"Nitara, what are you going to do with Rudra?"
Nitya strolled around Nitara's office, a file open as she read through it. Nitara focused on the glowing screen, faint shadows forming beneath her eyes. At Nitya's voice, her gaze flicked toward her for a moment before returning to the display.
"What about him?" Nitara responded with another question, as if she didn't understand what Nitya meant.
Nitya closed the file and set it on Nitara's desk, sliding it forward before leaning against the edge. As she straightened, she noticed Nitara's disordered hair and the strain of long hours etched across her face.
"Here. I've already reviewed the file and corrected the contents."
"Thank you. It's a relief you're here, or I might have spent the night alone." Nitara skimmed the file, the tightness in her shoulders easing before her focus returned to her work.
Nitya nodded, but one name still echoed in her mind—Rudra. The thought lingered, pressing her to speak before Nitara became too deeply involved to step away. Her mouth parted as she gathered her thoughts. "Nitara, you need to think about him." Concern weighed in her voice.
"There's nothing to think about." Nitara brushed off her concern, though the words left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"Nitara, you have to take this seriously. Rudra's family status is higher than yours. He's already introduced you to his family, and now they're watching you closely." Her voice dropped as she spoke, pressing a truth Nitara refused to see. "Aren't you scared? His family could bind you to Rudra—even though you've never loved him."
Nitara looked straight at Nitya and saw the conflict in her expression. She could hardly believe it—Nitya seemed more worried than she was. For some reason, the sight warmed her. Seeing that anxious face brought a quiet comfort.
But she hid the feeling and leaned forward.
"You're worrying too much. Why would he do that? We're friends—it would only ruin everything. Rudra never had feelings for me. It was about my rank. He didn't get the position he wanted, and now it's affecting his reputation."
Pride colored her words as she propped her foot on the desk, twirling a pen between her fingers. Her lips curled as she lifted her chin and spoke with quiet confidence.
"They can dream all they want. First place is mine until I graduate."
Nitya studied her. Nitara looked completely at ease, her confidence almost careless. Even so, something in her words felt right, and she found herself believing them.
What did she mean? Was she blind to Rudra's problem, or did she simply not care?
Nitya heard her laugh, but something about it felt unsettling.
"If you keep laughing like that, you'll never finish your work," Nitya said, unfazed.
Nitara quickly pulled her foot off the desk.
"Shut up. It was your fault—you distracted me," she snapped, gritting her teeth as she started typing again.
"Hehe," Nitya chuckled.
Time slipped by as they talked, sharing fragments of their past and small personal interests that slowly lightened the atmosphere around them. Their conversation only stopped when Nitara finally finished her documents, a wide smirk spreading across her face. Excited, she suddenly pulled Nitya into a tight hug.
They left the office together and stood outside the corporate building, its dark blue glass reflecting the night. A highway stretched ahead of them, and a half-moon hung in the sky. Their shoulders loosened with relief, though tiredness still lingered in their expressions.
"Running a company is harder than working for one." The words slipped out before Nitara realised it.
Nitara exhaled heavily as a new realisation settled in. She had thought that registering the company and leveraging her fame would be enough to boost its value with little effort. Yet even before the company had truly started operating, the endless planning, analysis, and paperwork were already piling up.
"Why didn't you wait until graduation? It would've been easier afterwards." Nitya asked the question sincerely, glancing at her for a moment as they walked side by side along the road.
"Hehe, you're not wrong. It'd be easier, but that would create a big problem."
"Problem?" Nitya sounded slightly surprised. Where was the problem? She would have time, a stable degree, a sound plan for the company, and greater knowledge. So why was she acting so smug and confident?
Nitara's ears reddened and her mouth curled upward. It was as though she had been waiting for this moment, eager to explain why she was doing it now instead of a few years later. She raised both hands and leaned slightly toward Nitya, her enthusiasm clear in her movements.
"Experience is the problem. If I wait two years and start then, I'll enter the market with no real experience. But if I start now, two years from now I'll understand what the market wants, how it changes, how competitors react, and most importantly, I'll be used to the problems that come with it."
She didn't stop there and continued, confident in her own strategy, her gestures moving in rhythm with her speech.
"In these two years, I'll build the foundation for my tech company. The university's name will give it a boost. Since I'm studying, I can learn on one side and test those ideas on the other. By the time I graduate, I won't be starting from zero—I'll already be running it. After that, it'll only keep rising higher and higher, hehe."
