Krishna woke up to a loud, piercing alarm that shattered the silence of the room. His eyes opened slowly, heavy with exhaustion. The moment he tried to move, a sharp ache spread across his back and shoulders. The mattress beneath him was stiff, making his whole body feel rigid and unrested.
He reached out lazily, grabbed his phone, and turned off the alarm. His vision was still blurry as he checked the time.
For a second, everything stopped.
8:30 a.m.
His eyes widened instantly. The sleep vanished.
"Yeh kya… 8:30 ho gaya…? Aaj hi late hona tha kya…"
He pushed himself up, ignoring the pain shooting through his back. There was no time to think. It was his first day at the office, and being late was not an option.
He rushed to freshen up, moving quickly without caring about anything else. Water splashed against his face, but even that couldn't fully wake him up. He grabbed the clothes lying nearby and wore them in a hurry.
"Bas bas… time waste mat kar… already late ho gaya hai…"
Within minutes, he picked up his essentials, locked the room, and rushed out.
After about half an hour, Krishna stood right below the News 24 building, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat clung to his face, and his legs felt like they might give up at any moment.
"First day pe hi yeh haal ho gaya… kamaal hai…"
He wiped his face quickly and hurried inside.
His eyes immediately went toward the lift.
Out of order.
He stopped walking.
For a moment, he just stared at it, processing what he was seeing.
Then frustration took over.
"Seriously… aaj hi lift kharab honi thi…? Bhagwan bhi aaj mazaak kar raha hai kya…"
He let out a tired breath and looked at the stairs. There was no choice.
Step by step, he started climbing.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
His breathing grew louder.
His legs slowed down.
But he kept moving.
After some time, Krishna finally reached the third floor.
The moment he stopped, his body gave in.
He bent slightly forward, hands resting on his knees, struggling to breathe properly. His chest burned, and his legs felt completely drained.
"Bas… ab aur nahi… body ne toh strike kar di…"
He took deep breaths, trying to steady himself.
Right now, nothing mattered.
Not the job.
Not the first impression.
He just wanted to sit down.
And sleep.
After a brief pause, Krishna adjusted his posture and walked forward, stopping right in front of the visual team.
The digital clock on the wall flashed 9:20 a.m.
Ten minutes late.
It didn't sound like much, but on the first day, it felt like a crime.
Krishna's condition made it worse. His shirt was slightly damp with sweat, hair messy, and his breathing still uneven from the run. His shoulders were stiff, and every small movement reminded him of the pain from the horrible mattress. He tried to stand straight, but his body clearly disagreed.
The visual team area was divided into three sections.
The cultural field captured festivals, events, and public life. Bright colors, traditions, and human moments filled that space.
The crime field dealt with raw, harsh visuals—accidents, investigations, and ground realities that most people preferred not to see.
The politics field covered everything from national debates to global affairs, requiring sharp timing and awareness.
Krishna had been assigned to the cultural field.
He barely had time to take it all in when someone stepped in front of him.
Sanjay Verma.
He was shorter than Krishna by a noticeable margin, but the way he stood made it feel like he was looking down on him. Medium build, slightly heavy, sleeves rolled up, face tight with irritation. His eyes were sharp, locked onto Krishna like he had already decided something.
He glanced once at the clock.
9:20 a.m.
Then back at Krishna.
And that was enough.
"9 baje reporting thi na… ya tumhare liye time alag chalta hai…?"
He took a step closer, his voice steady but clearly irritated.
"Pehle din… sirf dus minute late… aur tumhe lag raha hoga chalta hai… right…?"
Krishna stayed silent.
"Yahan pe 'chalta hai' nahi chalta… samjhe…? Yeh office hai… discipline pe kaam hota hai…"
He crossed his arms, staring straight at him.
"Experience hai tumhe… ya seedha yahin aa gaye ho bina kuch samjhe…?"
Krishna nodded slightly.
"Ji… thoda bahut…"
Sanjay let out a short breath, clearly unimpressed.
"Thoda bahut se kaam nahi hota… yahan pe first day se kaam uthana padta hai… koi orientation nahi milega tumhe…"
Krishna's fingers tightened slightly at his sides, but his face remained neutral.
Inside, he had expected a simple introduction. Maybe someone guiding him through things.
Instead, this.
"Samajh lo ek baat… time pe aana basic hai… usme hi fail ho gaye ho tum…"
Krishna looked down for a second, then back up.
