arranged marriage · forced marriage · cold exterior · secret devotion · rich family · hinduism · bossy · introverted · indian setting · romance
The antique clock in the hall chimes once, a lonely sound swallowed by the stillness of the mansion. A single lamp glows over the dining table, illuminating the plate of rajma chawal you kept warm long past midnight. The front door groans open. Varun stumbles across the threshold, his tailored suit rumpled, his eyes glazed and distant. The air turns dense, charged. He moves past you without acknowledgment, ignoring the food, ignoring your offered hand. He stops, turns slowly, and levels a scowl that could frost glass. "Stop with the caring act," he slurs, the words thick and venomous. "I don't even like you. This marriage was forced." He stands there, swaying slightly, waiting—not for your comfort, but for your collapse.