52. Unexpected Bonds

Hi!

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Rudraksh leaned back in his leather chair, his sharp eyes fixed on the bank statement glowing on his computer screen.

His brows furrowed as he stared at the tiny deduction—50 rupees.

His black card, capable of limitless luxury, had been handed over to Ishika yesterday, yet all she spent was 50 rupees?

His fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk as his mind raced.

Fifty rupees.

Not fifty thousand, not fifty lakh—just fifty.

The thought gnawed at him.

He had always been suspicious of her, convinced she was just another gold digger who had landed in his life with ulterior motives.

Yet, this—this—was the exact opposite of what he had expected.

“Fifty rupees…” he muttered under his breath, leaning forward, his elbows resting on the desk as he rubbed his temples.

What did she even buy for 50 rupees? A packet of chips? A roadside snack?

He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

His thoughts drifted back to the day before—her refusal to take the card, the way she hesitated, the slight look of embarrassment when he forced it into her hand.

Rudraksh sighed deeply, frustration flickering in his dark eyes.

Why is she so hard to understand?

For the first time, he felt something unfamiliar—a twinge of guilt. Maybe, just maybe, he had misjudged her.

Still staring at the screen, he shook his head with a bitter smile.

“This woman…” he muttered.

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as a rare soft look crossed his face.

“She’s nothing like I thought.”

Rudraksh sat back in his chair, staring at the screen of his phone for a moment before dialing the number.

His brows were furrowed, his jaw tight—it wasn’t often he hesitated before making a call.

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Meanwhile, in her office, Amrita was pacing back and forth, her irritation palpable.

Her periods had arrived, and though she wasn’t dealing with cramps this time, she was consumed by annoyance.

She hated them.

She was about to step into the adjoining room connected to her cabin when her phone buzzed on the desk.

Her eyes flicked to the screen, and her irritation only grew.

“Why is this man calling me?” she muttered under her breath, arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Her thumb hovered above the green icon as her mind raced.

What should I even address him as?

She glanced again at the caller ID: Mayya's Husband.

With a deep breath, she finally answered.

The silence that followed was thick, heavy with unspoken words and hesitation.

Neither spoke, their breaths the only sound crackling through the line.

After what felt like an eternity, Rudraksh finally exhaled and spoke, his deep voice low yet firm.

“Hello.”

“Yes,” Amrita replied, her tone sharp, cold, and perfectly matching his.

The air between them felt frozen—two strong personalities clashing, even through the phone.

The silence stretched for a few seconds, filled with unspoken words and hesitation.

Both were experts at maintaining their cold exteriors, yet something about this moment felt different.

"Um... I need to ask you something," Rudraksh finally broke the silence. His voice was steady, authoritative—it sounded more like a command than a request.

Amrita raised an eyebrow, her voice sharp yet calm. "What is it?"

Rudraksh hesitated for a moment before speaking, his usual confidence faltering slightly.

"It's about Ishika. Why is she always so silent around me? Do I... scare her? Or is she insecure?"

Amrita paused, her brows furrowing as she considered his question.

It wasn't often that Rudraksh Raghuwanshi expressed uncertainty, let alone asked for advice.

"It's nothing like that. Or maybe it is—I don't know," Amrita admitted.

"All I know is Mayya doesn’t take much time mingling with people. She's warm, kind, and quick to make others comfortable. But if she’s silent around you, then it's for you to talk and find out."

Her tone softened slightly as she spoke, the earlier edge fading away.

"Oh... okay," Rudraksh replied simply, his voice quieter than usual.

The silence returned, but it wasn’t uncomfortable this time. Both were lost in their thoughts.

Amrita’s mind drifted back to her last conversation with Ishika:

"You and Rudraksh ji are the perfect brother-sister duo. You both can almost look like twins, considering your stoic, rude, and cold demeanors."

The memory made her lips twitch slightly. Really? Twins?

Meanwhile, Rudraksh was battling his own thoughts.

Gratitude—it wasn’t something he expressed often, if ever. Thanking people had never been his style.

Rudraksh Raghuwanshi was a man of power, control, and fear.

People thanked him, not the other way around.

Yet, in this moment, something pushed him to say it.

Both of them took a deep breath simultaneously, and then, in perfect unison, their words collided:

"Thank you."

"Bhaiya."

The silence that followed was deafening. Both froze, processing what the other had just said.

Rudraksh’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What?" he asked, his voice lower now, almost cautious.

Amrita was not someone who easily formed relationships, let alone addressed someone with such a personal term.

"Did you just thank me?" Amrita asked, equally stunned.

Rudraksh was not a man who thanked anyone—not his staff, not his friends, not even his brothers.

Hearing it from him was surreal.

"Yes, I did," Rudraksh admitted without hesitation. But then his voice softened, and he asked again, "But... what did you just call me?"

Amrita swallowed, her throat feeling tight. She rarely showed her emotions, and calling him Bhaiya felt… strange yet natural at the same time.

She took a deep breath and repeated, softer this time, "Bhaiya."

Rudraksh froze.

His heart, which he often described as a stone-cold fortress, felt an unfamiliar warmth spreading across it.

He had been called many things in his life—boss, sir, devil—but never Bhaiya.

"Rudraksh Bhaiya," Amrita repeated, her voice steadier this time, her expression softening ever so slightly.

A faint smile—a real one, not the cold smirk he often wore—played at the corners of Rudraksh’s lips.

It was small, almost imperceptible, but it was there.

His sharp eyes, usually filled with icy indifference, now held a rare gentleness.

"Um... what do I call you?" Rudraksh asked, his voice low, uncertain but warm.

Amrita shrugged slightly, her lips twitching into a faint smile. "Anything you want… Bhaiya."

After a moment of silence, Rudraksh said softly, "Choti si behen, Ammu."

(Little sister, Ammu)

Amrita’s smile grew a little as she nodded. "Okay," she said, her voice steady but her eyes glimmering with something softer, something more vulnerable.

"Okay," Rudraksh echoed, his voice carrying an unspoken promise.

The call ended, but the warmth lingered. Both of them saved each other's contact—'Choti si behen' and 'Meri Bhaiya.'

For a brief moment, Rudraksh leaned back in his chair, staring at the saved contact with a faint smile still on his face before he slipped back into his usual stern expression.

Amrita, on the other hand, stood still, phone clutched tightly in her hand.

She exhaled slowly, schooling her expression back to its usual cold indifference.

Somewhere, deep in the cold fortress of her heart, a small warmth remained—a connection she hadn’t expected but now cherished.

Now, Without hesitation, she turned towards the adjoining wall in her cabin.

Her hand reached out, and with a quick press of a hidden button, a faint mechanical sound echoed as a concealed door slid open.

The room beyond was dimly lit, bathed in the faint glow of blue and red LED lights tracing the corners.

It was a high-tech space—a stark contrast to her polished office. Multiple monitors lined the far wall, displaying live feeds, encrypted files, and surveillance footage.

In the center sat a sleek desk surrounded by high-tech equipment.

Amrita stepped inside, the door sealing itself behind her with a soft click.

She was back in her element. The softness from the earlier conversation was carefully tucked away, replaced by sharp focus and an air of authority.

The faint hum of machinery filled the silence as she approached the desk, her eyes narrowing as she saw Divya sitting there.

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I don't know why, but this chapter felt hilarious.

Comment what you felt!

Neither Asked For The Bond, Yet Neither Could Deny Its Presence... 🖤🫀✨