Vartika’s POV

Life is very unpredictable.

One moment you are sitting in your tiny room surrounded by law books, eating Maggi at 2 a.m. and praying to every god possible to give you one chance… just one chance… to work at the most prestigious law firm in Mumbai.

And the next moment—

You are standing right outside S K Law Associates with an internship letter in your hand.

I look up at the tall glass building in front of me and blink twice just to make sure I’m not dreaming.

Nope. Still there.

My grin spreads wider.

Shah Rukh Khan was absolutely right.

"Kisi cheez ko agar shiddat se chaho… toh puri kainaat use tumse milane ki saazish mein lag jaati hai."

("If you desire something with all your heart, the entire universe conspires to bring it to you.")

Feeling dramatic, I spread my arms wide and do the classic SRK pose.

Right in the middle of the road.

“Madam! Get aside! What are you doing in the middle of the road?”

A loud honk follows the irritated voice.

I jump.

“Oh! Sorry! Sorry!” I rush to the side of the road, almost tripping over my own feet.

The watchman at the gate is staring at me… and then suddenly starts laughing.

I laugh too, slightly embarrassed.

“First day excitement?” he asks, still chuckling.

“Very obvious?” I grin.

He nods.

I give him a playful salute before walking inside.

The moment I step into the building, I feel like I’ve entered a completely different world.

And wow.

Just… wow.

Everything looks so professional.

The marble floors shine like mirrors. Glass cabins everywhere. People walking quickly with files, talking seriously on phones.

Everyone looks so important.

Meanwhile I’m standing here trying not to stare like a tourist.

Okay Vartika, behave. You are also a professional now.

I walk toward the front desk where a very elegant lady is typing something on her computer.

I give my best polite smile.

“Hello.”

She looks up.

“Yes?”

“I’m Vartika. I’m joining as a legal intern today.”

She smiles warmly.

“Oh, welcome dear.”

Then she slides an ID card toward me.

“Take this and go to the first floor. HR will guide you.”

I nod but then curiosity gets the better of me.

“Sorry… can I ask something?”

“Of course.”

“What’s your name?”

She looks slightly surprised.

“Mrs. Maya D’Souza.”

“Mrs. D’Souza,” I repeat thoughtfully.

Then I lean slightly closer and whisper dramatically,

“You look very beautiful today.”

She blinks.

“Excuse me?”

“I mean it!” I say quickly. “Your saree is amazing and your earrings match perfectly. Honestly, if I had your fashion sense I would never wear boring black suits again.”

For two seconds she just stares at me.

Then suddenly she laughs.

“Oh my God, you are the first intern who has ever complimented me instead of asking where the washroom is.”

“Well I can do that too,” I grin. “Where is the washroom?”

She laughs even harder.

“First floor, left side.”

“Perfect. Now I know both important things.”

“What things?”

“Your name and the washroom location.”

She shakes her head, still smiling.

“You are funny.”

“I’ve been told that before.”

I pick up my ID card.

“Thank you, Mrs. D’Souza. You’ve been very kind to a confused intern.”

“You’re welcome, Vartika.”

I walk toward the elevator feeling ridiculously happy.

A few minutes later HR gives me a quick tour of the office.

Conference rooms.

Library.

Research department.

Everything looks like something straight out of a legal drama.

Then she takes me to the department where I’m going to work.

The moment we reach, I notice something that instantly lifts my mood.

It’s an open office area, not a row of closed cabins with intimidating glass doors. Desks are arranged in sections, people are talking across tables, someone is laughing at the far end, and someone else is arguing over a file.

Good.

Much better than those suffocating cabin setups where everyone pretends to be serious all the time.

I lean slightly toward the HR manager and whisper, “Oh thank God… no cabins.”

She looks at me, amused. “You don’t like cabins?”

“Cabins mean people judging you in silence,” I say dramatically. “Open offices mean people judging you openly. I prefer honesty.”

She chuckles before stepping forward and clapping lightly to get everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, just a minute please.”

Gradually, conversations stop and a few curious faces turn toward us.

“This is Vartika Rao,” she announces. “She’s joining us as a legal intern starting today.”

For a second the room goes quiet.

Then suddenly—

Everyone starts clapping.

Actual clapping.

I blink in surprise before quickly smiling and giving a small awkward wave like a celebrity who wasn’t prepared for fans.

“Hi,” I say cheerfully. “I promise I’ll try not to mess up your files… at least not on the first day.”

A few people laugh.

One guy from the corner says, “Good start.”

The HR manager points toward a desk near the middle section. “This will be your workspace, Vartika.”

