ALLIANCE DAY
Queens Company was unusually quiet.
Which was suspicious.
Very suspicious.
The kind of suspicious that made Radhika glance up from her laptop every few minutes because silence never lasted long around the Queens.
Especially not when Saraswati and Durga were in the same room.
Though the queens were not fully recovered but managed to hid the scars behind make up and full sleeves. Cause the scars was nothing new to them and nor was hiding them.
The bandages were still there but queens don't believe in making other see their weakness not even to their friends i.e braves.
Across the office, Durga was currently attempting to commit murder.
The victim was a punching bag.
THUD!
The bag swung violently.
THUD!
It swung back.
THUD!
The chain holding it rattled in protest.
Radhika didn't even look up.
"One day that thing is going to sue you."
Durga stopped.
Actually considered it.
Then punched the bag again.
"If it does, tell it to submit the complaint in writing."
Saraswati immediately pointed.
"See? That's why she's my favorite."
Durga looked pleased.
Radhika slowly raised her eyes.
"Last week I was your favorite."
Saraswati frowned.
"Was I lying then or am I lying now?"
"That wasn't the question."
"It is now."
"I genuinely worry about you."
Durga pointed toward Saraswati.
"See? That's why you're not the favorite."
Radhika stared.
"I hate all of you."
From behind the large desk in the middle of the office, Sia finally looked up from the stack of files in front of her.
"Children."
"Excuse me?"
Radhika asked.
Sia gestured toward Saraswati and Durga.
"Children."
"Thank you."
Radhika replied.
"That wasn't support."
"It felt like support."
The office settled again.
For approximately six seconds.
A new record.
Then Saraswati suddenly sat upright.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Radhika noticed immediately.
"No."
Saraswati blinked.
"What?"
"Whatever you're thinking."
"I haven't said anything."
"The fact that you're thinking is enough."
Durga nodded seriously.
"I agree."
Saraswati looked offended.
"You both are very rude."
"We learned from experience."
Radhika replied.
Saraswati ignored them.
Instead she smiled.
The smile.
The one that usually led to trouble.
"Oh."
Durga immediately pointed.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The trouble smile."
"It is not a trouble smile."
"It absolutely is."
Sia didn't even bother looking up.
"What happened?"
"Today's Alliance Day."
Durga gasped dramatically.
Actually gasped.
"ALLIANCE DAY."
The excitement in their voices sounded ridiculous.
Like children being told school was cancelled.
Immediately the room divided itself.
Saraswati and Durga looked excited.
Sia and Radhika looked tired.
Very tired.
Saraswati pointed.
"There."
Radhika sighed.
"What now?"
"That face."
"What face?"
"The annoyed face."
"I do not have an annoyed face."
"You absolutely do."
Sia nodded without looking up.
"She does."
Radhika looked betrayed.
"You too?"
"I believe in honesty."
Durga jumped onto the couch beside Saraswati.
"They're nervous."
"We are not nervous."
Radhika answered immediately.
"You answered too fast."
Durga replied.
"That's a nervous answer."
"It wasn't."
"It was."
"It wasn't."
"It was."
Sia finally closed her file.
"If I throw both of you out, will this stop?"
"No."
Saraswati answered honestly.
"At least she's self-aware."
The mention of Alliance Day brought the conversation back to its original topic.
Braves.
Immediately Saraswati smiled.
Durga smiled too.
Meanwhile...
Sia frowned.
Radhika frowned harder.
Saraswati noticed.
Of course she noticed.
She noticed everything.
Especially things that could be used for teasing.
"There it is again."
"What?"
"The angry face."
"We are not angry."
Radhika said.
"You are."
"We are grateful."
Sia added.
"Very grateful."
"They saved us."
"Yes."
"They risked their lives."
"Yes."
"They helped us."
"Yes."
Durga crossed her arms.
"Then what's the problem?"
Silence.
Sia looked at Radhika.
Radhika looked at Sia.
Then both answered simultaneously.
"They stole my band."
"They stole my chain."
For one second nobody moved.
Then Saraswati fell sideways laughing.
Durga grabbed the couch for support.
"THAT'S IT?"
"It is not 'that's it'."
Radhika protested.
"You almost died."
Saraswati said.
"Yes."
"You survived getting kidnapped."
"YES."
"And your biggest complaint is..."
She pointed dramatically.
"...accessories."
"They were important."
Radhika argued.
"Very important."
Sia agreed.
Durga looked horrified.
"I cannot believe this."
"It wasn't about the chain."
Radhika said.
"Or the band."
Sia added.
Saraswati folded her arms.
"Then what was it about?"
Both girls opened their mouths.
Nothing came out.
Because honestly...
Neither knew.
The room exploded again.
A cushion flew.
Durga caught it.
"Nice throw."
"Missed opportunity."
Eventually the laughter died.
Not completely.
But enough.
