My Cruel Love
It was Maya's first day at the office, but her arrival sparked quiet whispers across the workplace. Disha quickly realized - Maya had taken her place. And just like that, an invisible war began in the conference room: Disha vs. Maya.?
"Hey guys! This is Miraj - he's joining us as Sir's new personal assistant starting today."
Then, turning to Miraj, Abir introduced the rest of the room. "And Miraj, meet our design team. They're the ones behind all the dress designs for our company."
Everyone greeted Miraj with a warm "hi" and "hello."
Then Abir pointed to Maya and said, "And her name is Maya. Starting today, she'll be your new Head Designer."
Instantly, a guy stood up from his seat and blurted, "But sir… isn't Disha ma'am our Head Designer?"
Abir responded calmly but firmly, "I haven't finished speaking. Let me complete what I have to say first."
The guy quickly sat down, sensing the tension.
Abir continued, "As you all know, we had a meeting yesterday with a foreign client, Mr. Daniel. None of the designs submitted by Miss Disha met his expectations. He felt the designs were too conventional—he wanted something fresh, something unique. And Miss Maya was the one who delivered exactly that. Mr. Daniel was impressed by her work. In fact, he clearly stated that he only wants Maya's designs. No one else's.
"So from now on, for this project, all of you will be working under Miss Maya's direction. You'll follow her guidance and instructions as she leads the project. Any objections?"
Everyone exchanged glances but silently nodded. No one dared to oppose.
Just then, Disha stood up and said, "I have something to say to everyone. This Miss Maya, she's actually -"
But before she could finish, Abir snapped at her, cutting her off mid-sentence.
"Miss Disha! That's enough. We're here to talk business. Don't say anything that could jeopardize your position. For your own sake, I suggest you keep your mouth shut."
Arman glanced at Abir, surprised at the sharp tone. He, Maya, and Abir all knew what Disha was about to reveal.
Yesterday, Arman had introduced Maya to Mr. Daniel as his servant. And Disha had overheard it. On top of that, Disha was already furious with Maya - for taking over her position. Jealousy burned inside her. What she didn't realize, however, was that Maya had earned that position on merit, while Disha had lost hers due to incompetence.
Fuming in anger and humiliation, Disha sat down without finishing her sentence.
Abir turned toward her and said in a cooler tone, "Miss Disha, you'll also be working under Miss Maya. You're expected to cooperate fully. This is a huge deal for us, and we can't afford any mistakes. I hope I've made myself clear."
Everyone nodded again. A few even replied with a crisp, "Yes, Sir."
Disha, meanwhile, stared daggers at Maya and thought bitterly to herself:
"Never. I will never work under this girl. Let's see how long she keeps this post. Let's see how she handles this deal. Shocked to have her post snatched away, huh? I'll make sure that shock doesn't fade. As long as I'm here, she won't last in this company. If I don't get her thrown out, then my name isn't Disha."
Arman, who had been silent until now, finally spoke - his voice calm but commanding.
"Abir has said everything I wanted to. I just want to add that everyone should give their best to this project. Miss Maya is new here, so please make her feel welcome and work alongside her. This deal is worth millions. If it succeeds, our company will rise to new heights.
"And if it's successful, your salaries will be raised, along with bonuses. I'm expecting full dedication from each of you."
A chorus of "Yes, Sir!" echoed around the room.
Arman then turned his gaze to Disha and said directly, "Miss Disha, I know you must be feeling upset. It's natural. Losing a position is hard. But don't worry, your salary will remain unchanged. I hope you don't wish harm upon this company. After all, you know that Mr. Daniel specifically asked for Maya's designs. So, for the sake of the company, I trust you'll cooperate with her."
Disha froze. How did he know exactly what I was thinking? Can he read minds or something? she thought, shaken.
Trying to compose herself, she replied stiffly, "Yes, Sir."
Arman added one final instruction, "From now on, Miss Maya's word is law in this project. That's my order."
Again, a collective "Yes, Sir!" rang out.
Then Abir turned to Maya and asked, "Maya, would you like to say something?"
Maya nodded. "I'd like to hold a meeting with all designers after I go over the project details. I'll need this meeting room to assign everyone their responsibilities."
Arman nodded approvingly. "Miss Maya, feel free to carry on with your work and updates however you see fit. You have our full support."
Maya replied, "Thank you, Sir. I'll begin today, but I'd like one full day to review everything. Tomorrow, I'll conduct the meeting and delegate tasks."
Abir addressed the team, "Alright then, you've all heard it. Office starts at 10:30. Be in the meeting room by 11 sharp. Miss Maya will brief you on your roles. Today's meeting is adjourned. You may return to your work."
With that, everyone began to file out of the room. As she left, Disha shot Maya a burning glare. No one else noticed—but Arman did.
Soon, the room was nearly empty—only Abir, Arman, Miraj, and Maya remained.
To be continued...