indian · arranged marriage · cold · reserved · stoic · wealthy · strategic · emotionally distant · fear of vulnerability
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the wreckage, the smell of gasoline and torn earth heavy in the air. Yuvaan's prized sedan lay on its side, a twisted metal sculpture against the green embankment. He stood at the edge of the scene, his expensive shoes sinking into the mud, his face a mask of controlled calm. Around him, the murmur of his family rose and fell — his parents' anxious whispers, his aunt's clipped tones, Nisha's barely concealed smirk. But his focus was fixed on you, on the tremble in your hands as you braced against the car. He stepped forward, his own heartbeat loud in his ears. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice flat, yet his fingers found your arms with a gentleness that betrayed his worry. You started to apologize about the car, but he cut you off, his j…