Sonakshi’s POV:
"Sona beta, utho! Subah ke 8 baj gaye hain, Suraj sar par aa chuka hai. Jaldi utho!" called Ishwari, Sonakshi’s mother, from the kitchen.
(Sona is a nickname for Sonakshi, so we’ll use it moving forward.)
"Maa, aaj toh sone do na. Chhutti hai aur kal itna kaam kiya. Aaj chain se sone ka mauka mila hai, aur main is mauke ko khona nahi chahti," Sona mumbled in a sleepy voice.
Her mother sighed. "Theek hai, jitna sona hai, so lo. Par tumhari bua ke jaane ke baad!"
At this, Sona shot up from her bed. "Maa, bua aayi hai? Kyun? Kis liye?"
"Yeh sawal toh tum unse hi karo," Ishwari replied with a knowing smile.
Sona's bua, Saudamini, was known for being incredibly annoying. For Sona, her bua was someone who lived to discuss her marriage—a topic that Sona avoided like the plague. Sona firmly believed in achieving her dreams before even considering marriage, while her bua thought a girl’s sole purpose was to get married and be tethered to her husband’s will.
Dragging herself out of bed, Sona got ready and wore a simple short kurti before heading to the dining hall. As she approached the dining table, she overheard her parents and bua deep in conversation. Her mom and dad looked unusually cheerful.
Sona greeted her bua politely, but Saudamini smirked and said, "Aao, Sona beta. Uth gayi rajkumari? Lagta hai tumhe sone se kuch zyada hi pyaar hai."
Sona laughed off the comment, brushing it aside.
Suddenly, Saudamini turned to Ishwari and Vishwas and asked, "Toh kya main rishta pakka samjhun?"
Sona froze. "Kiska rishta? Konsa rishta?" she exclaimed.
Her father, Vishwas, spoke up. "Beta, tumhare liye didi ek rishta layi hain. Ladka bohot accha hai, aur uska parivaar bhi."
Sona’s temper flared. "But Papa, I don’t want to get married right now, not before achieving my goals!"
Saudamini interjected, dismissively, "Tumhari umar ho gayi hai shaadi ki. Yeh sapne tum apne pati ke saath pura kar lena, agar woh chahe toh."
Sona clenched her fists in rage but tried reasoning with her father again. "Papa, please—"
Before she could finish, Vishwas interrupted, "Beta, hum sabko lagta hai ki yeh ladka tumhare liye sahi hoga. Aur main nahi chahta koi mere faisle par sawal uthaye."
Sona was furious, her father’s words cutting deep. While she understood that her parents wanted the best for her, their decision to force her into a marriage felt suffocating. After dinner, Saudamini left, but Sona remained tense for the rest of the evening.
---
Later that night, she sat in her room, staring blankly at her phone. She noticed several missed calls from her boss, and panic set in. Her boss never called unless something urgent had happened. She quickly returned the call.
"Hello, sir," she said nervously.
"Where were you, Sonakshi? Do you have any idea how important this is?" her boss demanded.
"I’m so sorry, sir. I was busy, and my phone was in my room. What’s the matter?" she asked, trying to stay calm.
"It’s okay now, but listen carefully. We’ve landed a huge deal with the Singhania Group for their hotel projects. You’ve been assigned as the lead designer for this project," he explained.
Sona’s initial excitement vanished at the mention of Singhania Group. Her expression darkened, but masking her anger, she replied in a cheerful tone, "That’s amazing news, sir. Congratulations! I’ll do my best to ensure the project’s success."
"We trust you, Sonakshi. That’s why you’re leading this project," her boss replied before ending the call.
Sona sat there, overwhelmed. The thought of working for Singhania Group was unbearable. However, the idea of marrying a random man chosen by her bua felt slightly more tolerable.
---
Flashback: One Year Ago
Sonakshi had been ecstatic to pitch her interior design proposal to one of the country’s largest construction firms. The project was to develop luxury resorts in the eastern region—a deal that could catapult her career and fulfill her dream of starting her own company.
Confident and prepared, she entered the presentation room and delivered her pitch flawlessly. Certain of her success, she waited in the lounge for two hours before being called back in.
Inside, the decision-makers appeared deep in discussion. Just as one of them began speaking, an assistant entered, handing over a phone,
The head asked Sonakshi to wait
outside
---
Rishi’s POV:
In his office, Rishi Singhania’s phone buzzed with a call from his secretary, Soham.
"Sir, I’m almost at the office," Soham informed him.
Rishi’s voice was cold. "Move faster and talk less," he snapped before ending the call.
Later, Soham approached a rival businessman, Mr. Shrivastava. "Mr. Singhania would like to speak with you," he said, handing over the phone.
Rishi’s voice was calm but menacing. "Mr. Shrivastava, I understand your company is working on a project similar to ours—on land uncomfortably close to our site. I hope you’re aware of what happened to RK Group when they crossed paths with me. If you don’t want the same fate, I suggest you rethink your decision. Choose wisely."
Mr. Shrivastava’s confidence faltered. He knew Rishi’s reputation for ruthlessly eliminating competition and immediately decided to withdraw from the project.
---
Sonakshi' POV:
The assistant called me inside "Miss Sonakshi, we regret to inform you that the deal has been awarded to the Singhania Group. We’re sorry, but this decision is final."Mr. Shirwastava said.
Sonakshi stood there, stunned. Months of hard work had gone to waste. She knew something unethical had happened—the project didn’t seem like something the Singhania Group would even need. From that day, she harbored a deep resentment for them.
---
Thank you for reading this chapter<3
Please Comment and vote it motivates me to continue my passion for writing stories :-)
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Khud se zyada
Romance"Sonakshi, soft yet fierce, and Rishi, fierce yet soft, carry their own burdens and broken pasts. When they meet, they find strength in each other, helping to heal the wounds of their pasts. Together, they learn that the true power lies in trusting...
