Chapter 33: 33. it's a secret!

The weight of the crown I wore felt heavier today, burdened not by the affairs of the royal duties, but by the one person who had managed to slip through my iron grasp—Mayura.  my wife, my everything, had disappeared, and my fury was barely contained beneath the surface.

I sat on my throne, staring down at the so-called royal security who stood before me, heads bowed, trembling. The sight of their cowardice only fueled my anger. These men were supposed to be the best, trained to protect not only me but also those I held dear. And yet, they had allowed Mayura to slip through their fingers as if she were no more substantial than mist.

“So, you’re telling me that Mayura just vanished into thin air?” My voice was low, each word dripping with menace.

One of the guards dared to look up, his eyes wide with fear. “boss , we thought  she was with her friends all the time. We didn’t anticipate—”

I slammed my fist down on the armrest of my throne, the impact reverberating through the room. The guards flinched as though they were struck. “You got distracted by mere teenagers? You call yourselves royal security?!”

I could feel the heat of my rage seeping into my bones. How could they be so utterly incompetent? Mayura was the most precious person in my life, and they had allowed her to slip away, leaving nothing but questions and a void of fear in her place.

“Find her,” I hissed, leaning forward, my gaze sharp enough to cut through steel. “Find her now. And if anyone gets in your way, destroy them. Do you understand?”

The guards scrambled to obey, their fear palpable as they hurried from the room. I watched them go, a cold fury still burning in my chest.  I would turn this city upside down to find her.

Turning to the surveillance screens, I scoured the footage, my eyes flicking from one monitor to the next, searching for any sign of her. But it was as though she had evaporated, disappearing without a trace. I couldn’t help but feel a grudging respect for her cunning. She had always been intelligent, but this—this was something else entirely.

My phone rang, cutting through the silence like a knife. I answered it with a growl, barely keeping my patience in check. “What is it, Rajeev?”

“Sir, you need to see this,” Rajeev’s voice was unsteady, and it grated on my nerves. “Please, check the news.”

“The news?” I was ready to throw the phone against the wall. “Rajeev, my wife is missing, and you’re telling me to watch the news? This better be important, or you’re fired.”

“I understand, sir. But trust me, you need to see this.”

With a growl of frustration, I turned on the TV, flipping through the channels until I found the one he was talking about. And then I saw it—a clip of our meeting with Dhanraj Maity, the CEO of Maity Corp.

My heart thudded in my chest as the news anchor spoke, the screen showing footage of that fateful meeting. It was the one where Dhanraj had proposed that I marry his daughter, Mayura, as part of a business deal. I had refused, unwilling to tie myself to someone for the sake of a contract. But Dhanraj had spun lies, making it seem as though Mayura was aware of the arrangement and had been willing.

And then I heard her voice. Mayura’s voice, clear and unyielding, cutting through the deception like a blade. “Our king, Abhimaan Deep Shekhawat, did not know about my consent . I didn’t know about it either. It was all Mr. Dhanraj Maity’s fault.”

My breath caught in my throat as I listened, my eyes glued to the screen. She had spoken up, had revealed the truth in a room full of sharks, defending me even when I hadn’t been there to hear it. She had exposed Dhanraj’s lies, unraveling his manipulation with a few well-chosen words.

The news clip shifted, showing footage of people rallying in support of me, their voices a chorus of solidarity. “mr.shekhawat  was blind-sided by Dhanraj Maity’s deceit!” “Abhimaan Deep Shekhawat is a just and fair business man , and we stand by him!”

The relief that washed over me was almost overwhelming. My people believed in me, trusted in my judgment. But more than that, they believed in Mayura. My Wife  had stood up for me, and had defended our honor with a strength I had underestimated.

I was still processing all of this when I heard the door open. I turned, and there she was—Mayura, standing in the doorway, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips.

“I bunked college today,” she announced, her voice laced with pride, as if she had accomplished something remarkable.

All the anger, all the worry, evaporated in that moment. I tried to keep my expression stern, to scold her for her truancy, but it was a futile effort. My lips twitched, the corners of my mouth threatening to curl into a smile.

“Mayura, you know you shouldn’t be skipping college,” I said, trying to sound stern. But my voice lacked the necessary bite, and she just giggled, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

I sighed, finally giving in. “Come here, jaana.”

She came to me, and in that moment, all the tension in my body drained away. She was safe—that was all that mattered.

But then, as she got closer, I noticed something that made my heart stop. There were blood marks on her elbow, and she was bleeding. All the warmth I’d felt seconds ago vanished, replaced by a surge of protectiveness.

“Jaana, you’re hurt,” I exclaimed, my voice a mixture of concern and anger. “Stay still, I’ll get the first-aid box.”

I called for the first aide box, my voice sharp and commanding, and someone rushed in with the first-aid kit. Mayura winced as I began tending to her wound, and I forced myself to be gentle, to suppress the fury still bubbling beneath the surface.

As I worked, she watched me with an intensity that made my heart race. I could feel her gaze on me, could sense the questions swirling in her mind.

“Why did you take the whole blame, Abhimaan?” she asked, her voice soft but insistent.

I looked up, meeting her eyes. “I was wrong too, Mayura. I shouldn’t have let Dhanraj manipulate me.”

But she shook her head, cutting me off with a fierceness I hadn’t expected. “No, you’re not wrong, Abhimaan. You’re never wrong.”

I stared at her, surprised by the conviction in her voice. “Mayura, how did you...?” I started to ask, but she quickly looked away, a guilty expression crossing her face.

“I... I don’t know,” she mumbled, but I could see the beginnings of a smile playing at the corners of her lips. There was something she wasn’t telling me, something that made her eyes sparkle with mischief.

I made a mental note to keep a close eye on her. Whatever she was up to, I would find out. But for now, I was just glad she was here, safe and sound.

“Let me go, Abhimaan,” she said, trying to pull her hand free. “I need to freshen up.”

But I wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. I held on, pulling her closer until she was pressed against my chest. “Not so fast, jaana,” I murmured, my voice low and teasing. “What are you hiding, Mayura?”

She just smiled, that infuriatingly adorable smile that always made my heart skip a beat. “It’s a secret, Abhimaan,” she whispered, her voice soft as silk.

And then, before I could react, she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, her lips warm and gentle. “You’ll find out soon enough,” she said with a giggle, and then she was gone, running off like a mischievous child, leaving me standing there, feeling like the lovesick fool I’d become.

I couldn’t help but grin, shaking my head in disbelief. What was she planning, my little Mayura? And how long would I have to wait to unravel the mystery she had so carefully woven?