‎I was in my room, quietly putting on a little makeup and slipping into minimal accessories. Nothing extravagant, just enough to look… presentable.

I spent the entire night convincing myself that everything would be fine, yet I don’t know why a heaviness still lingers inside me. A part of me wants to run away from it all, to a place so far that I could never find my way back.

‎“Hurry up, they’ll be here any minute!” my mother snapped from outside.

‎Right on cue, the doorbell rang.

‎I didn’t move. Stayed exactly where I was. My heart racing, something inside me sat heavy, like a storm held in my chest.

‎A few seconds later,she barged into the room.

‎“Come downstairs” she hissed, eyes scanning my outfit like it had personally offended her. “This is what you chose to wear today? Such a dull, light suit? If they don’t like you, I swear, I'll kill you with my own hands.

“This girl has no fashion sense… she always ends up embarrassing us wherever we go” she muttered under her breath, low enough to pass as a whisper, yet loud enough for me to catch every word.

‎She gripped my wrist tightly, her nails pressing into my skin. I jerked her hand away and walked past her without a word.

‎I descended the stairs slowly, mechanically. When I reached the hall, I was about to touch their feet one by one but they stopped me.

‎“Oh, beta no need for this” a woman said kindly. She must be his mother. “Come sit with us.”

‎She began introducing me to everyone, his entire family, all here to see me. I smiled politely, nodded when needed but my mind wasn’t present. It was floating somewhere far above the room, watching from the ceiling.

‎“Arsh will be here in a minute” his father said. “He stepped out to take a call.”

‎And just then, we heard footsteps echoing down the hallway.

‎I looked up.

‎And my eyes met his.

‎And in perfect, echoing horror, we both shouted-

‎“YOU!”

‎I shot to my feet. He stood there, barely a few steps away, staring at me like I’d crawled straight out of his worst nightmare.

‎The tension hit the room like a slap.

‎“You two… know each other?” his Choti maa asked cautiously.

‎“Yes, actually-” I began, but then it hit me.

‎The message.

‎Last night’s message.

‎If I messed this up… if I became the reason this marriage proposal broke-No. I couldn’t let that happen.

‎“Nothing, Aunty. Just a little misunderstanding,” I said softly, glancing away and sat back down.

‎What a cursed day it was, the day I stepped in front of his stupid car.

‎Nothing had gone right since.

‎And now, here he was, sitting directly across from me.

‎Of course he was.

‎We didn’t speak. Just stared. Burning holes through each other with our eyes.

‎His mother introduced me to him.

‎We gave a small nod to each other. No expression. No comment.

‎The elders resumed their talks of weddings, families, rituals. I sat still, only answering when directly addressed. Otherwise, I stayed silent.

After few minutes, three figures suddenly appeared beside me, flopping down with energy that didn’t match the tense atmosphere.

‎They sat beside me on the couch, smiling wide. I turned and found Aarushi, Darsh and Parth, all looking far too pleased to meet me.

‎“Hello our future bhabhi!” Aarushi chirped.

‎I smiled at them, a genuine one this time. “Hello.”

‎“Bhabhi, from now on stay on our team, okay?” Darsh said with a wink. “We’ll tell you all of Bhaiya’s secrets.”

‎I let out a small giggle. They were honestly adorable.

‎“By the way, bhabhi, which college are you in?” Parth asked curiously.

‎I told them the name, and Parth’s eyes widened. “No way! Darsh studies there too! You both are in the same college.”

‎Darsh’s jaw dropped a little. “Oh! That’s where I saw you! I knew you looked familiar!”

‎“Where?” I asked, genuinely confused. I didn’t remember ever seeing him.

‎“There was a fest, remember? A few months ago. You performed. I swear, I loved your performance! That’s where I saw you.”

‎“Oh! Thank you” I replied with a soft laugh, touched by his excitement.

‎Just like that, the three of them became my favorite in his family. They were warm, talkative and oddly comforting.

‎As we all chatted, though, I felt it again-

‎A gaze. Heavy, intense and focused. Not casual. Not passing.

‎I looked up slowly…

‎And of course, it was him.

‎Arsh.

‎Looking straight into my eyes.

‎Not watching.

Staring.

‎Unblinking.

‎Unapologetic.

‎As if trying to figure me out or maybe just remembering exactly how much he despise me.

‎“Why don’t you both go and talk in private?” his mother suggested with a gentle smile.

‎I gave a small nod and stood up. We both walked toward my room in silence.

‎As soon as we stepped in, he shut the door behind us. I turned slightly, only to find him looking straight at me.

‎“Look” he began, his voice firm “if you’re planning to marry me with the expectation of love, then stop right here. Back out.”

‎He folded his hands behind his back and continued, like he’d rehearsed it.

“I can promise you respect. I’ll take your responsibility and my loyalty...you’ll never have to question that. But love… that, I cannot give you. I won’t sugarcoat it, I won’t weave lies just to make this easier. I’ve already bound myself to this marriage, so backing out isn’t an option for me. But you...still have the freedom to walk away. And if you do… perhaps that would be the wisest choice, for the both of us.

‎He paused, his gaze piercing.

‎“Think about it. Can you live in a marriage without love?”

‎I stared at him blankly for a moment. Then blinked. Then said, utterly unimpressed-

‎“Are you done?”

‎His brows shot up in surprise. “What?”

‎“I said… are you done?” I repeated with a tired sigh, dropping onto the edge of the bed.

‎“What was the need for such a dramatic speech?” I asked, glancing at him sideways. “And please, don’t act like I’m dying to marry you. This whole situation? It’s my compulsion too.”

