Bound by Fire

The Wedding Plan - or Lack Thereof

Sanya sat in front of her bedroom mirror, absently twisting a strand of hair around her finger. The events of the last few days felt surreal, like she had somehow stumbled into an alternate universe where she had agreed to marry Aarav Mehra—a man she barely liked, let alone loved.

"How did I end up here?" she mumbled to her reflection. Her reflection, of course, had no answers.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, and she glanced over to see Aarav's name flash across the screen. For a moment, she hesitated. She had said yes to this arrangement, but that didn't mean she was mentally prepared to dive into wedding planning with someone who once referred to marriage as a "contractual agreement."

Reluctantly, she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Aarav's voice was as steady as always, but there was a slight nervousness in his tone that wasn't usually there. "So... I've been thinking."

"Uh-oh," Sanya said dryly, leaning back on her bed. "This doesn't sound good."

Aarav chuckled. "Very funny. But seriously, I think we should meet up to discuss... the wedding."

Sanya groaned dramatically, rolling onto her side. "Wedding? We're really doing this?"

"Well, you did say yes," Aarav reminded her, sounding almost smug.

"Yes, yes, I remember," she muttered. "I just... I guess it's hitting me now. We're actually going to have to plan a wedding. Like... a real wedding."

"Unless you'd prefer a fake one?" Aarav teased, but there was a slight edge of anxiety in his voice that made Sanya grin.

"Oh, no," she said, sitting up. "If I'm going to marry you, we're going all out. I want flowers, I want lights, I want cake. Big cake. And I want you to smile in all the pictures. None of that brooding, serious businessman face."

Aarav sighed dramatically on the other end. "I don't brood."

"You do brood," Sanya countered, laughing. "But don't worry, I'll teach you how to smile for a wedding photo. Consider it part of our 'deal.'"

Aarav chuckled softly. "Fine. You get flowers, cake, and a smiling groom. But in return, I want this wedding to be quick and simple. Nothing too extravagant. We don't want to raise suspicions."

Sanya's smile faded slightly as she remembered the practical nature of this entire situation. Right. A marriage of convenience. Nothing romantic, no grand declarations of love. Just... business.

"Fine," she said, keeping her tone light despite the faint disappointment that tugged at her heart. "Quick, simple, and just enough glamor to keep everyone happy."

"Deal," Aarav said, his voice softening. "I'll see you tomorrow, then? We can meet to start planning."

"Tomorrow it is," Sanya replied, hanging up the phone and staring at the ceiling.

Aarav was impossible to read. One minute, he was making sarcastic comments and laughing with her, and the next, he was all business, his tone serious and detached. It was like he had two completely different sides, and Sanya wasn't sure which one she was supposed to trust.

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**The next day**, Sanya and Aarav met at a quiet café on the outskirts of the city, far away from prying eyes. Aarav arrived looking as polished as ever, his hair neatly combed, his shirt perfectly pressed. Sanya, on the other hand, had barely mustered the energy to throw on a casual dress. The whole situation still felt ridiculous to her.

"So," Aarav began, pulling out a notepad like they were about to negotiate a business deal. "Let's get the essentials down."

Sanya blinked at him. "The essentials?"

Aarav nodded seriously, scribbling something on the notepad. "Yes. Guest list, venue, date... you know, the basics."

Sanya couldn't help it—she burst out laughing. "Oh my God, Aarav, you're planning this wedding like you're preparing for a board meeting! Do you have a PowerPoint presentation, too?"

Aarav raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching slightly. "If you'd like one, I can have it ready by tomorrow."

Sanya clutched her stomach, laughing harder. "No! No PowerPoints, please! I don't think I can handle the idea of graphs and pie charts at our wedding planning sessions."

Aarav leaned back in his chair, watching her with amusement. "I thought you liked being organized."

"Oh, I do," Sanya said between giggles, wiping her eyes. "But there's organized, and then there's... *this.*" She gestured to the notepad, still shaking her head. "You really don't do anything halfway, do you?"

"I'm a man of efficiency," Aarav replied with a small smile. "Besides, if we're going to do this, we might as well do it right."

Sanya's laughter died down as she watched Aarav for a moment. He was so different from anyone she had ever met—so methodical, so calm under pressure. And yet, there was something endearing about the way he approached this whole wedding thing. Like he wanted to make sure everything went perfectly, even if the whole marriage was just for show.

"Well, Mr. Efficient," Sanya said, leaning forward, "if you really want to do this right, we need to make a few things clear."

Aarav looked at her curiously. "Such as?"

"For starters, this wedding is not going to be some stiff, formal event," Sanya said, crossing her arms. "We're inviting people, and it's going to be fun. You can't just... *not smile.* And you can't act like you're in a business meeting the whole time."

Aarav's lips twitched into a smirk. "Fun, huh? You're going to make this difficult for me, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," Sanya replied with a grin. "You're going to have the time of your life, Mehra. Dancing, cake, and... wait for it... smiling."

Aarav sighed, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You're relentless."

"Someone's got to be," Sanya said, leaning back in her chair. "Besides, if I'm going to marry you, I'm going to make sure it's memorable. Even if it's fake."

Aarav's gaze softened slightly at her words, and for a moment, something unspoken passed between them. Sanya quickly brushed it off, refusing to dwell on whatever that look meant.

"So," Aarav said after a pause, "are we doing this your way or mine?"

Sanya raised an eyebrow, smiling mischievously. "Both. A compromise. You get your efficient planning, I get my fun wedding. Deal?"

Aarav extended his hand across the table, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Deal."

Sanya shook his hand, and for the first time since they had agreed to this crazy arrangement, she felt a strange sense of excitement bubbling up inside her.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

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