The office became quieter.
And unexpectedly...
Saraswati stared toward the ceiling.
Thinking.
A dangerous activity.
Immediately Radhika became suspicious.
"What now?"
Saraswati didn't answer immediately.
Instead she frowned.
Then smiled slightly.
"You know what I can't remember?"
Durga groaned.
"Most of mathematics?"
"The rescue."
The room fell silent.
Instantly.
Because that wasn't something they joked about often.
The warehouse.
The smoke.
The chaos.
The fear.
Most of it still existed only as fragments.
Broken pieces of memory.
Saraswati sat up straighter.
"I don't remember faces."
"Neither do I."
Durga admitted.
"It happened too fast."
"But I remember words."
Now everyone was listening.
Even Sia.
"What words?"
Saraswati stared into the distance.
Trying to catch a memory before it escaped.
"There was a voice."
The room remained silent.
"A guy's voice."
Durga nodded slowly.
"I remember voices too."
Sia started.
"There was one moment..."
She paused.
"...when I thought everything was over."
Nobody interrupted.
"...and somebody said..."
Another pause.
Then her eyes brightened.
"'Trust me."
The room became still.
Because somehow...
Everyone remembered that.
Not clearly.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
Like hearing an old song after years.
Sataswatu slowly nodded.
"I remember something too."
"So do I."
Durga said quietly.
For a brief moment nobody laughed.
Nobody teased.
Nobody joked.
Then Durga suddenly snapped her fingers.
"WAIT."
The moment immediately disappeared.
Everyone looked at her.
"What?"
"I remember something."
"What?"
Durga thought for a second.
Then smiled.
"Calm down"
Saraswati said,
"I'm here."
Little by little.
Memory by memory.
Then...
Both Saraswati and Durga slowly turned.
Toward Radhika.
Radhika immediately knew she was doomed.
"No."
Saraswati grinned.
"Oh yes."
"No."
"What did your rescuer say?"
"Nothing."
"Liar."
"Terrible liar."
"Professional liar."
Even Sia was smiling now.
Which was deeply unfair.
Radhika looked betrayed.
"Not you too."
"Especially me."
Sia replied.
The betrayal deepened.
Three pairs of eyes stared at her.
Waiting.
Watching.
Refusing to move.
Finally...
Radhika sighed.
Then groaned.
Then sighed again.
And muttered:
"Idiot."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Durga blinked.
Saraswati blinked.
Even Sia froze.
"...What?"
Radhika folded her arms.
"You heard me."
"No."
Durga replied.
"I refuse to believe that's what he said."
"He did."
"Your mysterious rescuer looked at you and said 'idiot'?"
"He was annoying."
"THAT IS NOT THE POINT."
The office exploded.
Saraswati was crying.
Actually crying.
Durga nearly fell off the couch.
Even Sia looked seconds away from laughing.
"If it was Purav..."
Durga stood dramatically.
Placed one hand over her heart.
And announced:
"I would like to salute that man."
The room completely lost control.
Radhika buried her face in her hands.
"This company is a mistake."
"Your rescuer is a mistake."
Saraswati corrected.
Then Durga started,
"Sia you first."
Sia said," Trust me."
Saraswati said,"I'm here."
Durga said,"Calm down."
Then they moved towards Radhika
And said,"Idiot."
Saraswati can't hold herself," Out of everything at that serious time, he said Idiot."
"This was better than Sia's date."
Durga laughed.
Saraswati disagreed.
"I'm still with Mr. Table no.3"
Durga with full oppose.
"I'm with Radha's resuer."
The laughter somehow became louder.
To save herself, Radhika immediately opened her laptop.
"I'm working."
"Oh she's escaping."
Saraswati pointed.
"I am not."
"You absolutely are."
Radhika ignored them.
Opened the alliance folder.
Clicked the newest email.
Then froze.
Immediately.
Sia noticed.
"What happened?"
"The Braves sent their offer."
Durga grinned.
"I knew it."
"But..."
The room quieted.
Radhika stared at the screen.
A second name had appeared.
A second offer.
The room immediately quieted.
Mostly because whenever Radhika used that voice...
Somebody usually got hacked.
"I have reviewed the alliance offers."
That got everyone's attention.
Saraswati sat properly.
Durga stopped moving.
Even Sia looked interested.
"Offers?"
"As in plural?"
Radhika nodded.
"Two."
Durga smiled.
"One is Braves."
"Yes."
"I knew it."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you."
Nobody had congratulated her.
That didn't stop her.
Radhika continued.
"The second offer comes from another team."
Now queens back, serious knowing there is no other team than Braves who could send them offer.
All three stood, now near Radhika's laptop.
Radhika replied.
"I'm getting there."
At that exact moment...
The office door opened.
Vaani stepped inside.
The manager looked calm.
Too calm.
Which immediately worried Sia.
"They're here."
Durga jumped up.
