Authors pov:
The next morning, Aylin woke up with all of yesterday’s memories flashing back one after another. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, her chest tightening with leftover thoughts. But then she turned her head and saw Puffy curled up beside her, his little body moving gently with every breath. Aylin smiled despite herself.
Instead of dragging yesterday’s mess into her morning, she reached out and pulled Puffy into her arms. She kissed the top of his furry head and whispered,
“Thank God you’re fine today… do you even know how worried mama was yesterday? Please, never do this again.”
Puffy purred softly, blinking at her as if he understood. Aylin giggled. At least someone listens to me without arguing.
After freshening up, she went downstairs. The smell of butter and cheese filled the kitchen. Her aunty stood by the stove, flipping something golden on the pan.
“Aha, your favorite cheese omelette,” aunty said with a warm smile.
Aylin’s eyes lit up. “You’re the best!”
Breakfast gave her some energy, and soon she was off to university.
---
At campus, she spotted Ananya near the corridor. Her best friend waved.
“So? Did you give your CV?” Ananya asked the moment she came closer.
“Yes, I did,” Aylin replied with a shrug, “but I don’t think they’ll call me. And even if they don’t, so what? I’ll just binge-watch all my dream series. Do you know how much fun that will be?”
Ananya frowned. “And why aren’t you giving yours?”
“Yaar, I told you na? I’m buried in work. My cousin’s wedding is next month, I hardly have time,” Ananya explained.
“Hmm… and in just one week university will also end,” Aylin sighed, puffing her cheeks. “Then what? I’ll die of boredom.”
“You’ll do an internship,” Ananya reminded her.
“As if mine is already confirmed,” Aylin shot back with sarcasm.
Ananya opened her mouth to respond, but Aylin quickly cut her off.
“Okay, enough boring talk. Let’s go to the canteen. I’m craving cheesecake.”
Ananya blinked. “Cheesecake? It’s 10 in the morning!”
“So what? My cravings don’t follow the clock.” Aylin grabbed her friend’s wrist and started dragging her toward the canteen.
“You’re impossible,” Ananya muttered, though she couldn’t stop smiling. “One day, when your boss forbids snacks during office hours, you’ll cry.”
“As if I’ll listen to anyone!” Aylin retorted proudly. “Cheesecake is my life, and I’ll never give it up.”
They both burst into laughter, their voices blending with the buzz of the campus as they disappeared into the canteen.
---
The next two days passed in the same blur—classes, gossip, food cravings, laughter, and the endless rhythm of campus life. Nothing felt serious. Until Saturday night.
Aylin was sitting on her bed, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone, when suddenly a notification popped up. Her eyes narrowed. An email. She opened it lazily at first, but the words made her heart jump.
“Tomorrow 9:10 AM – Interview at Khan Enterprises. Ten candidates shortlisted. Five will be selected.”
Her jaw dropped. “What? Tomorrow? At nine… ten?” she muttered in disbelief. “Who keeps an interview on a Sunday? And they inform us at night?”
Panic rising, she immediately called Ananya.
“Yeah, what happened?” Ananya answered.
“Tomorrow’s my interview!” Aylin blurted. “At ten! Who does this? They told me at night, and that too on a Sunday! I’m so angry!”
“Relax! It’s not even night yet, it’s just 6 PM,” Ananya reminded her.
“Still! Only five people will be selected. And I already know—I won’t be one of them,” Aylin sulked.
“Stop panicking. Just take out your dress, prepare, and be on time. This isn’t university where you walk in late.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know… I’ll be there at ten sharp,” Aylin said half-heartedly.“But what if I fail? What if I freeze? What if—”
“Stop with the what-ifs. Just focus. You’ll do fine.”
Aylin groaned, falling onto her bed. “Easy for you to say. I swear, my stomach is already hurting.”
“Good luck, drama queen. Now hang up and prepare,” Ananya said, chuckling, before ending the call.
Later, she went to her aunty. “I have an interview tomorrow at 10. Please wake me up. I’ve set my alarm, but you know me…”
Her aunty smiled knowingly. “Alright. Don’t worry. I’ll wake you up.”
Finally, Aylin tried to sleep, though her mind kept replaying the word interview.
