Chapter 1: Welcome to My Nightmare

Something was wrong.

No. Everything was wrong.

When Diya opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the ridiculously soft silk sheets beneath her. The second?

The room.

It wasn't hers.

The walls were a shade of cream and gold, decorated with royal Indian motifs. The chandelier above her looked like it had been stolen straight out of some palace in Rajasthan. Heavy velvet curtains covered the massive windows, blocking the sunlight, and the faint scent of jasmine and expensive perfume lingered in the air.

Where the hell am I?

Diya's breath caught. This isn't my apartment. This isn't even my city.

She sat up, her fingers trembling as she reached for her phone. No notifications. No WiFi. No signal.

And then she saw it.

A mirror.

The reflection staring back at her was not her own.

Gone were her tired eyes and messy ponytail. Instead, she saw a girl with long, perfectly styled wavy hair, glowing fair skin, and lips painted the perfect shade of red. Her silk nightgown screamed wealth. Elegance. Privilege.

But the worst part?

She knew this face.

This isn't real. This is a dream. A hallucination. A breakdown.

She turned away from the mirror, shaking her head violently. "No. No. NO!"

Because if this was real...

Then that meant she was Sia Malhotra.

The side character in the Indian mafia romance novel she wrote at sixteen.

And Sia?

She was obsessed with the male lead. Desperate for his attention. She was everything Diya had once cringed at.

And at the end of the book?

He killed her.

"Diya?"

A knock at the door.

Her head snapped up, her heart pounding.

A woman stepped inside—a middle-aged lady, dressed in an elegant silk saree, dripping in gold jewelry. She was beautiful, refined, and carried herself with an air of authority.

Diya recognized her instantly.

Sunita Malhotra.

Sia's mother.

Which meant...

This was her family now.

Sunita smiled, walking toward her bed. "Beta, tum theek ho? Tum subah se bahar nahi aayi. Koi problem hai?"

Diya froze. Beta? Someone had called her beta.

It had been years since anyone had called her that.

She was an orphan.

She had spent her entire life alone.

And now, this woman—this fictional character—was looking at her with so much warmth, so much concern.

Diya wanted to scream.

She wanted to laugh hysterically.

Instead, she forced a small smile. "Main... theek hoon, Maa."

Maa.

The word felt foreign on her tongue. She had never said it to anyone.

Sunita sat beside her, gently brushing her hair back. "Tum bohot ajeeb behave kar rahi ho, Sia. Kal raat bhi tumne dinner skip kiya, aur ab subah se kisi se baat nahi ki."

Diya swallowed. She needed a plan.

If this really was the book she had written, then she needed to play along until she could figure out a way to escape.

She forced a weak chuckle. "Bas thodi tired hoon, Maa."

Sunita sighed, cupping her face. "Agar koi baat hai toh mujhe batao, beta. Tumhari shaadi ki baat bhi ho rahi hai, aur tum aise behave kar rahi ho jaise tumhe farak hi nahi padta."

Diya's blood ran cold.

Shaadi? What. The. Hell.

Sunita patted her hand gently. "Main jaanti hoon ki tum uske baare mein soch rahi ho."

Uske?

Diya's throat dried. "K-kiske?"

Sunita smiled knowingly. "Abeer Rathore."

Diya's stomach dropped.

Abeer Rathore.

The Indian Mafia King.

The man who was supposed to be the love interest of the novel.

The man who would eventually kill Sia.

Sunita stood up, adjusting her saree. "Woh aaj raat humaari party mein aa raha hai. Tum tayyar rehna."

Diya wanted to faint.

Because she knew what happened at the party.

Sia confessed her feelings.

Abeer humiliated her.

And from that moment, her fate was sealed.

Diya's Plan: Step 1 – AVOID ABEER RATHORE AT ALL COSTS.

She jumped out of bed. "Maa, mujhe thoda fresh air chahiye. Main bahar ja rahi hoon!"

Sunita frowned. "Driver ke bina mat jaana, beta. Aaj kal sheher mein bohot—"

"HAAN, HAAN, THEEK HAI!" Diya yelled, already running out the door.

Sunita shook her head. "Bachi pagal ho gayi hai."

Diya bolted out of the mansion, the fresh air hitting her face.

She pulled out her phone. Still no service.

She spotted a cab, quickly rushing towards it. "Bhaiya, mujhe Mumbai le chalo!"

The driver gave her a weird look. "Mumbai? Madam, aap Delhi mein ho."

Diya's breath stilled.

"K-kya?"

Delhi? But she lived in Mumbai.

That's when it hit her.

This wasn't her world.

She was trapped inside her own story.

And she had nowhere to run.

Next Chapter Preview:Diya tries to navigate her new reality, pretending to be Sia.She meets Abeer Rathore at the party—and realizes he's far more dangerous than she ever imagined.She needs to stay away from him. But why does he keep looking at her like he already knows something's changed?