MahiK30
"Aap... aap humein aise kyun dekh rahe ho?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"kyunki meri aankhein ab sirf tumhe dekhna chahti hain, Mahi," he said, his deep voice echoing through the silence of their old haveli.
she nervously looked down, her dusky cheeks glowing under the dim lantern light.
for the world, her colour was something to mock.
for him, it was poetry - warmth, earth, and fire together.
"ab aise mat jhuko... main sarpanch hoon, sirf gaon ka tumhara nhi," he said while fixing her dupatta gently over her shoulder.
"par... sab kehte hain mai..." she stopped, her words breaking as memories of taunts echoed in her head.
"jo sab kehte hain, wo unka opinion hai, Mahi. mera nahi," he replied, eyes dark and fierce, the kind of look that silences the world.
she tried to step back but his hand caught her wrist - not rough, not soft, just enough to stop her from running away from the truth.
"tum meri patni ho... meri izzat, meri garv," he said, each word heavier than the last.
the lantern flickered. outside, the village slept.
inside, two souls began to understand what destiny had written long ago.
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Tropes:
Arranged marriage
Sarpanch × Dusky village girl
Silent love → fierce protection
1990s rural romance