Tera Hona.

Chapter 3 (Naina pov)

Naina's POV

I'm in my room. It's really small. The windows are cracked from age, and there's a leak in the roof. Through that crack, raindrops drip onto the floor.

The dripping sound is the only thing I can hear. Nothing else. My mind is full of what Maaji just said.

I look at myself in the mirror. My pale cheeks look hollow, and my skin matches the color of my lips. The dark circles under my eyes are as usual. My black hair stands out the most—it's the only thing I really like about myself. Other than that, none of my features are attractive. Looking at my reflection, Maaji's words start running wild in my mind again.

I don't know how she can do that to me. I don't care what family he's from—I can't marry someone I don't even know. I haven't even met him. I understand what Maaji said—that if I marry him, our orphanage will finally get all the help it needs. But I can't just give up my life like that.

When I was growing up here, I wanted someone to adopt me. I wanted a real family. I used to hope that one day my real mother would come back for me. None of that ever happened. When I went to college, I wanted to be the top student and get a well-paying job. That didn't happen either. So now, wishing to marry someone I truly love feels like another dream that's never going to come true.

If I'm going to marry someone—with or without love—I need to know everything about him.

I pick up my phone. It's an old Android, with a bad camera and a cracked screen, but it still does its job. I open Google Chrome and type: "Ishaan Raizada."

A bunch of results pop up, along with several photos. I click the first one.

His dark brown eyes catch my attention immediately. I zoom in and notice golden speckles around his iris. His face looks like it was sculpted by the gods—sharp features, smooth skin, and that kind of beauty you'd imagine a Greek god to have. He's wearing an all-black shirt and jeans in the picture, which makes his fair skin stand out even more. His jawline and lips look perfect, like someone carved them by hand. His arms are veiny, one hand in his pocket, the other resting casually on his shirt button.

Then I realize what I'm doing—staring at his photo like an idiot. I quickly close the tab and open Wikipedia instead.

Turns out, Ishaan is only twenty-five. He manages almost all the Raizada family businesses and even made it to the Forbes list. Damn. Okay, so what I've learned from all this is—he's never going to agree to marry me. He's rich, ridiculously good-looking, and successful. Why would he want to marry an orphan girl who dropped out of college and works part-time as a caretaker and waitress?

I lay back on my bed and sigh. There's no point worrying about marrying a stranger if it's not even going to happen.

Now I've got all the time in the world. I can save some money, go back to college, and finally become financially independent.

Just as I'm smiling at the thought, Maaji walks into my room. She looks so happy. She sits down on my bed, which creaks under her weight.

"Naina, I just got off the phone with Shivaay beta. Ishaan agreed to marry you! Shivaay is arranging a meeting for you two. The engagement will be done within the next two weeks. I'm so happy for you, Naina—you're finally getting the life you always deserved," Maaji says, hugging me tightly.

Okay... so now, what the hell am I going to do? But right now, I can't do anything. So I just nod and smile at Maaji.