The days leading up to the engagement were a blur of chaos for Aarohi. Between college deadlines, relentless family demands, and her own spiraling doubts, it felt as though she was being pulled in every direction at once. She couldn't remember the last time she had a moment of quiet, a moment to just think.
Everywhere she turned, someone was asking something of her. Her mother wanted her opinion on jewelry. Her father kept reminding her of the importance of family pride. Her professors expected flawless assignments. And then there was Vihaan-always calm, composed, and maddeningly indifferent to the storm that raged inside her.
But Aarohi was at her breaking point.
---
That evening, after another exhausting day, Aarohi texted Vihaan to meet her. She couldn't keep pretending everything was fine.
When he arrived at the café, he looked as composed as ever, his expression unreadable. Aarohi envied his ability to keep it together.
"What's so urgent?" he asked, sitting across from her.
Aarohi hesitated, gripping her coffee cup as if it might anchor her. "I... I don't think I can do this anymore," she said finally.
Vihaan's brows furrowed. "Do what?"
"This engagement. This marriage. It's too much," Aarohi admitted. "I can't focus on anything-my studies, my life. It's like I'm losing myself."
Vihaan's jaw tightened. "And what exactly do you want to do about it?"
"I don't know!" Aarohi said, her voice rising. "I just need time, Vihaan. Time to figure things out."
"Time?" he repeated, his voice cold. "Aarohi, the engagement is in two days. Time isn't exactly a luxury we have."
"That's the problem!" she shot back. "None of this is on my terms. It's always about what the families want, what you want. What about me? Doesn't what I want matter?"
Vihaan leaned back, his gaze sharp. "What do you want, Aarohi? Do you even know? Or are you just looking for an excuse to run?"
"I'm not running!" she cried. "I'm just-" She broke off, her voice cracking. "I'm just trying to survive."
Vihaan's expression softened for a brief moment, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "You think this is easy for me? That I don't feel the pressure? I didn't choose this arrangement either, Aarohi. But I'm here, trying to make it work. Meanwhile, you're so caught up in your fears that you can't even see that."
"I never asked you to make it work!" Aarohi snapped. "I didn't ask for any of this!"
"And yet here we are," Vihaan said quietly. "Maybe it's time you stopped blaming everyone else and started taking responsibility for your life."
The words hit Aarohi like a slap. She stared at him, her chest heaving with a mix of anger and hurt.
"I'm done talking," Vihaan said, standing abruptly. "You figure out what you want, Aarohi. But don't expect me to wait forever."
He walked away, leaving Aarohi sitting alone, tears streaming down her face.
---
That night, Aarohi lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Vihaan's words replayed in her mind, each one cutting deeper than the last.
You figure out what you want. But don't expect me to wait forever.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Tanya: How are you holding up?
Aarohi stared at the screen, her thumb hovering over the keyboard. She wanted to say she was fine, that she had everything under control, but the truth was, she was falling apart.
She typed back: I don't know if I can do this.
---
Vihaan sat in his study, nursing a glass of whiskey. His father, Dev, walked in and took a seat across from him.
"Rough day?" Dev asked.
Vihaan didn't respond immediately. "Do you ever feel like you're trying to fix something that's already broken?"
Dev studied him carefully. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Vihaan said after a pause. "Just thinking out loud."
Dev leaned back in his chair. "Relationships aren't easy, son. But they're worth it-if you believe they are. The question is, do you?"
Vihaan didn't answer. Instead, he downed the rest of his drink, the liquid burning his throat but doing nothing to ease the turmoil inside him.
---
The next morning, Aarohi was woken by the sound of her mother's urgent voice.
"Aarohi, come downstairs! Now!"
Groggily, Aarohi made her way to the living room, where her parents were sitting with grim expressions. Vihaan's father, Dev Malhotra, was there too, his face unreadable.
"What's going on?" Aarohi asked, her heart pounding.
Her father turned to her, his voice heavy with worry. "Vihaan has made a decision."
Aarohi froze, her mind racing. "What decision?"
Before anyone could answer, the front door opened, and Vihaan walked in. He looked straight at Aarohi, his expression unreadable but his presence commanding.
"We need to talk," he said firmly.