Before leaving he turned.
Vikram lock his eyes with devika" you lost the earlier challenge". Cold voice.
Devika blinked" the challenge was for the quarterly pitch, not this trip"
"Yes", he replied.
"And your pitch wasn't at level I expect".
Arshi gasp.
Karan looked offended.
But Devika didn't even step back.
She inhaled slowly. And said" challenge me again"
Vikram jaw clenched
Like she surprise him
Ishaan whispers slowly." Devika don't---"
But Too late.
Vikram leans slightly toward devika, eyes narrowed.
"Fine. Tomorrow morning. 8 am."
"What challenge?" Karan asked nervously.
Vikram didn't answer him
Vikram eyes didn't leave devika's
"You will present my pricing strategy to the foreign investors alone. Without any help" he said, cold voice.
Presenting?
To investors?
Alone?
Devika gulped hard" I haven't even studied your model"
"You have entire night" he said.
Arshi shook her head" Sir, that's not fair---"
Vikram didn't even glance at her.
His eyes fixed on Devika eyes
"Fair isn't required. Only results" he said.
Devika didn't blink.
She noded once." I will do it."
THE NEXT DAY(8 AM)
The conference room was bigger than some house.
Cold. Minimalist. And full of serious people.
Devika stood there with her laptop.
She could feel vikram outside the glass wall, talking to someone on phone.
He didn't even bother to sit inside the room.
Devika thought it would break her confidence.
But it didn't.
When the investors arrived, devika greeted them.
Devika's voice shook at first. But when she started speaking, everything changed.
She explained digital growth models, lead, target, sales funnel improvements.
She didn't copy vikram's tone.
She used hers.
Clear and honest.
People listened.
Question her
She answered.
When she finished, there was silence.
And
Then,
Applause.
Not loud, but professional kind that means respect.
She packed her laptop, breathing fast and uneven.
She walked out,
Vikram was leaning against the wall.
Hands in pockets.
Expression unreadable
He didn't congratulate her.
He didn't say " good job"
He just asked,
"You memorized everything in one night?"
She said " No, I understand it."
Vikram said " good"
He walked past her.
Then she walks towards elevator.
Devika stood at center
Back against the mirrored wall,
Eyes looking dull
She kept her chin up,
Pretending her head wasn't paining.
Pretending her legs weren't shaking.
"You won. You did it." She repeated thought like prayer. But victory didn't feel like victory.
The elevator doors slid open
The corriodr lights was too bright.
She walked to the room slowly.
Room 450.
She swiped the card once but missed.
Then she tried again.
The lock open.
Inside room,
Ishaan was sitting at desk, scolling emails.
Karan was laying on sofa while eating chips.
Arshi was folding her blazer and also complaining about how uncomfortable her heels were.
They looked up, the movement she stepped inside room.
She didn't smile
She didn't say anything.
She just walked to her bed, droped her bag, and lay down on bed without even changing clothes.
It was like a watching flower collapse in front of them.
All of them froze.
Arshi frown first. "Devika"
No answer
Karan sat up instantly." Hey, are you okay? You look weird."
Devika didn't speak.
She closed her eyes and took slow breath.
Her shoulders trembled.
Suddenly, something clicked in Ishaan's mind.
The way her breath sounded. Too uneven. Her fingers gripping pillow tightly. Her body curled like she was trying to make herself smaller.
Ishaan stopd, walked to her side and gently touched her forehead.
The moment his palm pressed against her skin, he said "God, She is burning."
Arshi rushed towards devika instantly " what? Let me--"
She touched Devika's wrist, then her cheek." She is literally on fire. Why didn't you say anything?"
Devika opened her eyes half, low voice" I thought, it would go away..after the meeting."
Karan's jaw clenched." What do you mean 'Go away' ? Your are shivering"
And she was.
Her whole body was trembling under blanket.
Her arms hugged her stomach like she was trying to stop shaking.
Ishaan crouched beside the bed." Headache?"
Devika noded slowly "bad"
Her voice cracked.
Arshi sat on the bed and started rubbing her back softly. " You should have told us. We would have helped"
Devika closed her eyes " I didn't want to ruin the moment."
Ishaan shook her head. He looked angry but not at her, but at situation." You didn't do 'something right'. You carried all of us. We couldn't breathe until finished."
Devika curled her fingers into the bedsheet.
The room was spinping slowly, the ceiling lights blured.
Karan pressed his palm against her forehead again." This is normal fever, she needs a doctor".
Arshi noded quickly" I will call the hotel desk"
But Devika grabbed her wrist, low voice "No, just let me rest for a bit."
Ishaan took the glass of water from nightstand and brought it close." Drink this, at least"
She shook her head
Her throat burn.
It hurts to swallow also.
"I will throw up." Devika said, low voice almost a whisper.
Karan exhaled sharply, frustrated." This is insane. And that psycho CEO pushed you into that meeting. He--"
Arshi shot him a look."not now."
Devika shut her eyes.
She whispered," my hands they won't stop shaking."
Ishaan gently took them in his own
Her skin was warm and damp.
Ishaan looked at arshi and karan," no more arguing. She is not fine".
Arshi noded.
Then ishaan looked at karan and noded.
He slowly takes his hand back from devika hand.
Arshi came and sit beside devika, holding her hand.
Ishaan slowly whispers to Arshi." Me and karan going to buy medicine. Till then take care of her"
Arshi noded.
Ishaan and karan left from there.
Ishaan was tensed to see devika like that, also karan was worried for her. They always saw her as a independent women, but right now, she behaving like child. And looking so broken.
On the other side.
Vikram walking beside rishi.
They had just returned from dinner with some old friends of vikram.
But still, vikram was thinking about someone all evening.
Devika.
The memory of her smirk when she won that ridiculous challenge played in his mind like loop.