Kiara's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she leaned in, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "So, tell me, how's work going? How's my brother treating you?"

My face fell slightly, and I let out a tired sigh. "Well, he gives me extra work all the time. I'm always tired," I admitted, her voice laced with frustration.

Kiara's expression turned sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Maya. My brother can be a bit... demanding, can't he?"

Authors pov

Maya's face twisted in exasperation. "A little?! Kiara, he's fucking demanding all the time, like he's a robot or something. I mean, I just can't believe you're so sweet and caring, while he's a grumpy asshole."

Kiara's eyes widened slightly at Maya's outburst, but she couldn't help giggling at her friend's blunt honesty. "Oh, Maya, you're so straightforward! I love it."

Maya's anger seemed to escalate as she continued, her voice rising in frustration. "Maybe he can be a robot and work 24/7, but we can't! We're human beings, for crying out loud! I hate him so much! Like, bro, he thinks taking a 5-minute break would ruin our work. What the fuck?! I fucking hate him. How can you tolerate him, girl? Doesn't he ever get on your nerves?"

Maya's rant paused momentarily, but her indignation was still palpable. "Anyway, you know my parents will go to Jaipur for my cousin's wedding, and my brother will also go, but I won't be going," Maya said, seamlessly shifting topics. "So, I thought you could stay with me, please? It's just 12 days , Kiru," she asked, her eyes pleading with Kiara.

Kiara's expression softened, and she couldn't resist Maya's puppy eyes. "Aww, Maya, I'd love to stay with you! It'll be fun, just the two of us."

Maya's face lit up with gratitude. "Omg, thank you so much! You're the best, none like your brother," she said, hugging Kiara tightly. "I love you so much, Kiru!"

As they hugged, Maya whispered, "I'm seriously going to lose my mind if I have to deal with that robot boss of yours much longer. He's sucking the life out of me!"

The waiter came with their order as he set the tray down on their table. "Alright, here we are! One strawberry shake and chicken sandwich for you," he said, placing the items in front of Maya. "And for you," he continued, setting the cold coffee with ice cream and dumplings in front of Kiara, "enjoy your meal, ladies!"

Maya and Kiara exchanged a look, their faces lighting up with anticipation as they dug into their food.

The next day, Maya settled into her desk, still sipping her morning coffee. Before she could even log in to her computer, her colleague, Ria, leaned in, whispering urgently, "Maya, boss is in a particularly foul mood today, and he's especially angry at you."

Maya raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Ria's eyes darted around nervously before she continued in hushed tones, "He sent a text to the group. Haven't you seen it?"

Maya shook her head, confusion etched on her face. "What text?"

Ria's expression turned grave. "Fuck, Maya, you haven't seen it? Shit, shit, you're dead. He's very angry." Ria pulled out her phone and showed Maya the message.

The message on the screen read: "Maya, I assigned you the Thompson project yesterday. Why haven't you started working on it yet? I expect an update ASAP."

Maya's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. "Oh no, I didn't see the message. I guess it got lost in the group chat."

Before Maya could react further, her phone buzzed with an internal call from Kabir's office. Ria's warning glance was all Maya needed to know she was in trouble.

Kabir's voice boomed over the phone, "Maya, come to my office. Now."

Maya's heart sank as she stood up, smoothing her clothes. "Guess I'm going to face the music," she muttered to Ria, before heading to Kabir's office with a sense of dread.

As she entered Kabir's office, his eyes blazed with fury. "Maya, are you even paying attention to your work? You're consistently ignoring messages and missing deadlines. Do you know how much damage you're causing to this team?"

His voice was low and menacing, each word dripping with anger. "You're not just failing to meet expectations; you're actively undermining my authority. What's going on with you? Is this some kind of deliberate attempt to disrupt our workflow?"

Kabir's anger seemed to escalate as he continued, "If you don't want to work seriously, then I can give you the security job also. I don't want unserious and useless employees in my company, Maya. I expected you to be sincere, but you're not. You're a disappointment."

Maya felt a chill run down her spine as Kabir's words cut deep. "You're not even capable of checking your messages? How do you expect to succeed in this role? You're a liability, Maya. A liability I don't need in my team."

Kabir's voice rose, his anger and frustration palpable. "You're lucky I don't fire you on the spot. But I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Get your act together, Maya. Now. I expect to see significant improvement, starting immediately. Any further mistakes, and you're out. Do I make myself clear?"

Maya nodded, feeling a mix of fear and shame, as Kabir's anger and disappointment hung in the air like a challenge.

