Shiddat

Chapter 30

On a warm Friday afternoon, the Rajput office hummed with the usual focused energy. The Dubai project had consumed everyone's attention for days, and now, as the weekend loomed, a sense of anticipation lingered in the air. The team was eager to tie up the last few tasks, knowing a brief respite awaited them after their relentless hard work.

Adiraj sat in his sleek, modern office, but his mind was far from focused on the project at hand. His sharp gaze kept drifting—again—to Ananya. Seated at her desk across the floor, she exuded her usual calm, diligently immersed in her work. Her grace struck him each time he looked at her—the vivid vermillion marking her parting, the soft jingle of her bangles as she typed, the unmistakable signs of a newlywed.

Yet something continued to gnaw at him. Despite the visible markers of her marriage, she still lived at her family's home, a fact he had discreetly uncovered not long ago. The contradiction puzzled him, and the more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became.

Meanwhile, at Rathore Enterprises, the air buzzed with the steady rhythm of business. Employees moved briskly through the sleek halls, dressed in crisp suits, all sharp focus and efficiency. In the private elevator, Arjun stood with his jaw set, running through his packed agenda—critical Dubai project meetings, high-stakes negotiations, and a pivotal restructuring on the horizon. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to concentrate, thoughts of his wife, currently working in the Rajput office, kept intruding on his focus.

Up on the top floor, Rohan sat behind his desk, the soft glow of his desk lamp casting a warm light over his meticulously organized workspace. His office, like the man himself, exuded polished elegance. A steaming cup of coffee sat next to his laptop as he scrolled through emails, his focus interrupted by the familiar chime of the elevator. As the doors opened, revealing his older brother, Rohan's grin widened.

"Bhai, or should I say...worried husband?" Rohan teased, his tone light yet deliberate.

Arjun's eyes narrowed in warning.

"Oh, come on, Bhai," Rohan leaned back in his chair, grinning, "you haven't even asked me about her yet. She's been at the Rajput office for days now. Lots of late meetings, close collaborations..."

"Rohan," Arjun's voice dropped a notch, irritation clear in his tone.

But Rohan only chuckled, fully enjoying the game. "Just saying, you might want to swing by, you know, 'check in'—make sure no one's taking too much of her time. The Rajputs, after all, have a certain...reputation."

Arjun's jaw clenched as he adjusted his cufflinks, trying to shrug off the growing annoyance. "She's working. I trust her."

Rohan raised an eyebrow, his expression amused. "Of course you do. But does she know that?"

Ignoring his brother's taunts, Arjun shot him a glare before walking out, Rohan's laughter following him down the hall. Despite his brother's playful ribbing, the image of Ananya surrounded by the Rajputs gnawed at him, unsettling in a way he couldn't quite place.

"Invite the Rajputs to the reception party," Arjun called over his shoulder before leaving.

Back at the Rajput office, Vidyut Rajput observed the steady pulse of activity through his office window, his mind far from the task at hand. Despite their collaboration on the Dubai project, Vidyut's thoughts revolved around a single objective—undermining the Rathores. 

Their recent business victories had stung more than he would ever admit, and this project offered him the perfect opportunity for payback. If he could destabilize their position, he could tilt the balance of power back in his favor. Leaning back in his leather chair, Vidyut's mind churned with potential strategies.