BOOK 1 OF THE UNEXPECTED SERIES
In a world where tradition clashes with modernity, Vaidehi is a modern-day princess bound by society's rigid expectations.
Saransh, a brooding prince with a shadowed past, one he's not keen to reveal. Despite his nobl...
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As soon as I step into the house, I notice my parents waiting for me in the hallway. Great, what have I done now? I sigh, already bracing myself for the inevitable lecture.
"Mitti me naha rahi thi kya?" my mom snaps, eyeing my coffee-stained clothes.
(Were you bathing in sand?)
I roll my eyes. "It's just coffee," I mutter, still annoyed from earlier.
"Oho, so now madam is out drinking coffee somewhere. With whom?" she presses, suspicion dripping from her voice. Why does she always think I'm sneaking around? At this point, I might as well just have an affair.
"I was alone," I reply flatly.
"Doesn't matter," my dad cuts in, his voice unusually stern. "Go change and come back.
We need to talk."
That makes me pause. My father rarely speaks to me unless it's something serious. I quickly head to my room to change, dread growing heavier in my chest. When I return to the hallway, I'm more anxious than ever.
My father gestures for me to sit, and I do, feeling the weight of whatever news he's about to drop.
"You're 21 now," he begins, his voice unnervingly calm. "This is the right time for you to get married. Your in-laws are already here in Panna. They're coming to meet you tomorrow evening."
What?! The words hit me like a punch to the gut. "You can't be serious!" I exclaim, my voice rising in disbelief.
My mother's face lights up with that sickening smile l've grown to despise. She's been waiting for this moment.
"I'm not marrying some stranger! This is insane! You can't do this without my consent!" I shout, trying to make them understand how absurd this is.
"You'll do as we say," my mother retorts coldly. "We're in a lot of debt, and this marriage will improve our standing and help our business."
"I don't care about your business!" My voice breaks with anger. "I'm not doing it!"
"But you care about your brothers, don't you?" my father cuts in, his tone sharp. "If you don't marry and help the business, we'll lose everything. Your brothers will have nothing left—no property, no assets. Do you want that for them?"
I stare at him, my world spinning. They've gone too far. They know I would never let my brothers suffer for their mistakes.
"Go rest," my mother says, her voice suddenly soft, though the manipulation is clear. "And don't even think about telling your brothers. They're in Delhi handling the hotel business. We want this wedding settled before they return."
I stumble back to my room, tears spilling down my face. I feel trapped. I want to run away, to disappear, but where would I go? I can't stay at a friend's house forever, and I don't have any money. Mom made sure I don't even have my own jewelry-there's nothing for me to sell. And now I can't tell my brothers. I'd never do anything to hurt them, and I can't let them lose everything because of our father's reckless decisions.
