Hello Fam :)

It's a glimpse into some of Manik's future. I am not showing everything. We are skipping time. :P

Happy Reading...

"Congratulations, Mr. Malhotra. We hope you would like working with us. Our manager would show you to your desk. Feel free to barge in if you have any problem."

Manik rolled his eyes at his mother. In the past year since she had made up with Cabir, he could see where the dramatic flair of his baby brother was coming from.

"Mom, you need to be more professional than this. Remember, I am an intern now", he told.

"I thought I was being professional. What gave it away?", asked his mother.

Manik raised an eyebrow. "Which intern barges inside their CEO's room when they have a problem."

Nyonika leaned back in her chair and smirked. "Don't I just love all your logics?"

Beside them, their manager was trying to stifle his laughter. One of the requests he made before accepting the offer letter was not to baby him in the office, especially the manager.

XXX

Manik found his place on the ground floor. His manager, after showing him with the place, gave him the system passwords and a note containing telephone extensions to be used inside the office. He thanked the person, logged into the system before starting for the day. Manik glanced up when someone put a coffee cup on his table.

"You didn't even lift your head up since you started. I thought you could use some caffeine", said the girl.

Manik had been to the office a number of times and knew almost all the staff. Since it was the first time he was noticing her, he thought she could be one of the new employees. She might have noticed the confusion on his face and forwarded her hand to him.

"Hi, I am Meera, an intern here. Are you the new intern?", she said.

"Manik", he introduced himself and shook her hand before sipping the coffee. He hadn't realized it was already the coffee break. "Thanks for this. I guess I got lost at work. I am really unsure of the things as of now."

She let out a soft laugh. "Give it some time. It's been only a few hours since you have joined."

They talked for a while. She had joined a week ago which explains why she didn't know him. The rest of the staff were wary about talking to the boss's son and Meera, being unaware, was the only one he had an interaction with. They had their lunch together after Nyonika texted him about going for some meeting. He replied back asking her to have her lunch. It was already the closing time when Meera again called him. She was packing her things.

"You know you don't need to complete all your work on the first day itself", she told. "You are being way too serious for an intern."

Manik chuckled. If only she knew he wasn't being the intern under training for the job. Before Manik could say something, she was already slinging her bag on her shoulder.

"You aren't going home?", she asked.

"No, I need to submit it to the boss before leaving", he told.

She was surprised, to say the least. "Meeting the boss on the first day of your work. Impressive. Is she taking care of your project personally? What are you working on?", she asked.

"I apologize, it's confidential", he told. He was a college student a few days back and now a CEO-under-training. In a few months, he would be the boss to the people he was now working with and Manik wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of it. At least there was someone who is not treating him like the boss's son and it was a good feeling.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be nosy. I am curious because I thought Nyonika Malhotra didn't care about interns", she told.

Manik shrugged. Right at the moment, the telephone on his table rang and he was grateful to escape the conversation. It was Nyonika asking him to come to his cabin.

"Guess, it's my cue to leave. It was nice meeting you, Manik", said Meera.

He flashed her a smile before leaving to meet his mother.

XXX

"Mom", he entered after knocking the door.

Nyonika was working on her system. Manik handed her the file before taking a seat in front of her. She frowned looking at the file, making him tense. "I didn't expect you to finish this by the end of the day, kid. Did you even take a break in between?", she asked.

"I did. It's just that, it helps me concentrate. Closing off the surroundings", he replied.

She nodded and went through his work. "I will pass this on for corrections. Your cabin would be ready in a week, Manik. You could have your privacy."

"Mom, can I not use it as of now, please?", he asked.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Any particular reason?", she asked.

"I don't want any special privilege just because I am your son. You are already doing enough by giving me major projects than the regular interns", he told.

Nyonika sighed. She stood from her chair and walked around to lean back against the table beside Manik. One of her hands cupped the side of his face as she stroked his hair and Manik felt the tension of the day releasing through his system. "I am not giving you major projects because you are my son or because you would be taking over the company, kid. It's because you have already started working on your own during my absence."

When Manik looked surprised, she rolled her eyes at him. "You thought you would be sneaking into files when all I had asked to do was a signature while I wasn't here and I wouldn't know it? You missed your classes to go through the projects before signing them. You know the value of your signature and that's half work done. You have already given yourself the basic training, kid. I am just taking over from where you have left."

