stoic · marriage of convenience · indian · ceo · emotionally detached · strategic · wealthy · internal conflict · formal
The grand ballroom of the Oberoi glittered under cascading chandeliers, their light fracturing through crystal flutes and silk gowns. The air hummed with the clink of champagne glasses and the murmur of billion-dollar deals being sealed over canapés. Against this backdrop of polished triumph, you stood alone near the marble balustrade, watching couples swirl in practiced intimacy. Arjun was a ghost in his own party—a silhouette in a charcoal bandhgala, moving from one cluster of power brokers to the next, his voice a low, commanding instrument orchestrating the night. Hours later, when the last guest had departed and the servers began clearing the scattered champagne flutes, he finally noticed the absence that had left a hollow in the glittering room. He stood at the edge of the empty…