FLAMES chapter 2 *UPDATED* by Ghost Hale

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Chapter 1

Aryan Malhotra reached for the next file and stopped.

A sharp pain flared through his shoulder, forcing him to pause. His jaw tightened as he adjusted the bandage beneath his shirt. Only after the ache subsided did he turn the page.

A knock interrupted the silence.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Ishita Kapoor walked in. She dropped her bag onto the couch before settling into the chair opposite him.

"So... you came to the office."

Aryan didn't look up.

"I don't remember asking for permission."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"You wouldn't."

Before opening her laptop, her eyes fell on the untouched lunchbox resting on his desk. She slid it toward him.

"Lunch."

"I'm working."

"You can do both."

For a brief moment, Aryan held her gaze. Then, without another word, he opened the lunchbox and took a bite.

Satisfied, Ishita turned to her laptop.

The cabin settled into its familiar rhythm. Files changed hands, emails were answered, and silence settled comfortably between them. It was a silence neither of them ever felt compelled to break.

After a while, Aryan turned another page.

"Any update?"

"The police still haven't found the shooter. They're questioning everyone from the dance studio."

He acknowledged it with a faint nod.

"They'll find him."

"I hope so."

Another knock echoed through the cabin.

Karan Mehra stepped inside carrying a folder.

"The site visit for tomorrow has been confirmed, sir."

Aryan accepted the file.

"The dance studio?"

"Yes, sir."

Ishita finally looked up.

"You're still going?"

Aryan nodded.

"The doctor asked you to rest."

"It'll be a short visit."

"You were shot three days ago."

This time, he met her eyes.

"I'll be careful."

For a long moment, Ishita simply looked at him.

She had argued this before.

She already knew how it would end.

Without another word, she looked away.

Aryan signed the papers and handed the folder back.

"Eleven o'clock."

"Yes, sir."

Karan turned to leave but paused at the door.

"Ma'am... one more thing."

Ishita looked up.

"The interview for the CSR Executive position is this afternoon."

She gave a small nod.

Karan hesitated.

"Can I confirm the timing with... Aditi, as per your schedule?"

The name caught her off guard.

"...Aditi?"

Almost instinctively, her eyes shifted toward Aryan.

He simply turned another page.

Karan looked between them, clearly confused.

"Yes, ma'am."

Silence stretched across the cabin.

Then Ishita spoke.

"Cancel the interview."

Karan frowned.

"Ma'am?"

"The position is closed."

"But everything has already been scheduled."

"Then look for someone else."

Her voice remained calm, leaving no room for discussion.

"Yes, ma'am."

He nodded once before quietly leaving the cabin.

The silence returned.

"I'm sorry," Ishita said softly.

Aryan didn't look up.

"It doesn't matter."

Another page turned beneath his hand.

"I trust your judgment."

She watched him for a quiet moment before closing her laptop.

"I have a meeting."

Aryan acknowledged her with a slight nod.

As she reached the door, she paused.

"Finish your lunch."

"I will."

The doubtful look she gave him suggested she wasn't convinced.

The door clicked shut.

Aryan let out a quiet breath before reaching for the next file.

---

Karan stepped out of the office building, his phone already in his hand.

The call connected almost immediately.

"Hi!"

Aditi's cheerful voice greeted him.

Karan didn't answer.

The silence on the other end was enough to make her smile fade.

"What happened?"

"The interview's been cancelled."

A brief pause followed.

"They've closed the position."

"Oh..."

"I'm sorry."

Aditi drew a slow breath.

"It's okay."

Karan waited, knowing she was trying to convince herself as much as him.

"No, really," she said with a faint laugh that never reached her voice. "These things happen."

The disappointment lingered despite her attempt to hide it.

"I'll keep looking."

"You will."

Silence settled between them.

"I'll call you later."

Before she could respond, he ended the call.

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder.

Ignoring it, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and continued walking.

---

Aditi lowered her phone slowly.

For a moment, she simply stared at the blank screen before slipping it into her bag.

The receptionist looked up with a polite smile.

"Ma'am, please have a seat. Someone will be with you shortly."

Aditi acknowledged her with a nod.

Her neatly arranged documents rested inside the folder on her lap.

She had left home early that morning.

The thought brought a faint smile to her lips.

It was supposed to be a good day.