My desk.

My first real desk in S K Law Associates.

I try not to grin like an idiot but fail miserably.

“Well,” I say lightly, looking around at everyone, “thank you for the warm welcome. I feel like I should give a speech now.”

More laughter spreads around the room.

“Please don’t,” someone says from the back. “We just had a meeting.”

“Okay fair,” I reply instantly. “I’ll save it for my promotion speech.”

That earns another round of chuckles.

The HR manager smiles before saying, “Alright, everyone get back to work. Vartika, settle in. If you need anything, just ask.”

With that she leaves.

And the moment she disappears around the corner…

I notice something.

A few people sitting around my desk are still looking at me with open curiosity, like they’ve just received some new office entertainment for the day.

I clear my throat, placing my bag on the desk.

“Should I introduce myself again or are you all silently judging me already?”

A guy with glasses immediately raises his hand.

“Judging.”

The entire table laughs.

“Well,” I say, sitting down, “at least you’re honest. I respect that.”

The girl beside me grins.

“I’m Riya.”

“Vartika.”

Kabir—the judging guy—leans back in his chair.

“So Vartika… tell us something important.”

“Like?”

“Your survival skills.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“You make it sound like I joined the army.”

“You basically did,” another guy says, spinning his chair around. “I’m Arjun by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Arjun-from-the-army.”

Kabir taps his pen on the table.

“Important question number two.”

“Oh wow. There’s a questionnaire?”

“Yes,” he says seriously. “We have standards.”

“Go ahead.”

“Can you work under pressure?”

I shrug elegantly.

“I survived law school group projects.”

Everyone nods immediately.

“Valid,” Arjun says.

“Fair,” Riya agrees.

Kabir squints at me suspiciously.

“You’re too calm.”

“Should I panic for your satisfaction?”

“No but usually interns look terrified on day one.”

“Oh I am terrified,” I say sweetly. “I’m just hiding it with good manners.”

Riya laughs loudly.

“Okay I like her.”

Arjun points at me.

“Same.”

Kabir leans forward dramatically.

“Final question.”

“Is this a job interview?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. Ask.”

“What made you choose law?”

I lean back thoughtfully.

“Because arguing professionally seemed like a stable career option.”

For two seconds they stare at me.

Then the entire table bursts out laughing.

Arjun claps once.

“Okay that’s the best answer I’ve heard in two years.”

Kabir nods approvingly.

“Classy and honest.”

Riya grins.

“You might actually survive here.”

I place my hand on my chest dramatically.

“Thank you for believing in me.”

Kabir suddenly lowers his voice.

“But survival also depends on one thing.”

“What?”

Before he can answer, someone rushes into the office whispering loudly,

“The Devil’s back!”

Suddenly everyone jumps.

Chairs move.

Files open.

Keyboards start typing aggressively.

Riya grabs my arm and pushes me into a chair.

“Sit down!”

“What happened?” I whisper.

“You’ll see.”

The entire office becomes silent.

Confused, I slowly look up.

And then I see him.

Shaurya Khanna.

The Shaurya Khanna.

The man who has never lost a case in his life.

He walks through the office with calm confidence, his expression serious, his presence commanding the entire room without him saying a single word.

For a moment, I forget to breathe.

I’ve admired him for years. Every law student in Mumbai knows his name.

He is brilliant. Fearless. Legendary in court.

And honestly…

he looks even cooler in real life.

Once he disappears into the conference room, the entire office collectively exhales.

“Oh God,” someone whispers.

“Finally.”

Riya leans slightly toward me and murmurs, “We’re lucky.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Because we are not assigned directly under him.”

I frown. “What’s wrong with that?”

She raises an eyebrow. “He’s strict. Very strict. People are scared to even breathe wrong in front of him.”

A few others around us nod in agreement.

One guy mutters, “Last week he returned a file because a comma was misplaced.”

“Not even joking,” another adds.

I glance toward the conference room door where he disappeared moments ago.

“But everyone praises him in law college,” I say thoughtfully. “Like… he’s some legend.”

Riya shrugs.

“Well, that man is praise-worthy,” she admits. “But we prefer to praise him… from far away.”

Everyone around us bursts out laughing.

I shake my head, amused.

“Well,” I say casually, leaning back in my chair, “I’d actually love to work with him someday.”

A dramatic gasp escapes someone.

Kabir points at me. “Did you all hear that? The intern has dreams.”

Riya pats my shoulder sympathetically.

“Think what you wish, baby,” she says. “Sometimes the universe listens.”

I laugh at that.

Yeah.

Sometimes it does.

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