‎I leaned back slightly and added “And don’t expect any love from my side either.”

‎He looked mildly taken aback but still tried to hold his ground. Crossing his arms across his chest, he said with exaggerated seriousness ‎“Well, all that’s fine… but you still haven’t said sorry.”

‎I narrowed my eyes. “Why should I apologize? Well first i apologized but you didn't listen and then yelled at me so It was your fault. I didn’t say anything in front of your family downstairs, so don’t push your luck.”

‎I stood up again, walking toward him, pointing a finger close to his face.

‎“Don’t act like some righteous hero. I owe you nothing.”

‎He leaned in slightly, smirking.

‎“I will make you say sorry one day… Mrs. To-Be Malhotra.”

‎I took a step closer, holding his gaze just as fiercely.

‎“Oh, I won’t ever say sorry… Mr. Malhotra.”

‎His right eyebrow arched, slowly.

‎And in that look, equal parts amused and challenging. I couldn’t tell whether he was impressed… or just mocking me.

‎We both walked back downstairs and every pair of eyes turned to us, as if the whole room was holding its breath, waiting for our answer.

‎“I’m ready for this marriage” he said calmly.

‎All eyes turned to me next.

‎“Me too” I replied softly.

‎That was it, the switch was flipped. Both families stood up, congratulating each other, exchanging hugs and excited whispers. Smiles lit up the room like fairy lights in the dark.

His family was genuinely happy, while mine celebrated only because they saw an opportunity, to bind their name to a wealthy household and turn it into profit for their business.

‎“Welcome, Bhabhi!” Darsh, Parth, and Aarushi came rushing to me, throwing their arms around me. I couldn’t help but smile as I hugged them back, warmth blooming in my chest.

‎His mother walked over to me and pulled me into a gentle embrace. “You’re truly okay with this marriage, right Mira?” she asked with genuine concern.

‎“Yes, Aunty” I replied.

‎She smiled, eyes softening. “Not Aunty, call me Maa from now on” she said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. Then, she turned to Arsh, cupping his cheek with all the tenderness of a mother’s love.

‎Arsh and I exchanged an awkward glance and quickly looked away. Yeah... this was real.

‎Panditji was called in. He checked dates and proposed two options for the wedding, one in a week, the other in five months.

‎With mutual agreement, it was decided,  engagement in two days, wedding in one week.

‎Before I knew it, their family had left and I was back in my room, dialing Vini’s number.

‎The moment she picked up, her voice exploded through the speaker. “Helloooo lovely ladyyyy”

‎“My marriage has been fixed,” I said quietly.

‎There was a pause… and then-

‎“Wait. WHAT?” she shouted so loud I had to pull the phone away.

‎“Come home. I’ll tell you everything,” I said and cut the call.

I sat on the edge of bed, staring out of the window as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. The engagement was only two days away, yet my heart felt heavy, burdened by the weight of my decision. Arsh Malhotra, his name echoed in my mind, a reminder of the tumultuous first meeting that had left me unsettled.

‎Not long after, she stormed into my room like a whirlwind.

“What happened? How did it happen? When? Who’s the guy? Your family’s forcing you into this, aren’t they? Come on, tell me the truth—” she bombarded me with questions, leaving me no room to respond.

“Will you at least let me speak?” I cut in, half-exasperated.

“Oh...right! Sorry, sorry. Speak” she said, her eyes wide with anticipation.

‎I told her everything, except that message.

‎She was trying to figure out if I was being forced into it. But I reassured her that this decision was mine. Completely mine.

‎“Okay, fine” she sighed. “But who’s the guy?”

‎“Arsh Malhotra” I answered, deadpan.

‎She froze mid-blink.

‎Then, with absolute urgency, she picked up her phone, typed furiously  and shoved the screen in front of me.

‎“This guy?”

‎I nodded.

‎“BHENC**D!” she yelled, almost falling off the bed.

‎“You mean THE Arsh Malhotra? The top business tycoon, hottest bachelor, literal Greek God Arsh Malhotra?”

‎I nodded again, way less amused than she was.

‎“But isn’t he the same guy you had that road-side fight with?”

‎“Yeah” I said with a tired breath. “But let’s not go there. What matters is, my engagement is in two days, and I’m getting married in a week. I never imagined things would move this fast…”

‎My face fell, and I looked away.

‎“And on top of it all, how am I supposed to tolerate that Arsh for the rest of my life? That grumpy, impossible man! No way. What kind of mess have I landed myself into? God really had no mercy. He had to write him into my destiny,” I muttered under my breath, exasperated.

‎She came closer, her tone suddenly softer. “Look, we don’t know what the future holds. Good or bad, we can’t predict it. But these moments? They’re happening right now. You deserve to enjoy them. You’re getting married, girl! That doesn’t happen every day. So soak it in.”

‎She hugged me tightly.

‎“And listen, I know you’re strong. You’ll handle whatever comes your way. And if that man even thinks about messing with you…” she pulled back dramatically “I swear, we’ll dispose his body together. Deal?”

‎I burst out laughing and hugged her back.

‎“You’re insane.”

‎“Obviously.”

‎And just like that, we made a pact, whatever happens next, these seven days were going to be ours. Full of laughter, memories and maybe… a little madness.

Vini is no less than a sister to me. She has always stood by my side, and since childhood we have been together. Her own family was conservative but now she has found the ones who truly love her. And

I hope she will find someone who would burn the whole world, if it mean to keep her happy.