Hridaya looked down at the mirror, her reflection staring back at her. The rich brown and deep red lehenga she wore was the most expensive dress she has ever worn. Heavy gold jewelry—at least half a kilogram in weight—adorned her neck, wrists, and ears. Her hands, decorated with intricate mehendi, trembled slightly as she traced a finger over the delicate patterns. She looked like a mannequin in a bridal shop—perfect, poised, and lifeless.

No one ever asks it, what the mannequin thought. No one wondered if it wanted to wear that dress, stand there on display, or be admired by strangers. It simply existed because someone had placed it there. Someone wanted it there. It didn't have a choice. And in that moment, she felt no different. She didn't have a choice. In few minutes she was going to get married irrespective of her wishes.

Everyone but her wanted this wedding. She had begged, pleaded, and cried, but no one listened. They all believed this was right for her. That this would bring her happiness. But no one had stopped to ask if she wanted it.

She took a deep breath, pushing back the lump in her throat, and let her mind drift back to that fateful day.

Two Months Ago

Mr. Raj Kumar's deep voice echoed in the quiet living room. "Mrs. Sharadha, our daughter has fallen in love with your son. And we've known him all our lives. Our daughter, Sakshi, and your daughter, Hridhaya, have been best friends since preschool. We've been part of each other's lives for almost two decades now. So when Sakshi told us she loved your son, Abishek, we didn't even question her decision. He's been working under me for the past five years. He's hardworking, smart, and responsible. We would be honored to have him as our son-in-law."

Sharadha remained silent, her face unreadable as she processed his words.

Sensing her hesitation, Prerna Kumar, Raj's wife, leaned forward, her voice soft but firm. "Are you worried about the status difference? Yes, we may have more money, but what is wealth if it can't bring happiness to our children? And our daughter didn't choose the wrong man. We've always wished for this. We've seen both your kids grow up before our eyes. You've done an incredible job as a single parent, raising them with strong values.  We love your kids. We have no doubts about this match. Your son loves our daughter, and she loves him. We're only waiting for your blessing."

Sharadha exhaled slowly, her gaze distant for a moment before she finally spoke. "My children are my entire world. Abhishek was just four, and Hridhya was a newborn when I became a single parent. People told me to remarry, but I chose my kids over everything else. Their happiness is my happiness. If Abhishek truly wants this, I won't stand in his way. Let's get them married." A small smile played on her lips. "Hridhaya will be over the moon when she finds out her best friend is going to be her sister-in-law."

Raj nodded approvingly. "You already know that Abhishek will be heading to Dubai in three months to manage our jewelry branch. So we'd like the wedding to happen before he leaves. In two months."

Sharadha hesitated. "Two months is a very short time. How will we manage everything?"

Prerna smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about that. We'll take care of all the arrangements." She paused before adding, "There's one more thing. We're planning to expand our jewelry business to the U.S., and we want to start a dance and music academy there as well. There's a huge demand for it. Our vision is to have music and dance performers showcase our jewelry, eventually building a market before launching our showrooms. i mean by word of mouth. You have been heading the art school here and have been teaching dance for as long as we can remember. So we want you to head the academy in U.S.."

Sharadha's eyes widened. "That's... too big. I don't think I can handle something like that."

A voice came from behind her. "Sharadhu, you underestimate yourself. You're far more capable than you think."

She turned to see Sakshi standing there, a warm smile on her face. Without a word, she stepped forward and hugged her. Sakshi and Hridhaya had been inseparable since childhood. They were already family long before a wedding had been planned.

A moment later, Abhishek walked in, carrying Sakshi's bag. "Picked her up from college," he said casually.

Prerna clapped her hands together. "Now that your Sharadha aunty has said yes to the wedding, Sakshi, you should stop calling her by all those pet names and start addressing your mother-in-law with respect."

Sakshi grinned cheekily. "Alright, Shradhu sasu maa!"
Abishek groaned. "I thought you'd save me from this witch, but you too agreed to the wedding instead."

Sakshi's eyes narrowed. "Witch?" Before he could react, she grabbed his ear, twisting it playfully. "Witch? That explains why every time I call, you magically come running!"

"Ahh! Let go!" he yelped, wriggling out of her grip before darting out of the house. Sakshi immediately chased after him.

Prerna exhaled, "Still these guys are playing like kids. Here we are planning their wedding."

Just as they ran towards the parking area, a BMW car pulled up. In his haste to escape, Abishek swerved to the side and the car also moved away,  bumped into a parked scooty, knocking it and damaging it.

The door of the sleek BMW opened, and a man stepped out. Tall, sharp-featured, and impeccably dressed, Karthik took one glance at them and immediately glared at them. His cold gaze flicked from Abishek to Sakshi, and without a word, he crossed his arms.

Abishek gulped. "I—I'm sorry, sir."

Karthik continued glaring until Sakshi rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop it, Karthik. You might be his boss at work, but now you need to remember something important." She linked her arm with Abishek's. "He's going to be your brother-in-law. So quit the scary act."

