When Aarav Kapoor, a shrewd businessman born into wealth, and Aanya Mehra, an ambitious architect returning to India, are thrust into an arranged marriage, neither is prepared for the secrets beneath their union. What begins as a reluctant compromis...
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I woke up as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on the room. I felt restless, my mind still lingering on the events of the past few days. The chaos, the confrontation, the wedding—it had all been a whirlwind. Yet, as my gaze shifted to the bed, I found myself captivated by the sight of Aanya.
She was still fast asleep, her soft, even breaths the only sound in the otherwise silent room. Her face looked peaceful, the worries of the day nowhere to be seen. Strands of her hair fell delicately across her cheek, and her lips were slightly parted, inviting yet completely unintentional. My chest tightened, and an unfamiliar feeling took root within me.
I couldn't understand what was happening to me. Every rational part of my brain screamed at me to keep a distance, to maintain the cold, impenetrable wall I had always relied on. But there was another part of me—part I was beginning to lose control over—that wanted to move closer, to touch her, to claim her in ways I had never thought of before.
Unable to stop myself, I got out of bed and quietly approached her. My movements were slow, and hesitant, as if afraid of breaking the fragile moment. Standing by her side, I crouched slightly to take a closer look at her face. She looked serene, utterly different from the fiery, defiant woman who had argued with me the night before.
Before I could think twice, I reached out, my fingertips brushing against her cheek. Her skin was soft, and warm beneath my touch, and the sensation sent a jolt through me. I watched as her lips parted slightly in her sleep, her breathing hitching for just a moment. My gaze fell to those lips—lips that had unknowingly held my attention since the day I met her.
What would it feel like to kiss her? To claim her lips as mine, to erase the distance I stubbornly kept between us?
Aanya stirred slightly, her eyelashes fluttering as if she were about to wake. My breath caught, and I quickly pulled my hand back as if burned. The spell was broken, and reality came crashing down around me. What was I doing? This wasn't me. I wasn't the kind of man to lose control like this, especially over someone who challenged my every word and defied my carefully constructed world.
Without another glance at her, I straightened and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me with more force than necessary. I turned on the shower, letting the cold water hit my skin in an attempt to drown out the heat still coursing through me.
I adjusted my tie, straightening it against my crisp white shirt as I glanced in the mirror. The image staring back at me was the same one I'd been perfecting for years—calm, composed, and utterly unreadable. Work called, and that was my sanctuary, the only place where I could maintain complete control. Yet, even as I prepared for the day, a nagging thought lingered in the back of my mind. It wasn't work, nor the countless contracts awaiting my signature. It was her.
Aanya.
I shook my head, pushing the thought aside, and made my way to the dining table. Breakfast was served—neatly arranged as always. Picking up a piece of toast, I began eating, flipping through my phone, reviewing the schedule for the day. The quiet morning was a relief.
