21. His panda 🐼

Words count - 2.9 k

Raghavs pov

I slammed the door shut, the sound echoing in the room. My chest tightened as I tried to control the anger bubbling inside me. When I turned around, my eyes landed on Veer. Just one look at him was enough to reignite the temper I had been struggling to hold back since morning.

This office of mine was massive, almost too big for its purpose. It had enough space for a hundred people, yet only about 90 workers came here daily, working under my command. Their desks were neatly arranged, and the air always buzzed with activity.

The work we did here was all about the Crimson Empire, a name that carried power and secrecy. Outsiders weren't allowed in-ever. Even the employees who worked here didn't know much about where they were or the bigger picture behind their tasks. They only knew one thing: they worked for the Crimson Empire, and they followed orders.

This wasn't just an office; it was a place of purpose, of control. But as I stood there, staring at Veer, none of that seemed to matter. My anger threatened to spill over, and I knew this day wasn't going to end peacefully.

Everyone working here had signed a contract-a contract for life. Their loyalty wasn't just expected; it was guaranteed. They couldn't back out, not until death released them.

Even entering this place wasn't easy. There were three strict security checks they had to pass every single time:

1. Eye scanner to confirm their identity.

2. Thumbprint for added security.

3. A drop of blood, the toughest test, which verified whether the person was real or an imposter.

After all, this wasn't just a workplace; it was a fortress of trust and secrecy.

I walked straight to my cabin, shutting the door behind me. Dropping into my chair, I let out a deep breath, trying to shake off the heaviness of the day. But my mind wouldn't stop racing-it never did.

Veer followed me into the cabin, his voice soft and respectful. "Hukoom hume maaf kijiye... hum bas Rani sa ke hukumm ka palan kar rahe the" (Command, please forgive me... I was just following Queen's command), he said, his eyes focused on the ground. He stood straight, holding the files I had asked for, his hands trembling slightly.

I didn't respond immediately, only gave a quiet "hmm..." as I continued with my work. I couldn't even pinpoint the reason for my anger, so how could I possibly say anything to him?

Yes, I am the king here. But that didn't mean I had the right to act unjustly, not toward my people and certainly not toward him. I may have authority, but I also had a duty to lead with fairness and reason, not wrath.

Yes, yesterday I shot one of my men, but there was a reason. He dared to look at the Queen, and here I am, unable to even look at her. How could he? The respect they have for me, they must have ten thousand times more for her. She is the one who holds true power, and anyone who disrespects her in any way will pay the price.

Before starting any conference meeting, a thought struck my mind-to check on the Queen. The way I had behaved with her before might have come across as rude, and I couldn't ignore that possibility.

As I sat there, typing some important emails, my mind kept drifting back to her. What if she was crying because of how I treated her? The thought nagged at me.

I didn't know much about her, but from what I had observed, she seemed to see me as the soft-hearted one, the most compassionate person she had ever met. But what if my actions had hurt her? The uncertainty gnawed at me, making it hard to focus on anything else.

The thought of making her eyes wet because of me-because of my actions-angered me more than anything. The realization hit me like a wave: it was my fault, not hers. I had let my own frustration cloud my judgment, and now the consequences of my behavior weighed heavily on me. I couldn't help but feel disgusted with myself. There was no reason for her to be upset with me, yet here I was, wondering if I had made her feel hurt. I pushed my work aside, frustration clouding my focus, and opened the camera app.

The moment I saw her opening the box, a rush of emotions flooded me. The way her expressions flickered with every passing second, like a story unfolding in front of me, made me feel something I hadn't expected. Butterflies. A strange fluttering sensation in my chest. I watched her eyes as she carefully examined each item inside, the way she held the note with such reverence, the way her fingers brushed over the wallpaper of mine that I had placed there. It was meant to be something simple, but now it felt like more. It wasn't for any grand purpose-I hadn't intended it to be-but there I was, wanting to see her reaction, needing to know if she really didn't want to see my face daily or if there was something deeper at play.

Her expression was nothing like I had imagined. It was full of wonder, curiosity, and something I couldn't quite place. She wasn't disappointed or disgusted. Instead, she seemed touched, almost lost in the small details. That wasn't what I had expected at all. I had imagined a cold, indifferent reaction, but hers was warm, genuine.

