The café buzzed around us, people chatting, coffee machines whirring, the occasional burst of laughter from a distant table. But none of it mattered.
Because across from me sat Avni Rajput, arms crossed, head tilted slightly, looking at me with that annoyingly confident smirk-one that made me both irritated and intrigued at the same time.
We were supposed to be "getting to know each other" before our wedding, but all we were doing was seeing who could get under the other's skin first.
And I wasn't about to lose.
She took a sip of her iced coffee, her gaze flickering toward me. "So, Mr. Aditya Singhania. Future husband. Billionaire. Arrogant brat. Tell me-what exactly do you do when you're not busy making my life difficult?"
I raised a brow. "I could ask you the same thing, Ms. Avni Rajput. Future wife. Businesswoman. Stubborn menace. What exactly do you do when you're not throwing water at my face?"
Her lips twitched, but she covered it with another sip of her coffee. "That depends. If I tell you, will you be taking notes? Maybe trying to copy my very superior lifestyle?"
I chuckled. "Superior? Bold words for someone who spent the last ten minutes complaining about how much she hates being here." She sighed dramatically, leaning back in her chair. "It's not you, it's just this whole... arranged marriage thing. It's suffocating."
I stared at her for a second, watching as she swirled the ice in her glass absentmindedly. "Yeah," I admitted. "It is." She blinked, as if surprised by my honesty.
I smirked. "What? Thought I was going to say I love the idea of marrying a woman who wants to kill me?" She scoffed. "Oh, please. You're enjoying this." I leaned forward slightly. "What makes you think that?"
"Because," she said, pointing her straw at me, "you love the challenge. You enjoy knowing that I won't just smile and nod like every other person around you. You love the fight." I tilted my head, amused. "So you're saying you're a fight?"
She smirked. "No. I'm saying I'm a war."
Damn.
I couldn't even argue with that. She was right. I did enjoy this.
I enjoyed the fact that she wasn't intimidated by me. That she met every one of my sharp remarks with one of her own. That she wasn't easy to figure out. She was the first person in a long time who made me think before I spoke.
And that was dangerous. Because the more I talked to her, the more I wanted to understand her.
"So?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee. "What's your grand escape plan, then? How are you planning to make my life hell once we're married?"
She hummed, pretending to think. "I could start by redecorating your office. Maybe paint it bright pink. Put some teddy bears on your desk. Give it a nice, cozy feel." I scoffed. "You wouldn't dare."
She leaned in, eyes glinting. "Try me." I narrowed my eyes. "I'd just burn it down." She gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. "Wow. That's so toxic."
I smirked. "I never claimed to be a saint, sweetheart." She rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
For a few seconds, we just sat there, the playful tension settling into something quieter. And then, out of nowhere, she sighed. "Honestly, Aditya... do you ever wonder what life would be like if we weren't forced into this?"
The question caught me off guard. I stared at her, watching as her fingers traced the rim of her glass, her gaze distant. For a moment, I considered lying. Giving her some sarcastic remark.
But I didn't. Instead, I answered truthfully. "Yeah," I admitted. "I do." Her eyes met mine, and for a second, the air between us shifted.
It wasn't just playful anymore. It was something else. Something neither of us wanted to name.
I cleared my throat, breaking the moment. "But since we are stuck with each other, we might as well make the most of it."
She sighed. "Great. So my future consists of dealing with you forever." I smirked. "Can't wait."
She gave me an exasperated look but didn't argue.
And for the first time since this whole mess started...
I realized that maybe-just maybe-this wouldn't be as unbearable as I thought.
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