𝐀 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲.

4

Chapter 4:
The Mutual Agreement.

Sejal’s palms were clammy as she stepped into the opulent conference room. The grandeur of the space did little to calm her nerves. At the far end, behind a massive mahogany desk, sat Rishabh Chavan; poised, unreadable, and cold. His piercing gaze locked onto hers like a predator sizing up its prey.

“Ms. Jaiswal,” he said, his voice cutting through the silence like ice. “I trust you understand the gravity of our situation.”

Her heart pounded. She shifted uneasily beneath his unrelenting stare. “Yes, Mr. Chavan. I'm fully aware of the circumstances… and the expectations placed upon us.”

He leaned back slowly in his chair, arms folded, eyes still fixed on her. “Then enlighten me. What’s your proposal?”

Sejal swallowed hard, summoning the courage to speak. “I believe the best course of action is to get married. For one year. The deal between our companies depends on it, and this… arrangement would allow us to uphold our commitments.”

Rishabh didn’t flinch. The silence that followed made her anxiety grow tenfold.

“I’ll attend business events with you,” she continued, her voice strained. “It would help with public perception. I won’t interfere in your personal matters, and I expect the same in return. We only have to get along for a year.”

His expression was unreadable. “And after the year?”

“We part ways,” she said. “A peaceful divorce. No complications. We simply play our parts, put on a convincing show, and move on.”

More silence.

Then finally, Rishabh spoke. “Your proposal is... practical. It benefits both companies.”

Relief flickered in Sejal’s chest. She met his gaze. “Thank you. I believe this arrangement serves our interests, without personal entanglements.”

He nodded slowly. “Then we proceed with this understanding. A marriage of convenience. Strictly professional. Our personal lives stay untouched.”

Sejal gave a small, almost invisible sigh of relief. “Agreed. We’ll make this work. One year, then divorce.”

But then her voice shifted; firmer, sharper.

“But I have two things to mention.”

“Go ahead,” Rishabh said coldly.

“First,” she began, “we’ll be living together. And while we both hate this, pretending won’t be easy.”

“Get to the point,” he snapped.

She frowned. “Straight to the point, I see. Fine. If, by any chance, we end up liking each other… should we give this marriage a chance?”

Rishabh’s laugh was humorless. “That’s never going to happen.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I said if. And in case I like someone else during this time, I’ll suppress it for the sake of our arrangement.”

His gaze turned sharp. “You’d like someone else, huh?”

“Yes, Mr. Chavan. I’m a woman. I can be attracted to people. You’re not the center of the universe.”

He raised a brow. “And the second thing?”

“I’m getting married for the first time. Regardless of the reason, I want to at least enjoy the wedding. So don’t ruin it. Don’t obstruct every little thing. We need to keep up appearances, especially for our families.”