Nitya showed a hint of disbelief, then nodded. A slow breath escaped her; the look on her face said enough. That plan seemed far too ambitious for a company that had only just been registered. One thought lingered in her mind: Nothing ever went exactly to plan. A single variable could collapse a two-year timeline, and Nitara was acting like the market was just another exam she could ace.
She'll understand with time. I don't need to tell her everything. I'm her friend, not her parent. If I explain it now, she'll only react negatively.
"OI." Nitara lightly nudged her shoulder when she noticed her attention drifting.
"Huh?" The touch broke her thoughts, and her gaze snapped back to Nitara, a small flinch crossing her face.
"Are you listening?" Nitara asked, staring at her with a hint of doubt.
Nitya noticed Nitara wasn't happy and shifted her attention fully to her.
"Yes, I am," Nitya replied calmly. "Of course I'm listening. I was just thinking about the trouble you'll have to face on your own." Nitya paused, her hand resting on her cheek.
"I'll always be with you. You can rely on me—I'll help you with anything." She pulled her into a gentle hug. Nitya reassured Nitara, even though she hadn't planned to get involved.
After hearing her words, Nitara saw an opportunity. She had wanted Nitya's help for a while but had always hesitated to ask. Now it felt like the right moment.
"Oh, thank you. But can you help me with one thing?" She pushed back and gently held Nitya's hand.
"What help do you need?"
The question startled Nitya. She could not believe she had asked so quickly. She had thought she could brush Nitara off with a few words and hide behind excuses, but now she could not refuse her directly.
"I want Yug. Can you arrange a meeting with him?" Nitara said confidently.
"What?" Nitya frowned in confusion. What did she mean by wanting Yug? He had nothing to do with us.
"Hm, you misunderstood me. I'm thinking of him as an employee—he could be useful. I know you'll be too busy to help with my business, and the same goes for the other three, which leaves only one person who could help: Yug. I heard he's a genius, and having someone like him working for me would be valuable, don't you think?"
Nitara knew nothing about him at first. She only recognised his name from seeing him with Nitya several times. Out of curiosity, she looked him up. After learning more about him, she realised his value and began to see him as a great asset for her company.
"Yug won't do it."
Nitya replied instantly, frowning briefly at the suggestion as she pulled her hand away. She picked up her pace and walked ahead down the dark road. Nitara hurried after her, stepping in front of her and placing a hand on her shoulder while meeting her gaze.
"What do you mean, Nitya? Are you interested in him? If you are, don't worry—I won't tell anyone. I'll even support you." She paused before continuing. "But my instinct tells me he'd be really useful for my tech company, so please help me with this. I promise I won't ask you for anything else."
Her eyes softened and her voice turned gentle. She pleaded with a practiced expression, even trying to force tears, but none came.
"It's not like that. He told me he plans to join his family business. If I asked him to work for you, what would he think of me?"
Nitya could see her pleading and even sensed a hint of fatigue, though she knew most of it was an act. Nitara was trying hard, so after a brief pause, Nitya explained what had happened between her and Yug and why she disagreed.
"The thing is, I'm not sure he'd agree. We're not that close. What do you have in mind?"
Nitara's grin widened as she remembered their conversation back at the university. She had been listening from a distance.
"Didn't he ask you out? I saw the desperation in his eyes. It was obvious he had feelings for you." Nitara teased, a faint curl on her lips. Nitya's eyes sharpened instantly.
"You heard us talking, Nitara. Why?" Nitya asked angrily, clenching her fist and glaring at her. Nitara simply turned away, a cute expression on her face.
"You're not getting away with this, Nitara, unless you tell me." Nitya grabbed her cheek and forced her to face her, staring straight into her eyes.
"Ah, all right. It sounded interesting, so I listened." She spoke truthfully, resting both hands together front of her. Then a thought crossed her mind—Nitya really had little to do with it.
"Hey, I have an idea. Ask him to meet me at the office and let him decide if he wants to join me."
Nitara thought she had changed the topic naturally and distracted Nitya.
Nitya looked at her and thought of Yug. Nitara had a point. It would solve two problems: first, she wouldn't have to help her again, and second, it would give her a reason to talk to him. Meeting someone you had only helped out of pity was already awkward, and she had no idea what to say. She had even considered cancelling the meeting with Yug, but now at least she would have something to talk about.
"Fine, I'll go with your plan, but this is the only thing I'm doing—nothing more."
"Yes, yes, thank you." She nodded eagerly. Who would reject me once they meet me? The thought alone filled her with excitement.