THROUGH HIS EYES

Vihaan exhaled lightly, adjusting his hold on the chain, and then, without thinking, he leaned in-the tip of the chain caught between his teeth as he tried to fasten it.

It should have been nothing. Just a necessary movement.

But then his lips-his lips brushed against the skin just below her ear, fleeting yet unmistakable.

Aaradhya froze.

The entire room went silent for a fraction of a second.

The world didn't stop moving-conversations continued, laughter persisted-but between them, nothing felt the same.

She could feel her heartbeat hammering inside her chest. Could he feel it too?

Vihaan stayed still for half a moment longer, his breath warm against her skin before he finally pulled back, clasping the chain with practiced ease.

"Done,"he murmured, his voice quieter now.

Aaradhya swallowed, her fingers instinctively touching the pendant.

Had anyone noticed?

She dared to glance at him-but he wasn't looking at her anymore.

Yet, she knew.

They both knew.

________________________________________________

Aaradhya Sharma has spent her life surrounded by tradition. At 21, she is admired, respected, and pursued by countless families eager to match her with their sons. But amidst the whispers of marriage proposals, one name emerges-one that she never expected.

Vihaan Rathore.

Her distant relative. The man she had always watched from afar. The man who, at 28 had spent years avoiding the closeness that now threatened to unravel between them.

He is successful, composed, respected-everything a family could hope for in a groom.

But there's one problem.

Aaradhya doesn't know if she can handle being his bride.

Not when every glance unsettles her.
Not when every touch reminds her of the distance he once kept.
Not when she realizes-he may have been hiding something all these years.

Will Vihaan finally close the space he spent years protecting?
And will Aaradhya trust that fate has already tied them together?