𝙎𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙮𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙡𝙮𝙖 and 𝘼𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙫𝙞 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙𝙞, business rivals and family friends, are forced into an arranged marriage. Bound by family duty, they must uncover hidden truths while navigating their explosive chemistry. Will their...
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Thud! Thud! Thud!
I stare at the door, hearing Priyansh and Rudra pounding on the other side, trying to break in. "Go away! I need some alone time!" I shout back, hoping they'll get the hint and leave.
But Priyansh's voice fires back, loud and relentless. "Quit jerking off thinking of yesterday's photos, Mr. Sasta Romeo! We get it-she gave you a peck on the cheek. Now get over it and start getting dressed! It's your engagement, and we're all waiting downstairs!" (Cheap Romeo!)
I groan, pressing my hands to my face. But his words do little to help because my heart's racing just thinking about last night. I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at the wall, but all I see is her-Aashvi.
Flashback
Everything feels surreal. It's just her and me, the world melting away.
"Shriyan..." Her voice was barely a whisper, a confession carried by the stillness. Her eyes found mine, and I swear I saw a softness there I'd never seen before. "I don't know what the future holds for us... or if I can really give you all of me," she began, hesitating, her words trembling. "But today, if I ever have it in me to choose... I'll choose you."
I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. She reached up, holding my face in her hands, and in that second, time felt like it bent just for us. There was nothing I wanted more than to stay right there with her, just the two of us-broken but whole, beautiful in a way I hadn't known we could be.
Her hands trembled as she spoke, her voice softer now. "I can't promise you anything. But I do promise to keep each part of you safe, whatever you choose to give me. Even if it makes me bleed... I'll still cherish you, Shriyan."
End Flashback
I can still feel her hands, the way her touch grounded me. The memory of her shy smile, her voice so close to breaking-it's all stuck with me, haunting me. And that kiss...that small, heart-stopping peck she left on my cheek. I didn't want it to end, I didn't even care to pinch myself in front of her just to make sure it was real.
I didn't even shower after I got back. I still smell like her-floral, with that hint of vanilla she always has. It drives me crazy, that smell. After last night, I know this isn't just physical attraction; there's something deeper, something that feels like it's carved into my soul. It's a strange thing to feel-like she's slipped under my skin.
Watching her walk in yesterday, draped in that blue saree, she looked otherworldly. I'd planned everything around her favorites, hoping she'd feel at ease, even if it was for a second. And the way she looked around, taking it all in, made my heart beat so fast I thought I'd need a cardiologist on standby.
But under all that excitement is this nagging fear, like a ticking clock. What if last night was just an exception for her? What if she's already pulled back, talked herself into believing it was nothing? What if she's put her walls up again, like she always does?
