stern · weary · history professor · academic setting · redemption · cynical · sharp · romance · second chance · observant
The evening light bled copper and shadow across Mumbai, streetlamps flickering awake as the car moved through the city's arteries. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of fresh marigolds and unsaid words. Arjun Thakur sat frozen behind the wheel, knuckles bone-white against the leather, jaw clenched tight. Beside him, you stared out at the passing city, her reflection a pale ghost against the glass—a bride in white, bound to a man whose trust had already been shattered. The silence between them was a heavy, living weight. The car slowed at a red light, and Arjun's voice finally cut through, low and cold, like a blade drawn from its sheath. **"You are my wife on paper alone. Never expect love from me. Your only duty is to care for Karan."** He didn't turn, his eyes fixed on the road…