She dropped a kiss on his head before bending down to hug him. "I am proud of you, Manik. Stop stressing yourself and thinking you need to impress me with your work because you already did. I wouldn't choose you over the other interns when they deserve something but while they have their families when they go home, you are mine and I ought to love you. Just because you are in office, I couldn't stop loving you or worry about you. Deal with it. I will always have an eye on you because I know my nerd son and if I will leave you, you would finish every project within a month compromising your health. I don't want that. You are just an intern and these days are precious. Relax and take it easy on yourself."

She grabbed her mobile and switched off her system. "How about we pick some pizzas on our way home? I am sure someone might be pacing and losing his mind there."

"Cabir?", asked Manik, "I am surprised he didn't even text me throughout the day."

"That might have something to do with his mother banning him to text you so that you could concentrate on your work properly on your first day without his nerves rubbing on you", she confessed.

"And I thought you were the innocent one here", he told.

Nyonika gasped dramatically. "Whoever told you that. You are hanging out with the wrong crowd, kid." Manik was glad the office was empty. There might have been at least a few heart attacks if someone saw the dramatic side of their boss.

XXX

It was just before the lunch break, the next day when Manik was called again to Nyonika's cabin. He was surprised and scanned his brain for a possible reason. It might have something to do with the corrections of the file he had submitted the previous day.

"Second day and you already have a meeting with the boss. I don't know if I should be impressed or worried for you", said Meera, who was waiting for him to wrap his work so that they could have their lunch.

"I don't know either", told Manik. "Hey, Meera, why don't you go ahead with the lunch plan? It might take some time for me."

"Cool", she said and left for the canteen.

When Manik went to meet his mother, he found Cabir playing with the paperweight on the table.

"Mr. Malhotra, you have a visitor", she told pointing at her younger son.

Manik frowned and looked at his brother. "Cabir, what are you doing here?", he asked.

"What? I thought I could grab lunch with my family and also check on them", said the younger twin, shrugging his shoulder.

"Mr. Malhotra, as you are working here, I think we could expect more lurking on your brother's part around this office. Tell him not to make it a regular thing. We at Malhotra Industries are very professional while coming to our work", said Nyonika.

"And now you are accusing me as a stalker? I told you I was just checking on my family which includes you", he told. He was rewarded by the throwing of a pen by Nyonika.

"Stop lying. You didn't step in the building all these years and just because Manik is working here now, you suddenly remember you have a family here, right?", asked his mom.

"Bhai, help me argue with her", asked Cabir.

Manik chuckled and dropped a kiss on his hair before taking a seat beside him. "You two seriously called me to pull me into your drama right?", he asked.

"I knew you were my smarter son", teased Nyonika, discreetly looking at Cabir to get a reaction out of him. His mom was having way too fun here.

XXX

"You know boss's son too?", asked Meera once Manik returned to his seat after their lunch out with his brother.

Manik turned to her. "Technically, I am the boss's son. I am Manik and Cabir's my twin brother." He waited for her to process the information.

"Wow. So, I have been fooling myself in front of the boss's son since yesterday", she muttered.

"Hey, Meera, you were just being a friend. Thank you, by the way. Actually, everyone in the office knows me already. I don't know why but suddenly no one is exactly comfortable around me even if they all are seniors to me in the company. It's making me uncomfortable", he told.

"I joined a week back and I felt alone being the only intern. I was really excited when you joined yesterday. I don't know how to feel now", she said.

"Just because my mom is sitting across the floor doesn't mean I am any different than the person you know from yesterday, right? Why to complicate the things unnecessarily?", said Manik.

"Because you would be my boss in the future, given, I get to keep the job after my internship", she told.

"I don't know. I haven't set up this company to boss around the people. If I am taking over the company, it's just a step up in my work. It would still make me the same person. Probably, I would have a new cabin of my own", he told, frowning. Manik never thought till now about taking over the company but he didn't think it would be any different.

"And here I thought the heir of Malhotra Industries would be a rich spoilt brat", she said, finally letting out a chuckle.

"Hey, that's my brother", told Manik.

"Do you want me to call you sir?", she asked.