Abishek visibly relaxed as Sakshi dragged him inside, but Karthik's eyes lingered on their retreating figures, his expression unreadable.

Just then, a loud, exasperated voice screeched from behind him. "What the hell?!"

Even before turning around, Karthik knew exactly who it was. That voice had haunted him since childhood—the voice of the one person he despised the most.

Hridhaya.

His sister's best friend. His personal tormentor. The self-proclaimed queen of irritation.

If someone gave him a choice between losing his billion-dollar empire or getting rid of her forever, he wouldn't hesitate to choose the second option.

He turned, and sure enough, there she stood, hands on her hips, glaring at him with fire in her eyes.

She bent down to inspect the damage to the scooty, then shot him a disgusted look. "Are you losing your eyesight?" she snapped.

Karthik clenched his jaw. "My BMW is damaged."

Hridhaya gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "Oh no! The poor BMW! Should I start a fundraiser for your repair costs? Or maybe I should ask uncle to increase your pocket money so you can afford a pair of glasses?"

Karthik exhaled sharply, his fingers twitching as he resisted the urge to throw a retort.

God help him. This was just the beginning. One more fight between the two. The two always fought. Every single time they met. Even if there was no reason, they will find one and fight.

Karthik crossed his arms, his sharp eyes narrowing as he glared at her. "You think you're funny, don't you?"

She smirked, tilting her head with mock innocence. "No, I know I'm funny. The real problem is that you don't have a sense of humor. Grumpy boomer uncle"

He was just  4 years older than her. But because of their constant fights and his grumpy nature she teased him by calling uncle and as she wanted, it purely infuriated him. He scoffed, his jaw tightening. "My car got scratched because of you."

She folded her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Oh no, a tiny scratch on your precious BMW. Should I call an ambulance? You must be in so much pain—oh wait, it's just your ego that's hurt."

Karthik clenched his teeth, his fingers curling into fists. "At least I have an ego. Unlike you, who keeps poking her nose into everyone's business."

Hridhaya gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. "Excuse me? I don't poke my nose—I just state facts." She pointed at the dented scooty. "And the fact is, you damaged my scooty."

Karthik let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Your scooty was in the way."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Billionaire. I didn't realize I needed royal permission before parking in front of my own house."

Before Karthik could retort, Sakshi rushed over, grabbing Hridhaya's arm. "Enough, you two! Can't you go five minutes without fighting?"

Hridhaya flicked her hair back, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Not my fault he has the personality of a grumpy old man. Kadoos Kumar[grumpy Kumar]. Always barking. "

"I have told you not to call me that, heartless Hridhaya. And not my fault you're as annoying as a blood sucking mosquito." Karthik smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sakshi let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples. "Great. Just great. My wedding hasn't even happened yet, and I already have to deal with you two like this."

Karthik turned to Sakshi, smirking. "You better get used to it. She's going to be in your life forever."

Hridhaya's eyes widened in mock horror. "Ugh, don't remind me! I have to see this arrogant face at every family gathering now."

Sakshi groaned, throwing her hands up. "You both better learn to behave. Whether you like it or not, you're family now."

Karthik and Hridhya exchanged sharp glares.

"Fantastic," Hridhaya muttered under her breath.

Karthik smirked, rolling his eyes. "Perfect. You know what, you should marry a deaf guy—at least he wouldn't have to suffer through your irritating voice and endless nonsense."

Hridhaya around, eyes blazing, jabbing a finger at him. "Marrying you would be worse than..." She paused, searching for the most horrifying comparison, then narrowed her eyes.

"Worse than being buried under a mountain of cockroaches... alive... with no way out."

She let the words sink in, her expression full of mock disgust. "Just imagine it—those tiny legs crawling over my skin, creeping into my ears, wriggling under my clothes. Pure nightmare. But you? You're worse. I wouldn't even wish this fate on my worst enemy."

Little did she know, fate had other plans... because soon, she was going to be his bride.

As they all walked in, Raj said, "How about we get married Karthick and Hridhaya?"

Hridhaya froze. For a moment, she thought she had misheard.

Marry... Karthick?

Her stomach twisted as she turned slowly, eyes wide in horror. The room was unnervingly silent, the weight of Raj's words pressing down on her like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.

She darted a glance at Karthick, who was standing next to her, desperate to find the same level of shock on his face. And she did—at first. His brows were furrowed, his jaw slightly slack. But then, much to her growing dread, the expression changed. The shock faded, replaced by something far, far worse.

A smirk.

He leaned in, his breath tickling her ear as his voice dropped to a teasing whisper.

"Do you want me to order a lorry full of cockroaches to be buried under? I am a gentleman I will respect your preference."

Hridhaya inhaled sharply, eyes snapping to his, now gleaming with wicked amusement.

This wasn't happening.

No.

No.

Absolutely not.