification and began reading.

Morning Team, we are starting around 9.00 a.m. today. I expect all of you to have your breakfast first before coming into the meeting room. It is going to be a long day, and I assure you, a late lunch today!

A small sigh escaped my lips as I dropped the phone onto my chest. For someone who always looked like he smiled only on public holidays, it was oddly thoughtful of him to remind everyone to eat before work. At least the man had some humanity hidden beneath all that professionalism.

I turned my head towards the wall clock.

Five in the morning.

Seriously?

Office didn't even start until eight, and he was already awake sending work messages. Meanwhile, I was only awake because I had fallen into the dangerous trap of "just one more TikTok" the night before. One video somehow turned into fifty, and before I knew it, it was almost two in the morning.

I stared at the ceiling for a moment, genuinely curious.

What exactly was Mr. Best Employee doing at five in the morning?

Did he even sleep?

Or was he one of those terrifyingly disciplined people who woke up before sunrise, went to the gym, drank green smoothies, read business articles and planned world domination before the rest of us even opened our eyes?

The thought alone exhausted me.

Before I could convince myself to steal another ten minutes of sleep, my phone buzzed again.

This time it wasn't the group chat.

It was a personal message.

Frowning, I unlocked my phone and felt my eyes widen the moment I saw the sender.

Anshul.

I opened the chat.

Morning, Intern.

Pick me up coffee before you come upstairs.

Decaf.

Triple shot.

Oat milk.

Half pump vanilla.

No sugar.

Extra hot.

Don't let them burn the milk.

I blinked.

Then I blinked again.

Excuse me?

Sitting upright against the headboard, I reread the message, hoping I had somehow misunderstood it in my half-asleep state. Unfortunately, the words remained exactly the same.

"Intern?" I repeated, narrowing my eyes at my phone as though he could somehow feel my glare through the screen. "Man, I have already explained that I'm not your intern."

How many more million reminders did this man need?

And another thing.

What in the name of coffee beans was that order?

I counted each line with my finger.

"Decaf... Triple shot... Oat milk... Half pump vanilla..." I frowned harder with every ingredient. "Sir, are you ordering coffee or conducting a science experiment?"

I couldn't even pronounce half of it before my morning coffee.

Honestly, the barista deserved a monthly bonus just for memorising his order.

Just as I was about to put my phone down, another message popped up.

Intern?

My jaw dropped.

"The audacity."

He wasn't asking if I'd seen the message.

He was following up.

I let out a dramatic sigh before rubbing my temples.

"Excuse me, Mr. Best Employee," I muttered to myself, "what exactly do you think of yourself?"

As much as I wanted to leave him on read for another hour, I also quite enjoyed being employed.

So, swallowing every sarcastic comeback fighting to escape, I typed the safest response I could think of.

Good morning, sir. Noted.

I pressed send.

The blue ticks appeared almost immediately.

No reply.

Of course.

Mission accomplished.

Coffee secured.

Employee acknowledged.

I tossed my phone onto the bed and flopped back onto my pillow with another groan.

"I haven't even brushed my teeth," I mumbled to the empty room, "and somehow this man has already managed to become my first headache of the day."

Something told me working under Anshul Raghavendran was going to be a very long adventure.

-

By the time I reached the office building, I was already questioning every life decision that had led me to this exact moment.

The glass doors slid open with a soft whoosh, welcoming me into the brightly lit lobby that was already buzzing with activity. Employees hurried across the polished marble floor with takeaway coffees in one hand and laptops in the other, while the receptionist greeted everyone with the same cheerful smile that somehow seemed impossible to maintain before eight in the morning.

Meanwhile

I hadn't even had breakfast.

Instead, I had a mission.

One coffee.

For one unnecessarily demanding project manager.

What a wonderful way to start the day.

I adjusted my handbag on my shoulder before making my way towards the cafeteria. The rich aroma of roasted coffee beans drifted through the air long before I reached the entrance, making my empty stomach growl in protest.

The little bell above the cafeteria door chimed softly as I stepped inside.

