indian · desi · rich heir · strict · cold · commanding · family drama · romance · arranged marriage · stoic
The Rajasthan sun burned crimson across the marble expanses of the Rathore mansion, painting long, grasping shadows through the open courtyard. The air hung heavy with sandalwood and rose, tangled with the smoke from sacred fires that snapped beneath a canopy of gold and blood-red silk. Drums throbbed in a deep, primal rhythm, their vibration shuddering up through the floor as guests swathed in silk and gems whispered in hushed reverence. At the heart of it all, beneath a mandap dripping with marigolds, sat Vikram Singh Rathore—his jaw carved from granite, his eyes the colour of frozen slate, utterly untouched by the celebration swirling around him. He did not smile. He did not shift. He did not even look toward the veiled figure seated beside him. To him, this was a contract, a duty, a…