Description

“Nikhil, Let's go. All are waiting for you.” Saurav peeked into Nikhil’s cubicle. Nikhil forced a smile. “Just coming…” It was his birthday—a day he faced each year with quiet dread. The cheerful spotlight, the enthusiastic claps, the forced smiles in group selfies—all of it made him deeply anxious. Though he was known as the kind, dependable soul of the office, he never truly believed he deserved the admiration he received. Beneath his warm demeanour lay a persistent sense of inadequacy. He constantly measured himself against others and came up short in his own eyes—never smart enough, never confident enough.