Then, when she unexpectedly unlocked the phone, my heart skipped a beat. The tension in the room shifted, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind. Was she hesitating? Did she feel the weight of my intentions behind the gesture? I couldn't tell, but in that moment, I was aware of how much I cared about what she thought, how much I wanted to know what was running through her mind.

Okay, I did that while she was asleep last night. My own sleep had eluded me, and my mind kept wandering back to her. I couldn't shake the thought that maybe she needed something, something she couldn't bring herself to ask me for. So, I decided to check on her and give her the new phone I had gotten for her.

I thought that, perhaps, with the phone, she could order something for herself-something that I hadn't been able to understand or provide. As I quietly slipped the phone into her hand, I managed to place her thumb on it without her noticing. She remained unaware, lost in her sleep, while I carried out the task.

It felt wrong, like an invasion of privacy, but in that moment, I convinced myself it was for a good reason. It wasn't about control-it was about making her life easier. But as soon as I had done it, a troubling thought crossed my mind. What if it wasn't me who had done this? What if someone else had slipped into the palace, bypassing all the security, and managed to manipulate her like this? Even with the thousands of security measures in place, the thought of someone else gaining access to her, to her trust, sent a chill down my spine. What if my actions-my overstepping-had opened a door for something far worse?

I was lost in my thoughts when Veer knocked on the door, snapping me back to reality. He informed me that the meeting was live and everyone was waiting for me to join. I glanced at her one last time-she was still absorbed in the phone, her focus on the screen. I turned away, joining the meeting, but my eyes kept drifting back to her. She was still there, absorbed in the tab screen, and I couldn't help but feel a strange peace.

Just the thought of her being near, of her being in my palace, was enough to make me feel secure. It was as though her presence alone made everything feel right, as if nothing could go wrong when she was here, in the safety of my world. The palace felt like home when she was close, even if I couldn't explain why. It was just a feeling, an unshakable certainty that everything would be fine as long as she was here.

The meeting started, and as I unmuted my mic to speak, my phone rang. It was the QUEEN. I couldn't ignore it, not even if my life depended on it. Without thinking, I picked up the call, completely unaware that my mic was still unmuted and my video was on. The only thing that worked in my favor was that the people could only see my lips and hear my voice.

"Ji..." the words left my mouth before I even processed what was happening. But then, in a split second, the call disconnected. My heart skipped a beat. Maybe she was rechecking my number, unsure if it was really me calling, or maybe she didn't want to speak. Either way, it left me in a state of confusion and longing. Why had she disconnected? What was going through her mind?

"Nice move, Queen," I muttered to myself, trying to shake off the confusion and frustration that lingered after the call disconnected. But before I could dwell on it further, I heard a voice-an older man, probably in his 50s, speaking up.

"Are you finally married, Chief?"

The words hit me like a jolt of electricity, snapping me back to reality. I looked up at them, my expression momentarily twitching. The thoughts of her, the way I had been so lost in my own mind, made them notice something was off. They could tell there was more to the situation than they realized. I quickly regained my composure, switching back into my role.

"Come to the point, Mr. J..." I said, my voice now taking on its usual sharp tone. The room grew quiet as everyone shifted in their seats, adjusting to the change in my demeanor. I was back in Chief mode-focused, determined, and unwilling to let anything distract me.

I continued, my tone sharp and unyielding.

"Be careful, Mr. J... those were the first and last words you've said in front of me that are outside of business matters."

I let that hang in the air for a moment, making sure the weight of my words was felt.

"Better remember who I am. I'm not the person who repeats myself, nor the one who will allow mistakes from any of you. I expect clarity, precision, and loyalty. So, let's get this straight."

I paused, letting the tension build, then added with finality:

"I am-"

"Yes, Chief," came the unified response, their voices syncing in perfect unison, as if they had all been waiting for that moment to affirm their allegiance. The room fell silent, each one of them fully aware of the gravity of what had just been said.

As the meeting continued, I felt the weight of every word, every decision made. Three hours passed, not because it was tiring, but because the consequences of the people under me trying to get too close to my life-especially after all that had happened-were becoming clearer. If any of them crossed a line, it would be disastrous, not just for them, but for everything I've built.

