#1 of the love series. He rose slowly, still holding her hands. She stepped closer. Closer. So close that the boat rocked faintly beneath them. Then, standing on her toes slightly, she reached up and held his shoulders to steady herself. He instinctively moved his hands to her waist so she wouldn't lose balance. The anklets chimed softly and then.. she bent her head forward.. slowly. Her forehead touched his. The red kumkum on her forehead brushed against his skin, leaving a faint, sacred mark just above his brows. He froze. Neither of them moved. Her eyes were closed and his breath stopped.. the contact was simple. Sacred. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper, but steady. "If you are my light," she murmured, her forehead still resting against his, "then let me mark you as mine before the world does." She lowered herself slowly, but didn't move away. Her eyes searched his. "You don't need a ring to bind me," she said softly. "And I don't need a ceremony to know what you mean to me." Her fingers brushed the red mark she had left on him. "This," she smiled faintly, "is my answer. My acceptance." His fingers tightened unconsciously around her waist. "I am yours," she whispered. "And you are mine. Not for a moment. But for every day that comes after." And she slowly moved into his embrace and hugged him, holding him a little tighter than usual, like she never wanted to let go. They stayed there for a while longer, not speaking. Everything you're about to read is true... but I've never confessed to him in real life. The story ends with a plot twist my real life hasn't caught up to yet. This story is written mostly in English (about 98%), with some Telugu (about 2%) along with translations. -------- Happy reading 🩷

Tropes Forced Arranged marriage Enemies to lovers Banter Billionaire North Indian X South Indian Best friend's brother Sassy heroine Smut Hridhaya always knew Karthick was bad for her blood pressure-grumpy, arrogant, and permanently stuck in rage mode. But when their families drop the ultimate MARRIAGE bomb and decide they should get married, she realizes she's officially living in her worst nightmare. HRIDHAYA: Marrying Karthick worser than to: ❌ Be buried under a mountain of cockroaches. ❌ Watch a three-hour TV serial in slow motion (with dramatic zoom-ins on everyone's shocked face). ❌ That's worse than being trapped in an elevator with a nosy auntie. ❌Worser than eating soggy panipuri all my life But no. Instead of living my peaceful, Karthick-free life, I'm now stuck in a wedding I never signed up for-with him, Mr Always Angry, cactus Karthick. The man who argues with me like it's his full-time job.This isn't a wedding. This is a hostage situation. KARTHICK: If someone had told me I'd be married to Hridhaya, I would have laughed in their face. Or screamed. Or maybe jumped into a crocodile-infested river-less painful than this. I hate her Because marrying Hridhaya? ❌ Using a blunt razor on the face and ending up with battle scars. ❌ Worse than being stuck in a never-ending WhatsApp family group. ❌ Worse than getting stuck in traffic right before reaching home when you really need to pee. She's bossy, loud, and has an answer for everything. And now? She's my wife.This is not a marriage. This is a lifetime sentence. The Real Problem? Between petty sabotage, accidental attraction, and a wedding they never asked for, their battle isn't just about avoiding marriage anymore-it's about surviving it. Because the more they fight, the closer they get... and the closer they get, the more dangerous this game becomes. Brace yourselves. This isn't just a wedding. It's an all out war.