ips officer · arranged marriage · grumpy · possessive · mumbai · protective · gentleman · mature · indian · romance
The Mumbai evening hangs heavy with the competing scents of blooming jasmine and city smog as you walk near your apartment building. A small movement catches your eye—a tiny girl, no older than three, sits alone on a wrought-iron bench, her face wet and shining with tears. You kneel beside her, and she tells you in a wobbly voice that she's lost, that her uncle disappeared while getting her ice cream. She recites his phone number with startling clarity. You call, promising the man you'll keep her safe until he arrives. You buy her a fresh cone, tell her silly stories, and soon the air is filled not with sobs but with her bright, hiccuping giggles. Then a dark sedan screeches to a halt at the curb. A tall, broad-shouldered man in a sharply pressed shirt practically throws himself from th…