On the fourteenth floor of the Red Fusion Ad Agency, the tension inside the meeting room thickened with every passing second. Beads of sweat glistened on the foreheads of everyone seated before her.
Were they terrified?
Absolutely.
How could they not be? The woman sitting in front of them radiated an aura so cold and merciless that it felt as though the devil himself had descended into the room.
“Agle paanch second ke andar, iss room mein maujood sabhi ko fire kar do.”
(“I WANT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM TO BE FIRED WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE SECONDS.”)
She commanded her PA, Arpit, in an icy tone.
“But Ma’am, ye possible nahi—”
(“BUT MA’AM, THAT IS NOT POSSIB—”)
Arpit began to protest, but the murderous glare she shot him silenced him instantly.
Taking a shaky breath, he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the perspiration gathering on his brow.
The next thing he knew, they were seated inside the car, driving toward the Mahakaal Mandir, situated east of the Rajpriya River, standing majestically in all its grandeur.
The car came to a halt. Arpit quickly stepped out and opened the rear door for her.
She emerged gracefully, her face partially concealed beneath a white scarf, revealing only her piercing eyes and forehead.
Signalling him to remain behind, she strode past the vehicle and entered the temple premises.
The temple was colossal, adorned with four magnificent gates—two facing the east and the other two toward the west—allowing both the sunrise and sunset to be witnessed beautifully from within its sacred walls.
She crossed the first gate and stepped into the vast verandah. At the center stood an enormous banyan tree, its roots spreading like ancient veins through the earth.
Joining her palms together, she bowed respectfully before the idol of Mahadev. As she lifted her gaze, the priest applied a small tilak to her forehead.
“Toh aakhirkaar aap yahan aa hi gayin, Rajkumari.”
(“SO, YOU FINALLY CAME HERE, PRINCESS.”)
He remarked warmly.
She bent slightly and took his blessings. After receiving the prasad, she walked back through the verandah. As was her habit, she distributed the offering among the poor children sitting and playing nearby, never keeping any for herself.
She was about to leave the temple when suddenly a young girl collided with her and nearly stumbled to the ground. Swiftly, she caught hold of the girl’s wrist, preventing her fall.
The girl steadied herself, and only then did she notice her properly.
Her clothes were torn at the shoulders. A split on her lip had dried into a crimson stain, and an ugly bruise marred her forehead. The thin dupatta draped around her barely covered her trembling frame.
She was about to speak when several men dressed in black suits appeared before them. One of them sneered at the girl,
“Kitna bhagogi humse? Dekho, pakad liya na tumhe.”
(“HOW LONG WILL YOU KEEP RUNNING FROM US? SEE, WE CAUGHT YOU AFTER ALL.”)
The men erupted into cruel laughter.
The terrified girl’s eyes brimmed with fear.
Still gripping her wrist, she watched as the girl desperately tried to free herself. Yet no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t loosen her hold.
YOU ARE READING
𝑇𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 (𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 1 𝐼𝑛 𝑅𝑜𝑦𝑎𝑙 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒)
RomanceTakdeer mein tera mera yeh saath yahin tak tha..." (Perhaps destiny had only written our togetherness till this very point...) ~ She was cold as frost, while he burned like the sun. Her family meant the world to her, while she was his entire univers...
