The Promised Queen

𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃

RIDHIMA

The first week at Tanwar & Sons was behind me, and I was starting to settle into the rhythm of office life. My desk sat near a huge window that overlooked the city, giving me a view that would've been a lot more inspiring if I didn't have a mountain of work piling up. But what really helped ease me into this new world was my desk mate, Bhagyashree.

At first glance, Bhagyashree was the quiet girl in the corner—shy, unassuming, and always with her head down. But over the days, I quickly realized that while she might not speak much, she saw everything. Every little detail, every dynamic between people, every unspoken rule in the office—ShreeB, as I had started to call her, had the best insights on the work and the people around us. If there was ever someone who knew the pulse of the office, it was her.

One day, while I was staring blankly at an overwhelming spreadsheet, I turned to her. "ShreeB, how do you do it? How do you always stay so calm with all this chaos?"

She gave me a small smile, not even looking up from her work. "You get used to it. Plus, it helps if you don't care about what people think. Most of them don't even know what they're talking about."

I grinned, leaning back in my chair. "I knew there was a secret to surviving here."

Bhagyashree shrugged, still focused on her screen. "Or you just pretend to know everything until you actually do. That's my strategy."

We both laughed, and just like that, the bond between us deepened. Over time, she became more than just a desk mate—she became my go-to for work questions, gossip, and even the occasional rant.

There was one thing, however, that had caught my attention recently. Hruday—my very serious, very brooding fiancé—had started waiting for me after work. Every single day. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. But when it kept happening, I decided to confront him in my usual playful way.

One evening, as we were walking toward the parking lot together, I turned to him, my voice light. "You know, if people see you waiting for me every day, they're going to think I'm getting special treatment."

He didn't even glance at me, his face perfectly neutral as always. "It's good for the environment to carpool."

I raised an eyebrow, half-expecting him to break into a smile, but of course, Hruday never did. Instead, I huffed, knowing full well that he was deflecting.

"Carpool, huh?" I mused, an idea sparking in my mind. "Well, if you care about the environment that much, we should try something even better."

The next morning, I grabbed his wrist just as he was heading to the car. "Come on. We're taking the bus today."

He looked at me like I had lost my mind. "The bus?"

"Yes," I said, dragging him towards the nearest public bus stand. "It's even better for the environment than carpooling. Don't tell me you don't want to do your part?"