A Marriage of Fire and Ice
The Malhotra mansion glowed like a palace that night. Chandeliers spilled golden light across marble floors, the air heavy with roses and incense.
Guests poured in by the hundreds, all dressed in silks and jewels, their voices buzzing like bees around gossip.
Adelia
This is the great Aarav Malhotra’s bride? (one woman whispered, adjusting her diamond necklace)
Elvira
They say it’s a deal, not love.. (another murmured behind her fan)
Adelia
Poor girl. Beautiful, yes… but she’s walking into a cage.
The whispers spread like wildfire, floating through the glittering halls.
Meher sat in her bridal room, dressed in a crimson lehenga that shimmered with gold thread.
The makeup artists had painted her face into perfection, but nothing could hide the storm in her eyes. She stared at her reflection in the mirror.. her own face looked like that of a stranger.
Riya Sharma (Meher’s Sister)
(Riya burst in, dressed in a cheerful yellow lehenga, trying to lighten the mood)
Riya Sharma (Meher’s Sister)
Di, you look like a queen. Forget all of them. Just walk out there and show them your strength.
Meher Sharma (FL)
(Meher smiled faintly but said nothing. Inside, her chest tightened with each beat of the dhol outside)
Downstairs, Aarav stood tall in an ivory sherwani, the very picture of control.
Aarav Malhotra (ML)
(He greeted guests politely, his expression giving away nothing)
To society, he was the perfect groom.
Ishaan Verma (Aarav’s BFF)
(Only Ishaan, his best friend, leaned in and teased)
Ishaan Verma (Aarav’s BFF)
Even at your own wedding, you look like you’re signing another deal. 😏
Aarav Malhotra (ML)
(Aarav’s lips curved into a smirk)
Aarav Malhotra (ML)
That’s exactly what it is..
When Meher walked into the mandap, the hall went silent for a moment. Heads turned, eyes widened. She looked breathtaking, but there was no joy in her steps.. only duty.
Every whisper seemed louder as she sat beside Aarav.
The priest began the rituals. The flames burned bright, reflecting in Aarav’s sharp eyes and in Meher’s tear-lined ones.
When he tied the mangalsutra around her neck, a ripple went through the crowd.. half envy, half pity.
Elvira
She’s married into wealth.
As the sindoor touched her forehead, Meher closed her eyes. This isn’t love. This is survival.
The vows were completed, and applause broke out, but it felt hollow. Aarav rose first, offering his hand to Meher. She hesitated, then placed hers in his. To the guests, it looked like a perfect union. To her, it felt like surrender.
Only Aarav’s eyes lingered on her a second longer than necessary. For just that flicker of a moment, the man of stone looked at her not as a deal but as something he couldn’t quite name.
Comments