"Sorry sir… aage se nahi hoga…"
For a moment, Sanjay just looked at him, judging.
Then he stepped aside slightly.
"Cultural team mein ho tum… wahan jao… aur kaam pakdo… khade rehne se kuch nahi hoga…"
Krishna gave a small nod.
"Ji…"
He turned and walked toward his section, his legs still heavy, his body still aching.
But now, there was something else added on top of it.
Pressure.
First day.
And already behind.
Krishna moved deeper into the cultural section, his steps still heavy, shoulders stiff, and breath not fully settled yet.
The space looked… incomplete.
There were only a few things around—two or three cameras placed on a table, some empty chairs, and a couple of computers sitting quietly with their screens off. No people. No movement. Just silence.
He frowned slightly, scanning the area again.
No one.
For a moment, confusion mixed with irritation.
Was he early for this section… or was everyone else just missing?
He rubbed his neck, still feeling the lingering pain, and muttered under his breath—
"Chhotu ne kaha tha ki yahan chale jana, kaam mil jayega… par yahan par to koi bhi nahi hai…"
The words had barely left his mouth—
A sharp voice cut through the silence.
"Wah beta… pehle din hi itne comfortable ho gaye… lagta hai warning letter kha kar hi samjhoge…"
Krishna's body went still.
Slowly, he turned around.
Sanjay Verma stood right behind him.
His face was tight with anger, eyes locked onto Krishna. There was no confusion in his expression—he had heard everything clearly.
Sanjay was already used to this.
People often joked about his height behind his back. He knew it. He noticed it. But most of the time, he chose to ignore it.
But this—
This new boy.
First day.
And already saying it out loud.
Right in front of him.
For a moment, the anger on his face almost slipped out of control.
But he held it back.
Krishna, caught completely off guard, gave a small, awkward smile. Not because he found anything funny, but because he didn't know what else to do.
And that smile—
Made everything worse.
Sanjay's eyes narrowed slightly.
The air between them turned tense, almost suffocating.
Krishna's smile slowly faded, but the damage was already done.
Neither of them spoke.
But it was clear.
This was not how a first day was supposed to go.
And for Krishna—
Things had just taken a very bad turn.
Time passed.
Almost an hour later, Sanjay Verma was sitting at his desk in his formal office attire, sleeves still rolled up, eyes fixed on the screen but his mind clearly somewhere else.
A faint, cold satisfaction sat on his face.
He had already given Krishna his "task."
Not a normal assignment.
Something that would usually take two to three days to complete.
But he had looked straight at Krishna and said—
"Ek ghante mein complete chahiye… samjhe…?"
He knew it wasn't possible.
That was the point.
In his head, the outcome was already decided.
Krishna would struggle… panic… fail.
And then —
He would have a solid reason to throw him out of the department.
Sanjay leaned back slightly in his chair, imagining it.
A new intern, already late, already careless, now completely breaking under pressure.
Perfect.
He stood up for a moment, as if ready to go check on him, but then paused.
There was still some work left on his desk.
He clicked his tongue lightly and sat back down.
"Chalo… thoda baad mein dekh lunga…"
Time moved forward.
The office slowly shifted into its evening rhythm.
At exactly 5:00 p.m., Sanjay finally wrapped up his work.
It had taken longer than expected, but that didn't bother him.
In fact, he looked… eager.
There was a quiet excitement in his eyes.
He wanted to see Krishna now.
He already knew how this would look.
A new intern, completely overwhelmed, probably sitting there with half-finished work, stress all over his face.
Sanjay Verma was the team leader of the entire visual team, but despite that, he didn't receive the level of respect he believed he deserved across all three sections.
That had always bothered him.
And today—
He saw an opportunity.
He had done his homework.
He knew Krishna wasn't just some random hire.
He had come here on Kapil Sharma's recommendation.
And that—
That irritated him the most.
"Seedha reference leke aa gaye… jaise yahan sab free mein milta hai…"
He muttered under his breath as he got up.
He had no intention of letting that slide.
In his department, only his chosen people stayed.
Others didn't last long.
And Krishna—
Krishna was about to learn that the hard way.
He walked forward, his expression tightening slightly as his thoughts drifted again.
"Woh chaar aalsi log kisi kaam ke nahi hain… mujhe lagta hai ki mujhe chaaron ko nikal dena chahiye… aur mujhe bilkul seriously nahi lete…"
Sanjay walked toward the cultural section, his steps steady, his expression already prepared for what he expected to see.
