Author's pov
The sleek black car stopped smoothly outside the main gate of City Hospital. Rudraksh looked at Shivika. His hard, sharp face immediately softened, his blue eyes filled with gentle warmth. She was about to open the door when he stopped her.
"Just call me when you will free from work." She gave him a nod and step out of the car.
He watched until she was out of sight before the warmth vanished from his face, his jaw set in a hard line, his eyes turned cold, and the ruthless businessman returned.
He drove off toward Rathore Enterprises, one of the top five richest companies in the entire world. The massive glass tower touched the sky, showing just how much power and wealth he owned. He stepped out of his car and walked into the grand lobby. His shiny black shoes made sharp clicking sounds on the clean floor. In an instant, the entire lobby went dead silent.
Employees, managers, and staff immediately stopped talking. They quickly stood straight and bowed their heads in deep fear and respect.
Everyone in the business world was terrified of Rudraksh Singh Rathore. To outsiders, he was rude, cold, and arrogant. He never showed mercy to anyone who crossed him or made a mistake. Only his close ones knew his gentle side. For everyone else, he was a walking storm.
Without looking at anyone, he took his private elevator up to the top floor and entered his huge cabin. He settled behind his massive desk, already booting up his laptop. A moment later, there was a knock. His personal assistant, Aarav, came inside holding a tablet.
"Good morning, Sir," he said, "Here is your schedule for today. At ten, you have an international board meeting. At one, the finance report review. At three, the meeting with the Japanese investors and that's it."
"Bring my black coffee. Now." He didn't look up from his laptop.
"Right away, Sir." Aarav bowed slightly and hurried out of the cabin.
Ten minutes melted into quiet productivity. The rhythmic tapping of his fingers on the keyboard was the only sound echoing in the room. A light knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," he commanded flatly, not lifting his eyes from the laptop.
The door clicked open, and the sound of high heels echoed in the room.
It wasn't Aarav.
A Young woman walked inside holding a tray with a coffee cup. She was dressed in a tight black pencil skirt and a white shirt. The top few buttons of her shirt were left undone on purpose showing her cleavage. A confident, practiced smirk played on her lips as she closed the distance between them.
"Your coffee, Sir," she purred, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.
She leaned down across the desk to place the cup near his laptop, bending just low enough to ensure her cleavage was directly in his line of sight. He slowly raised his eyes, but they held neither desire nor interest, only disgust. His gaze flicked from the cup up to her heavily make up face, locking onto her eyes with predatory sharpness.
"Who the hell are you?" He asked sharply. "Where is Aarav?"
The woman didn't seem to recognize the danger lurking beneath his stillness. She gave an airy, dismissive shrug.
"Aarav Sir was tied up with a phone call, Sir. BTW I'm Tanya, from the marketing department well...I thought to bring it myself. I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed."
"You shouldn't have," he said coldly, turning his attention straight back to his screen. "Leave."
Instead of leaving, she rounded the desk. She could smell his expensive cologne, and the proximity only made her bolder. She stepped right beside his chair, raising her hand to rest it against his shoulder.
"Are you sure you don't need anything else, Sir?" she whispered, "A busy man like you carries so much stress. Let me help you to relax."
She raised her hand and tried to run her fingers over his shoulder. The moment her fingers came close. He jerked her hand away, before shoving her backward. The sudden force sent her stumbling back. He stood up, towering over her like an approaching storm.
"Don't you dare touch me," he snarled, his voice dropping into a guttural, dangerous register. "If you don't get the hell out of my sight this very second, you won't live to regret it."
A cold shiver ran down her spine, but greed made her foolish. Instead of backing away, she took a desperate step back toward him, tilting her head up with a tremulous smile.
"Sir, please...don't be like this. Just let me satisfy your needs." She whispered.
His jaw was clenched so tight that the veins in his neck bulged, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists at his sides. He took one menacing step toward Tanya, who instinctively backed away until her spine hit the glass wall.
"If you ever think of laying your filthy hands on me again, I will tear you into pieces so small that no one will be able to count them." He spat, his voice dropping to a deadly, gravelly whisper. "Now get the fuck out of my office."
