know you're mine🍀

20| Strings of Fear

And I swear... for a second, it took my breath away.

No wonder it had won the Global Architectural Excellence Award five years in a row.
No wonder people call him a king.

But right now... I wasn't here to admire. Right now, I was just a terrified wife who needed to see her husband - alive, safe, in front of her eyes.

I parked, took a shaky breath, and whispered to myself, "You're Shagun. Shagun Shubh Singh Suryavanshi. Handle this with dignity."

But fear has its own way of breaking dignity down.

As I walked into the lobby, I could feel eyes on me - curious, assessing, confused. I ignored them and went straight to the receptionist.

"Hi, my name is Shagun," I said quickly, my voice low but clear. "I need to meet Shubh Singh Suryavanshi. Could you please direct me to his office?"

The receptionist gave me a polite smile. "Of course, ma'am. Please give me a moment."

I nodded. My hands were cold. My heart - louder than my thoughts.

As she typed something on her system, my eyes wandered and then landed on a massive wall-sized frame just across the lobby.

Abhiraj Papa. Chote Papa. Shubh. Soobin.
All standing together - timeless, proud, smiling in that rare way Shubh never shows at home.

Something inside me softened just looking at them. My family. But before I could even breathe that comfort in...

"Ma'am," the receptionist called, "May I know your name again?"

I looked back and said, "Shagun."

She nodded and continued typing. I saw her brows pinch slightly. Something wasn't right.

Then after a few seconds, she looked up and said, "I'm sorry, ma'am... but we don't have any appointment or scheduled meeting under your name to meet Mr. Suryavanshi."

"I know," I said calmly, trying to stay composed. "But it's urgent. Please, just call his secretary or inform him once that I'm here."

She shook her head with an apologetic smile. "I'm really sorry, ma'am. But we're not allowed to make internal calls unless the meeting is listed. It's protocol."

I blinked, confused - then instinctively reached for my phone.

Gone.
Of course. I'd left it behind in my panic.

"I forgot my phone at home," I said, anxiety creeping into my voice now. "But I really need to see him. Can you just call once? Or give me directions to his office?"

She hesitated but repeated firmly, "I understand, ma'am. But without any official entry, I cannot disclose the location of Mr. Suryavanshi's office or disturb him during work hours. You can leave your contact information and-"

"No," I interrupted, my tone colder now. "I don't need an appointment to meet him." I paused, my breath hitching. "I'm his wif-"

"Sorry, madam," she cut in, glancing at the clock. "As per company rules, outsiders can't stay inside the building for more than ten minutes... and yours are up. So kindly leave."

I stood frozen for a second. I could feel stares behind me again. I wasn't sure if it was humiliation, anger, or the sheer fear in my chest, but something snapped.

"I'm Shagun Singh Suryavanshi," I said, my voice firm, "Shubh's wi-"

"Bhabhi?"
A familiar voice cut through the moment.

I turned. Soobin.
His expression flickered from confusion to surprise to concern.

"Oh, Soobin-"
I barely got a word out before Rudra appeared behind me, walking with purpose, his eyes blazing toward the security guards inching closer.