# Chapter 3: Entering Her World

Following her on Instagram felt like being handed the keys to a city I'd only ever seen from a train window.

The bangles photo sat at the top of her grid, those big bold eyes staring over a wall of pink glass, and underneath it, post after post. Sneha at a birthday dinner in a black dress. Sneha on a rooftop at sunset, arms spread, hair flying. Sneha in a maroon kurti at a college fest, surrounded by friends whose names I didn't know yet. Different outfits, different cities, different moods — and every single one aimed straight at the camera like it knew I'd arrive here someday.

Brain fully offline, when the message popped up.

Sneha: like what u see??

Before I could type a single letter, another one landed.

Sneha: u can like & comment on the pictures too u know. they dont bite 😌

I sat there in the dark and grinned like an idiot. My hands were actually shaking slightly as I typed.

Me: I'm doing very important research.

Sneha: research. sure. what did u find out

Me: That the office version of you is the censored version.

A pause. A long one. I watched the three dots appear, vanish, appear again, and my heart was doing the ramp walk inside my chest.

Sneha: and u liked the uncensored version?

I was hard before I knew how to answer. The hotel-bed photo was burned onto the back of my eyelids — the slipped shoulder, the black strap. I could smell lavender just thinking about her.

Me: More than I should.

But underneath the heat, a colder thought had crept in. I was the new guy. One month in. She was clearly one of the popular ones on that floor, and if this was just how she talked to everyone — if I was one of three boys currently being handed her Instagram like a party favour — then any wrong step tomorrow morning would turn me into a story. The new joiner, day thirty, already obsessed. I'd seen how fast gossip travelled across those cubicles.

So I stalled. Told her I was busy, would reply in a bit. She said, take ur time 😊, so easily it made me trust her a little more. I put the phone face-down, stood at my window for ten minutes doing nothing, and …