Manik's frown turned into a glare when he realized she was teasing him. "Please, don't. Don't make me a person I have yet to become." Even if they were joking, he thought his message was clear.

XXX

Two years later, when Manik had completed his MBA and took over the company as the joint CEO along with Nyonika, she threw a party for the whole office. Meera was offered the job as the personal assistant of Manik.

"Congratulations."

Manik turned around to find her.

"You are finally free from the crowd", she told.

"Yeah, it's hectic", he confessed.

"Hectic meeting people but not working overtime?", she pointed out.

Manik chuckled but didn't explain further.

"You thinking something?", she asked him when he didn't say any word for a long time.

"I want to talk to you. Can we just escape to a less crowded place?", asked Manik.

She glanced around before nodding. In no time they were inside the building and in Manik's cabin. His mom really overdid it and he felt himself relaxing as soon as he entered the room. He was already in love with his little workplace. Taking a seat, Manik asked Meera to do the same.

"I heard Mom has appointed you as my personal assistant", said Manik, coming directly to the point. It was bothering him since the time he had known the news that morning. Meera nodded but didn't comment. "Are you happy with the job?", he asked.

"You don't want me to take up the offer?", she asked instead.

"No, of course not. Don't get me wrong, Meera but you being my assistant, I really don't feel it right. Look, we have worked together as friends, as equals and now I get to order you around. It doesn't make sense", he explained.

"But you have done much more work than any of us in the office. You were nurtured to be the CEO of this company", she told. "Even if we acted as friends, I know you were my boss all along."

Manik sighed. "I know. It's not about me though. How about we work according to my rules? You could be my personal assistant and help me with all the work, meetings and files, but you don't have to bring me coffees every hour or work as if you are someone beneath me. We can still be colleagues, right?", he told.

"You know when Nyonika ma'am offered me to be your personal assistant, I was surprised. I didn't apply for this but she told me that we both partnered well, you and I. She felt I understand your ideas and work better than anyone else in the company. It's so huge coming from her given how protective she was of you. She told, you wouldn't treat me as your assistant and here you are justifying her words. Really, she explained everything to me before I could accept the offer", she explained.

Manik chuckled. He should have believed his mom would have taken care of everything while taking a decision. "I am not really surprised by her."

"But I get to have some of my rules too, for the sake of our friendship", she asked.

Manik leaned forward in his seat. "Yeah, sure", he told her in assurance.

"Can I start calling you sir now?", she asked.

Manik shook his head. "We have been through this already, Meera."

"No, let me explain first. You are technically my boss now and it doesn't feel right when the whole company refers to you as sir and I am the only one to call you Manik. Also, you told me not to make you a person you have yet to become. Today, you have become your own person. The whole company admires you for your work instead of you being the boss's son. We respect you really for your work so, let me, please."

Manik couldn't argue any further and nodded. He didn't understand what difference it would make and she grinned, so he thought, she understood it. "Meet you on Monday in your new position, Ms. Meera", he told.

She laughed and nodded. "You aren't coming down?"

"I want to stay here for some more time", he informed. She gave him another nod before leaving him alone.

Manik rested his head down on the table. He had achieved so much in the past two years, dealt with so many business associates, and made his mother proud. Of course, there were a lot many mistakes he had committed but he learned through them without letting the failures affect him more than his success did. He kept them away from his mind and concentrated on his work. Here he was today, the joint CEO of the company along with his mother, and yet there was something missing. Someone missing from his success celebration. Things would have been more meaningful if only he had that someone being a part of this because he owed her everything, his success, his thoughts, his ideas, and simply the person he has become since he had returned from England.

Manik raised his head when someone barged in. It was Cabir.

"Meera said you were hiding in your cabin. I was checking if you are sneaking up on your work", he teased as a greeting.

Manik sighed. "She would have been happy today, right?", he muttered looking at Cabir.

It was the first time Manik had mentioned her since their farewell. In an instant Cabir was in front of him, wrapping his hands around Manik and putting his chin on his brother's head. "She would have been so proud of you, Manik."

Manik held on to his words. He didn't know if she would be happy or not but he could believe Cabir to start his new journey. If not anything else, he sent a silent prayer to her, telling her about the news and wishing her well being, like he did every day for the past two years.

That's a glimpse of Manik and Nandini. :)