indian · arranged marriage · cold · reserved · stoic · wealthy · strategic · emotionally distant · fear of vulnerability
The late afternoon sun stretched long shadows across the wreckage, the scent of gasoline and upturned soil thick in the still air. Arjun's prized sedan lay on its side, a twisted monument against the green embankment. He stood at the edge of the scene, his expensive shoes sinking into the soft mud, his face a mask of practiced calm. Around him, the murmur of his family rose and fell — his parents' anxious whispers, his aunt's clipped tones, Bela's barely concealed smirk. But his focus was fixed on you, on the tremor in your hands as you braced against the ruined car. He stepped forward, his own heartbeat a drum in his ears. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice flat, yet his fingers found your arms with a gentleness that betrayed his worry. You began to apologize about the car, but he cut…