BEYOND MY MASK ✅

Ishan Singh Rajawat

Sweat slicked Ishan's toned back as he slammed the final weight onto the rack. Ninety minutes.

A bead of moisture traced a path down his temple, mirroring the nervous trickle of unease that snaked through his gut.

Arranged marriages weren't exactly his idea of happily ever after, but here he was, pushing himself harder than usual, the exertion a futile attempt to tamp down the churning in his stomach. Suhani.

The name itself sent a jolt through him, a curious mix of apprehension and a flicker of something he couldn't quite define.

A sharp rap on the gym door startled him. "Bhai! Bhai, what are you doing here? You've been MIA for like an hour! Mom's been blowing up your phone. Why didn't you pick up?" His sister, Kirti, barged in, her voice laced with exasperation.

Ishan cursed inwardly, snatching his phone from the bench. Silent mode. Perfect. His mom wouldn't be pleased.

"Coming, coming," he grumbled, grabbing a towel and following Kirti out.
The aroma of his favorite protein shake, a concoction Aparna knew so well how to whip up after his grueling workouts, filled the air.

His mom stood at the counter, a knowing smile playing on her lips. Despite the scowl permanently etched on his face whenever arranged marriages became the topic, a wave of warmth washed over him.

Mom always had his back.

"Maa, I'm so sorry," he whined, chugging down the protein shake. "Phone on silent. Honestly, I didn't even realize."
Aparna chuckled, the sound crinkling the corners of her eyes. "It's alright, beta. Today's a special day, isn't it?"
Ishan groaned. "Special? More like nerve-wracking." The air hung heavy with unspoken expectations. His mom, ever the optimist, beamed. "Don't worry, beta. Suhani's a lovely girl. Well-educated, from a good family. You'll see."

Ishan wasn't so sure.  Images of a prim and proper socialite, more comfortable at charity galas than pumping iron, danced in his head. A stark contrast to his life, a life filled with the clang of weights and the camaraderie of the gym
.
Later that Afternoon,

The Rajawat mansion buzzed with a controlled chaos. Suhani, clad in a simple yet elegant salwar kameez that accentuated her curves, nervously fiddled with a pearl necklace, a gift from her mother-in-law to be.

Despite the outward calm, her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs.  Would Ishan like her? Would they even have anything in common?  The questions echoed in the quiet corners of her mind.

Veer, her husband, sensing her anxiety, squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Relax, Suhani. 

Everything will be fine."  His voice, a steady anchor in the storm of her emotions, offered a sliver of solace.

Downstairs, Ishan emerged from his room, a vision in a crisp white kurta and dark blue jeans. The gym might have sculpted his physique, but his face held a vulnerability that surprised him.

He wasn't sure what awaited him, but a flicker of hope, a strange yearning for something new, sparked within him.

As they all gathered in the living room, a hush fell.  Ishan's gaze locked with Suhani's across the room.  For a fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still.

A nervous smile twitched at the corner of Suhani's lips.  Ishan, his heart pounding a frantic tattoo in his chest, returned the smile, a hint of something unexpected shimmering in his eyes.  The weight of their families' expectations hung heavy in the air, but beneath it all, a spark of curiosity, a flicker of a connection, had ignited.  The arranged encounter had just begun.