"Before leaving for Berlin, please double-check all the preparation from the security perspective."

At my unforeseen words, I can feel Nayla's incertitude-filled gaze turning toward me, so, moving my eyes from the mails I was checking, I turned my head sideways to look at her. Facing her, I solemnly continued, "I have talked to Stella, you can confirm everything through her."

I waited for Nayla's response, after a second of waking up from the stupor, Nayla's ascertainment superseded by poise and acquiescence as she asserted, "I will check everything again."

Nodding my head, I once again lowered my gaze toward the iPad in my hands, but after a moment of indecisive pause, I heard Nayal's inquisitive query, "But Boss, did something happened?"

I have never doubted Nayla's proficiency, she always knows what to do and I never have to tell her anything but still, some things can miss by her. I don't expect her to have complete control over everything, that's why I have priorly talked with Stella to not perturbing Nayla. With a slight smile, to ease her worry, I once again moved my gaze toward her and convinced, "No, rest assured."

A look of ease spread across her face, and she nodded her head. My gaze flickered toward the driver seat and just now when I remembered to inform Nayla about security changes, I noticed the new face there instead of Zyair Ahlstrom.

"Where did the previous chauffeur go?" casually inquired I.

Nayla was not surprised that I noticed such an insignificant thing, and proceeded to answer naturally, "He left a day ago, the reason stated was a severe infection."

Nodding my head, I brushed his thought away and once again focused my attention on the words I was reading.

According to the trip that we arranged, we would have left for Berlin today but instead of seven days, the stay in Milan extended to eight days --because of the new companies that joined and were finding it a little hard to catch up with the work. Tomorrow will be the last day here, and we plan to fly to Berlin at eleven in the night —as the flight is short of about one and half hours, the rest of the night will be enough to relax. Moreover, it will be easy to settle there, as there is no time difference between Berlin and Milan.

I walked out of the car when we reached the company's building, took the elevator toward the office floor, I was in discussion with Nayla and Ali about how everything should be concluded today from the iPad in my hand. The elevators' doors opened, and before I could even step outside, coming from the other side someone was in so much rush that even after I immediately realized it and was about to take a step back but the flustered girl directly bumped into me and emptied all the coffee in her hands over me.

As the splashed contents of coffee first came into contact with my hands' bare skin, it caused a sharp stinging sensation.

Without further ado, I shoved my things in Nayla's hands, who at my side was still startled at what has happened so suddenly, and while walking out of the elevator I hurriedly took off my coat, to prevent the liquid from soaking further into clothes. Waking up from the daze, I noticed Nayla pulling napkins out of her bag and Ali rushing past me. In the next second, she appeared beside me, held my hands, and placed the paper napkins on them and blouse —which was not covered much because of my quick action. In an instant, I noticed Ali rushing toward me with the water bottle, and without any warning, he started opening the bottles and flooded my hands with cool water.

As I raised my eyes, the girl, who splashed the coffee, was standing there with her hand over her mouth. Eye wide open staring at my hands, her body slightly trembling and I could see tears running down her face. Behind her was the rest of the office, with the equal shock of horror watching the scene in front of them. Through them, a panicked Mr. Enzo was rushing toward me.

"Ali, that's enough water."

Ali quite deliberately slowed his action and stopped when the bottle got emptied, taking a step back and then at the front, he eventually stepped aside.

I wanted to shake my head, in two hands it seemed like he stuffed as many bottles as he could, and instead of rushing me to find the restroom he kept on soaking my hands under cool water and spreading water everywhere. On the other hand, for the first time, I could notice that in seconds Nayla was on the edge, and she didn't even know what to do.

"Boss, your hands..."

My eyes moved toward my hands, covered in water and turning excessively red, the stinging sensation was increasing with each passing minute, making the burn painful. But nothing could be seen on my face, unlike my assistant, I know how to keep my cool. At Nayla's anxious whisper, I was going to assure her, when another equally alarming voice chimed in.

"Miss Ciarve! How..." With a startled look, Mr. Enzo's eyes moved from my hands toward the young girl with her head ducked down and tears streaming out of her face, he then again toward me and exclaimed in his concerned tone, "I apologize, this so unfortunate, should I immediately call the medics?"