"Sir, please...it was just-" she stammered, tears of sheer panic welling in her eyes as she raised her trembling hands.
"Agar dobara mujhe apna chehra dikhaya," he cut her off, his eyes flashing with raw, unfiltered fury, "toh kisi ko apna chehra dikhane layak nahi bachogi."
He grabbed the desk phone, dialed the security, and barked into the receiver without taking his eyes off her. "Come to my cabin right now!"
Within seconds, two burly security guards in dark suits rushed through the doors.
"Throw this trash out of my building," he commanded, "Blacklist her from every corporate firm in this country. If she ever steps foot within fifty yards of Rathore Enterprises again, you're all fired."
Tanya didn't even get the chance to speak another word before the guards gripped her firmly by the arms, dragging her out. Aarav ran inside the cabin.
"I...I am really sorry, Sir," Aarav began, his voice shaking slightly as he tried to find the right words. "I swear I was about to bring the coffee to your cabin but-"
He took a small, hesitant breath, glancing up for just a second before looking back down.
"I was walking toward your office when she suddenly stopped me in the hallway. She told me someone important was waiting downstairs in the lobby for me."
Rudraksh didn't say anything.
"And then...you know how you always want your black coffee on time. She offered her help so I gave the coffee to her and went downstairs but no one was there."
He shook his head, his face pale with frustration and regret.
"I thought she was just trying to help, Sir. So I agreed. I honestly had no idea she would do something like that...I swear, Sir, I am really sorry."
Rudraksh didn't say anything, he simply picked up the cup of coffee she had brought, dropped it straight into the dustbin, and wiped his hands with a clean tissue. He adjusted the cuffs of his suit jacket and took a slow, deep breath to calm the fire in his chest.
"If this happens again, you won't have a job to come back to tomorrow." He warmed. "And get me a fresh cup."
"Ok Sir."
❤️
The quiet hum of the air conditioner was the only sound keeping Shivika company in her cabin. Her fingers clicked rapidly across the keyboard as she finalizing the discharge summary for her last patient. The soft glow of the laptop washed over her tired eyes, a clear sign of an exhausting hours of shift.
Suddenly, the door opened. Her friend and co-worker, Ishita, walked into the room.
"When are you planning to leave, Madam?"
She looked up, her lips curving into an easy, genuine smile as she rubbed the nape of her neck.
"Yes, I am finally done. What about you, Ishita? Aren't you going home?"
She blew out a long breath, dragging her feet toward the visitor's chair across the desk and slumping into it with dramatic relief.
"Believe me, my soul left an hour ago. My body is just stuck here waiting for my dear husb-"
Before she could finish, Ishita's phone started ringing."Speak of the devil."
She grinned, flashing the screen toward Shivika. Shivika smiled as Ishita answered the phone. She talked for a minute, told her husband she was coming, and hung up.
"Okay, he is here," she said, standing up. "Bye, Shivika! See you tomorrow."
"Bye, Ishita. Take care."
After she left, the room became quiet. She closed her laptop, put it inside her bag, as she reached for her stethoscope to slip it inside, a brief conversation from that morning replayed in her mind.
"Just call me when you will free from work."
She hesitated, her thumb hovering over his name then finally pressing call. It barely rang twice before the line clicked open.
"Shivika?"
"Hi," she said softly. "My shift is over. When will you come?"
A beat of hesitation lingered on the other end, followed by the faint sound of a muted sigh.
"Shivika, I am really sorry," he said. "An urgent meeting just came up at work, and I cannot leave. I won't be able to come."
A tiny flicker of disappointment brushed against her chest, but she quickly pushed it down. She knew the weight of the empire he carried on his shoulders. Before she could reply, he quickly added.
"Don't worry, though. I sent my driver with the car half an hour ago. He should be parked right outside the main gate."
"Oh," she murmured, "Okay. No problem."
An awkward, heavy silence settled between them, the kind where neither quite knew what to say next, yet neither wanted to be the first to hang up. The distance between them felt palpable, stretched over the phone line. She clutched her strap a little tighter, breaking the silence.
