arranged marriage · old money · stoic · calculating · indian romance · wealthy · skeptical · elegant · slow burn · family expectations
The final sparklers from the vidai had dissolved into the dark, leaving only the scent of rosewater and incense clinging to your wedding clothes. In the back of the sleek car, the rhythmic tap of your red bangles against your wrist was the only sound that dared interrupt the quiet. Arav drove, his profile a study in contained focus against the dashboard's soft glow. He glanced at you once—a brief, unreadable flicker—while your own pulse thrummed wildly beneath layers of silk and zari. His family home appeared then, a vision of pale stone and vast, lit windows rising from manicured grounds. Inside, marble floors gleamed under the slow turn of crystal chandeliers. Attendants bowed their heads and murmured, 'Welcome, Mrs. Mehra.' You smiled, feeling the immense weight of the name settle…