October 30, 2009 – 9:00 AM

  Jadavpur, Kolkata – Aritra's Vil

  The morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting soft golden patterns across the marble floor. Aritra stood in front of the mirror, rolling up the sleeves of his bck dress shirt, his movements slow and methodical.

  Behind him, the faint rustling of fabric signaled Katherine's presence. She sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, idly adjusting the brim of her sports cap. The all-bck outfit—fitted jeans, a simple T-shirt, sneakers—was a departure from her usual style, but she had long abandoned dresses and eborate outfits in favor of something more practical.

  "You're really going out today?" she asked, stretching her arms. "Finally decided to leave your cave?"

  Aritra gnced at her reflection in the mirror, smirking slightly. "Even I need to see my empire from time to time."

  Katherine rolled her eyes. "Dramatic much?"

  He ignored the comment, picking up his car keys. "Coming?"

  Katherine sighed heavily but stood up. "Might as well. I was dying of boredom anyway."

  10:00 AM – En Route to the HQ

  The bck Audi A8L cut smoothly through Kolkata's mid-morning traffic, its polished exterior reflecting the city's bustling streets. The engine's quiet purr was a stark contrast to the cacophony outside—honking rickshaws, street vendors yelling their prices, and the occasional chatter of pedestrians.

  Katherine adjusted her seat, gncing at Aritra, who was focused on the road. "So… where exactly are we going?"

  Aritra didn't look away from the road. "You'll see."

  She frowned. "You're doing that annoying thing again."

  "What thing?"

  "The 'I'll tell you when we get there' thing."

  He smirked but said nothing.

  As they left the dense urban sprawl, the cityscape began to shift. Smaller buildings gave way to towering gss structures, the roads widened, and the signs of Kolkata's emerging corporate sector became more evident.

  Then, as they turned a final corner, it came into view.

  10:30 AM – Arrival at the Holding Company HQ

  Katherine's breath caught as she took in the sight before her.

  The 150-story skyscraper loomed over the skyline, its reflective gss fa?ade glistening under the morning sun. It was unlike anything else in the city—sleek, futuristic, yet exuding an imposing presence. The sheer height made every other building in the vicinity look insignificant.

  A massive, elegantly designed logo was embedded into the side of the tower:

  "Echelon Holdings."

  Katherine's eyes widened. "You… built this?"

  Aritra pulled the car into the underground parking area, the security gates opening automatically. "More or less."

  Katherine stared at him. "What do you mean 'more or less'?! This thing is massive!"

  Aritra parked the car and stepped out, adjusting his sleeves. "Come on. I'll show you around."

  Inside Echelon Holdings HQ

  As they entered the lobby, Katherine felt the overwhelming sense of scale. The ceilings stretched 50 feet high, with holographic dispys showcasing company updates and market trends. A massive reception desk sat at the center, behind which a colossal digital world map dispyed real-time business activities across different regions.

  Employees moved with quiet efficiency, dressed in professional yet modern attire. The air was filled with a faint scent of polished steel and new leather.

  Aritra walked toward the private elevators, scanning his palm over the biometric access panel. The doors slid open silently.

  Katherine followed, still absorbing everything. "Okay… so what exactly happens in this pce?"

  Aritra pressed a button. "Echelon Holdings controls everything. This is the nerve center."

  HQ Structure & Floor Divisions

  As the elevator ascended, Aritra expined the yout:

  1st-10th Floor: Reception & Public Retions – Media retions, legal compliance, government liaison offices.11th-30th Floor: Finance & Investments – Treasury, asset management, tax divisions.31st-50th Floor: Strategic Operations – Long-term pnning, risk assessment.51st-70th Floor: Human Resources & Executive Management – Hiring, executive suites, VIP lounges.71st-100th Floor: Data & Intelligence Analysis – Market analysis, internal intelligence reports.101st-120th Floor: Security & Special Projects – High-clearance R&D, encrypted communication rooms.121st-149th Floor: Aritra's Private Operations – His own research space, private study, conference rooms.150th Floor: The Observatory & CEO Office – A massive gss-walled executive suite with a panoramic view of Kolkata.

  Katherine's head spun. "This… is insane."

  Aritra leaned against the elevator wall. "It's necessary."

  The elevator dinged, stopping at the 120th floor.

  Tech Instaltion – The Silent Workforce

  As they stepped out, a group of highly skilled engineers—the "technological sves" Aritra had acquired—were already at work. They moved with machine-like precision, installing quantum-encrypted servers, surveilnce systems, and communication terminals.

  One of them approached Aritra. "Sir, the data nodes are 70% integrated. Full encryption will be operational by midnight."

  Aritra nodded. "Continue."

  Katherine watched, feeling a strange unease. These people… they barely spoke. Their movements were too precise, too unnatural.

  She turned to Aritra. "Who are they?"

  Aritra gave a vague smile. "Experts."

  Katherine frowned. Something about them felt… off.

  1:00 PM – The CEO's Floor

  When they finally reached the 150th floor, Katherine gasped.

  The entire floor was a single open space, encased in floor-to-ceiling gss walls, offering a breathtaking 360-degree view of the city. A massive bck desk stood at the center, facing a digital interface that controlled the building's infrastructure.

  Aritra stepped forward, pcing a hand on the touch-sensitive control panel embedded in his desk. Instantly, the windows adjusted their tint, shifting from transparent to one-way reflective.

  Katherine walked toward the window, staring down at the city. From this height, everything felt small.

  She turned back to Aritra. "So… what now?"

  Aritra exhaled, looking over the city. "Now, we get to work."

  Epilogue – 10 More Skyscrapers Nearing Completion

  Before leaving, they visited the construction zones nearby, where ten more skyscrapers were in their final stages. Each of them, strategically positioned, would serve as the future headquarters of Echelon's expanding subsidiaries.

  Katherine folded her arms. "You're not just running a company. You're building a damn city."

  Aritra smirked. "Something like that."

  As they drove back home, Katherine leaned against the car window, watching the towering skyscrapers fade into the distance.

  For the first time, she realized—she didn't truly know the man sitting beside her.

  And that thought?

  It was both fascinating and terrifying.