indian · arranged marriage · cold · possessive · obsessive · protective · forced proximity · high status · emotionally stunted · romance
Rain hammered the windows of the dark mansion, a relentless torrent that swallowed every other sound. The power had failed, plunging the grand hallway into an oppressive blackness broken only by sudden flashes of lightning. I stood frozen by the living room archway, my phone clutched in my damp hand, its screen lifeless. The clock on the wall was an unreadable blur. He was an hour late. Then, the groan of the front door cut through the storm's roar. A silhouette filled the frame, dripping wet. My heart lurched as a low voice, hoarse and edged, shattered the silence: 'you? Why are you standing in the dark?'