Chapter 1 A Bargain in Gold
The palace of Udaipur was glowing, but not with joy. Thousands of marigolds draped the walls, their scent heavy and suffocating. Inside the dressing room, Mira stood like a statue of marble and silk.
She stared at her reflection. The heavy gold maang-tikka felt like a crown of thorns. Her eyes, lined with thick kohl, didn't reflect the brilliance of the diamonds she wore; they reflected a storm.
"You look beautiful, princess," her maid whispered, her voice trembling.
"I look like a debt being paid," Mira replied, her voice cold and hollow.
Outside, the sound of the nagaada grew louder. Aryan had arrived. He wasn't just a groom; he was the man who now owned her family’s legacy, their lands, and starting tonight—her.
The ceremony was a blur of smoke and Sanskrit verses. Mira felt Aryan’s hand as he took hers during the Pheras. His grip wasn't gentle; it was possessive. It was a silent reminder that she was now his prisoner in a gilded cage.
When they finally reached the private chambers, the silence was louder than the drums outside. Mira sat on the edge of the bed, her face hidden behind the embroidered veil—the very one in your picture.
Aryan walked toward her, his footsteps heavy on the marble floor. He stopped right in front of her. With a slow, deliberate movement, he used the tip of his finger to lift the edge of the veil.
As the fabric moved, revealing only one of her eyes—sharp, defiant, and burning with a silent vow—Aryan froze. He had expected tears. He had expected a broken woman.
"They told me I was buying a princess," Aryan whispered, his voice dark and dangerous. "But looking at you... I think I’ve just walked into a trap."
Mira didn't blink. "Every hunter thinks he's in control, Aryan. Until he realizes the prey was the one leading him into the woods."
