Author's POV
The sun was setting behind the skyline, but inside the Vardhan-Rajpoot headquarters, the air was freezing. "Boardroom ka sannata sab kuch bayaan kar raha tha." (The silence of the boardroom was telling everything.) This wasn't a meeting; it was a takeover.
Ishani's POV
I stood outside the heavy doors, checking my reflection. My gold-toned saree looked like liquid sunlight, and my heels were sharp enough to draw blood. My family was losing everything, but I refused to walk in looking like a victim. "Main ek hara hua chehra lekar andar nahi ja sakti thi." (I couldn't go inside with a defeated face.)
I pushed the doors open exactly seven minutes late.
"Waqt mera gulam hai, main waqt ki nahi." (Time is my slave, I am not a slave to time.)
The room was deathly quiet. My father looked away. My brother, Yuvraj, was shaking with rage. But my eyes locked onto the man sitting in my father's chair.
Advait Singh-Raghuvanshi.
He looked like a masterpiece carved from dark stone. He didn't look up, but the power coming off him was suffocating. His silence was enough to create fear.
"You're late," he said, his voice a low, smooth growl that sent a shiver down my spine.
I didn't sit in a normal chair. I sat on the edge of the table, right next to him. I leaned in until I could smell his sandalwood cologne.
"A Queen is never late, Advait. "Main sahi waqt par aayi hoon taaki tum intezar karna seekho." (I arrived at the right time so you could learn to wait.)
Advait finally looked at me. His eyes were like a midnight storm. Instead of being annoyed, a small, dangerous smirk played on his lips. He pushed a black file toward me.
"Sign this, Ishani. Save your father. But I don't want your money."
I looked at the contract. My breath hitched. It didn't ask for shares. It asked for a wedding date.
"A marriage?" I whispered.
"Tumhe lagta hai tum mujhe khareed sakte ho?" (You think you can buy me?)
Advait's POV
I watched her walk in. Most people can't even breathe in my presence, but Ishani? She walked in like she owned the world. Her confidence is her biggest strength.
When she sat on the table next to me, defying every rule of the boardroom, I knew I had made the right choice. She was a fire that I wanted to capture. She thought she was winning with her sassy replies, but I could see her pulse racing in her neck.
"I am not buying you, Ishani," I leaned in, my face inches from hers. "I am making an alliance. My world is full of shadows and flying bullets. I need a woman who can hold a crown in one hand and a loaded gun in the other."
Mera raasta kaanton se bhara hai, aur mujhe wahan tumhara saath chahiye. (My path is full of thorns, and I want you by my side there.)
"Sign it," I commanded, my eyes dropping to her lips for a split second.
"Warna kal tak tumhare paas sar chhupane ki jagah bhi nahi hogi." (Otherwise, by tomorrow, you won't even have a place to hide your head.)
Ishani's POV
The air between us was electric. I could feel his heat, his power, and his arrogance. He wasn't just asking for a wife; he was asking for a partner who could survive the dark.
Mere paas koi aur raasta nahi tha.(I had no other choice.)
I grabbed the silver pen from his hand. Our fingers brushed, and I felt a spark of pure electricity. I signed my name in big, bold letters. I wasn't just signing a deal; I was entering a war.
"Done," I said, leaning even closer to him. "But remember, Advait,I might be your bride, but I will never be your shadow."
Advait stood up, towering over me. He didn't pull away. He leaned down and whispered, "We'll see about that."
He looked at my brother. "Pack her bags. Kal se tumhari behen Singh-Raghuvanshi khandan ki amanat hai." (From tomorrow, your sister the responsibility of the Singh-Raghuvanshi family.)
He walked out, his footsteps sounding like a heartbeat. I stood there, touching my gold bangles.
Pehli baar mujhe yeh kangan bediyon jaise lage.(For the first time, these bangles felt like handcuffs.)
I was now 'Advait's Bride'. And the game had officially begun.
Author's POV
The signature was dry, but the fire was just starting. Ishani had saved her family, but she had stepped into the cage of a lion.
Kahani toh ab shuru hui hai. (The story has only just begun.)
I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter see you in the next chapter, my lovely readers❤️
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