Chapter 1
Author’s POV
“Ummm… ummm…” A boy was tied up and sitting in the corner of the room, while a girl lay lazily on a big swing, surrounded by a bunch of papers and her laptop. Suddenly, she shouted
“I will kill Samar! Dekhai nahi de raha hai? Kaam kar rahi hu, chup ekdam!”
(Can’t you see? I’m working, be quiet!)
He looked at her helplessly, just as a maid softly said—
“Choti malkin, chod dijiye na…”
(Young lady, please leave him…)
The girl glared at her and replied sharply
“Itni taras aa rahi hai toh dono saath mein baitho jao… bandhu tumhe bhi aise hi!”
(If you feel so much pity, then go sit with him… I’ll tie you up the same way!)
The maid quickly bowed her head
“Sorry didi ji.” (I’m sorry, didi.)
Her hair was tied in a messy bun, spectacles resting neatly on her nose. She was writing something when suddenly they all heard a warm voice—
“Princess…”
A smile lit up her face as she turned.
“Dad…” she whispered.
He smiled and lovingly stroked her hair, but his gaze soon fell on Samar, who was still tied up in the corner, pleading with his eyes to be freed.
“Ab kya kiya isne?” (What did he do this time?)
The girl folded her arms and huffed
“Dad, he took my car keys… aur gaadi thok di! (and crashed my car!) You know, just because of him my Senorita is hurt and in the garage!”
Her father gestured for the maid to untie Samar’s hands and mouth. Samar exhaled in relief, rubbing his wrists.
Her elder brother, standing nearby, rolled his eyes
“Zyada udd mat! (Don’t fly too high!) Do minute badi hai tu mujhse… aur dekho, ek non-living thing ke liye apne sagge bhai ke saath aisa kiya jaise Shivi ne kiya.”
(You’re just two minutes older than me, and still, you did this to your own real brother over a non-living thing.)
She shrugged casually, ignoring him. Her father shook his head and asked
“What are you doing, Princess? Don’t you want to get ready? Bacche, today is your marriage.”
She looked up with a calm smile
“Dad, I’m filling the form for the new office that AR company I told you about.”
He nodded slowly, but Anurag (her brother) cut in
“What’s the need of that, Shivi, when you can take the CEO position in our company?”
She smiled softly
“Because bhai, I don’t want people saying I snatched your place. That’s why I’ll work hard on my own and make you all proud.”
Her father’s eyes softened. He held her hand lovingly
“My princess works too much… we are already proud of you.”
She smiled and leaned into his embrace.
Shivani’s POV
My father. My dad. My safest place in this cruel world.
I glanced at my henna filled hands the color wasn’t even dark. But who cares? Everyone had left, only Dad stayed. He cupped my face tenderly and asked
“Why did you choose Rohan, my child?”
I smiled faintly.
“Look, Dad… instead of marrying someone I don’t know, it’s better to marry my own friend. He is even ready for this.”
Dad chuckled.
“Do you love him?”
I looked at him blankly.
Love…
Love is a word I never truly felt for him, or for anyone.
Before I could answer, Dad sighed
“See? Even you don’t love him. Why don’t you just run away from this marriage? I’ll help you.”
I laughed and shook my head.
“Dad, stop it! I’ll have plenty of time to love him after marriage too. Now relax… and tell me, which father asks his daughter to run away from her own wedding?”
He smiled sadly and hugged me tight.
“After the death of my Queen, you are my everything, Princess. We both had planned to watch you grow up together… but God didn’t want that.”
A lump formed in my throat. I smiled weakly, hiding my sadness, when Anurag bhai entered
“Agar aap baap-beti ka ho gaya ho toh… Dad please , aap mere saath chalo.”
(If you’re done with your father-daughter talk, Dad please, come with me now.)
Dad patted my head lovingly before leaving with him.
I turned to look at my mother’s portrait hanging in a huge frame on the wall. My lips curved into a soft, bittersweet smile.
“I miss you, Mumma. Even though I never saw you, Dad says I look exactly like you.”
I stood near the window, staring at my reflection in the glass.
There was no “bride glow” on my face, no sparkle in my eyes. Just a 24-year-old girl, getting married only because her father wished to see her settled… before he leaves this world. Yes, my dad has a heart problem.
And I… I don’t even know if I’m ready.
There was no one in the house except the maids, Samar, Anurag bhai, me, and Dad. My so-called relatives would only show their faces in the evening honestly, I don’t even know why they were invited. I never met them before, never heard from them… yet today, suddenly, they’ll come smiling and blessing me as if they were part of my life all along.
I glanced at my phone there were no calls, not even a single missed call. It didn’t surprise me. I never had real friends. People always looked at me as if I were their personal ATM, nothing more. And when I realized this truth, I stopped talking to them altogether.
The only one I could call a “friend” is Rohan my college friend. And today… he is the one I’m going to marry. My dad doesn’t like him much, but for me, he agreed.
I sighed and turned away from the window, watching how the workers were decorating the house with lights and flowers. The sound of laughter, orders being shouted, and footsteps echoed in the hall. Everyone was busy. Everyone was preparing.
I walked slowly into my room. My heart felt heavy.
Today is my last day here.
My eyes drifted to the photo frames on the wall our family pictures, moments frozen in time. Me and Dad. Me and Anurag bhai. Me with my messy hair and silly smile on birthdays. I smiled faintly, my fingers brushing against the glass of one frame.
“I’m going to miss all of this…” I whispered to myself.
I sat on the edge of my bed, holding one photo tightly against my chest. The weight of it all sank into me.
As evening approached, the makeup artist came and started working on me. I hated makeup the most, but I let her do her job. Soon, I wore my lehenga and sat quietly, scrolling through my mails, pretending not to notice the brushes and powders around me.
That’s when my eyes widened an email from AR! They had called me for an interview tomorrow. Instantly, I jumped from my chair, my lehenga twirling around me. A big smile broke on my face.
“Yes!” I whispered, unable to contain my happiness.
I quickly sat back down, my heart racing, already looking through possible questions interviewers might ask. This would be my second job opportunity, and the excitement filled me more than anything else today.
I realized something
I wasn’t even this happy when my wedding was announced.
Just then, the door opened slowly. My smile faded. My father stepped inside.
I frowned. He was supposed to be downstairs, greeting guests and making sure everything was going smoothly.
