The Deshmukh and Raghuvanshi families were seated in the elegantly furnished hall, the air filled with an odd mixture of warmth and tension. The pleasantries exchanged between the elders carried an undertone of something unspoken, a quiet before an inevitable storm. The ambiance, though light and seemingly delightful, held a strange weight—an unsettling premonition of what was about to unfold.
And then, as if on cue, the storm arrived—descending the grand staircase in the form of Aira Deshmukh.
Her poised yet resolute steps echoed in the hall, drawing every eye toward her. As she reached the last step, she took a deep breath, gathering all the courage she had.
“I’m really sorry, Mr. & Mrs. Raghuvanshi, but I’m not interested in this marriage.”
The weight of her words settled heavily in the room, sending shockwaves through both families. An awkward silence followed, shattered only by a sharp intake of breath from Nisha Deshmukh, Aira’s mother, whose expression turned pale with disbelief.
Before anyone could react, Yunay Singh Raghuvanshi—the man in question—rose from his seat with an air of unshakable confidence. His sharp gaze locked onto Aira as he strode toward her with slow, measured steps.
“But I’m very much interested,” he declared, his deep voice reverberating through the room. He stopped just inches away from her, leaning in so close that his warm breath fanned against her ear, sending involuntary shivers down her spine.
“In both this marriage… and you,” he added, his voice dripping with a mixture of amusement and something else—something darker, something possessive.
Aira's breath hitched. Her body stiffened at his proximity, her mind struggling to process the audacity of his words. Before she could even react, his fingers brushed against her cheek, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear—a touch that was both gentle and claiming.
Her eyes widened in shock, her hands clenched into fists.
“Don’t you feel ashamed of doing such things in front of everyone?” she snapped, her gaze burning into his as if daring him to cross another boundary.
Yunay, unfazed by her outrage, tilted his head slightly, a teasing smirk playing on his lips.
“I don’t want to do such things in front of everyone either,” he murmured, his voice laced with mischief. “But don’t you think it would be even more shameful if we just get into a room on our first meeting?”
His words were a loaded taunt, and the way his dark eyes glinted with the challenge only made it worse.
Aira gaped at him in disbelief. Was this man even real?
“Yunay, get back to your seat. Behave yourself.”
The authoritative voice of Samarth Singh Raghuvanshi cut through the tension like a blade. His sharp gaze held a silent warning, one that even Yunay wouldn’t dare disobey.
Yunay exhaled through his nose, glancing at Aira one last time before stepping back and returning to his seat.
Aira, still seething, turned toward Samarth. He was watching her keenly, his expression unreadable. The weight of his gaze made her hesitate, but she had already come this far—there was no turning back now.
“Uncle, please… I really don’t want to do this marriage,” she pleaded, her voice softer this time, carrying the weight of her sincerity.
Before Samarth could respond, Nisha Deshmukh interjected, her voice laced with nervousness.
“No, Mr. Raghuvanshi, she has just come back after performing a surgery. She is just not in her senses. We are really sorry for her behavior.”
Aira whipped her head toward her mother in shock. What was she saying?
She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could utter a word, she felt a sharp pinch on her arm which went unnoticed by everyone. Her mother’s nails dug into her skin—a silent warning, a plea for her to stay quiet.
Yunay observed the silent exchange, amusement flickering in his eyes, but before he could speak, Lakshay Deshmukh, Aira’s father, decided to change the subject.
“How about we discuss Aira’s and Yunay’s marriage while having dinner?” he suggested, his voice calm yet firm.
“Only if Aira-ji cooks something special for us with her own two beautiful hands,” Yunay chimed in before anyone could respond, his tone laced with mockery.
He rested his chin on his fist, his elbow propped lazily on the armrest of the sofa. His intense gaze locked onto Aira, his smirk widening as he watched the irritation flare in her eyes.
Aira glared at him, her expression a mix of disbelief and fury. Was this man really serious?
Yunay, however, was thoroughly enjoying getting under her skin. But just as he was about to revel in his little victory, his mother’s words shattered his satisfaction.
“No, it’s prohibited in our family,” Divya Singh Raghuvanshi interjected with a gentle yet firm voice.
“You can’t eat anything cooked by your wife before marriage, nor can we, as she’s going to be our daughter-in-law.”
Samarth nodded in agreement. “She is right. We should get going now. And about marriage… we just need Aira’s approval now.”
His gaze softened slightly as he looked at Aira. “So please give it a thought, beta. I know it’s a tough decision for you, but I promise that you won’t regret being Raghuvanshi's daughter-in-law.”
Aira swallowed hard, feeling the weight of those words settle over her.
She forced a small, polite smile in response, though her mind was anything but calm.
With that, the Raghuvanshi family got up from their seats, bidding their farewells to the Deshmukh family before making their way out of the house.
As the sound of their cars driving away faded into the distance, the Deshmukhs finally stepped back inside.
Just as Nisha Deshmukh closed the entrance door behind her—
SLAP!
A deafening slap echoed through the room, the sheer force of it making Aira stumble backward.
