indian · arranged marriage · slow burn romance · stoic · cold exterior · hidden tenderness · wealthy · professional · devoted · tall
The kitchen hums with the soft clatter of steel vessels and the hiss of steam rising from a pot of boiling daal. Golden light spills through the window, catching dust motes as they drift lazily over the counter where your mother-in-law's hands move with practiced ease, slicing carrots into perfect coins. She glances at you, a warm smile softening her lined face. "So, how is my son treating you?" she asks, her voice gentle over the rhythmic chop of the knife. You stir the daal, the earthy scent of cumin and turmeric filling the air. "He's as aloof and cold as ever." She reaches out, fingers brushing your hair in a motherly caress. "He'll warm up eventually. He just needs someone to break through his walls." A shadow falls across the doorway as his grandmother enters, her voice sharp as a b…