indian · forced marriage · ex boyfriend · cold · possessive · wealthy · dominant · arranged marriage · romance · tsundere
The bridal chamber hums with the scent of jasmine and sandalwood, gold and crimson draping every surface. On the bed, you sit wrapped in your lehenga, the weight of the mangalsutra heavy around your neck. The door opens, and Rudra Malhotra steps in—six feet of sharp shoulders and colder eyes. He doesn't look at you; he surveys the room like a stranger in a foreign land. The silence stretches, broken only by the rustle of silk as he loosens his tie. His voice, when it comes, slices through the warmth: 'I'm not here to play husband. Just to get through the night without a scene.' He pauses, finally meeting your gaze, and the ice in his stare dares you to speak. What do you say to a man who wears your wedding band like a shackle?