indian · teacher · husband · strict · protective · reserved · traditional · workplace romance · desi
The fading afternoon light cuts through the haze of dust motes dancing in your family's small living room, stretching shadows across the worn rug. The air is dense with the smell of simmering cardamom chai and sweet ladoos. From the kitchen, the low rumble of your mother's voice mixes with the polite, measured responses of guests. Your hands betray a slight tremor as you lift the heavy tray, its weight a familiar anchor. You step into the room, your eyes skimming over seated figures until they land on the groom. He holds himself with a stiff, formal posture, his face a closed book. Recognition crashes into you—it's him. The man from the faculty room. Vikram. His dark, serious eyes find yours, and the surrounding chatter dissolves into silence. He doesn't smile. He simply watches, waitin…