"No need, I'll myself go to see the doctor, but I think we have to delay the meeting by an hour."

With a polite nod toward Mr. Enzo, he too nodded his head with an 'of course', he offered to come along, and at my refusal, he proceeded to utter countless apologies on behalf of the girl who still wasn't able to utter any words. Looking down at the water around the area and shoes soaking in it, a little smile rose on my lips but suppressing it I turned toward Ali and told him to stay here, and till we return do things according to the instructions I have given him —after a tentative pause, he nodded his head.

The elevator doors closed and I turned toward Nayla, from her slight darkening of the skin, the traces of panic could be seen on her still face. My voice turned a little softer as I instructed, "Find some Physiatrist on our way to the hotel."

"...Yes, right away," With that, she got busy in her searching and dialing numbers but I can still discern from time to time her eyes moving toward my increasingly crimsoning hands.

We will have to go to the hotel again, I have to change out of these clothes. It's strange how instead of my growingly painful hands, I'm more worried about the hour that'll be wasted on this round. Although the stinging agitation was making me realize its presence, yet...somewhere these minor sensations feel so little, so less.

"The Doctor is just at a ten minutes ride."

About five minutes in the car, Nayla informed me about the appointment she has set. I nodded hearing her words, with the lack of an iPad, simply leaned against my seat and looked outside.

.

.

.

.

"Boss, why don't you rest for a while and maybe... come to the company a few hours later."

The moment I stepped outside of my hotel room after changing my clothes, I found distressed Nayla with her unreasonable request at my door (her clothes also got wet and had stains of coffee, she too decided to change).

"It's nothing, we have to conclude all the work today, already a day late," Saying this, I walked past her toward the elevator.

"Second-degree burns are not nothing."

Her tone was tense with edgy rigidity, and I noticed that she wasn't following me, so I halted and turned to face her, while her eyes were on my gauze bandaged hands. The doctor claimed the coffee to be too hot, which left superficial partial-thick burns on the skin of my hands, fortunately, I removed the coat immediately, therefore, it didn't reach my chest —and my left hand was less burnt as compared to my right hand, which was almost completely soaked in coffee.

I have eaten the painkiller and the ointment is truly helping to calm the stinging sensation, so, I think I'm perfectly alright to continue my day. One thing bothering me is the time these burns will take to heal -approximately less than three weeks- and till then I have to walk around with these dressed hands.

Slightly smiling toward Nayla, I spoke calmly, "I'm fine, we're getting late, let's go," and turned to wait for the elevator.

Nayla didn't say anything right away but acquiesced. In silence she accompanied me outside the hotel until we reached outside and sat inside the waiting car, I once again heard her say, unwilling to let this matter go.

"Should I tell Mr. Enzo to fire that ignorant secretory of his?" I could notice the little anger hidden in her voice. I know she was not annoyed at that poor girl but at this whole uncalled situation.

Shaking my head lightly, I tried to lighten her mood, "No need, she reminded me of your days of flustered secretary," Hearing my carefree response, she looked at me and a thoughtful look passed through her face. Seeing her fully focused on my words, I continued in a satirical tone, "I think it was you, one time got so nervous that accidentally deleted the whole file of the prepared project, along with backup."

As my words ended, her expressions eased and a light chuckle left Nayla's lips.

"Instead, tell Mr. Enzo to not reprimand her harshly, she still has so much to learn, and with time she will."

I could see that she was young, we are probably of the same age, I don't know what I'm feeling, but there's this thought...that girl was trying her best. From her head to toe, everything was ordinary in her, but not the flicker of purpose in her eyes —crumbling and flowing through her tears. I don't know why, but when I looked at her I felt like she was brimming with the hope of life but circumstances have entangled her so hard that she keeps on tripping. I believe everyone has to fall and stand on their own, so even if I don't intend to give her a hand, I don't also need to push her further.

Maybe what she needs right now is not a hand to help her stand, but to have some space where she has fallen, so she could stand at her own pace, at her own will, and with her own strength.