“Are you out of your head?! Do you even know who they are and what their reputation is?”
Lakshay Deshmukh’s voice thundered through the hall, his rage evident as he grabbed Aira’s arm with a bruising grip. Before she could steady herself, he shoved her harshly, making her lose balance and fall onto the cold, hard floor.
Aira’s palms scraped against the surface, a sharp sting shooting up her arms. She gasped softly, her vision blurring as tears welled up in her eyes—not just from the physical pain but from the sheer humiliation of it all.
A warm, gentle touch landed on her shoulders.
“Aira…”
Her mother, Nisha Deshmukh, crouched beside her, her hands softly supporting Aira as she helped her back onto her feet. For a fleeting second, a sense of comfort bloomed in Aira’s chest—only for it to be crushed by Lakshay’s scornful scoff.
He took a step forward, his gaze cold and unwavering.
“I’ll call Samarth Raghuvanshi tomorrow and tell him that you’ve agreed to the marriage,” he declared as if sealing her fate.
Aira’s breath hitched.
Lakshay moved even closer, towering over her fragile form, his presence suffocating.
“So, if anyone from the Raghuvanshi family reaches out to confirm, you’ll say yes.”
His voice was eerily calm, but the underlying threat was crystal clear.
Aira wanted to protest, wanted to scream at him, tell him that she would never agree to this marriage. But before she could, his next words sent ice-cold terror through her veins.
“And if I find out that you denied them…” Lakshay paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before delivering the final blow.
“I will marry you off to my boss—who, by the way, is looking for a second wife to take care of his ten-year-old daughter.”
Aira’s heart stopped.
Lakshay smirked at her stunned silence before adding, “And just for your information, he’s twenty-five years older than you.”
Her stomach churned violently at the thought.
And with that, he turned on his heels and walked away, leaving his wife and children behind as if the conversation had drained the last ounce of interest he had in them.
Aira felt numb, her mind struggling to process what had just happened.
But before she could dwell on it, a voice filled with excitement—completely out of place in this moment—interrupted her thoughts.
“Seriously, di, you’re so naive,” Nidhi, her younger sister, chimed in, stepping forward with a dreamy look in her eyes.
“I mean, did you even look at Yunay? He’s so damn good-looking! Not just that, but he’s rich and the CEO of Raghuvanshi Pharmaceuticals!”
Aira turned to look at her sister, her own flesh and blood, who spoke as if this was some kind of fairy tale rather than the living nightmare Aira found herself trapped in.
“She’s right. You should consider yourself lucky,” Rahul, her younger brother, scoffed, crossing his arms.
“Otherwise, you’ll end up with a man like Papa’s boss,” he added, his voice laced with mockery.
Nidhi giggled at that, as if this was all some inside joke, while their mother sighed, rubbing her temples in exasperation.
Aira felt the last bit of strength drain out of her.
Without another word, both Nidhi and Rahul left the room, having had their fill of entertainment for the night. Nisha’s glare followed them until they disappeared from sight, leaving just the mother and daughter standing in the now eerily quiet hall.
The silence stretched between them, suffocating, heavy.
Then, Nisha turned toward Aira.
Her eyes, once filled with motherly warmth, now held a glint of cold pragmatism.
“Aira,” she stated, her voice deceptively gentle, “everyone is right, just agree to this marriage.”
Aira’s body tensed.
“The Raghuvanshi family is one of the most reputed and richest families in India. Do you have any idea how lucky you are that they brought a marriage proposal for you?”
Lucky?
Aira’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
“You know, many girls would die for this opportunity,” her mother continued, her hands cupping Aira’s face gently, as if trying to mold her into the perfect obedient daughter.
“And besides…” Nisha’s lips curled slightly.
“Yunay seems to like you a lot.”
Aira’s stomach coiled in discomfort.
“Even his family already considers you as their daughter-in-law,” Nisha added with finality.
Aira’s throat went dry.
Her fingers twitched, itching to shove her mother’s hands away, to scream at her that this wasn’t right, that she wasn’t some prized possession to be traded for status and wealth.
But before she could move, Nisha’s grip tightened.
Aira winced, her breath catching in her throat as Nisha’s fingers dug into her jaw, forcing her to meet her gaze.
All traces of gentleness disappeared.
“We didn’t raise you so that you could auction our honor like this,” she hissed, her voice low and venomous.
Aira’s chest tightened in fear.
“Just marry Yunay Raghuvanshi without any protest, or…” her mother’s dark eyes narrowed, “you’ll see the worst side of me.”
Aira froze.
Nisha released her with a slight push, her demeanor shifting back to its usual, composed self.
“Come to the kitchen after half an hour for dinner,” she instructed, her tone now casual, as if the past minute hadn’t happened.
“You need to maintain yourself until marriage. I don’t want that guy to lose interest in you.”
And just like that, she turned and walked away, heading toward the kitchen without a single glance back.
Aira stood there, her body trembling, her mind screaming.
She felt suffocated, trapped, and powerless.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned on her heels and walked to her room.
The moment she stepped inside and locked the door behind her, the dam broke.
