-DO VOTE AND COMMENT-

AUTHOR'S POV:

The pale light of dawn slipped across the room, brushing against the sharp edges of silence.

She opened her eyes slowly, her gaze steady and unreadable, as if the morning owed her nothing.

No smile curved her lips, no warmth softened her features-only a quiet detachment, like frost lingering on glass.

With unhurried movements, she slid out of bed, the cool floor meeting her feet without making her flinch.

Crossing the room, she pushed open the bathroom door, the faint sound of running water breaking the stillness.

The mirror greeted her with her own expressionless face.

She splashed cold water over her skin, droplets trailing down like shards of ice, yet her eyes remained calm, distant-as though the freshness of the morning could never thaw the chill she carried within.

She was none other than Aarvi Sharma, soon-to-be a Rathore. It was rare to see her smile.

Today was the day when Aarvi's mother, Reenu Sharma, would marry the love of her life, Deepak Singh Rathore.

Deepak was her mother's business partner, and over time, they had fallen deeply in love.

The wedding meant the world to her mother. After so long, Aarvi had finally seen her happy again, and she didn't want to be a hurdle in that happiness. So, she agreed to the marriage.

But just yesterday, Aarvi had set a condition-she wouldn't live with the Rathores.

At first, her mother was upset, but after much persuasion, she gave in. Aarvi told her mother she would stay with her best friend, Manmeet, in her apartment.

Aarvi didn't hate the Rathores, but she couldn't bring herself to live with them-not after everything her past had taught her.

After freshening up, she made her way downstairs and saw her mother, glowing with joy, all ready for the journey to Jaipur, where Deepak had booked a private villa for them, keeping their privacy in mind.

AARVI'S POV:

When she saw me coming, she smiled. Her happiness is my everything. Mumma asked if I had packed my bags, to which I replied, "Everything's done, Mumma. Don't worry about anything else. Just enjoy your day."

I was honestly so happy when she agreed to my condition about living with Mannu (Manmeet).

At first, I didn't think she'd agree so easily. Now I realize-it was totally because of Mannu.

Like seriously, Mumma only gave in because of her. And I gotta say, the personality Mannu carries around my mom is insane. She becomes a completely different person whenever she meets her.

Dude, I can't even explain how shocked I was the first time I saw her talk all sweet in front of Mumma.

Mannu literally went like, "Aunty, honestly... aapke haath ka khana toh 5-star hotels ko bhi fail kar de. Agar main yahan daily aa gayi an, toh mujhe gym join karna padega bas."

(Honestly, Aunty… the food made by you beats even 5-star hotels. If I start coming here daily, I’ll have to join a gym for sure.)

Dude, I was cringing so hard at that line. Like humare saamne to muh bana ke bethi rahegi aur yahan to isne itni jldi roop bdla jiti jldi icchadhar naagin badalti h.

(In front of us she sits making faces, but here she changed her form as quickly as a shape-shifting serpent.)

When I told this incident to our other best friends, they were all shook to hell.

Coming back,

Mom told me that we would have our breakfast during the journey. We started around 5 in the morning and reached by 10 a.m.

I always knew the Rathores were rich-but this rich? Like wow... the place looked like a royal castle straight out of a fairytale.

I went to my room while Mom went to hers. I told her not to wait for me at lunch since I'd be busy. Busy, in my case, meant checking some important files for my company.

She doesn't know the truth-that I'm actually the CEO of SOLITUDE.

All she knows is that I work for a company that pays me a good salary. Huff... if only she knew the insane workload that comes with it.

And on top of all this, I'm about to start my 12th in Udaipur. My 11th result isn't out yet-it'll be announced in two days. That only adds to my stress.

(A/N: I don't know much about the wedding rituals. So, I skipped them.)

Honestly, I've only seen Mr. Rathore twice before (yeah, that's what I'll call him, because I consider him anything but my father). This is the third time I'm seeing him.

Right now, I'm stuck at the after-wedding family dinner with the entire Rathore clan.

And dude... the hell? Why are they staring into my soul? Like, yes, I know I'm beautiful, but do they really have to burn holes into me with their hawk-like eyes?

All the Rathore brothers look at me as if I'm some kind of puzzle they're dying to solve.

Then Dadu-aka Pratap Singh Rathore-asked everyone to introduce themselves. I already knew all the elders since I had met them last month at our house, so they skipped the introductions.

First to speak was my eldest stepbrother, Abeer Singh Rathore, followed by the others in turn. And then it was my turn.

I simply said, "Hello everyone, I'm Aarvi Sharma." Short, plain, and done. I wasn't fond of all that limelight being thrown at me anyway.

After finishing my dinner, I placed the napkin neatly beside my plate and said, calm yet firm, "Excuse me, everyone."

The clinking of cutlery stopped. One by one, every pair of eyes lifted toward me, the air in the royal dining hall suddenly heavy with anticipation. I continued without hesitation,

"I won't be living with you all in this mansion. I'll be staying in Udaipur. I've already informed my mother... and Mr. Rathore. I just thought it was necessary to let the rest of you know as well. Thank you."

For the briefest moment, I saw Mr. Rathore's eyes glisten, betraying emotions he quickly masked behind his usual stoicism. Looks like my dearest stepfather is the emotional one here, even more than my mother.

The silence that followed was deafening. Some of them tried to speak-convincing, questioning, pleading-but I had already made up my mind. And when I make a decision, no one... literally no one can change it. Not even me.

Without waiting for their reactions, I rose and excused myself, leaving the hall. My footsteps echoed against the marble floors, sharp and unbothered.

AUTHOR'S POV:

Every head turned, following Aarvi's retreating figure until she disappeared beyond the grand doorway. The entire royal dining area remained frozen, words stuck in their throats. Even the formidable Pratap Singh Rathore couldn't summon his voice-such was the weight of Aarvi's cold resolve.

The silence was broken by Reenu, her voice trembling as she whispered, "I'm so sorry on her behalf, everyone. She isn't always like this... it just takes her time to adjust to new people and new surroundings. Since childhood, she has only known our home, our world... this is new for her. Please, give her time. I'll talk to her-"

Her words faltered when Deepak placed a hand on her shoulder, gently caressing her hair.

His tone was soft yet firm, "We understand her, love. Truly, we do. She'll understand us too, someday. Don't stress yourself. You know I can't stand seeing tears in your eyes."

Tarun groaned under his breath, barely a whisper, "Ugh, this kind of PDA... unbearable."

Unfortunately for him, the younger clan heard it all. They exchanged amused looks, some stifling their laughter, others nodding in agreement.

Tarun froze, eyes wide. Great. If an elder had heard that, I'd have been dead meat already.

But amidst all the whispers and unspoken thoughts, one name lingered on everyone's mind, dominating the atmosphere like a storm cloud-AARVI.

Abeer, who hadn't uttered a single word through the entire exchange, leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze fixed on the empty doorway she had disappeared through.

His jaw tightened, a flicker of thought crossing his mind-then silence.