urgency

Veer & Ridhima – The Unspoken Tension

As the car rolled through the streets, the atmosphere inside remained heavy with silence. Meera, exhausted and stressed from the confrontation, had finally drifted into a deep sleep. Veer and Ridhima sat in the back, both lost in their own thoughts. The tension from the earlier encounter with Aryan lingered in the air.

Ridhima turned her gaze toward Veer, breaking the silence, her voice soft but filled with gratitude. "Thank you... for what you said back there to Meera. I don't know how we would've handled it without you."

Veer glanced at her for a moment, his expression calm but intense. "You don't need to thank me," he replied quietly, his tone almost distant, as if trying to mask any lingering emotion.

They continued in silence, the soft hum of the car being the only sound between them. The weight of the evening hung over them, but neither of them dared to speak more.

As they reached Rajawat Mansion, the car came to a halt. Meera stirred slightly in her sleep as Ridhima quietly unbuckled her seatbelt. She stepped out of the car, but just as she was about to close the door, her dupatta got stuck.

Ridhima pulled gently, trying to free it, but the fabric remained caught. Just then, Veer noticed the struggle from the other side of the car. Without a word, he moved quickly to her side and opened the door, his hand brushing against her waist as he reached for the dupatta.

His touch was inadvertent, but as he helped free the fabric, Ridhima couldn't help but feel the warmth of his hand against her uncovered skin. A sudden rush of heat surged through her body, and for a moment, she froze, unable to move or speak.

Veer, equally unaware of the closeness, withdrew his hand quickly after the dupatta was freed. They both stood there for a split second, the proximity still lingering between them. The air seemed to hold its breath.

Ridhima quickly turned her head away, heart pounding in her chest. "Thanks," she muttered softly, avoiding eye contact, trying to steady her breathing.

Veer gave her a brief nod, his own pulse quicker than usual. Neither of them said anything more. The moment passed, but the tension was palpable.

As Ridhima stepped inside, Meera had already gone ahead, and Veer lingered for a moment, his thoughts racing. There was something about Ridhima that he couldn't shake off. Something that made him want to be closer, yet kept him at a distance.

But he couldn't ignore the pull, no matter how hard he tried.

Ridhima's Restless Night

Ridhima tossed and turned in her sleep, her breathing uneven as her dream played out vividly.

She saw herself standing in the middle of a dimly lit room, her heart pounding as Veer stepped closer, his intense gaze locked onto hers. His fingers trailed up to her cheek, his touch feather-light yet burning into her skin.

She felt the warmth of his breath against her lips as their noses brushed. The tension between them was unbearable, pulling them closer like gravity itself. His grip tightened around her waist, drawing her flush against him.

Just as their lips were about to meet—

She jolted awake.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she sat up in bed, a thin layer of sweat coating her skin. Her fingers instinctively touched her lips as if trying to understand what she had just dreamt.

"Why... why am I dreaming about him?" she whispered to herself, her mind swirling with confusion.

Her heart still pounded from the intensity of the dream. She tried to shake it off, convincing herself it was just a meaningless fantasy, but deep down, she knew it wasn't.

Taking a deep breath, she finally looked around and noticed she wasn't alone.

Devika, Meera, and Aarini were in her room, completely unaware of her restless state. They were excitedly holding up a set of wedding outfits, discussing colors and embroidery.

Ridhima's eyes widened. The wedding couple's attire.

The reality of it hit her like a wave. She and Veer were actually getting married—even if it was just a deal, even if she had told herself it was temporary.

But why did her heart betray her every time she thought about him?

She clenched the bedsheet tightly, trying to push away the thoughts of Veer, the way his hands felt on her in the dream, the way his eyes held hers in an unspoken promise.

Whatever this was... she needed to stop it.

But her heart? It had other plans.

The Wedding Deal: A Secret Between Two

While Ridhima's sisters were busy picking out her wedding dress, her mind was somewhere else—on Veer.

This wedding was just a deal, but no one else knew that. To the world, they were about to become a power couple. Only she and Veer knew the truth—four months of marriage, then they would part ways.

She sighed as Meera held up another bridal lehenga.

"This one will look stunning on you, Ridhima."

Ridhima forced a smile. "It's just a wedding, Meera. The dress doesn't matter."

Aarini gasped. "Just a wedding? Di, you're marrying Veer Arora, one of Jaipur's most eligible bachelors! Everyone's talking about it. How can you be so calm?"

Ridhima's heart clenched. If only they knew.

Meanwhile, at Arora Mansion

Veer stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his sherwani when Aarav entered the room, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk.

"Nervous?" Aarav teased.

Veer shot him a look. "Why would I be? It's just a wedding."

Aarav scoffed. "Yeah, right. I saw the way you looked at Ridhima's picture yesterday. And don't even try to deny it, bro. You like her, don't you?"

Veer's jaw tightened. "It's nothing like that."

Aarav crossed his arms. "Then why do you look like you'd kill any guy who even breathes near her?"

Veer rolled his eyes, ignoring the question. Deep down, he knew something had changed. Ridhima's words from last night echoed in his head:

"No physical intimacy. Nothing serious. It's just a deal."

Then why did her words bother him so much?

And why was he so eager to see her as his bride?