Destiny|| A Rutkarsha Story

1.

एक नदी थी, जो कभी भी सागर से मिल न सकी
र

ास्ते के पर्वतों को पार कर ना सकी......🥀✨

~•~

Wearing an elegant cotton saree, with a perfectly aligned black bindi adorning her forehead and kajal enhancing her expressive eyes, Utkarsha stepped out of her room with a calm yet confident demeanor. Her simple yet beautiful room held memories and a secret—a part of her she had locked away for years. Was destiny preparing to reopen that chapter? Or was it just her mind playing tricks? Only time would tell.

“Good morning, Papa” she greeted warmly, sliding into the dining chair beside her father.

“Morning” he replied, his eyes glued to the newspaper.

“What’s the news today?” she asked, savoring the comforting taste of gajar ka halwa.

“Same as always. Crime here, crime there. Nothing ever changes” he muttered, shaking his head.

Her mother interrupted the moment, handing her a lunchbox. “First think about marrying your daughter before worrying about the world” she said, her tone sharp.

Utkarsha exchanged a knowing look with her father, who whispered, “She started early today.”

“She was even dreaming about it,” Utkarsha joked, standing up and grabbing her handbag. “Bye, Papa!”

“Bye” he called after her, his wave filled with silent support.

“Just wave her off, don’t worry about her settling down” her mother grumbled as she headed back to the kitchen.

“Yes, yes, Sachin, I’ll be there in half an hour” her father lied into his phone, grabbing the opportunity to escape the never-ending taunts of his wife.

On her way to work, a familiar nosy neighbor called out. “Utkarsha! Are you going by the supermarket road?”

“Yes, Aunty,” Utkarsha replied, polite but brisk.

“Can you drop me there?”

“No” Utkarsha replied flatly, stepping into her car and driving off without waiting for a response.

The bold letters of “PRAKRUTI - ECO FRIENDLY” greeted her as she entered her office. Her pride in the business she had built was evident in the way her steps quickened slightly.

“What’s going on here?” she asked in her calm yet stern voice, catching one of her employees recording a video.

The girl jumped, startled by Utkarsha’s unexpected presence. “R-reel, ma’am! #MondayMotivation” she explained with a sheepish smile.

Utkarsha arched an unimpressed brow. “How does looking at your face motivate anyone?”

The girl’s smile faltered. “Ma’am…”

“Actually” Utkarsha continued with a savage tone, “it’s not your fault. The person who invented the front camera deserves the blame. But since I can’t do anything about that, starting tomorrow, mobiles are banned in the office.”

As she walked away, she bumped into another employee. She checked her watch—ten minutes late.

“Sorry, ma’am!” the girl stammered.

“Sorry?” Utkarsha’s tone sharpened. “You’re ten minutes late.”

“It’s just ten minutes, ma’am!”

Utkarsha’s eyes narrowed. “Just ten minutes? If you’re late by ten minutes every day, that’s 2,800 minutes in a year. That’s 47 hours—nearly five working days. Calculate the loss in pay for those five days and then decide if ten minutes is ‘just’ anything.”

The employees around exchanged astonished glances. The latecomer stood frozen, overwhelmed.

Behind her, another muttered under her breath “Whoever ends up with her…”

Utkarsha turned sharply. “Whoever ends up with me…what?”

The girl gulped. “N-nothing, ma’am. I didn’t say anything!”

“Hand over your phone.”

“What?”

“Your phone.”

Reluctantly, the girl handed it over. Utkarsha tucked it away. “You’ll get it back after you’ve submitted this month’s sales report. On my table by evening.”

She turned and spotted her friend, Atharva, waiting. Her demeanor softened instantly. “Oh, Atharva! Good morning. Please, come in.”

In her cabin, Atharva reviewed a new project idea she had been working on.

“It’s good” he said, nodding approvingly.

“I think we need to apply new sales strategies. Last month’s performance wasn’t great” she suggested.

“Do you have anything in mind?”

“Yes” she said, her eyes lighting up. “We need a brand ambassador. Someone who can represent us.”

“That’s a great idea! Any suggestions?”

“Cricketers. Cricket has a massive following in India. A well-known player would be ideal, specially from Pune! Maybe.”

“Brilliant. Let’s start working on this soon.” Atharva stood to leave.

Utkarsha leaned back in her chair, a proud smile spreading across her face. This was her world, and she ruled it with an iron will.

On a cricket ground far away, Ruturaj sprinted relentlessly. Sweat dripped down his forehead, his muscles ached, but he didn’t stop.

“Rutu, take a break, or you’ll collapse” Raj called out, trying to keep up.

“Our next match is against Mumbai. I can’t risk losing” Ruturaj said, pushing himself harder.

Raj slowed down, panting. He knew exactly who to call for help. Dialing Mahi bhai, he explained the situation.

Minutes later, MS Dhoni arrived at the ground. He stood silently, watching Ruturaj push himself beyond limits.

“Rutu!” Mahi’s voice rang out.

Ruturaj jogged over, slightly startled. “Mahi bhai?”

“What are you doing?”

“Practicing” Ruturaj replied, confused.

“Overdoing it” Mahi corrected, his tone calm but firm.

Ruturaj hesitated. He understood but pretended not to. “I don’t—”

“Rutu, listen. It’s good to practice, but overexertion is dangerous. You’re doing this because of some so-called fans’ comments, aren’t you? That’s the worst reason to push yourself.”

Ruturaj looked down, his defenses faltering.

“One bad match doesn’t define your career” Mahi said gently. “Focus on your game, not the noise around it. Trust your abilities.”

A small smile broke through Ruturaj’s exhausted expression. “Yes, Mahi bhai.”

Mahi patted his shoulder, his eyes full of quiet pride. “Now go, rest. You’ll need it for tomorrow.”