Arvi's pov:

The moment we stepped inside the Oberoi Mansion, everything felt surreal.

The air smelled of roses and sandalwood, diyas flickered against the walls, and the sound of shankh echoed faintly in the background. I tightened my hold on the edge of my dupatta, my heart thudding like it hadn't stopped since the wedding.

And then chaos.

"Aree wahhh! Look at our dulhan!" Aleesha squealed, practically bouncing over in her lehenga.

"Welcome again, Arvi," Arekha added with a wink, looping her arm through mine.

Sulekha aunty reached me first, her eyes filled with something too tender for words. She cupped my face, kissed my forehead, and smiled like I was hers. "Welcome home, beta."

Vanisha was next, handing me a tiny silver tray with rose petals, then promptly hugging me so tightly I nearly lost balance.

"Arvi!" Vivaan grinned from the staircase. "Hope you're ready to survive this mad house."

Behind them, Jaya aunty and Shankar uncle smiled warmly, standing beside Mukesh uncle. The air was thick with joy, teasing, and a kind of affectionate drama only big families carry.

I looked at Rayaan.

Still unreadable. Still quiet.

Until Sulekha aunty clapped her hands and said, "Now that our dulha-dulhan are home, let's get to the real ritual."

I blinked.

Vanisha pulled out a large silver bowl filled with milk and rose petals.

Aleesha smirked. "Time to find the ring!"

I turned to Rayaan. He raised an eyebrow. "No."

Straight. Stern. Cold.

"Rayaan!" Sulekha aunty scolded with a mock glare. "It's tradition."

"I don't do games," he said.

"Oh, come on, bhai," Arekha grinned, tugging at his arm. "One game won't hurt your image, Mr. CEO."

Vivaan added, "We'll make two teams. Bride's side versus groom's side. Loser has to accept the winner as the official boss of the marriage."

My eyes widened.

Before I could even protest, hands were dragging me to one side, Rayaan to the other. Rose petals flew, laughter rang, and someone slipped a ring into the bowl.

And then go.

I dipped my hands in first, trying to feel around through the chill. Rayaan followed, his fingers brushing mine once, and I jerked back slightly, heart skipping.

We kept searching.

Back and forth. Ice cold milk. Petals everywhere. People cheering.

"Come on, Arvi!"

"Rayaan, don't lose to your wife on day one!"

Then-

My fingers curled around something small, metallic, and smooth.

I pulled it up, victorious.

The room erupted in cheers.

"Yes!! Arvi wins!!" Vanisha shouted.

Aleesha whooped. "That means she'll rule the marriage!"

Everyone laughed and teased, even Jaya aunty shaking her head fondly at Rayaan. He looked at the ring in my hand, then at me.

For a split second... just the tiniest flicker.

Amusement in his eyes.

And then gone. Back to the blank stare.

But I caught it.

And maybe, just maybe, he let me.

I smiled quietly to myself, wiping my hands on a towel someone handed me.

If this was day one of married life...

I'd say I was off to a pretty good start.

The laughter from the ring game still echoed faintly down the halls, but everything inside me had turned quiet again.

The rituals were done. The teasing had slowed. The night slipping deeper into silence.

And then Sulekha aunty gently touched my shoulder. "Aleesha, Arekha take Arvi to Rayaan's room."

My breath hitched.

I had lived in the Oberoi Mansion for weeks now. I knew every corner of it, every hallway, every chandelier's shadow. But this... this was different.

This wasn't the guest room Sulekha aunty had given me when I first came here.

This was his room.

Our room now.

Aleesha beamed. "Come on, dulhan. Time to officially upgrade from guest to queen."

Arekha looped her arm through mine, teasing, "Just don't faint if you see all the greys and blacks. His wardrobe looks like it's in mourning."

I let out a nervous laugh. But my hands were cold. My steps slower than usual.

We climbed the stairs-each one heavier than the last and stopped in front of a tall wooden door with golden handles. His door.

I had walked past it a hundred times.

Never once crossed the threshold.

Aleesha opened it with an exaggerated gasp. "Uff, still smells like ego and money in here."

Arekha giggled. "Let's see how long before it starts smelling like rose water and Arvi."

I smiled, just barely.

The room was spacious, modern, masculine exactly what I'd imagined. Dark wood, rich textures, everything sharp and organized. A large window overlooked the city skyline, and the bed... well, it suddenly felt like the elephant in the room.

Aleesha set my small bridal bag near the couch. Arekha smoothed out the edge of my dupatta and gave me a look filled with mischief and something a little like sisterhood.

"You'll be fine," she said softly, squeezing my hand.

They left with a teasing wink and shut the door behind them.

And just like that

Silence.

It was just me.

In his room.

Our room.

I stood there for a moment, still, eyes slowly roaming over his space the way his cologne lingered faintly in the air, the way every object had a place, the way nothing in here belonged to me... not yet.

And then, I heard the soft sound of the door behind me.

He was here.

Rayaan.

And everything inside me stilled.

The soft click of the door behind me made my heart stop.

I didn't turn immediately. I couldn't.

I heard his footsteps calm, steady, unbothered walking into the room that now belonged to both of us.

To us.

I turned slowly, gathering whatever courage I had left, only to find him standing by the bed, unbuttoning the cuffs of his sherwani like it was just another night.

He didn't look at me when he spoke.

"I hope you're clear about something, Arvi."

My fingers gripped the edge of my dupatta.

He finally looked up, his eyes sharp and empty. "This marriage wasn't my choice."

I couldn't breathe.

He went on, voice calm almost cold. "My mother wanted it. Or maybe... I agreed out of guilt. Maybe it was easier than saying no after everything that happened."

The walls around me trembled.

"But don't mistake this for something it's not," he said, each word like glass under my skin. "We might be married in front of the world but in here inside these walls we're just two strangers."

"Dont expect anything from me" UNDERSTAND? He said in his clipped voice.

I nodded.

That was it.

No rage. No dramatic outburst. Just quiet, brutal honesty.

And suddenly everything fell.

My breath. My heartbeat. My entire world.

I felt like the ground had slipped from beneath me. My fingers trembled as I clutched my lehenga, like holding onto something could stop me from breaking entirely.

He didn't love me.

Of course he didn't.

Maybe he even hated me. Maybe every look he gave me since the day we met had been filled with resentment.

But then why...?

Why had I said yes?

Why hadn't I thought before agreeing?

Why had some stupid, foolish part of me so hidden and soft started falling for a man who never even intended to catch me?

I looked at him, standing so effortlessly distant, and I wondered if he'd ever see me as more than a mistake wrapped in red silk.

I turned away, afraid he might see my tears.

Or worse... not care at all.