Chapter 1: The Proposal

Ishani Mehta sat at the dining table, staring at the stack of unpaid bills in front of her. The grand chandelier above, a relic of the family’s past wealth, flickered dimly as though mourning their downfall. Her father, Raj Mehta, sighed deeply, his once proud shoulders slumped under the weight of his failures.

“Ishani, listen to me. This is our only way out,” Raj said, his voice laced with desperation.

She clenched her fists, willing herself to stay calm. “You want me to marry him? Veer Rathore?”

Her eldest sister, Aadya, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’s not like you have to love him. It’s a contract marriage. A business deal.”

Ishani let out a hollow laugh. “A business deal that sells me off like an asset.”

Her father’s eyes hardened. “You think I want this? Do you think I enjoy watching my daughter make such a sacrifice? But we have no choice, Ishani. The creditors are knocking on our door. We’re drowning.”

Ishani’s heart pounded. She had known things were bad, but this was worse than she had imagined. She glanced at Aadya, then at her younger sister, Avni, who sat silently, fear evident in her eyes.

“Veer Rathore needs a wife to secure his inheritance. We need his money to survive,” her father continued. “One year, Ishani. Just one year. Then you walk away with enough to rebuild our lives.”

Her nails dug into her palm. One year with a man she had despised since childhood. Veer Rathore—the ruthless, calculating CEO who never looked at anyone unless they were useful to him.

Before she could refuse, Raj placed a contract on the table.

“Think about it.”

Rathore Industries – CEO’s Office

Ishani stormed into Veer’s office without knocking. He was seated behind an imposing mahogany desk, his dark eyes lifting from a document as she approached.

“Ah, the reluctant bride,” he murmured, leaning back in his chair.

Her jaw clenched. “Let’s make one thing clear. This is business. Nothing else.”

Veer smirked, tapping his fingers on the desk. “Good. Then we won’t have any issues.”

“I have conditions,” she said, crossing her arms. “I want to continue working. I want my own space. And I don’t want any interference in my personal life.”

Veer’s smirk widened. “Fair enough. But I have one rule—you don’t fall in love with me.”

Ishani let out a dry chuckle. “Not a problem.”

He extended a hand. “Then we have a deal, Mrs. Rathore.”

She hesitated, then grasped his hand. The deal was sealed.

Little did they know, that rule would be the hardest one to keep.

Outside the office, the sky darkened, mirroring the storm brewing between them. Ishani’s heart was steady, her mind made up—but deep inside, something unsettled her.

She walked out of Rathore Industries with her head held high, but the moment she reached her car, she exhaled shakily. Could she truly keep her emotions in check?

Meanwhile, inside the office, Veer watched her retreating figure through the glass window. His fingers tightened around the pen in his hand.

“This is just business,” he muttered to himself, but for the first time in years, he wasn’t entirely sure.

As the wedding date approached, their lives were about to intertwine in ways neither of them could predict. What started as a contract would soon unravel into something much more complicated—something neither of them were ready to face.

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