"Don't skip dinner. And...don't be too late."
There was a subtle shift on his end, a brief pause where she could almost imagine the faint, rare twitch of a smile on his lips.
"Jaisa aap kahein." he replied, his tone softer than before.
(As you say.)
A genuine smile touched her face. "Bye."
She hung up the phone, turned off the room lights, and walked out of the hospital. At the main gate, she saw his big, sleek car waiting for her. The driver opened the door, and she sat inside. Leaning back on the seat, she looked out the window as the car drove her home.
After Some time...
She stepped inside the grand doors of Rathore Palace, tired after a long day at the hospital. But the moment she walked into the living room, an unusual silence caught her attention. The entire family was gathered around the couches. In the center sat Dadaji, Mahesh Singh Rathore, slumping down with his head bowed low, his hands resting on his knees, looking like a guilty schoolboy caught red-handed.
She couldn't help the amused smile tugging at her lips. She stepped forward, her voice breaking the heavy silence.
"What happened? Why is everyone staring at Dada ji like he just robbed a bank?"
At the sound of her voice, everyone turned to look at her. But it was Dada ji's reaction that stole the show. His head snapped up, his eyes lighting up with pure hope. To him, Shivika wasn't just a granddaughter-in-law; she was his best friend and his ultimate shield in this house. She always took his side, no matter what.
Before anyone else could utter a word, Dadaji quickly pushed himself up from the sofa and shuffled straight over to her. He hid half of himself behind her shoulder, pointing an accusing finger at the family.
"Dekho na, beta!" Dadaji complained dramatically, putting on his most pitiful voice. "Main bechara seedha-saadha hoon, zyaada kuch bolta nahi... isliye yeh sab milkar mujhe target kar rahe hain! Kuch bhi bole jaa rahe hain tab se. Ab tum aa gayi ho na, bas tum hi bachao mujhe in sab dusht logon se!"
("Look at this, child!" Grandfather complained dramatically, putting on his most pitiful voice. "I am just a poor, simple man who doesn't say much... that's why they are all teaming up to target me! They have been saying whatever they want to me this whole time. Now that you've arrived, only you can save me from all these wicked people!")
A collective gasp echoed across the living room. Everyone stared at him in utter disbelief.
"Dada ji"
"Papa"
"Dusht log?" Rajiv shook his head in utter disbelief, "Hum sab aapke bhale ke liye bol rahe hain aur aap humein villain bana rahe hain?"
("Wicked people?" Rajiv shook his head in utter disbelief, "We are all saying this for your own good, and you are making us out to be the villains?")
"Hadd hai, Papa! Ulta chor kotwal ko daante." Surya crossed his arms, letting out an exasperated sigh.
Shivika couldn't help but chuckle at the sheer drama, but she maintained her curiosity.
"Okay, okay, but will someone please tell me what actually happened?"
"Bhabhi, ab aap hi samjhaiye inhe!" Aditya threw his hands up in defeat. "Hamari toh koi sunta hi nahi hai yahan."
("Sister-in-law, now only you can explain it to him!" Aditya threw his hands up in defeat. "No one even listens to me around here.")
"Haan bhabhi." Surbhi chimed in, crossing her arms. "Yeh sirf aapki baat maante hain. Hum kuch bolte hain toh inhe drama lagta hai."
( He only listen to you. When we say something, he think it's drama.)
Vedika sighed softly, looking at her father-in-law. "Beta, he secretly went to the kitchen and ate gulab jamun today."
"Not just one, two big pieces!" Mamta added sternly, shaking her head. "And the doctor has strictly forbidden him from touching any kind of sweets. Unka sugar level pehle hi high rehta hai, but he refuses to listen!"
Hearing the charges against him, he immediately puffed his cheeks, pouting with wide, making innocent puppy eyes to look small, innocent, and completely harmless.
She turned around and looked at him. The amusement on her face instantly vanished, replaced by her strict doctor expression. She crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow.
"Dadaji, this is very wrong," she said, her tone firm and serious. "And this time, I am not going to support you at all."