And then there was the scandal surrounding the project. The magnitude of the mistake they had made was beyond my imagination. It wasn't that I couldn't clean up the mess, but the sheer stupidity of it all... How could they have overlooked such a small detail in an entire project? It was the kind of mistake that could ruin my empire, and that made me feel furious. It was almost laughable how idiotic their actions were.

"Veer..." I called, my voice sharp as the conference ended.

The next second, he entered the room, waiting for my next command. I knew he could sense the shift in my mood. Something needed to be done about this-before it escalated further.

I laid out everything for Veer-every issue, every mistake, and every concern I had. I made it clear that I needed him to go to the base area, investigate why things were going wrong, and find the root cause. Then, without any hesitation, I told him to destroy the problem. No second chances. No mercy.

He nodded without a word, understanding the gravity of the situation, before heading out. But before leaving, he double-checked the palace security one last time, ensuring everything was in order.

As I watched him go, I took a deep breath and grabbed a glass of water. My mind was racing, but there was no time to dwell on it. I still had a pile of pending emails from the past few days that needed my attention. I quickly turned my focus to clearing those, knowing I couldn't afford to fall behind on anything, especially with everything else happening. My mind was everywhere, but I had to stay sharp.

I drank the glass of water without a second thought and immediately dove into my emails. I was so consumed by the task at hand that I didn't even notice how the time slipped away. Before I knew it, it was almost 8 PM. The realization hit me too late.

I hadn't even realized how the day had passed by so quickly.

As I shut the laptop, I instinctively glanced at the tab I had placed in front of me. But the scandal, the mess that had consumed my thoughts, had kept me so busy that I hadn't had a single moment to think about her.

QUEEN.

Her name echoed in my mind, like a silent reminder of the one person I hadn't allowed myself to focus on all day. What was she doing now? Was she alright? Had I been too caught up in everything else to notice her? The guilt hit me like a wave.

As I looked at the screen, I saw her still on the sofa. For a moment, I questioned myself-Is she real, or am I imagining this? I quickly shook off the thought, trying to convince myself that I wasn't hallucinating. But then doubt crept in. Maybe the camera was malfunctioning, or the feed was frozen. I hurried to the settings to check, only to realize it was live footage. She had been there the whole time, possibly since morning.

Is she real?

I couldn't help but wonder as a wave of uncertainty washed over me. Without wasting any more time, I rushed to the area, making my way through the hall. When I finally found her, she was fast asleep, clutching a pillow with one arm, and the phone I had given her was lying just beside her.

The sight of her in such a peaceful state, unaware of everything happening around her, made something stir deep within me. I hadn't realized how much I needed to see her like this until now. The silence between us felt comforting, but at the same time, I couldn't ignore the emotions it stirred up.

Her petite figure curled up, as if trying to hold herself together, possibly because she was feeling cold. I couldn't help but notice the way she looked, vulnerable and delicate in her sleep. Near her, there was a maid, standing quietly.

"Rani sa ne khana khaya?" (Has the Queen eaten?) I asked, my tone more demanding than I intended.

"Ji, nahi, hukkum," (No, Your Highness) she replied softly, adjusting her gunghat (veil) and stepping back a little, trying to avoid making eye contact.

"Kyu?" (Why?) I asked again, this time my voice came out harsher than I meant it to. I didn't want to seem harsh, but something about the situation, her state, and the fact that she hadn't eaten, triggered a deeper frustration in me.

She seemed to grow scared at my tone, speaking in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible to me. That only irritated me more, making my frustration build up.

I fought to keep my temper in check, knowing that raising my voice might disturb my little pandas' (her children's) sleep. But despite my best efforts, when I spoke again, my voice came out even harsher, more intense than before.

"Kyu...?" (Why?) I asked, the word cutting through the air with a sharpness I hadn't intended, though it seemed to match the storm brewing inside me.

My thoughts raced, and I couldn't help but wonder How the hell do I always control myself when it comes to her? My anger, my emotions-everything-felt like it was under her control whenever she was near me or even when she was just in my surroundings.

It was as if her presence had this effect on me, like she held some kind of power over me that I couldn't understand. I hated how easily I felt vulnerable around her, how she could stir things in me that I didn't even know existed. It was frustrating, but at the same time, there was something undeniable about it.

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