Maya's voice trembled slightly as she replied, "I'm sorry, sir."

But instead of placating Kabir, her apology only seemed to fuel his anger. "Sorry? Sorry isn't enough, Maya! You're not just sorry, you're incompetent. You're consistently making mistakes, and your apologies are just empty words. What I need from you is results, not excuses."

Kabir's voice rose to a yell, his face reddening with rage. "Do you know how many times I've had to intervene because of your mistakes? Do you know how much time and resources you're wasting? You're not just affecting your own work; you're impacting the entire team."

Maya felt herself shrinking under Kabir's verbal onslaught, her eyes welling up with tears. "I...I know, sir. It won't happen again."

But Kabir wasn't having it. "It won't happen again? It won't happen again? You've been saying that for months now, and yet, here we are, dealing with the same issues over and over. You're not taking this seriously, Maya. You're not taking your job seriously."

Kabir's anger seemed to reach a boiling point, and Maya wondered if she'd be able to survive the storm.

As Maya walked out of Kabir's office, tears began to fall down her face. She quickly made her way to her seat, trying to compose herself, but it was no use. The humiliation and anger she felt were overwhelming.

Ria noticed Maya's tears and immediately got up from her seat, concern etched on her face. "Maya, oh my god, what happened? He was really harsh on you, wasn't he?" Ria asked, as she gently placed a hand on Maya's shoulder.

Maya nodded, unable to speak, as she let out a sob. Ria quickly pulled Maya into a hug. "It's okay, Maya. It's not your fault. He's just really tough on everyone. You're not alone."

Ria held Maya for a few moments, letting her cry it out. When Maya finally calmed down a bit, Ria handed her a tissue. "Here, wipe your tears. You can't let him see you like this again."

Maya took the tissue and dabbed at her eyes, trying to pull herself together. "I don't know how much more of this I can take, Ria. He's just so unfair. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells around him all the time."

Ria nodded sympathetically. "I know, Maya. But you can't let him break you. You're strong, and you're doing a great job. Don't let his behavior get to you."

Maya smiled weakly, feeling a bit better thanks to Ria's words of comfort. "Thanks, Ria. You're a lifesaver."

As the day wears on, the night fells she left the office going to home, knowing her parents and brother went to Jaipur and kiara was in home..

As Maya entered her room, Kiara looked up from her anime, concern etched on her face. "Maya, what's wrong? You look really upset," she said, noticing Maya's puffy eyes.

Maya collapsed onto the bed beside Kiara, feeling overwhelmed. "It's your brother, Kiara. He's been so harsh on me at work. Today was the worst. He yelled at me in front of everyone and then scolded me in his office. I feel so humiliated."

Kiara's expression turned angry. "What did he say to you? Tell me everything."

Maya recounted the entire story, from the missed message to Kabir's explosive outburst. Kiara listened attentively, her face growing increasingly indignant.

When Maya finished, Kiara's eyes blazed with anger. "I can't believe my brother did this to you. I have to talk to him. I mean, you're my best friend. He can't treat you like this."

Kiara's protective instincts kicked in, and she felt a strong urge to defend her friend. "I'll talk to him, Maya. He needs to apologize and treat you with respect."

Kabir's pov

I was still in my office doing work when kiara called me..

"Why the hell did you do this to my best friend Maya?" Kiara yelled into the phone. "She's just a girl, it's a mistake! And it was Sunday yesterday, you fool! Can't you give her a break?"

My calm and collected voice was a stark contrast to Kiara's fury. "I don't care if she's your best friend or not, Kiara. I don't want answers and useless employees in my company. Care about your own life and stay out of this."

Kiara's anger only intensified at my dismissive tone. "You're unbelievable! You're always so harsh and unfair. You need to apologize to her, Kabir. She's been working hard for you, and this is how you treat her?"

My response was immediate and unyielding. "Make a habit of not interfering in others' situations, Kiara. If you think I'll apologize to her, never. And I don't care if it was Sunday or not. I want the work done, and I want it done perfectly. That's all that matters."

Kiara seethed with anger, feeling helpless and frustrated. "You're impossible, Kabir. You're going to lose the best employees because of your attitude. Mark my words."

I hung up the call abruptly, leaving Kiara fuming on the other end. The line went dead..

I smirked knowing the games on, 'now you'll see miss maya for complaining about ur silly mistakes, the games on' he told to himself, a dangerous smile forming in my lips...

Hey guys how was this chapter I hope u like it..