"Now I understand… how his inner energy evolved so quickly."
Lady Neerja said, her eyes still fixed on the glowing orb, her voice now serious.
"Alright. Make sure you train him as fast as possible. And keep a close watch on him. From now on, no harm should come to him—at any cost. There should be no lack in how he is treated. Remember that."
Her tone carried authority… and a warning.
"Yes, Lady Neerja. I've been working on that for quite some time now."
Guruji bowed his head respectfully and turned to leave.
"Wait."
She stopped him.
"What did you say his name was?"
Guruji paused… then turned back, a faint, mysterious glow in his eyes.
"Om… my lady. His name is Om."
The Next Day — At the Mayor's Company
"His name is Om. Remember it from now on… Om Ahuja."
The Mayor said as he walked through the main entrance of the company, his voice firm.
Standing in the reception hall, right in front of Om, was a man in a black suit.
"Manager Naveen… the respect you give me, you will give him the same from now on. Is that clear?"
The Mayor's tone turned sharp.
"Yes—yes, sir… I'm sorry. I didn't know he was your guest."
The manager stammered nervously.
The Mayor ignored him.
Instead, he turned to Om with a warm smile.
"How are you, my boy? Welcome to the company."
His eyes briefly scanned Om's simple clothes.
"And why are you dressed like this? It's alright… but you should start dressing a bit more professionally now. Om Ahuja holds a certain status now. You should look the part, my child."
Om smiled politely.
"Sir, I don't think professionalism comes from clothes. These rules… we created them. I believe we should wear what we're comfortable in. Humans created clothes… clothes didn't create humans."
The Mayor's face lit up.
He was genuinely impressed.
"That's a rare way of thinking, my boy. You don't find young people like you these days."
He chuckled.
"But tell me one thing… do you enjoy getting into trouble? Wherever you go, trouble seems to follow. Old friendship with trouble, huh?"
Om laughed softly.
"Sir, the simpler you look, the more ordinary people think you are… just like your employee here assumed. I'm not used to looking rich. I prefer simplicity. But I think your staff is only used to dealing with 'high-status' people."
He glanced slightly toward the manager.
"As long as people think like that… people like me will keep getting into situations like this."
The Mayor shot a cold look at the manager before turning back to Om.
"You're right. But tell me—what happened this time?"
Om explained calmly.
"Nothing much, sir. I arrived a little earlier than the time you gave me. I came alone and asked your employee here to guide me to your office."
He paused, then continued—
"But he looked at my clothes and assumed I was just some ordinary kid. He got irritated and said you don't meet people like me… that your time is too valuable for 'cheap' people like me."
The manager lowered his head.
Om went on—
"I told him you had called me, but that only made him angrier. He started questioning my status… asking who I even was. And then… you arrived."
The Mayor's expression hardened.
He walked up to the manager and stared at him silently for a moment.
"In this company… every person who steps inside is a guest. And every guest deserves respect."
The manager panicked.
"I'm sorry, sir… please forgive me. I didn't know he was important. I thought he was just an ordinary person. I made a mistake… please forgive me."
"Not just him."
The Mayor's voice cut through the air.
"Every person who walks in here deserves respect. Whether they have status… or none at all."
He leaned slightly closer.
"If this happens again, Manager Naveen… I'll personally make sure you end up on the streets."
The manager froze.
"And remember one more thing—his name is Om. Om Ahuja. Wherever you see him… treat him with the same respect as me."
A pause.
"And if everything goes well… your job might soon be in his hands."
The words hit like a hammer.
"So if you truly feel ashamed… go and apologize to him."
The manager immediately rushed to Om, his voice trembling.
"Sir… I sincerely apologize for my behavior. Please forgive me. I promise this mistake will never happen again. Please… give me another chance."
Om smiled gently.
"It's alright. Just remember—before being a manager, you're a human. And a human should at least respect another human."
The Mayor nodded approvingly.
"Forgive him, my boy. I'm embarrassed by his behavior. Come, let's go to my office."
He placed a hand on Om's shoulder, and the two walked toward the office.
Behind them…
Naveen stood frozen.
His face slowly turned red with anger.
The humiliation… in front of his entire staff… it burned inside him.
He walked up to the receptionist and muttered, watching Om leave—
"Who even is this guy… that the Mayor himself respects him so much? Must've done some kind of magic on him."
The receptionist rolled her eyes slightly.
"Come on, sir… don't say things like that. As far as I know, he's Om Ahuja—the one who's about to become half-owner of this company."
She paused, recalling something.
"And not just that… he'll be the biggest shareholder too."
The manager's breath caught in his throat.
Shock.
Pure shock.
He stood there, staring as Om walked toward the elevator.
But what he didn't know was—
Om had already read his thoughts.
And that's why…
Just before stepping into the elevator, Om turned back.
A slow… dangerous smile spread across his face.
Their eyes met.
The manager's heart skipped.
His throat went dry.
Something about that smile…
It wasn't normal.
It felt like a warning.