A broken intern.
A failed task.
A perfect excuse.
He was already picturing Krishna sitting there, stressed, maybe even trying to explain himself.
But the moment he reached the section—
he stopped.
His expression froze.
Because what he saw…
Was not even close to what he had imagined.
Krishna—
Was sleeping.
Sanjay Verma's steps slowed the moment he saw Krishna.
Sleeping.
At work.
For a second, he just stood there, staring.
Then it hit him.
First, the insult.
Then the attitude.
And now this.
His anger shot up instantly, sharp and uncontrollable. In his mind, it was already decided—
He wouldn't rest until Krishna was out of here.
He walked straight toward him.
Stopped right beside the table.
And without warning—
THUD!
His right hand slammed hard against the table.
Krishna jolted awake.
His body jerked slightly as he blinked rapidly, trying to understand what just happened. He adjusted his glasses, his eyes still heavy with sleep, barely focusing.
For a moment, he didn't even process who was standing in front of him.
He looked around lazily and muttered—
"Hey chotu… tu to sapne mein bhi aane lag gaya…"
Silence.
A dangerous kind.
Sanjay didn't react immediately.
But something inside him snapped.
This wasn't just disrespect anymore.
This was humiliation.
Twice.
In one day.
He controlled his voice, forcing it to stay steady, but the anger underneath was obvious.
"Tum… idiot… maine jo kaam diya tha… woh hua bhi hai ya bas yahan so rahe the…?"
Krishna blinked again, this time fully awake.
Now he saw clearly.
Sanjay Verma.
Standing right in front of him.
Face red with anger, eyes burning, jaw tight.
For a second, Krishna's expression froze.
Then realization hit.
Hard.
He stood up immediately, almost stumbling, and lowered his head slightly.
"Sir… aapne jo kaam diya tha… woh maine complete kar liya hai… bas… thoda zyada thak gaya tha… isliye…"
His voice slowed down at the end.
The room fell silent again.
Sanjay stared at him.
Not because he was calm—
But because he didn't believe what he just heard.
Complete?
In one day?
A task that should have taken two or three days?
For a brief moment, even his anger paused.
Because this—
This didn't make sense.
Sanjay Verma didn't move for a moment.
His eyes stayed fixed on Krishna.
Complete?
It didn't sit right with him.
He had given that work in the morning. A task that should have taken at least two to three days… and this boy was saying it was done in a single day?
No.
Something was off.
Without saying anything, Sanjay stepped forward and slightly pushed Krishna aside.
He turned toward the computer and quickly started checking the files.
Krishna stood quietly, watching him.
As Sanjay opened the folders and went through the work, his expression began to change.
First doubt.
Then focus.
Then—
Surprise.
Krishna quietly picked up a register from the table and handed it to him.
"Sir… isme pura detail likha hai… kaun sa part kaise kiya… aur kya kya cover kiya…"
Sanjay took it without replying.
He started reading.
Line by line.
Page by page.
His surprise only grew.
He hadn't explained this work properly.
He hadn't guided him.
Still—
Everything was structured.
Everything was neat.
Every detail was covered.
There were no random gaps, no careless mistakes.
It looked like the work of someone experienced.
Not a new intern.
Sanjay slowly lowered the register.
For the first time, his mind didn't give him an immediate reaction.
Praise?
Scold?
Ignore?
Nothing fit.
He was used to deciding quickly.
But right now—
Even that ability seemed stuck.
He looked at Krishna again.
This time, not with anger.
But with confusion.
Krishna stood there, calmer now.
"Sir… aur koi kaam hai kya…?"
Sanjay didn't respond immediately.
Then he shook his head slightly.
"Nahi…"
Krishna nodded once.
"Sir… main ghar jaa sakta hoon…?"
Sanjay looked at the clock for a second, then back at him.
"Ek ghanta aur rukho… phir jaana…"
Krishna let out a small breath.
"Sir… ek ghanta yahin so jaun…?"
That—
That was the moment Sanjay completely lost track of what to think.
The work was done.
Perfectly done.
And now this boy was casually asking to sleep again.
He just looked at him.
No anger.
No words.
Just confusion.
Without saying anything further, Sanjay turned and walked away.
Because right now—
He didn't even know how to react.
And more than anything—
He couldn't understand how this boy had actually done it.
END OF THE CHAPTER