"BRAVES?"
Vaani blinked.
"No."
That answer immediately changed the atmosphere.
"No?"
"No."
"Then who?"
Vaani smiled slightly.
"I think you're about to find out."
Meanwhile...
Downstairs.
Queens Company employees had completely forgotten how to work.
Not because they were lazy.
Because four unfamiliar men had just entered the building.
And unfortunately...
They were impossible to ignore.
The receptionist missed two phone calls.
One employee walked into a glass door.
Another dropped a stack of files.
The blame belonged entirely to the men walking through the lobby.
Ram led the group.
Grey suit.
Hands casually in his pockets.
Calm expression.
Steady gaze.
Behind him walked Krish.
Black suit.
Confident smile.
The kind that instantly suggested trouble.
Dev wore a white Italian shirt.
Perfectly ironed.
Perfectly clean.
And Shiva...
Navy blue shirt.
Relaxed expression.
Already looking bored.
Employees stared openly.
Employee #1 whispered.
"Who are they?"
"No idea."
"They look important."
"They look expensive."
"Especially the one in grey."
"The one in black looks dangerous."
Receptionist added.
"Hot too."
Krish heard that.
Smiled.
The employee immediately regretted existing.
Meanwhile...
Shiva casually stole Krish's sunglasses.
Krish stopped walking.
"Those are mine."
"No."
"They literally are."
"No."
Dev didn't even look up from his phone.
"He's keeping them."
"I noticed."
Ram continued walking.
"I am not getting involved."
"You never get involved."
Krish complained.
"I lead."
"You avoid responsibility."
"I heard that."
"Good."
Several employees immediately pretended not to listen.
They failed.
The group approached the executive floor.
Ram stopped outside Sia's office.
Krish immediately looked interested.
Ram noticed.
"No."
Krish blinked.
"What?"
"No."
"What no?"
"I know that look."
"You don't."
"I do."
"You want to come inside."
Krish looked offended.
"Come on, we are team and I can't leave you alone with them. I don't care about you but you know I care about our team's reputation and definately the mission."
Dev finally looked up.
"No you don't."
Shiva nodded.
"Not even slightly."
Krish pointed.
"I hate all of you."
Ram opened the office door.
"Wait here."
Krish sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
The second Ram disappeared inside...
Krish moved directly beside the office door.
Employee #3 whispered.
"He's listening."
Employee #4 nodded.
"Definitely listening."
And unfortunately...
They were absolutely correct.
Dev didn't even look up from his phone.
"Don't."
"I'm not doing anything."
"That's exactly what somebody doing something would say."
Krish placed one hand against the wall.
Tilting his head slightly.
Shiva looked at him.
Then at the wall.
Then at him again.
"Are you..."
"Maybe."
"Trying to hear the meeting?"
"Conducting research."
"That's not research."
Dev replied.
"Corporate intelligence gathering."
"That's espionage."
"Big words."
Shiva stood up from his chair.
Curious now.
Very curious.
"Can you hear anything?"
Krish frowned.
"No."
"Maybe because the door is closed."
Dev suggested.
"Thank you, scientist."
"You're welcome."
Krish crossed his arms.
"I just want to know."
"What?"
Shiva asked.
"The reaction."
"What reaction?"
"The moment they see him."
Dev finally lowered his phone.
"You are way too invested in this."
Krish grinned.
"You weren't there."
"Unfortunately."
"Exactly."
Shiva looked between them.
"I still don't understand how one coffee shop created this much drama."
"It didn't."
Krish replied.
"It absolutely did."
Dev corrected.
The three continued arguing quietly.
Completely unaware that inside the office...
The atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
Radhika read the name once.
Then again.
As if making sure she wasn't imagining it.
"The second team is..."
The office door opened.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
A calm voice entered the room before the person did.
"KINGS"
Everything stopped.
Four Queens looked toward the door simultaneously.
And there he stood.
Grey suit.
Hands in his pockets.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Ram.
For one second...
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody spoke.
Radhika recognized him first.
The coffee shop.
Table Number Three.
Her eyes widened.
Only slightly.
Then immediately moved toward Sia.
Sia had already recognized him.
Of course she had.
How could she not?
Out of every person.
Out of every company.
Out of every alliance team.
It had to be him.
The same irritating stranger.
The same impossible coincidence.
For the first time since he entered...
Ram's eyes met hers.
And the room suddenly felt smaller.
Not because either of them spoke.
Because neither looked away.
Saraswati looked between them.
Confused.
Durga looked between them too.
Radhika slowly lowered her laptop.
Something was happening.
Something nobody else in the room understood.
Not yet.
And standing at the center of it all...
Ram remained perfectly calm.
As if he had expected this.
As if he was waiting for their reaction.
As if the real meeting was only beginning now.
The silence stretched.
Longer.
Longer.
Nobody willing to break it first.
And then...