Shadowed Desires

Chapter-4

Next day...
8:00 PM

There was chaos in the Shekhawat villa in preparation for a grand event—the reception of Atharv and Kritika. The entire villa was adorned with flowers and dazzling lights.

The venue was brimming with notable personalities, from politicians to business tycoons. Alongside media coverage from multiple news channels, thousands of guests had arrived to celebrate the union of two high-profile families.

Atharv was speaking to his sibling Aditya—youngest yet the most successful lawyer in the city—when Riddhima approached them.

Riddhima said, “Go to your room and take Kritika along with you. I want her to be introduced by you. This is going to be your first public appearance together. You know how important that is.”

Atharv replied with irritation, “Why this drama?”

Riddhima responded, “Neither you nor she are ordinary people. Even before marriage, her surname alone made her stand apart in any crowd. Now that you both are married, it's your joint responsibility to uphold the family’s reputation. You took vows willingly—to stand by her always. Now it’s time to fulfill them.”

Following his mother’s stern words, Atharv made his way toward Kritika’s room. Standing outside, he called, “How much longer will you take?”

Kritika responded from inside, “Just a minute!”

He glanced at his watch when the door swung open, revealing Kritika draped in a red sequin saree that gracefully highlighted her curves. The sleeveless blouse added to her elegance.

As soon as Atharv’s eyes landed on her, his heart skipped a beat. Their eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them—a flicker of a spark in the air.

Breaking the eye contact and adjusting her saree pleats, Kritika said, “We should leave now.”

Her words pulled Atharv back to reality, and together, they walked downstairs.

As they descended and reached the stage, all eyes turned to them. The camera flashes created a shimmer of light across their faces, adding to their radiant appearance.

Standing like a picture-perfect couple, they basked in public admiration. But reality wasn’t as flawless as it seemed.

> The world celebrates perfection, but real emotions remain buried deep. In an age of “fake it till you make it,” truth often remains masked behind curated smiles.

Soon, journalists swarmed them, eager with questions for the new power couple.

One male journalist asked, “My question is for Kritika Chauhan—sorry—Mrs. Kritika Shekhawat.”

Kritika nodded for him to continue.

He asked, “So, as we all saw, some photos of the two of you went viral recently. The buzz is that this marriage is just a cover-up for that scandal. Is it true?”

Before Kritika could answer, Atharv stepped in, “The woman you’re addressing is my wife, and I won’t tolerate any attempt to assassinate her character. In this family, we do not allow anyone to question the dignity of our women.”

Kritika held his hand to calm him down, and Atharv fell silent.

Kritika responded, “It’s okay. It’s your job to ask questions, but I’d advise you to choose your words more carefully. What you’re calling a mistake... we call it love.”

Another journalist asked, “If it was love, why did the marriage happen only after those pictures leaked? Isn’t that suspicious?”

Atharv replied, “We were in love, but our families weren’t on good terms. We needed their consent to marry. Unfortunately, someone leaked those pictures from misleading angles. They weren’t intimate, but enough for people like you to blow them out of proportion.”