"You will be the Yuvraani of Suryagarh but you will never be my wife."
When they were only kids, Ridhima and Hruday were promised into a bond they didn't even know the meaning of.
Hruday Singh Tanwar, grew up into the Prince he was destined to be. T...
The night air is thick with anticipation, the silence around the campfire almost deafening. Hruday's eyes shift from Trisha to me and back again, his expression thoughtful and calculating. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing in the quiet night.
Finally, Hruday leans towards me, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that makes my breath catch. He moves slowly, deliberately, savouring the moment. When he's just inches away, he stops, his gaze flicking to my cheek. With a gentle, almost tender motion, he presses his lips to my cheek, the touch soft and lingering. My heart flutters, and I feel a rush of warmth spread through me.
The kiss is brief, but it sends a shiver down my spine. When he pulls back, his eyes meet mine, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips. He sits back, the firelight casting a warm glow on his face.
The group erupts into mixed reactions—cheers, whistles, and gasps.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Dhruv exclaims. "You cheated! I said to kiss the girl next to you!"
Hruday raises an eyebrow, his smile widening. "And I did. You never specified where I should kiss her. You just said kiss."
The group chuckles at Hruday's clever response, but the amusement isn't universal. Trisha's face flashes through a series of emotions—shock, disappointment, and a deepening sense of humiliation. Her forced smile falters, and she stands up abruptly, her eyes blazing with anger.
"This is ridiculous," she snaps, her voice trembling with barely concealed fury. "I'm done with these childish games."
She storms away from the campfire, her footsteps heavy and determined. The group murmurs behind her back, whispers of speculation and gossip filling the air.
"Did you see her face?" someone whispers.
"I can't believe she stormed off like that," another murmurs.
As the night wears on, the group begins to disperse, people heading to their tents. Eventually, it's just Hruday and me left by the fire, the embers glowing softly in the dark.
"Why me?" I ask quietly, not looking at him directly.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. I turn to face him, searching his eyes for a deeper meaning. "Was it just because of the dare?"
Hruday is silent for a moment, then he replies, "Of course I would choose you. Should I kiss another girl when my fiancée is right there?"
His words send a pang through my heart, and I glance down at the ring on my finger, the symbol of our engagement. "But our engagement isn't real," I say softly, my voice tinged with profound sadness. I look away from his face, his sincere expression. Hating him is the hardest thing in the world, especially when he looks at me with so much sincerity. I twist and untwist my fingers in my lap, where the bangles he gave me jingle softly.
"It may not be real in the way you think," he says quietly, "but that doesn't mean it doesn't mean anything to me."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
