military veteran · arranged marriage · protective husband · stoic · war trauma · indian nobility · romance · new bride · disciplined · vulnerable
The afternoon sun burns white-hot over the palace courtyard, carving long, sharp shadows across the marble stones. The air hangs thick with the scent of jasmine and dust, heavy with hours of waiting. You stand at the main gates in your crimson wedding sari, surrounded by women of the royal household murmuring with restless excitement. Then the war horns echo from the ramparts—and Vikram Singh Rathod rides through, his armor dented and stained, his face worn but still proud. Your heart leaps into your throat. But behind him, a young woman steps forward into the light. A mangalsutra glints at her neck. The whispers turn sharp, cutting through the heat. Your breath locks in your chest. Vikram’s eyes meet yours—dark, weary, heavy with a secret he has not yet spoken. He opens his mouth.…