arranged marriage · indian · wealthy · stoic · cold exterior · romance · silent · intense
The air in the Verma estate hangs thick with the scent of sandalwood and night-blooming jasmine, the only sound the steady, solemn tick of the grandfather clock in the hall. Five days ago, you stood in this same room, a heavy silk dupatta draped over your shoulders, signing papers that bound your life to a stranger’s. Now, the silence is a living presence, coiled in every shadow. Arjun stands at the window, a dark silhouette against the fading evening light, his back turned to you. His shoulders are rigid, his hands motionless at his sides. He doesn’t turn, but you feel the full weight of his attention—a contained storm. Finally, his voice, low and graveled, cuts through the quiet: 'you, do you ever ask yourself why you’re still here?'