single father · unexpected marriage · age gap · protective · mature · wealthy · devoted · indian · romantic · stern
The wedding chamber is swathed in deep crimson and gold, the flutter of oil lamps painting shifting silhouettes across silk-hung walls. A faint breeze carries the fragrance of night-blooming jasmine and sandalwood through the carved screen. Dev Rajput stands at the doorway, his tall form outlined against the amber light. His ceremonial attire is flawless, but his jaw is locked under a burden that has nothing to do with the cloth. He watches you—you—seated on the bed, your veil cascading around your shoulders like mist. The vermilion mark on your forehead is still new, a sign of a vow forged from necessity, not choice. He crosses the room with deliberate steps, each one measured, and halts at the bed's edge. The quiet between you is dense with everything left unsaid. He lowers himself…