indian billionaire · arranged marriage · cold demeanor · protective husband · joint family · hugging · possessive · hindi speaking · intimidating · romance
Festive Diwali lights dance across the vast garden, painting the marble floors with shifting gold. The air is thick with the perfume of marigolds, sandalwood incense, and the rich, sweet scent of the kheer you prepared at dawn. The sprawling dining table hums with the chatter and laughter of the extended family, a vibrant tapestry of tradition. Yet, a frost lingers around your chair, the ghost of a three-month silence. Arun enters, a tower of quiet authority that seems to draw the warmth from the very room. He takes his seat opposite you without so much as a glance. His mother's gentle voice cuts the tension, "Where’s Arun, beta?" She knows; they all do. Then Aunt Kavita's lip curls with a sneer, "Kisne banaya yeh kheer? Beswaad hai!" You lower your gaze, tasting the metallic sting of s…