“You’re Not What I Expected”
📍Taj Imperial Lounge – Private Room
(High ceilings, quiet chandeliers, two empty glasses on the table. The air is thick with awkward formality.)
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(sitting stiffly in a tailored charcoal suit, eyes scanning his watch, jaw tight)
You’re late. (voice cold, clipped — not looking at her yet)
Anaya Sharma(fl)
(enters in a deep blue suit-saree fusion, hair in a low bun, holding her chin high)
I was deciding whether you were worth meeting at all. (smiles sweetly, but there’s steel in her voice)
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(finally looks up — gaze sharp, assessing. His expression doesn’t change, but his fingers still subtly pause on the table)
And? What’s your verdict?
Anaya Sharma(fl)
(walks past him, sits gracefully opposite, places her phone face-down — a quiet power move)
Still pending. But your arrogance is definitely punctual.
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(leans back, folding his hands, voice flat)
Let’s not waste each other’s time. Our families want this. You agree. We marry. End of story.
Anaya Sharma(fl)
(raises an eyebrow, leans forward slightly, voice low and biting)
Do you make your boardroom deals this blunt too? Or do you at least pretend to care?
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(expression unchanging, but there’s a flicker of amusement in his eyes)
Business is easier. Emotions aren’t involved.
Anaya Sharma(fl)
(smiles tightly, brushing an invisible thread from her saree)
That explains a lot
Priya Sharma(fl sister)
(sitting at a nearby table “reading” a menu, watching them like a hawk)
(to herself, muttering)
CEO or not, if he even blinks at her wrong, I swear I’ll turn this lounge into a courtroom.
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(voice cool, controlled)
Look, Miss Sharma. This isn’t a fairy tale. I won’t offer you roses, poetry, or false promises.
But I can offer stability, dignity, and zero interference in your life.
Anaya Sharma(fl)
(tilts her head, her tone turns syrupy with sarcasm)
Wow. A marriage proposal that sounds like a bank loan. Romantic.
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(brief pause — his knuckles twitch, but face stays unreadable)
You’re not what I expected.
Anaya Sharma(fl)
(leaning forward, smile growing, eyes locked into his)
Neither are you. You’re colder than your Wikipedia page.
📍Meanwhile – Malhotra Mansion
Vivaan Malhotra(ml step brother)
(scrolling his phone, lying on the couch, smirking)
Avni, ten bucks says Bhai scares her off in under ten minutes.
Avni Malhotra (ml sister)
(rolling her eyes, tying her hair up in a messy bun)
You wish. That girl looks like the kind who bites back. I’m already in love with her.
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(stands up, straightens his cufflinks, tone completely flat)
I’ll have the papers drawn. A one-year deal. Public marriage. Private freedom. No obligations outside the contract.
Anaya Sharma(fl)
(rises too, not missing a beat, adjusts her purse strap with calm grace)
And no emotions. No control. No expectations.
Just… business.
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(meets her eyes — a rare glint of something flickering, quickly buried)
Exactly.
Anaya Sharma(fl)
(offers her hand with a smirk)
Congratulations, Mr. Malhotra. You’ve just made the coldest merger of your life.
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(shakes it briefly — his grip firm, hers firmer)
Let’s hope you can survive it.
As they part ways, both pause momentarily near the exit, backs to each other — eyes lost in thought.
Anaya Sharma(fl)
(to herself) (clutching her phone tighter, jaw clenched)
You want a deal, fine. But I won't break. Not for you. Not for anyone.
Aarav Malhotra(ml)
(to himself) (closing his eyes for half a second, then walking away)
She’s dangerous. Different.
I should’ve walked away when I had the chance.
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