Arvi's pov:

The cold seeped into my skin as I slowly woke up, disoriented, still lying on the hard marble floor. My head throbbed, and every inch of my body ached not just physically, but in a way that went deeper, far beneath the surface. My wedding lehenga clung to me like a weight I couldn't shed, its once-beautiful fabric now wrinkled and dull under the dim lights.

I sat up, my fingers instinctively brushing over the messy strands of hair falling across my face. And then his voice echoed in my mind sharp, distant, but unforgettable.

"I married you because of my mother. In front of my family, we're a couple. In this room... we're mere strangers."

Strangers.

The word sliced through me like a knife.

A shudder escaped my lips as my throat tightened. My hands trembled, and I reached up to touch the sindoor still smeared in the parting of my hair. My chest ached not because he had said those words... but because I loved him. Foolishly. Completely.

I'd stood beside him, not because I was forced to, but because my heart had chosen him. And all he saw in me was a compromise. A duty. An unwanted shadow standing next to him only for the sake of appearances.

Tears blurred my vision, spilling silently down my cheeks as I let out a choked sob. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold myself together as I sank back to the floor. The silence in the room felt louder than his words and far crueler.

"I'm not a stranger," I whispered to the emptiness. "Not to you... not to myself."

But in his eyes, I was nothing. Nothing but a girl forced into a marriage he never wanted.

And still, I loved him.

That was the tragedy I couldn't escape.

I slowly got up from the floor, wiping my tears. My body felt heavy, but I knew I couldn't sit there any longer.

Without saying a word, I walked into his bathroom and washed my face, trying to steady my breath. Then I changed out of the wedding dress and slipped into a lavender saree. It was soft, light and exactly what I needed to feel like myself again.



Her saree

I didn't bother with much makeup. Just tied my hair neatly and stepped out of the room.

And then, quietly, I walked downstairs heart still aching, but head held high.

As I walked downstairs, my heart beat a little faster. I didn't know how to face anyone but the moment they saw me, all my worries paused for a second.

Sulekha aunty came forward first, wrapping me in a warm hug. "You look so beautiful, beta," she whispered, and I nodded, forcing a soft smile. One by one, the rest of the family gathered around, pulling me into gentle embraces. It felt nice... safe, for a moment.

And then came the teasing.

"Oho, bhabhi's glowing already!" Aleesha smirked.

"Hope Rayaan bhai let you sleep last night," Vivaan added with a wink.

I felt my cheeks flush as they all laughed around me, their voices light and playful. I didn't know where to look.

But then I felt it the sudden silence that fell across the room like a wave.

Rayaan had come downstairs.

His eyes scanned the group, and the moment they landed on me, his expression didn't change but his gaze shifted sharply to his cousins. Just one glare. That was all it took.

The teasing died instantly. No one said another word. They all awkwardly looked away, mumbling excuses to leave.

Rayaan didn't say anything to me. Didn't spare me a glance after that.

But somehow... that one glare, that silent shut-down it meant something.

Even if he claimed we were strangers in this room... a part of him still saw me.

Once things settled a little, I quietly turned to Sulekha aunty

"Can I make something sweet?" I asked gently. "It's... tradition, right? The new bride makes something."

She smiled warmly and placed her hand on my cheek. "Of course, beta. But first no more 'aunty'. From today, call me Maa."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Maa," I repeated softly, and for a second, her smile grew even wider.

Then Jaya aunty stepped in with a playful tone, "And I'm your Choti Maa now, okay? No more formalities."

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat.

Even in the middle of so much confusion, their warmth wrapped around me like a quiet hug. And for the first time since waking up... I felt like I belonged.

Just as I was about to step toward the kitchen, Mukesh uncle came forward with a soft, fatherly smile.

"And me?" he said, raising his eyebrows playfully. "You'll call me Papa now."

Before I could respond, Shankar uncle joined in with a chuckle. "And I'm your Bade Papa don't forget that, okay?"

I looked at both of them, a little overwhelmed by the warmth surrounding me. My lips trembled, but I managed a small smile. "Papa... Bade Papa," I whispered.

It felt new. Strange. But also... comforting.

I didn't know what my place was in Rayaan's world but in this moment, their kindness made me feel like maybe, just maybe... I had a place in this family.

Rayaan's pov:

I got ready and came downstairs all family members where there so was her. Arvi. Talking with my cousins they were teasing her about last night, I shifted my gaze towards them and they stopped.

The dining table buzzed with the usual morning chatter plates clinking, cousins laughing over something stupid, and choti ma fussing over who wanted what.

I sat there, mostly quiet, picking at my food without really tasting it. I wasn't in the mood to talk. Not today.

And then I saw her again.

Arvi.

