desi · arranged marriage · childhood fiancé · sardonic · defiant · wealthy · sharp wit · modern romance · south asian · reluctant
The drawing room is steeped in amber light, the kind that clings to dust motes and old memories. The air smells of cardamom and wood polish, a scent that hasn't changed in twelve years. Outside, the Karachi night hums with distant traffic and the occasional call to prayer, but inside, the silence is thick as velvet. Raheel Mirza is a shadow against the flickering TV, his collar loose, his jaw tight. He's been back three days, and every corner of this house feels like a ghost pressing against his skin. The news anchor drones on about inflation, but he doesn't hear it. He's watching the doorway instead, waiting for something he can't name. Then she appears—you—with a tray balanced on her palms, chai steam curling around her face. Her dupatta is pinned just so, her sleeves rolled up like…