Secret Romance

Chapter-1 After 5 Years

Note: Do read the description before start reading the book...

"Anubhav, your new secretary is coming today, and you can interview her directly," Baba said to Anubhav during breakfast this morning.

"Why not just have Daniya as my secretary? You could use the new secretary, Dad," Anubhav replied lazily. He didn't really like the idea of having to use a new secretary who often lacked experience.

"Don't be so casual about it. I'm comfortable with Daniya, and Maa prefers the new secretary for you. Be nice to her; she's actually aunt Astha's daughter, our friend from Samarinda. Remember, Anubhav?" Maa protested, explaining who the potential new secretary was.

"Forgot, Maa. It's been such a long time. And I'm supposed to be nice to her just because she's Mom's friend's child? That's not how it works, Mom. If her performance is poor, I need to be firm!" Anubhav retorted, not wanting to back down. Since his old secretary resigned due to pregnancy, he needed a replacement urgently to handle all his tasks.

"Maa doesn't care. You have to accept the secretary Maa chose, period. You're going to like her; she's beautiful and certainly smart!" Maa praised with sparkling eyes, determined to make her plan work.

"But, Maa?" Anubhav interjected, knowing that his mom's desires were usually unyielding.

"Both Dad and I have decided that she will be your secretary. Don't worry about her performance. She had an excellent track record at her previous company. Dad brought her into our company, so just accept it!" Baba said firmly, not wanting to be challenged. With resignation, Anubhav could only finish his breakfast as quickly as possible. His mood was ruined this morning because of the new secretary. What bad luck.

"Oh my God," Anubhav exclaimed after cursing in his mind. He then reached for Maa's hand and kissed her. Anubhav hurriedly left before witnessing his parents' intimacy. It was not uncommon for him to find his parents kissing, and sometimes Anubhav felt envious of their closeness, even though they weren't young anymore. Meanwhile, at nearly 24 years old, Anubhav himself had never had a girlfriend and had only fallen in love once. However, he had to experience heartbreak when the girl left him abruptly.

***

"Good morning, excuse me, Mr. Anubhav. Your new secretary has arrived," Daniya Baba's secretary, escorted Haseena into Anubhav's office for the interview.

"Good morning," Anubhav replied, swiveling his large chair to face Daniya, who was now in his office. Since arriving at the office, his mood had changed; he became less enthusiastic, reminded of his past failed love.

He saw a girl standing behind Daniya, looking nervous. Anubhav squinted his eyes, briefly wondering if his parents had made the right choice with a petite figure like that for a secretary. His previous secretary was very attractive, elegant, well-dressed, and certainly smart. Anubhav had some doubts about his parents' choice this time.

"Allow me to introduce Miss Haseena Malik, your new secretary," Daniya explained. Like a bolt of lightning in the morning, that name shocked Anubhav. His body froze instantly, along with his rapidly beating heart. Could this Haseena that Daniya mentioned be the same Haseena from his past? Anubhav was curious and approached the girl. Daniya quickly stepped aside, knowing her boss was incredibly selective in choosing employees, especially for the role of his secretary. He wanted everything to be perfect.

Slowly, Haseena's face lifted, and their eyes locked. For several seconds, they simply stared at each other. Thud... they were both shocked; Anubhav hadn't expected to meet Haseena again, especially now that Haseena looked so different. Sensing the silence, Haseena quickly switched his expression back to his usual cold and detached demeanor.