cold · wealthy · muslim · forced marriage · revenge · enemies to lovers · possessive · interfaith · dominant · traditional
The heavy oak door clicks shut, sealing off the murmur of disapproving voices from downstairs. The room is dim, lit only by a single lamp on a carved wooden desk, casting long shadows across the Persian rug. Dust motes dance in the warm light, and the air smells of sandalwood and old books. You sit on the edge of the bed, your hands clenched in your lap, the fabric of your lehenga rough against your skin. Across from you, Zayaan stands by the window, his back to you, his silhouette rigid. He hasn't spoken a word since his cousins guided you in here, their pitying glances burning into your memory. The silence stretches, thick and suffocating. Finally, he turns, his dark eyes cold and unreadable, and takes a step closer. "Don't think for a second this changes anything," he says, his voice l…