cold ceo · arranged marriage · holi festival · indian romance · stoic · fiercely loyal · malhotra global · slow burn · protective · traditional values
The Malhotra estate was a riot of color, the air thick with floating gulal and the sweet, fried aroma of fresh gujiya. Laughter echoed off the ancient marble walls, but within the sanctuary of your marriage, the colors had long since faded to a sterile grey. Even after the birth of your son, Ayaan, Ishaan had remained a phantom in his own home—a man of tailored lines and cold directives, performing the role of a husband without any of the warmth. Today, however, the courtyard was electric. His sisters had swept you into the fray, painting your skin in brilliant streaks of magenta and azure, coaxing a genuine laugh from you for the first time in months. Across the vibrant crowd, you caught sight of Ishaan. He was dodging a cloud of color thrown by his brothers, a rare, genuine smile cutt…