In the heart of Mumbai Aradhaya Sharma and Viransh Singh Rathore stand as polar opposites, each shaped by strikingly different worlds.
Aradhaya spends her nights binge-watching K-dramas, lost in rose-tinted romantic delusions, dragging herself out of bed at noon. She lives for roadside pani puri, late-night chai, and dreams of sweeping love stories-all while quietly carrying the burden of being the only daughter in a family with sky-high expectations. But she masks the pressure with a carefree smile and sharp wit. Hiding pain. Loving everyone but herself. Trying to please, to be perfect.
Viransh, meanwhile, is all precision and control. A tireless workaholic, his life revolves around spreadsheets, meetings, and an obsessive pursuit of perfection. His demeanor is icy, words clipped, emotions kept at bay. Love is a distraction, a weakness. He doesn't believe in warmth-only logic.
Fate, though, doesn't care for their differences. Bound by an arranged marriage neither asked for, Aradhaya and Viransh are thrust into a collision course of ideals and expectations, forced together whether they like it or not.
Aradhaya vents to her best friend, Aisha: "Can you believe this? They want me to marry some Viransh Singh Rathore. Just his name sounds like he was born in a three-piece suit. Bet he schedules small talk. A wedding contract with bullet points. Mr. Robot. And I haven't even seen him! One name, one decision-and now my life's supposed to change."
Her laughter fades. "I guess girls never really have a home. We belong to our parents, then to strangers. But what if nowhere feels like home?"
Meanwhile, Viransh tells his friend Rohan, "Aradhaya Sharma." He says it flatly. "Another compromise dressed as tradition. It doesn't matter who she is. My answer would be the same."
He exhales. "But it's done. The wedding's happening. And if she thinks I'll play the doting husband-she's in for a rude awakening. This isn't a fairytale. Aradhaya Sharma... wait and watch."
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12 in #arrangedmarriage
"You're mine, Jeea. Don't ever forget that." His voice is a siren, enchanting me, making me dizzy with the need to be close to him.
"I know, Mr. Rathore. And you're mine." I peck his lips and he squeezes my neck in return. I can still feel the embers of his angry, lying just below the surface of his skin.
"Always, jaan. It's a pleasure to be yours." His lips meet mine in a slow kiss which quickly turns into something passionate, neither of us willing to back down. I take his anger that he drowns into this kiss and show him my love in return.
*
Jeea Mehta has always lived in the shadow of her perfect older sister. But when a twist of fate forces her to marry Dhruv Singh Rathore-a wealthy, enigmatic man who was once promised to her sister-Jeea finds herself caught in a marriage she never wanted and a life she doesn't understand.
But Dhruv is not an easy man to please. He's distant, ruthless, and heartbreakingly unattainable. And yet, beneath his icy exterior, Jeea glimpses something more-something that makes her heart betray her at every turn.
As hidden truths unravel and undeniable chemistry ignites, Jeea finds herself caught in a dangerous game of love and resentment. Because while she was never meant to be his bride... she might just become something even more unexpected-his weakness.
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