Two days passed in a blur, and before I knew it, the day of my engagement arrived.
Engagement.
What a joke.
I stared at my reflection in the massive mirror in my bedroom, dressed in an intricately embroidered white lehenga.
The delicate threads weaved into the fabric shimmered under the light, making me look like the perfect Rajput princess my father expected me to be tonight.
A beautiful pawn.
I scoffed, adjusting the a little delicate diamond pendant adorning my neck. My makeup was flawless, my hair styled in an elegant soft curls adorned with tiny jasmine flowersâtraditional yet modern.
Perfect. Everything had to be perfect.
For a business deal.
I let out a breath, my fingers tightening around the edge of the dressing table. This wasn't how engagements were supposed to be.
I should have been excited. There should have been butterflies, nervous smiles, stolen glances with the person I was about to promise my life to. But instead, my stomach was in knots for an entirely different reasonârage.
Because this wasn't a promise made out of love. It was a transaction.
A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. "Avni?" My cousin Shreya peeked in, her eyes widening as she took me in. "You look... gorgeous."
I forced a small smile. "Do I look like someone getting engaged, or someone being auctioned off?"Â Her smile faltered. "Avni..."
I sighed, shaking my head. "Forget it. Let's get this over with."Â Shreya hesitated before grabbing my hand and squeezing it. "Whatever happens, you're still you, okay? No one can change that."
I wanted to believe that. But the moment I stepped out of my room and saw the grand decorations spread across our massive lawn, I realized how little control I had.
Golden fairy lights wrapped around the trees, casting a soft glow over the beautifully arranged seating. The long banquet tables were covered in expensive linens, adorned with crystal glasses and exotic flowers flown in from god-knows-where. Guests in designer sarees and suits mingled, sipping champagne as though this was nothing but another elite gathering.
No one here cared that I was being forced into a marriage.
Why would they? For them, it was just another high-profile merger between two of the most powerful business families.
And then, my eyes landed on him.
Aditya Singhania.
Standing near the grand stage, dressed in a classic green kurta, exuding arrogance like it was stitched into the very fabric of his clothes.
His sharp features were unreadable, his dark eyes scanning the crowd lazilyâuntil they landed on me.
For a fraction of a second, I saw something flicker in his gaze. Something unreadable.  Then, it was gone, replaced by his usual smirk.
I hated that smirk.
I hated that it made my blood boil, that it reminded me of how much control he had in this situation.
And I hated that even now, standing under the soft glow of the fairy lights, with the world watching us like we were some twisted love story, he looked so damn perfect.
As I walked towards him, my heels clicking against the marble floor, I could see him take in every detail of my appearance. The way his gaze lingered on my face, my jewelry, the way the lehenga hugged my body just right.
If he thought I was going to be an obedient little fiancée, he was delusional.
"Ms Rajput," he greeted smoothly when I reached him, his voice laced with amusement. "You almost look happy to be here."Â I plastered on my best fake smile. "Oh, I am happy. Can't you tell?"
He chuckled, his hands slipping into the pockets of his kurta. "I'd believe that if you weren't gripping your purse like you were about to throw it at my face." Damn. He noticed.
Before I could snap back, my father's voice boomed through the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for being here tonight. Today marks the union of two great families, two legacies coming together..."
I stopped listening after that. My nails dug into my palms as I stared ahead, pretending not to feel the weight of Aditya standing beside me.
Everyone clapped when my father finished his speech, and suddenly, they announced the ring ceremony.
I turned to face Aditya, watching as he pulled out a ring box handed to him by one of his family members. He popped it open, revealing a massive diamond ring.
"Shall we?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. A part of me wanted to throw the ring into the fountain behind us.
But instead, I extended my hand, letting him slip the cold metal onto my finger.
The crowd clapped, camera flashes going off. I smiled. Not because I was happy. But because I knew exactly what I was going to do.
As I placed the ring on his finger, I leaned in ever so slightly, my lips curling into a smirk only he could see. "Congratulations, fiancé," I murmured sweetly. "Get ready. Because after this, your life will never be the same."
His smirk didn't waver. "Oh, sweetheart," he whispered back. "I was about to say the same to you."
And just like that, the game officially began.
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