Behind the counter, Gazzele was busy steaming milk, humming quietly to herself while the espresso machine hissed beside her. She looked up almost immediately, her face brightening the second she spotted me.

"Morning, Gazzele."

I greeted her with a tired smile, trying my best to look more awake than I actually felt.

She returned the smile just as warmly, setting a coffee cup aside before resting both palms on the counter.

"Morning, sunshine." She tilted her head playfully. "Picking up a coffee?"

Isn't it obvious?

I simply nodded.

There wasn't enough caffeine in the world to make me explain why I had somehow become someone else's personal coffee courier before my own workday had even begun.

Taking out my phone, I unlocked our office chat and glanced at the message Mr. Anshul had sent earlier.

"So... the order is..."

I cleared my throat dramatically as if I were about to announce the royal breakfast menu.

"Decaf."

My thumb scrolled lower.

"Triple shot."

Another scroll.

"Oat milk."

Another.

"Half pump vanilla..."

Before I could continue reading, Gazzele suddenly raised a finger, a knowing smile spreading across her face.

"Is this Mr. Anshul's order?"

I stopped mid-sentence.

Slowly lowering my phone, I looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah."

A small laugh escaped me.

"How do you know?"

Gazzele chuckled as she reached for one of the takeaway cups.

She didn't even need to look at my phone anymore.

"Oh, honey..."

She shook her head before pressing a few buttons on the coffee machine.

"He orders this every single day."

The espresso machine roared to life.

Dark coffee poured steadily into the cup while she continued speaking like someone sharing juicy office gossip.

"And he has a different girl picking it up every three months."

...

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Different girls?

"For as long as four years I've worked here," she continued casually while steaming oat milk, "I've noticed that."

My eyebrows slowly climbed toward my hairline.

Oh.

So I'm his coolie now?

Different girls?

Every three months?

What kind of misogynistic corporate ritual was this?

Was there a hidden clause in the employee handbook titled Congratulations! You're now responsible for your manager's caffeine addiction.

Nobody told me about this during orientation.

Trying not to sound too invested—even though my curiosity was practically screaming—I leaned one elbow against the counter.

"All of them are interns?"

Gazzele nodded thoughtfully while pouring the perfectly steamed oat milk into the espresso.

"Yeah, I suppose."

She placed the lid neatly onto the cup before looking back at me.

"Or girls under probation."

She shrugged.

"Or his youngest joinee in his team."

Then she leaned over the counter ever so slightly, lowering her voice like she was about to reveal a state secret.

"He is training them to be like a puppet sometimes."

She giggled.

Actually giggled.

I stared at her for a moment.

Was that supposed to comfort me? Because it absolutely did not. She folded her arms casually before smiling again.

"Are you his intern?"

I laughed, although there wasn't much humour behind it.

"Nah, just a colleague. I have finished my probation and clearly not an intern."

The words left my mouth lightly, but internally I was dying.

Not funny.

Not funny at all.

Why won't he get his coffee himself?

He has legs.

He has hands.

He has an employee ID.

He clearly knows where the cafeteria is.

What exactly was preventing him from making the sixty-second walk downstairs?

Gazzele slid the finished cup across the counter before placing my cappuccino beside it.

"Well..." she smiled sympathetically. "Good luck."

I frowned.

"Why are you saying it like that?"

She laughed softly.

"He even sends back the order if it wasn't hot enough."

Excuse me?

"He what?"

She nodded without missing a beat.

"Mhm."

"He'll ask whoever brings it to go back downstairs and order another one."

She pointed towards my cup.

"So don't stop and gossip with anyone."

I looked at the coffee.

Then towards the elevators.

Then back at her.

What a prick.

Absolute coffee dictator.

If caffeine were a kingdom.

He'd definitely be the king.

Balancing Mr. Anshul's coffee in one hand and my own cappuccino in the other, I carefully made my way towards the elevators.

The ride to the sixth floor felt unusually long.

Mostly because I spent the entire journey trying not to spill his ridiculously customised coffee.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding.

