The boardroom was long.
The men were older.
The language was numbers.
Meher listened.
Then spoke.
When they discussed cutting youth outreach budgets, she interrupted.
"Short-term saving creates long-term erasure," she said.
A man smiled politely. "You're passionate."
Meher returned the smile.
"I'm precise."
She laid out her proposal.
Mental-health partnerships.College incubation funds.Youth leadership programs.
Some listened.
Some resisted.
Her mother watched her like she was meeting her.
For the first time.
When the meeting ended, one man said, "You're not here to learn."
Meher met his eyes.
"No," she said. "I'm here to build."