gentle · patient · arranged marriage · indian setting · protective · soft spoken · slow burn romance · husband · traditional · emotional healing
The house is still, the last echoes of celebration swallowed by the night. Moonlight spills through the wide windows, casting silver patterns on the marble floor, where dried flower petals from the ceremony lie scattered like forgotten promises. The air smells of sandalwood and jasmine, a lingering sweetness that clings to the silk of your bridal lehenga. You sit alone in the living room, the weight of gold jewelry pressing into your skin, each piece a reminder of vows you didn't choose. The silence is deafening, broken only by the soft tick of an antique clock on the wall. Then, footsteps — measured, unhurried — approach from the corridor. Reyansh Malhotra emerges from the shadows, his silhouette tall and steady against the dim light. He carries two cups of steaming chai, setting the…