His office sat at the very end of the hallway, its glass walls overlooking the city skyline that was slowly waking beneath the morning sun.

Taking a deep breath, I adjusted my grip on both cups before knocking twice against the wooden door.

"Come in."

His calm voice echoed from inside.

I pushed the door open.

There he was.

Already seated behind his desk.

White shirt.

Dark trousers.

Sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms.

Hair perfectly styled.

Clean-shaven.

Fresh.

Annoyingly handsome.

Did this man wake up looking like a corporate magazine cover every morning?

Meanwhile, I was one delayed train away from looking homeless.

The second he saw me, the corners of his lips lifted.

"Morning, Intern!"

There it was again.

Intern.

I plastered on my most professional smile and walked over to his desk.

"Morning, Sir. Your coffee."

I gently placed the cup in front of him before stepping back.

He nodded once in acknowledgement, immediately reaching for it.

"Well, go. It's just 7:30. Get your breakfast. Clock in and then get back to the meeting room by 9.00."

He sounded completely relaxed, as though assigning people to fetch his coffee every morning was the most normal thing in the world.

I nodded.

"Em, Sir, do I have to get you coffee every day?"

I asked carefully, clasping my hands together in front of me.

It wasn't that I minded buying coffee.

Well maybe I did.

But I needed to prepare myself mentally.

Public transportation wasn't exactly famous for arriving on time, and if I had to factor in His Royal Highness's coffee schedule every morning.

I'd have to leave home even earlier.

He lifted the cup and took a slow sip before answering.

"Yup."

No hesitation.

"It's my rule."

Another sip.

"During your probation with me in a new project."

He leaned back comfortably in his chair.

"This is how I discipline you."

I stared at him.

Discipline?

For what?

Existing?

Joining his project?

Breathing the same office air?

He seemed completely unfazed by my expression.

"But not to fear."

Opening one of his drawers, he pulled out an employee access card before sliding it across the table towards me.

"I will give you my card."

The plastic badge stopped right in front of me.

"You can use it for coffee every morning."

I picked it up carefully.

It looked identical to every other company ID.

Except

His name.

I glanced back at him.

"Is the coffee free too for you?"

He nodded.

"Yeah. Valid for two."

He pointed towards the badge with his coffee cup.

"You can get one for yourself anytime you like."

Well.

That was.

Unexpected.

Free coffee every morning?

My irritation instantly dropped by at least fifteen percent.

I turned the badge over.

Anshul Raghavendran.

The ID photo showed the exact same annoyingly handsome face staring back at me.

Clean-shaven.

Sharp jawline.

Perfect hair.

Why did he have to look this good?

Life really wasn't fair.

"Oh."

His voice pulled me back to reality.

"And here is the coffee fee today."

He reached into his wallet before passing me six dollars.

I accepted the money.

"Thanks."

He smiled again.

"Thanks, Intern."

Seriously?

Again?

I looked up at him, folding my arms across my chest.

"I am not an intern. I am sure I mentioned it to you yesterday, Sir?"

For the first time that morning, I saw the faintest hint of amusement flicker across his face.

He slowly placed his coffee back onto the table before meeting my eyes.

"Until I feel you are deserving..."

His voice remained calm.

"You are under probation when you are signed into my project."

He lifted one eyebrow.

"Got that?"

Before I could even think of replying, he casually waved one hand towards the door.

"Now go out."

What a bastard.

I bit the inside of my cheek, swallowing every sarcastic comeback that desperately wanted to escape my mouth.

There were at least twenty.

Unfortunately I quite liked having a salary.

So instead, I forced another painfully sweet smile.

"Ok bye."

Without waiting for another response, I turned on my heel and walked out of his office.

The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I looked down at the access card still resting in my hand.

With careful fingers, I clipped the badge securely onto my own lanyard.

No chance.

Absolutely no chance.

If I had to become Mr. Anshul Raghavendran's official morning coffee supplier. Then this little card had just become the most precious possession I owned. Because if I was going to suffer through this daily ritual.
-

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