Threads of Destiny :Destined for Desire

3.Twists of Destiny

Samarth pov

The room was large but simple, with old wooden furniture and thick curtains that kept it dim. A man lay naked in the middle of the bed, half-covered by a blanket. His usually calm face was tense, brows furrowed as a dream gripped him.

The night sky was pouring rain, drenching everything below. A black car sped down a dark, deserted road, its tyres skidding on the wet surface. Suddenly, the headlights illuminated a truck swerving into its path. The crash was deafening. The car flipped several times, glass shattering into the air. In the wreckage, he saw a woman, her face barely visible but unmistakable—her grey eyes wide with fear, clutching something precious to her chest. He wanted to reach her, but his body was frozen. He could only watch helplessly as the car came to a halt, smoke rising from the crumpled metal. Her voice, faint and distant, echoed in his ears.

"Help me..."

He woke with a start, his chest heaving as he tried to steady his breath. He sat up, wiping sweat from his brow, his heart still racing from the vivid nightmare. The woman’s face lingered in his mind. Who was she? And why did the vision feel so real?

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. "Sir, the wedding preparations have started. The guests are arriving," a servant said from the doorway.

Samarth nodded, still clouded by the dream, but rose to get ready. Today was important—not just for his family, but for the whole village. His cousin, Shreya, was set to marry into the powerful Singhania family, uniting their influence. The Rathores were built on tradition, though Samarth often questioned the rigid customs. Still, duty came first.

The Rathore mansion buzzed with colour and celebration. Flowers adorned every corner, and the sound of music filled the air. The wedding was set in a grand open hall, packed with guests from both families. As Samarth oversaw the preparations, someone caught his eye.

He saw her—a woman standing slightly apart from the crowd, watching everything with an unreadable expression. Her posture was strong, her presence undeniable. Her grey eyes, the same as in his dream, sent a jolt through his chest.

Arya sensed someone staring at her and quickly turned around. At that moment, everything around them seemed to pause. As their eyes met, they both felt something strange. A feeling they couldn’t explain. Though strangers, they felt a connection, as if fate had bound them together.

Arya raised an eyebrow at him.

Samarth thought to himself, That's bold.

Before they could speak, chaos erupted.

"Arjun can’t marry Shreya," one of the elders said in a hushed tone.

Samarth’s father, looking grim, turned to Arjun, who stood with his head bowed. "What is this nonsense?"

Arjun hesitated before speaking. "I… I can’t marry her. I’ve been hiding something." He looked around at the shocked faces before continuing. "I have a lover, and she’s pregnant. I can’t betray her, not like this."

The news hit everyone like a wave. The families had spent months planning this union, and now it was falling apart just before the wedding. Samarth’s father, visibly angry, addressed the elders. "This wedding must happen today, or our family’s reputation will be ruined."

One of the elders quickly turned to Samarth. "Someone must marry in his place. It’s the only way to salvage the situation."

Samarth’s heart pounded. Marry? To whom? He had no intention of being dragged into this mess. But his father’s gaze was firm, demanding.

Before Samarth could respond, his eyes were drawn back to the same woman in the crowd. The same woman from his dream, standing off to the side. Her posture was confident, her grey eyes piercing. Samarth froze.

He didn’t know who she was, but something about her felt magnetic.

One of the elders followed his gaze and, seeing Arya, spoke up. "Who is she? She looks like someone of importance."

Arya, noticing the attention, stepped forward. She hadn’t planned on getting involved. She had come as a guest, hoping to avoid attention after recent events. But now, all eyes were on her.

An elder, sensing an opportunity, spoke quickly. "Samarth, marry her. She’s clearly from a good family, and this will solve the problem."

Arya blinked in surprise. Marriage? She had just stepped into the event, and now she was being proposed to by a stranger. She had no idea who this man was, but she saw the urgency in his eyes. She also knew that refusing could bring her unwanted trouble.

Samarth turned to her, his voice steady but uncertain. "I know this is sudden, but… can we talk? And you, Arjun, come with me."

The three of them entered a room. Samarth turned to Arjun and punched him square in the face.

"What the hell is this, you bastard? Did you even think about my sister?"

Arjun wiped the blood from his lip. "Before you say anything, let me explain."

"At our last gathering, I was drugged. I don’t know by whom, but I barely managed to escape. By the time I did, the drugs had taken over me. I was helpless when she helped me. She’s innocent. I ruined her life that night, but she never demanded anything. She didn’t even come to me when she found out she was pregnant. I just found out about it two days back. She’s a commoner. Imagine how she’ll survive in this world. No one will listen to her, only blame her. She’s a pure soul, and though I don’t know her well, I have to take responsibility."

He then turned to Arya. "And Arya, I think you should say yes. Samarth can help you with the stone matter. His family is in that business, and you need protection."

Arya was caught off guard but was used to dealing with the unexpected. She took a moment to think. She was grateful to Arjun for helping her and marrying into this family could offer her the protection she needed, especially while she was still recovering and searching for the stone. Something about Samarth also seemed oddly familiar, even though they had never met.

After a long pause, she gave a firm nod. "Yes."

"But I have something to ask."

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Hi everyone, my exams are still ongoing, but I took a break to complete this chapter as I had already drafted most of it. I won’t be updating regularly for now because of my exams. Once they’re over, I’ll be more active and post regularly. Until then, please bear with me. Thank you for your understanding...

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