Chapter 1. A GIRL AT THE ROADSIDE

Author pov

In the conference room, all department heads were waiting for the newly appointed Chairman of The Singh Group. He was visiting the Delhi office for the first time.

The owner of the Singh Group was none other than the late King of Jaisalmer, Mahendra Singh. After the king's passing, the title was passed on to his elder son, Prithviraj Mahendra Singh, at a young age. Thus, his mother, Queen Devika Mahendra Singh maintained and developed the business. Prithviraj Singh observed his mother struggling to maintain the business and her title as queen. Seeking help, he turned to the underworld mafia and eventually became the mafia king, making his mother the most powerful woman in the world.

Now, King Prithviraj Singh has chosen to bestow his titles of king of Jaisalmer and leader of the mafia upon his elder son, Rudra Prithviraj Singh. Rudra is known to be even more ruthless and cold-hearted than his father. Everyone is afraid of him and tries to stay on his good side.

As soon as Rudra enters the conference room, all the members stand up from their seats and greet him with a bow.

After Rudra settled into his chair, all the members took their positions. An employee stood up and introduced all the department heads. Following the introduction, Rudra instructed them to begin the presentation.

During the budget presentation, Rudra vehemently questioned, "What kind of nonsense is this?" The department head appeared visibly shaken and avoided eye contact, looking down at the floor.

"Do you understand the significance of this new airline project?" Rudra emphasized while slamming his hand on the table. "These figures are all jumbled up here."

"We are going to start global airlines here and you all are giving me a shit as if we are going to start the toy company."

The department heads become fearful when he raises his voice and reprimands them. He demands that all departments provide reports within an hour, warning that any mistakes will result in job loss. Frightened, the department heads hurriedly exit the conference room.

Rudra Pov

After the meeting, I went to my office and waited for their report while looking through my office emails. There was an email in my inbox that said "Please call on this number, it's important" from my Personal E-mail Id. I took out my phone and called the number mentioned in the email.

"Hello?" I inquired.

The voice on the other end responded, “The bachelor has died again, and the poor fellow got trapped.”

Indian groom song ("Ek kunwara phir gaya mara,Phas gaya dekho yeh bechara..")

"What the...Did you Hacked my Personal E-mail?" I reacted sharply.

"The moonlight lasts for only two days, then the night becomes harsh. Please understand, dear groom."

("Do din kee hai yeh chandni, Phir kari kari rat hai Too mann ja dulhe raja.")

"Omi, what is this?" I inquired.

“Brother, you're about to become someone else's property." He said

"What nonsense are you talking about?" I lashed out

"Grandma… Grandma...” He spoke softly, and the call ended.

I was unaware of what was happening, but I had a sense that something significant was about to occur. I was deeply absorbed in my own contemplations as I gazed at the mobile screen. Unexpectedly, the screen displayed that Grandma was calling. I answered the call.

"Grandma, what was that about?" I asked.

"You need to return home by 9 o'clock today," she said, probably commanding me.

Before I could ask why or get more details, she quickly hung up. I heard someone knock on the door.

"Come in," I said

My assistant Rajesh came and put all the report files on my table. He informed me that Queen had given him an order that he needed to bring me home today by 9:00 pm. So, he cancelled all the meetings and rearranged them for later. After he told me, he left, and I began examining the report.

In our household, once the Queen (Grandma) gave an order, no one could disobey it. Therefore, there is no way I can yell at or reprimand him about all the meeting cancellations.

*******

Rajesh arrived at 5:00 pm and notified me that the chopper was ready, and we needed to depart the office immediately to avoid getting caught in traffic. I acknowledged him and instructed him to bring all the report files with us. I will review them during our journey to Jaisalmer.

We exited the company, and I was reviewing the reports during the journey. Suddenly, Rajesh slammed on

the brakes, causing the files to fall from the seat.

"Are you alright, sir?" Rajesh inquired.

"Yes, are you okay?" I asked while searching for the reports file. "Why did you suddenly apply the brakes?"

He pointed to the traffic signal and said, "Sorry, sir, the signal turned red abruptly."

"Be careful," I said as I picked up the files from the floor and placed them on the seats next to me.

As I peered out the car window, my eyes fell upon a captivating figure. A girl dressed in a stunning white embroidery Sharara suit (Indian traditional dress) stands on the sidewalk, curves are beautifully accentuated. The fitted bodice of the suit hugs her form, highlighting her graceful silhouette with subtle elegance. The intricate embroidery on the bodice adds texture, drawing attention to her slender waist before the fabric flares out into the flowing Sharara pants. She has striking grey eyes that seem to hold a depth of unspoken stories. Her gaze is captivating and serene, a unique shade that stands out against her warm complexion. Just above her eyebrows, she wears a small, delicate bindi (dot mark = a small colored mark or jewel that is worn between the eyebrows, especially by Hindu women in India.) on her forehead, adding a touch of traditional elegance to her appearance. She struggled to manage her Long scarf (dupatta) while holding shopping bags in both hands. The delicate fabric of her Long scarf (dupatta) keeps slipping, and with no free hand to catch it, she resorts to using her mouth to hold it in place. Her lips gently grip the edge of the Long scarf (dupatta), creating a moment of candid improvisation that adds a touch of charm to the scene.

I find amusement in her predicament. Her resolute effort to handle the situation, all while maintaining her composure, is both captivating and entertaining.

The traffic signal changed to green, and the car began moving. My gaze remains focused on her. I let out a gentle chuckle, savouring the endearing, lighthearted moment during daily life.

*******

I arrived at the house and was about to go to my room to tidy up, but my thoughts kept returning to the girl I had seen by the side of the road. Typically, I am focused on my work, but today was different. I could not help but wonder who she was and if I would have the chance to see her again.

"Brother...”

Hearing that I snapped back to reality. I turned around and saw Om sprinting towards me, and dramatically hug me.

"Brother, you are about to become someone else's property. Grandma is going to arrange your

marriage." He said this while crying dramatically, "Now you won't love me anymore."

I grabbed him and asked, "Marriage?"

An image of the girl I had seen by the roadside appeared in my thoughts.

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