She walked in, holding a small tray with a bowl of halwa. Draped in a lavender saree, her eyes lowered, her steps careful she looked... different. Calm. Collected. Like nothing from last night had touched her.

But I knew it had.

"This is Arvi's pehli rasoi," Mom announced proudly. "She made halwa for everyone."

Everyone turned, the mood instantly warmer. Smiles. Compliments. Vivaan even whistled under his breath. "Wah bhabhi, this smells amazing!"

Aleesha nodded eagerly. "It actually does. I'm impressed."

I didn't say a word. I couldn't. I kept my eyes on my plate.

Then Mom nudged me gently. "Ray, at least take one bite."

I looked up at her, and for a second, I saw the hope in her eyes the quiet pleading. I sighed.

Without a word, I picked up my spoon and took a small bite. Just one.

It was... good. Really good, actually. Soft, warm, sweet just like something I'd grown up eating.

Everyone kept praising her, talking over each other, asking her how she made it, what else she knew, if she cooked often.

I glanced at her again.

She stood there quietly, offering smiles and nods, but her eyes flicked to me for the briefest second. She wasn't looking for praise.

She was looking for me.

And I looked away.

Arvi's pov:

The fabric clung to my skin, and I had been shifting uncomfortably ever since breakfast. The lavender saree beautiful as it was had started to itch. My skin felt hot, irritated, and a strange rash was beginning to form along my arm.

I walked upstairs quickly, trying not to draw attention. My arm burned.

As I entered the room, I exhaled in relief, unpinning the pallu from my shoulder. I didn't notice he was inside not until I turned and saw him by the mirror, adjusting his watch.

Rayaan.

He looked up sharply, eyes narrowing noticing the way I was scratching at my arm. And then he saw it.

The red, raised rash that had bloomed across the inside of my elbow.

He stepped toward me, voice hard and sharp. "What the hell is this?"

I froze, startled by his sudden nearness and tone. "It's... it's nothing," I said quietly, stepping back a little.

He didn't let it go.

He grabbed my wrist not rough, but firm and lifted my arm to look closer. His brows furrowed. "This doesn't look like nothing, Arvi."

I looked away, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm... allergic. To silk fiber. I didn't know the saree had pure silk threads. It only starts itching after a while."

His grip loosened, but his eyes stayed locked on the rash, something flickering in them anger... maybe concern?

"You should've told someone," he said, softer now but still commanding.

"I didn't want to make a fuss," I murmured, slowly pulling my arm back.

I turned slightly, reaching for the wardrobe when his voice came again low, firm, impossible to ignore.

"Change. We're going to the doctor."

I blinked, startled. "No need, It's not that serious-"

"I said change, Arvi."

There was no room for argument in his tone. His jaw was clenched, his brows drawn together not out of anger, but something deeper... something like frustration laced with concern.

I swallowed hard. "I've had this before. It fades by evening..."

"I don't care," he snapped, then exhaled. When he spoke again, his voice had softened, but not his command. "You live in this house now. If something's wrong, you speak up. You don't just suffer in silence."

I looked at him, stunned.

He wasn't being sweet. He wasn't holding my hand or asking gently.

But he noticed. He cared in his own strange, distant, dominant way.

I nodded slowly, my voice barely a whisper. "Okay... I'll change."

As I turned to pick out a cotton kurta, I could still feel his presence behind me. Strong. Still. Watching.

Rayaan's pov:

The engine hummed low beneath us as I pulled out of the driveway, stealing a quick glance at her from the corner of my eye.

Arvi sat quietly, hands folded in her lap, dressed in a soft cotton kurta now. No silk. No glitter. Just simplicity. Her hair fell in loose waves over her shoulder, and her eyes stayed fixed outside the window, like the world beyond held all the answers she wasn't asking me for.

But I saw the way her fingers grazed her arm every now and then.

Still itching.

I clenched the steering wheel a little tighter.

Why the hell didn't she say anything earlier?

"Do you always ignore it when your body reacts like that?" I asked, not able to stop myself.

She flinched slightly, then shook her head. "It happens sometimes. I manage."

Manage.

That word pissed me off more than it should've.

"You shouldn't have to manage," I muttered. "There's a reason doctors exist."

She didn't respond.

The silence stretched again awkward, uncomfortable. Thick.

But still... not cold.

Something about sitting next to her like this, away from the mansion, from the noise, from the family... made her feel closer. Not like a stranger I was forced to marry. But someone I was slowly beginning to notice.

When we pulled up to the clinic, I parked and turned off the ignition.

"You coming?" I asked, looking at her.

She gave a small nod and opened the door.

I didn't say it out loud, but something inside me already knew

This wasn't just about a skin rash.

It was the first time she let me see her weakness.

And the first time I actually wanted to protect it.