A sob ripped through her throat, her knees giving out beneath her as she slid down against the door.
She curled into herself, her arms wrapping tightly around her knees, her face buried in the space between them.
Her shoulders shook violently, tears soaking the fabric of her clothes as her silent cries filled the room.
No one could hear her.
No one wanted to hear her.
And that was the worst part of all.
It had always been like this.
She had never had a choice.
Her entire life had been spent following orders, bending to her parents’ will, suppressing her own desires just to fit into the mold they had crafted for her.
She was tired.
Tired of being treated like a pawn in a game she never agreed to play.
For years, she had stayed away from love, never daring to let her heart wander. Her mother had ingrained it in her mind—love is a distraction, a weakness that would strip her of any dreams she dared to chase.
"If you fall in love, you’ll lose everything. You’ll spend your life in the kitchen, looking after kids, and that’ll be the end of you."
And so, she had followed their rules. Obeyed. Sacrificed.
Yet now, when she was finally chasing after her dreams, the same mother who had warned her against love was the one forcing her into a marriage she didn’t even want.
How was this fair?
How was any of this fair?
“Aira, dinner is ready!”
Her mother’s voice rang from the kitchen, dragging her back to reality.
She quickly wiped her tears, forcing herself to stand. Her legs felt weak, her heart heavy, but she walked to the bathroom sink, turning on the faucet. The cold water splashed against her face, washing away the visible signs of her breakdown.
She slowly lifted her gaze to the mirror.
Nothing.
No swollen eyes, no redness, no puffiness—no trace of her crying.
It had always been like this.
Other people’s tears left behind evidence—red eyes, swollen lids, trembling lips—but not hers. She had none of it, maybe that's why no one ever noticed.
Except for two people.
Her heart clenched at the thought of that one person in particular, but she quickly shook her head, pushing away the memories threatening to surface.
She took a final glance at her reflection before heading toward the kitchen.
---
Dinner Table – Deshmukh House
Sitting at the dinner table, Aira forced herself to eat.
Every bite felt heavy, her throat tightening with each swallow.
It wasn’t the food—it was the atmosphere.
Her family sat around her, glaring as if she had committed some grave sin.
She hated these kinds of dinners. The ones where their silence was louder than their words, where their eyes were filled with judgment, where she was made to feel like an outsider in her own home.
Somehow, she managed to finish her meal, each bite tasting more like obligation than sustenance.
Not wanting to endure the suffocating tension any longer, she excused herself and walked back to her room.
She had an early morning shift tomorrow.
At least work would be an escape—even if only for a few hours.
---
Raghuvanshi Mansion
The cool night breeze whispered against Yunay’s skin as he stood on his balcony, staring at the vast sky.
Dark, endless, empty.
Just like him.
He exhaled heavily, his mind restless—it had been for the past three days.
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar presence behind him.
“Wow!” Yunay spoke without turning. “What are you doing here, leaving your lovely wife alone at this time?”
Before he could react, a sharp smack landed on the back of his head.
“Baap hu tumhara!”
Samarth Raghuvanshi glared at his son, his expression holding the stern authority of a father but the concerned wisdom of a man who had seen too much.
“Tamiz se baat kiya karo,” he added.
Yunay rubbed the sore spot on his head, glaring back. “You heard her. She doesn’t want to marry.”
Samarth sighed, his sharp features softening just a little.
“But we both know she’ll end up marrying you.” His voice was steady, certain.
“Just don’t make her suffer, Yunay,” he added, his tone holding a weight that wasn’t a request, but a warning.
“It wasn’t her fault,” Samarth continued, his fatherly instincts taking over. “She has every right to—”
“Papa.”
Yunay cut him off, his voice calm but his eyes dark.
“I know what I’m doing.”
Samarth didn’t look convinced.
“Don’t worry,” Yunay continued, his eyes darkening.
“I’ll just punish her for her part of the fault.”
Samarth stilled.
A tense silence settled between father and son.
Then, in a slow, deliberate movement, Samarth stepped closer.
His gaze bore into Yunay’s, unwavering, carrying a silent but powerful warning.
“If she really ends up being your wife…” he said, his voice quiet but firm.
“Then she becomes my daughter as well.”
A flicker of something passed through Yunay’s eyes—something unreadable.
“And if someone tries to harm my daughter…” Samarth continued, placing a heavy hand on Yunay’s shoulder.
“I won’t let that person off easily.”
The warning was clear.
Patting Yunay’s shoulder, Samarth turned and walked away, leaving his son standing alone on the balcony.
As the sound of his father’s footsteps faded, Yunay exhaled, tilting his head to look up at the night sky.
It was empty.
Just like him.
He let out a slow sigh, his thoughts spiraling again, drowning him in a storm of conflicted emotions.
This whole marriage thing…
It should have been joyful, something to look forward to.
Something to cherish.
But—
Yunay closed his eyes, cutting off the train of thought before it could go further.
He wasn’t the type to dwell on what-ifs.
This marriage would happen.
And one way or another, Aira would learn.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
What are your opinions about Aira?
Did you like her?
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