Entangled Fates
Episode 3: The Name That Wasn't Supposed to Shine
The screen flickered, glitched, then went dark — a murmur spread like a virus across the room. Nervous laughter, shifting chairs, forced whispers — but none of it reached Riya's ears. She sat motionless, spine straight, hands cold in her lap. The moment Ryansh had said "misjudged employees," something inside her chest had snapped awake. It wasn't hope — it was fear. The kind of fear that doesn't shout. It whispers, "What if?"
The IT team scurried at the front. One of them mumbled about "data corruption." Another fumbled with wires. Ryansh stood still, arms crossed, the tablet still in his hand, jaw locked with quiet displeasure. He hadn't sat down. He hadn't blinked much either. His eyes — those cold, calculating eyes — scanned the room like a sniper waiting for a target. And once, just once, they stopped on her.
Not just looked — stopped.
She tried not to react, but the air around her tightened. Her coworkers avoided her gaze, perhaps already calculating how much longer she'd last. Riya had been underestimated for months. Overlooked. Mocked. But what none of them knew… was that someone had been watching. Someone at the very top.
Finally, the screen blinked to life again.
The room fell deathly quiet.
A new interface appeared — stark white against black, with names listed in two columns. Red for underperformance. Green for "untapped potential." A term rarely used — and yet, five names were lit up in green. As if fate itself had reached into the shadows and decided to pull a few broken pieces into the spotlight.
The second name on the green list:
> Agrawal, Riya — 92.4% Performance Efficiency (3rd Highest in Department)
There was a collective inhale. One of the guys who had mocked her earlier actually coughed in disbelief. Another girl at the back whispered, "Wait… Riya? Seriously?" Riya didn't move. Her vision had narrowed. Her breath had gone shallow. She stared at the screen like it was lying. Like maybe this was a mistake.
But Ryansh didn't blink.
He tapped his tablet once, and said, loud enough to pierce every ego in the room:
> "The data is clear. Some of you… have been misjudged. And some of you," his eyes landed sharply on Mr. Kapoor, "have been doing the judging incorrectly."
Mr. Kapoor turned pale.
A slow silence choked the air.
Then Ryansh spoke again, this time directly into the wound:
> "Riya Agrawal's efficiency, problem-solving ability, and delivery consistency has been the third-highest in this branch. Yet she's received no promotion consideration, no team leadership assignments, and repeated critical reviews."
The room shifted uncomfortably. No one could meet Riya's eyes. No one even tried to defend the past.
Ryansh wasn't done.
> "Starting today, she will report directly to me. Kapoor — from now on, stay away from her work pipeline. In fact…" he looked him over with disdain, "...submit your resignation by end of day. You're relieved of duty."
Gasps erupted.
Mr. Kapoor spluttered, "S-sir, I—I was only doing what I thought was best—"
> "Then you thought wrong," Ryansh cut him off.
The screen dimmed again.
And just like that, the king had spoken.
The meeting ended without applause. People left in stunned waves, murmuring and glancing at Riya like she had grown new skin. Like she had suddenly transformed into someone worthy — even though she had always been that person. The difference was… now someone with power had seen her.
Riya walked out last. Her legs moved, but her mind was still floating somewhere between shock and disbelief. She didn't look for Ryansh. She didn't want to. She didn't want to feel grateful for someone who had humiliated her a day ago. She just wanted to breathe.
But when she reached her desk, a note was already waiting.
> My office. 7 p.m. Sharp. – RS
She stared at it.
She didn't owe him anything.
But somehow… she couldn't say no.
---
💌 Author's Note
So… the mask cracks. The truth stings. And the queen who was never crowned just stepped into her power.
What did you feel when Riya's name flashed green?
Did your heart jump? Did you smile with her?
Or maybe you're wondering what Ryansh is truly playing at. 👀
Because trust me — power is seductive. But secrets?
Secrets are always lurking behind silence.
📍Next episode: "The First Private Meeting" — where power meets pride, and nothing goes as planned.
Your support is my fuel. Drop a comment, tap that ⭐, and tell me what twist you're waiting for!
Love & drama,
Aarya Patil 🖤