Was the interview canceled because Aditi was the one who was coming for it? Ishita did not want her?

More chapter to come... Feedback appreciated

Hi Members,

Before starting on my new OG fiction, do spend a subscribe to my new fan fiction and OG fiction channel. U will surely like it. Do support and enjoy Flames.

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Chapter 2

The reception area had settled into its usual rhythm.

Employees moved about with quiet urgency as phones rang and elevators opened and closed. Aditi remained seated, her folder resting neatly on her lap.

The interview had ended before it had even begun. She should have left.

Instead, she stayed where she was, giving herself a moment to gather her thoughts. A raised voice shattered the quiet.

"...Then why am I paying all of you?"

Aditi looked up.

The conference room door stood half open.

Inside, Ishita Kapoor stood at the head of the table. Architectural drawings lay scattered before her while the legal team sat in complete silence.

"I've heard enough excuses."

No one responded.

"If this issue can't be resolved, we're shutting the project down."

One of the consultants adjusted his glasses.

"Ma'am, we've explored every possible option. The approved layout leaves us with no legal alternative."

"And proceeding with this one leaves us with no legal project."

Silence followed.

Aditi lowered her eyes.

She didn't know which project they were discussing, but the terms drifting out of the room were familiar.

Setback.

Fire access.

Structural offset.

A slight frown crossed her face. The problem didn't sound impossible. It sounded architectural.

Inside, Ishita gathered the drawings.

"Enough."

She closed the file.

"We're shutting the project down."

Without another word, she walked out. The legal team quietly followed. Silence lingered behind them. Aditi's gaze settled on the review copy left behind.

She shouldn't.

She knew that. Yet she found herself walking into the room. She spread the drawing across the table. A forgotten pencil lay beside it. Almost instinctively, she picked it up. Her eyes moved across the layout.

A line.

Another.

She shifted a wall.

Adjusted the setback. Redrew the access corridor. A few final measurements...

Then she stopped.

A faint smile touched her lips.

Gathering the marked-up drawing, she drew a quiet breath and made her way toward the executive cabins.

---

Ishita placed the original drawings on Aryan's desk.

"We have to shut down the dance studio project."

Aryan looked up.

"Reason?"

"The revised layout no longer complies with the legal requirements. The legal team doesn't see a viable solution."

Without a word, Aryan pulled the drawings toward himself.

A pencil found its way into his hand.

His attention settled on the blueprint.

A line.

Another.

He erased a corner.

Shifted a wall.

Marked a fresh measurement.

Ishita waited silently.

A knock echoed through the cabin. Neither of them looked up. The second knock finally drew Ishita's attention.

"Come in."

The door opened quietly.

Aryan continued sketching.

"I'm... sorry for disturbing you."

The hesitant voice made Ishita turn.

For a heartbeat, she simply stared.

The color drained from her face.

"...Aditi?"

The name escaped before she could stop it.

Aditi frowned.

She hadn't expected anyone there to know her.

"...Yes."

Silence settled over the cabin.

She remained standing at the entrance, the marked-up drawing held carefully against her chest.

Aryan's pencil came to a stop.

A slow breath escaped him before he leaned back in his chair.

For the first time, he looked at the young woman standing before him.

His gaze rested on her face.

Seconds slipped by.

No one spoke.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ishita watched him carefully.

Aryan didn't look away.

Neither did Aditi.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"Who are you?"

His voice was calm. Measured. Cold enough to make the room feel smaller. Aditi instinctively straightened.

"I... came for the CSR Executive interview."

Aryan studied her for another moment.

"The position has already been filled."

His expression remained unreadable.

"You may leave."

He turned back to Ishita.

"The project can—"

"I know."

The words escaped before Aditi could stop them.

Silence.

Aryan slowly turned toward her again.

He simply looked at her.

Only then did Aditi realize she had interrupted him.

"Oh... I'm sorry."

She lowered her eyes.

"I... I didn't come for..."

She stopped herself and drew a nervous breath.

"I did come for the interview... but by the time I arrived, I found out it had been cancelled."

Her fingers tightened around the

drawing.

"I should have left."

After a brief hesitation, she looked up again.

"But... I overheard the discussion."

She stepped forward and carefully held out the marked-up drawing.

"And I think this project can still be saved.”