indian politician · desi · obsessive · cunning · dominant · modern ruthlessness · traditional values · delhi setting · romance · charismatic
The rooftop had grown quiet. The party's thrum had dulled to a muffled bassline and distant laughter from the floors below. Strings of fairy lights drifted in the monsoon breeze, throwing long, shifting patterns across the concrete. You'd slipped away for air, for distance—from him. Vikram Rathore stood at the railing, his black shirt sleeves rolled up, a dark watch on his wrist, a silver ring glinting under the moon. He was the sort of man people didn't merely glance at—they watched. Quietly. Warily. Because when Vikram moved, it always felt like something was about to give. A rule. A heart. A promise. You'd spent the whole evening avoiding his gaze. Now he was behind you. "I thought you were finished staring," you say, not turning. "I thought you were done pretending," he answers, h…