UNWILLINGLY HIS

Family reunion

The sound of the doorbell echoed through the house, and Samaira's heart skipped a beat as she made her way to the door. She couldn't contain her excitement as she opened it to find Naksh standing there, with his parents beside him. After an entire year, they had finally come back from abroad. Naksh, her cousin and the CEO of Singhania Industries, looked just the same—sharp, confident, and dressed in a tailored suit. His parents, whom Samaira had grown up with, were as warm and welcoming as ever, their smiles full of joy at seeing their daughter again.

"Naksh!" Samaira exclaimed, stepping forward to give him a hug. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him until this moment. It was the first time in a long while that she had felt truly happy. Her family, reunited at last.

"Samaira, it's been too long," Naksh said, his voice full of affection as he hugged her back. "I couldn't wait to get back. And I had to hear all the gossip from everyone back home. How are you?"

"I’m good, Naksh," Samaira replied, her voice softening as she looked up at him. "Really good now that you’re back."

"Looks like we’re all good now," Naksh’s father, a distinguished man in his late fifties, said with a proud smile. "It’s been too long since we were all together. We missed you."

The reunion was filled with warm exchanges as Samaira led Naksh and his parents to the living room, where her father and mother were already waiting. They spent a few moments catching up, laughing over old memories and exchanging stories of their time apart. But Samaira couldn't ignore the slight tension in the air; there was a subtle unease in her that she hadn’t yet shared with Naksh or anyone else.

As everyone settled in, Naksh glanced over at Samaira. He had been following her on social media, and the recent news of her marriage to Advait had caught his attention. The pictures, the interviews—he had been shocked. The man who had betrayed her, leaving her at the altar a year ago, had somehow wormed his way into her life again. But Naksh wasn’t the type to confront her right away. He would wait until they were alone.

It didn’t take long for the perfect moment to arrive. After the family had sat down for a light dinner, Naksh excused himself and found Samaira in the hallway, standing by the large window overlooking the garden. The evening sky was painted with shades of purple and gold, but Samaira wasn’t paying attention to the view. Her mind was elsewhere.

"Samaira," Naksh said, walking up to her. "There’s something I need to ask."

She turned to face him, her gaze steady but cautious. "What is it, Naksh?"

"I’ve been following your posts... and I saw your marriage to Advait," Naksh said, his tone a mix of concern and curiosity. "I thought... after everything that happened with him, you were going to marry Aarav. What changed? Why him? Why Advait?"

Samaira stiffened, her heart pounding. She hadn’t expected Naksh to bring it up so soon. She opened her mouth, but no words came out at first. She could tell by his expression that Naksh was genuinely concerned, but there was no way she could lie to him. Not about this.

Her thoughts raced, memories of Advait’s betrayal flooding her mind. Her forced marriage. The way he had manipulated everything to get what he wanted. She had never wanted this. Never wanted to be tied to him in such a way. Yet here she was, facing her cousin, who had been a part of her life since childhood, and she couldn’t bring herself to lie.

"Actually, it’s not what you think," she began, her voice quiet. "I... I didn’t marry Advait because I wanted to. I didn’t choose him. I was forced into it."

Naksh's eyes widened, his jaw tightening in disbelief. "You were forced? Samaira, what do you mean? How? Why?"

The words came tumbling out, and Samaira couldn’t stop herself. "It’s a long story, Naksh. After what happened with Advait and the betrayal, I was... I was trying to move on. I even thought about marrying Aarav, but things... got complicated." She swallowed hard, her voice breaking. "Advait found a way to trap me. I had no choice. I had to marry him to protect my family and the business."

Naksh stood there, silent for a moment, processing what she had said. His anger simmered beneath the surface, but it wasn’t just for her—it was for the situation, the injustice of it all. No one should have to go through that.

"You didn’t deserve this, Samaira," Naksh finally said, his voice low, but his words filled with fury. "No one should force you into something like this. You’re strong—you could have fought back. You still can."

Samaira shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I tried, Naksh. But sometimes, you don’t have a choice. It was either that or risk everything. The business, my family’s future. I couldn’t let that happen."

Naksh clenched his fists, frustration boiling inside him. "You should have come to me. I would have done anything to protect you. No one—no one—can do this to you against your will."

Samaira’s voice wavered, but she kept her composure. "I’m strong, Naksh. I’ll fight for myself. I’ve always done things on my own, and I won’t stop now."

She changed the subject, hoping to steer the conversation away from her marriage and Advait. "So, how’s the business going? I’ve heard the merger has been a huge success. How’s everything at Singhania Industries?"

Naksh’s expression softened, a proud smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "It’s going great. The merger has opened up new doors for growth, and things are looking better than ever. The growth has been... well, skyrocketing. It’s a good time for the company."

Samaira nodded, relieved for the change in topic. She didn’t want to talk about her marriage or Advait anymore, not right now. She needed a moment to breathe.

"That’s amazing, Naksh," she said with a genuine smile. "I always knew you had it in you."

"Thanks, Samaira," he replied, his eyes softening. "I couldn’t have done it without your support."

For the rest of the evening, the conversation shifted to lighter topics, but Samaira couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in her chest. She had just spilled her heart to Naksh, and now, more than ever, she had to figure out how to handle the mess that was her life.