Chapter 1 :Love?
The soft, rhythmic ticking of the living room clock was the only sound Anjali had listened to for years. At twenty-one, standing at five-foot-three with a soft, oversized frame she had spent her adolescence trying to hide, she had learned to make herself as invisible as possible.
Her parents’ words had long since settled into her bones, heavy and immutable. “Look at you,” her mother would sigh, looking at her with a mixture of pity and resentment. “Who is ever going to look at you and see a bride? You don’t deserve the kind of love you read about in books, Anjali. Acceptance is your only option.”
So, Anjali accepted it. She wore baggy, dark-colored kurtas, kept her head down, and built a quiet wall around her heart. She resigned herself to a life of being a ghost in her own home, believing she was entirely unlovable.
Until Major Kabir Singh walked into their living room.
Kabir was a force of nature. At thirty-five, he stood at a towering six-foot-four, a mountain of a man with broad shoulders, heavily muscled biceps that strained against his uniform, and a disciplined, commanding presence. He was an Army Major, hardened by years on the border, but his eyes carried a warmth that completely defied his rugged exterior.
When Kabir’s family brought him for a formal meeting, Anjali’s parents immediately began managing expectations, subtly pointing out her flaws as if apologizing for her presentation. But Kabir hadn't looked at her parents. He had looked straight at Anjali, watching the way her fingers nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
To everyone's absolute shock, Kabir said yes.
The first few weeks of marriage were a blur of nervous confusion for Anjali. She moved into his spacious quarters, waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for him to realize he had made a mistake. Instead, she found herself plunged into a reality she didn't know how to navigate: Kabir absolutely adored her.
He didn't just accept her size; he cherished it. He pulled her onto his lap without a second thought, his massive arms wrapping completely around her, making her feel incredibly safe, small, and fiercely protected.
"You're too quiet today, Jaan," Kabir rumbled one afternoon, his deep voice vibrating against her back as he held her from behind while she tried to organize the bookshelf.
"I'm just... thinking," she whispered, still unaccustomed to the sheer amount of space he allowed her to take up in his life.
"Bad habit. Stop thinking and look at me."
When she turned around, he leaned down—spanning the massive height difference between them—and quickly caught her lips in a sweet, lingering kiss. When he pulled away, a boyish, wicked grin broke across his rugged face.
Anjali’s face flushed a deep, bright crimson. "Kabir! You can't just do that whenever you want!"
"I am the Major here, I make the rules," he teased, tapping her nose.
It didn't take long for Anjali to realize that Kabir’s ultimate love language was relentless, affectionate teasing. He loved watching her cheeks puff up when she was flustered.
One evening, Anjali settled onto the couch with a small bowl of her favorite spicy banana chips, looking forward to a quiet hour of reading. She had just picked up the first chip when a shadow fell over her.
Kabir walked by, fresh from his evening workout, his t-shirt clinging to his frame, emphasizing his chiseled six-pack abs. Without breaking stride or even looking down, his massive, calloused hand dipped right into her bowl, scooped up half her snacks, and popped them into his mouth.
"Hey!" Anjali cried out, holding the bowl away from him. "Those are mine! You have your strict diet anyway!"
Kabir stopped, turning around with a look of mock innocence, deliberately chewing. "Are they yours? I thought everything in this house belonged to the Indian Army."
"Not my snacks!" she pouted, her eyes wide.
Kabir chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that filled the room. He walked back over, looming over her before dropping to his knees so they were eye-level. He reached out, his large hand gently cupping her face, his thumb stroking her soft cheek with immense tenderness.
"I can't help it," he murmured, his voice softening into something incredibly earnest. "You look so cute when you're protective of your food. And you taste sweeter than the snacks anyway."
Before she could process the compliment, he leaned in and stole another quick, breathless kiss right from her lips, tasting the lingering spice of the chips. He stood up, laughing as she buried her burning face in her hands.
Slowly, the cruel words of her past began to fade, replaced by the booming laughter of a giant who thought she was the most precious thing in the world. Anjali finally realized that she hadn't just found someone to love her—she had found someone who would spend the rest of his life making sure she never doubted she deserved it.