He blinked, clearly shocked that his trusted ally was switching teams "Arre beta, suno toh...I only ate a little bit. Itna toh chalta hai na?"
"No means no, Dadaji," she cut in, giving him a pointed look. "Everyone is scolding you only for your own good. Your health matters most. And listen to me carefully...if I catch you eating sweets again...I will break my friendship with you."
"No, no, no! Don't say that, Shivi!" He said quickly, waving his hands in a hurry. "I promise...I will never eat sweets again but please don't break our friendship."
She narrowed her eyes at him, holding back a smile. "Pakka promise?"
"Ekdum pakka!" he declared loudly, putting a hand over his heart like an obedient child.
A wave of relieved chuckles spread across the living room. The heavy tension in the air dissolved instantly, replaced by warm, fond smiles as everyone watched the bond between the two of them.
Mamta stepped closer and smiled affectionately at Shivika "Thank God you handled him, beta. Now you must be exhausted. Go freshen up, and then come downstairs for dinner."
"Ji, Maa,"
She shot one last playful, warning look at Dada ji, who gave her a cheeky little thumbs-up in return, before turning around and heading upstairs toward her room.
After having dinner....
Shivika closed the door softly behind her, the heavy weight of exhaustion settling deep into her bones. Her shoulders ached, and even taking off her slippers felt like an effort. She climbed onto the bed, pulled a novel from the nightstand, and leaned against the headboard to read. She managed only a few pages before the sentences began to blur together. Her eyelids fluttered, heavy as lead. Within minutes, her head licked back against the headboard, the book resting open against her lap, and her steady, slow breathing filled the quiet room.
An hour later, Rudraksh slipped into the room, unbuttoning his stiff cuffs with slow, deliberate fingers. Shadows of fatigue bruised the skin beneath his eyes, and his shoulders carried the tight tension of back-to-back board meetings.
He turned, intending to strip off his coat, but stopped dead in his tracks. The bedside lamp cast a gentle halo over her. She was fast asleep, still upright, looking fragile in the quiet glow.
He let out a quiet sigh-not of frustration, but of weary surrender. The hard set of his shoulders dropped, and his gaze softened. He quietly approached the side of the bed and hesitated for half a second before reaching down and gently slid his fingers beneath the book, easing it free from her limp grip. Setting it quietly onto the nightstand.
Carefully, so as not to wake her, he supported her shoulders and eased her down until her head rested properly in the pillow. She stirred faintly, a soft murmur escaping her lips as her brow furrowed, but she didn't open her eyes. he paused, holding his breath until her features settled back into tranquil sleep.
He took the duvet bunched at the foot of the bed, drew it up to her shoulders, and tucked the sides gently around her. For a lingering beat, he just looked down at her peaceful expression, his chest tightening with an unspoken thought. Shaking his head faintly, he headed into the washroom, and closed the door without a sound.
After some time, he came out of the bathroom refreshed into a pair of comfortable lower and a dark t-shirt. he took the spare quilt from the closet, walked over to the sofa, lay down quietly, and fell asleep.
.
.
.
The soft morning light filtered through the sheer balcony curtains, Shivika stirred, blinking against the sunlight. She rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up against the headboard, almost instinctively, her gaze drifted toward the couch but it was empty.
"Did he even come home last night...?" she muttered, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear with a quiet frown.
Before the thought could settle, the bathroom door swung open with a soft click. Rudraksh stepped out, already dressed for the office, his hair was damp and tousled, and he was working a small hand towel through his dark strands to dry them. The moment his gaze met hers, his hand halted mid-air. For a second, the room held a familiar, hesitant hush.
"Good morning,"
"Good morning," She replied, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her eyes lingered on his face, noticing the subtle shadow beneath his eyes. "When did you come back last night?"
He tossed the towel onto a chair nearby and reached for his watch on the dresser, slipping it onto his wrist.
"Around one o'clock."
"Oh...okay," she pushed the duvet aside, rising to her feet and smoothing down her clothes and walked towards the washroom to start her day.
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TO BE CONTINUE---
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