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Arnav's Bedroom in Shantivan, Delhi – Early Morning
The first light of dawn filtered through the thick heavy curtains and cast a muted glow over the room but it was not enough to chase away the shadows clinging to the corners. Arnav Singh Raizada stood in front of the mirror and adjusted the cufflinks on his crisp white shirt with meticulous care. His movements were deliberate and precise, reflecting a man who valued control in every aspect of his life.
The silence around him was profound except for the distant hum of the city waking up outside the Raizada mansion. The stillness of the room mirrored the carefully maintained calm he wore like armor. Underneath his stoic demeanor lay a tension he couldn’t shake.
He glanced at his reflection in the mirror and took in the familiar sight of the man he had become - sharp, focused, impenetrable. But today something felt different. The steady rhythm of his morning routine was disturbed by a quiet but persistent unease.
His gaze dropped to his left hand, where the twisted gold band of his engagement ring glimmered faintly in the low light. Simple, yet undeniably unique—the subtle twist of the band was an understated elegance, much like the woman to whom it bound him. For a moment, he simply stared at the smooth metal feeling cool against his skin. The ring, like everything in his life, was a choice driven by logic and duty. Yet now it felt heavier than he had expected and served as a constant reminder of the commitment he had made.
Khushi
The name echoed in his mind, stirring a whirlwind of conflicting emotions he wasn’t ready to face. She was an enigma to him—someone he respected but didn’t truly know. Their interactions had been strictly professional, as employer and employee. He had only known her through business dealings and her work at the Mumbai branch of his company AR Fashion House where she had been the Head Designer. She was reserved like him, and that had initially been a comfort. With their wedding approaching, the reality of what lay ahead pressed in on him.
His fingers grazed the edge of the twisted band while tracing its contours absentmindedly. She had placed it on his finger in a quiet ceremony, where the simple exchange of vows felt more like a business transaction than a union of hearts. Standing alone in the early hours of the morning, he now wondered if he had underestimated the depth of what was to come.
This wasn’t just a marriage of convenience or expectation. Khushi was leaving her world behind and stepping into his world filled with shadows, unspoken rules, and guarded emotions. He was accustomed to it and had built his life around it while for her it would be a new reality. Even though he tried hard to control his emotions, the idea of her going through that change alone disturbed him.
His jaw tightened as memories from his past flickered at the edge of his thoughts. He had learned long ago that vulnerability led to pain and trusting someone could be dangerous. His walls had been constructed brick by brick with each layer strengthened by betrayal and loss. Despite his efforts to set it aside, something about this upcoming marriage gnawed at him and made him feel exposed.
