Something was wrong.
I felt it in the way the air shifted, in the way whispers seemed to hush when I passed by. It was an instinctâone I had sharpened over the years, one that never failed me. And right now, that instinct was screaming at me.
The Mehendi ceremony had been going wellâtoo well. I had managed to ignore Aditya's insufferable presence for the most part, despite our earlier conversation. And just when I thought I could enjoy the evening without another run-in with him, my eyes landed on something that made my stomach twist.
My father.
Laughing.
With his father.
It wasn't the casual, polite exchange of old acquaintances. It was deeper than thatâsomething weighted, something knowing. The way they clapped each other on the back, the hushed conversation, the way my father smiled like a man who had just closed a deal that would change everything.
A slow, unsettling feeling curled inside me. I moved closer, careful to stay unnoticed, my ears straining to pick up even a fraction of their words. But before I could hear anything useful, my father's eyes liftedâand locked onto mine.
For a second, he looked startled. Then, guilty.
That was all I needed. Something was very, very wrong.
I didn't reactânot yet. Instead, I plastered on the same poised expression I had mastered over the years and turned away, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I needed answers. Now.
The moment I stepped into my father's study later that night, he knew. Knew that I had seen something I wasn't supposed to. Knew that I wasn't leaving until I got the truth.
"Avni," he started, his tone cautious. "Don't." I raised a hand, my voice sharp. "Tell me what's going on."
A heavy silence stretched between us. My father ran a hand over his face, exhaling deeply before finally meeting my gaze.
"I was going to tell you after the wedding."Â My stomach dropped.
Tell me what?
I straightened, every muscle in my body coiled tight. "Tell me what, Dad?"
He hesitated. That alone made my blood run cold. My father was never hesitant. He was always composed, always sure of his words. But now, he looked like a man preparing for battle. And I was the enemy.
Finally, he spoke. And his next words shattered everything.
"You're getting married, Avni."
The world tilted.
A hollow ringing filled my ears. For a second, I thought I had misheard. That my mind had twisted his words into something far worse than they were.
But then, he continued.
"To Aditya."
I took a step back, like his words had physically hit me. No. No, this wasn't happening. I let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "You're joking."
He didn't answer. My breathing turned shallow. "You have to be joking."
"Avniâ"Â "You sold me to them?" My voice cracked, rage bursting through my veins like fire. "It's not like thatâ" "Then explain it to me!" I snapped, my control breaking entirely. "Explain to me why the hell I'm suddenly being auctioned off like some damn business deal."
My father's face hardened. "Because it is a business deal."Â The final nail in the coffin. I felt like I had been punched in the gut.
"You can't be serious," I whispered. "This isn't the eighteenth centuryâyou don't get to just decide my life for me." "I didn't have a choice." he said.
His voice was firm, but I could see the exhaustion beneath it. The weight of something he had carried for far too long. And suddenly, I understood.
This wasn't just some random arrangement. This had history.
"How much?" My voice was hollow now. My father frowned. "What?" "How much do you owe them?" The silence was deafening.
And then, in the quietest voice, he said, "It's not just about the money."Â A bitter laugh escaped me. "Of course, it's not." I felt sick. Absolutely sick.
All my life, I had fought to build my own name, my own empire. I had battled to prove that I was more than just my father's daughter, that I was capable, strong, independent. And now?
I was nothing more than a pawn in a game I didn't even know I was playing. And the worst part? The person I was being tied to was Aditya Singhania.
The man I loathed. The man who pushed every one of my buttons. The man who, just hours ago, had smirked at me like he knew he had the upper hand.
Did he know?
The thought made my blood turn to ice.
"Did Aditya know?" I asked, my voice quiet but lethal. My father hesitated. Then, "Not until recently."
That meant yes.
A fresh wave of rage crashed over me. I clenched my fists, inhaling sharply to keep from screaming. I needed air. I needed to think.
I turned on my heel, marching out of the room, my mind spiraling into chaos.
i went to my room sitting on bed blank. I was trapped in a daze. How would i escape? i don't fucking know!
He knew...... and still didn't tell me anything.
i will make him regret to play this game with me .
I lied on bed snuggled in my blanket feeling betrayed because? Because i didn't expect anything from aditya. BUT?
But my dad? He was my everything after mom left us. And yes today i feel betrayed.
A tear escaped my eye and took a deep breathe to control myself.
Tomorrow i need to talk to him.
ADITYA SINGHANIA.
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