---
The next morning, aunty shook her awake at 9.
“Come on, wake up!”
Aylin groaned, “I don’t want to go… why do they keep interviews so early in the morning?”
“You have to go. Don’t be lazy. Get up,” aunty insisted.
Dragging herself out of bed, Aylin rushed to shower, then pulled on beige pants and a matching blazer. She tied her hair in a neat bun, looked at herself in the mirror, and whispered, “You can do this.” Before leaving, she kissed Puffy goodbye.
Downstairs, her aunty called, “Have breakfast—”
But Aylin glanced at the clock—9:55. Her heart skipped.
“No time! I’ll eat outside!” she said hurriedly.
Her uncle, seeing her panic, tossed her the car keys. “Take mine. Go.”
But by the time she reached the city center, traffic had swallowed her whole. Every red light felt like a curse. She glanced at the clock — 10:20. By the time she reached Khan Enterprises, it was already 10:30. Her stomach knotted.
“Brilliant, Aylin. You’re late. So late,” she muttered under her breath.
She stepped out of the car and froze.
The towering glass structure of Khan Enterprises rose before her, majestic and gleaming in the sunlight. The sleek design, the endless rows of windows, the polished marble entrance — it all screamed power, success, and intimidation.
She swallowed hard, gripping her bag tighter. “Well… no turning back now.”
Taking a deep breath, she walked quickly toward the entrance, rehearsing in her mind all the possible answers she had practiced the night before, even though her nerves threatened to wipe her memory clean.
Inside, the air smelled faintly of fresh flowers and expensive cologne. She rushed to the receptionist’s desk, trying to steady her voice.
“Okay, breathe… just breathe,” she told herself, clutching her bag tightly.
Inside, she hurried to the receptionist.
“I’m here for the interview. Where is it?”
The receptionist gave her a polite smile. “15th floor, ma’am. But it was scheduled for 9—”
Before the woman could finish, Aylin rushed to the elevator, pressing the button frantically.
Inside, she found another girl standing quietly. Her blue eyes she was wearing a light blue dress
“Are you also here for the interview?” Aylin asked, panting slightly.
The girl shook her head. “No, I m here for work .”
“Oh. Okay. By the way, can I ask something?” Aylin leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Your boss… how is he? When he came to our university, he was so rude. Is he the same here?”
The girl raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think that?”
Aylin rolled her eyes. “Because he broke my phone and didn’t even apologize! He just said, ‘I don’t owe you an explanation. Move carefully next time, or stay out of my way.’ Can you imagine?” she mimicked his cold voice.
The girl’s lips curved. “Yeah, that sounds like him. He’s like that with everyone. He even made me cry my first day. But I learned how to deal with him. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you too.”
Aylin’s mouth fell open. “What? I thought maybe he was just having a bad day. But he’s always like this?”
Both of them burst into laughter.
“By the way, I’m Aylin.”
“Mashal Khan,” the girl replied.
“Nice to meet you, Mashal. This is my floor. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck!” Mashal smiled as Aylin stepped out.
---
The 15th floor was dead silent. Too silent. Aylin’s heels clicked against the polished floor as she looked around. Only one girl sat on a bench, her hands folded in her lap.
“Hello,” Aylin said, forcing a smile. “Hasn’t anyone else come yet?”
The girl looked up. “The interview is already over. I was the last candidate.”
Aylin froze. “But… wasn’t the time 10 o’clock? It’s just now 10!”
The girl shook her head. “No, it was 9:10.”
Aylin’s eyes widened. She quickly pulled out her phone and checked the email again. Sure enough—9:10. Her heart sank.
“Oh no… Aylin, you’re done. You’re so done. Waking up late, skipping breakfast, dressing up for nothing… all wasted.”
The girl gave her a small, sympathetic smile before leaving.
Aylin sat down for a moment, her head in her hands. But then, determination flickered inside her.
“No. I didn’t come all the way here to just sit outside.”
She stood up, smoothed her blazer, and walked toward the interview room door. Her hand hovered over the handle for a second. Her heart was thumping so loudly she could almost hear it.
Late or not… I’m going in.
And with that, she pushed the door open.
---
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