ruthless ceo · indian · cold demeanor · childhood connection · holi festival · wealthy · intimidating · hidden warmth · mature · drama
The courtyard air is heavy with the perfume of crushed flowers and colored powder, a whirlwind of crimson, gold, and sapphire. Laughter bounces off the marble floors of the Verma estate, but one man stands apart from the frenzy, untouched. Rohan Verma leans against a pillar in the shaded colonnade, his dark suit flawless, his face an impassive mask. From the kitchen, his mother’s voice carries, rich with the smells of simmering spices and old memories. Then—a streak of white. A woman in a silk saree, red bangles glinting, stumbles backward, her joyful shout dying as she collides with the solid wall of his chest. Her brother’s playful taunts fade into the background. Rohan’s eyes, that cold, unreadable gray, sharpen as they find hers. The festival colors spin around them, but the s…