The sun was back on duty, just like any other day. The soft murmur of people walking down the busy streets filled the air, blending into a familiar hum. It was the usual chaos—each person caught in their own whirlwind of problems, rushing through the narrow, winding lanes. Everyone seemed both early and late in their own way, their footsteps brisk as they followed paths leading to their respective destinations.

Inside a lavish penthouse, a man slept peacefully on his bed. The room was a harmonious blend of contemporary design and rich textures. Polished marble floors reflected the soft ambient lighting, while plush, oversized rugs in neutral tones brought warmth beneath the sleek designer furniture. A low-slung Italian leather sectional in creamy taupe wrapped around a sculptural glass coffee table with a brushed gold base, exuding understated elegance.

One entire wall of the room was made of floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding the space with natural daylight. Sheer, motorized curtains in soft linen framed the breathtaking view, gliding open or shut with a silent whisper at the touch of a button.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound broke the serenity of his slumber. He reached out, half-asleep, to grab his phone from the bedside table—only to find empty space. Groaning in frustration, he flung off the comforter and began fumbling around, searching for the elusive device.

He checked the table again, then glanced to the other side. After lifting the pillow, he finally found his phone tucked beneath it.

Putting the call on speaker, he answered, “Hello?”

A feminine voice crackled through the speaker. “Where are you?”

“Why? Do you want to ruin my moment of peace too?” Vidharth replied with a groggy sarcasm, rubbing his eyes.

“Vidharth! I’m standing outside your apartment,” Riva huffed.

“Okay, okay! Wait—I’ll open the gate.” He dragged himself out of bed, grabbing a T-shirt he found along the way and pulling it over his head.

He walked into the hall and opened the front door. Riva stood there, dressed in a soft baby pink kurti adorned with tiny mirror work, a cream-colored dupatta loosely hanging from one shoulder.

He stared at her—just for a moment, but to him, it felt like time had paused. That was, until she decided to break the silence.

“As much as I want to walk away, I can’t. So, could you move this hell of a body to the side and let me pass?” she snapped, folding her arms across her chest.

“Yes!” he replied with a nod, stepping aside to let her in. She walked past him, and he closed the door behind her.

“Why are you here so early?” he asked, leaning against the sofa table as she sank into the couch.

“You know, this is your own house—you’re allowed to sit too, right?” she remarked with a cocky smirk.

“I asked a question, Riva. Stop dodging it,” he countered, his voice a little sharper now.

“Our parents, Vidharth! Why did you say you agreed to this marriage?” she asked, her tone laced with dry bitterness.

He choked slightly on his own saliva, caught off guard. His eyes flicked to her. She looked... calm. Far too calm for the weight of the question she’d just asked.

She paused, watching him carefully. He met her gaze briefly, then quickly looked away, eyes scanning the floor, the table—anything but her. His hand reached up to scratch the back of his neck as he finally spoke.

“Look... I’m not doing this willingly. They’re forcing me into it. After everything they’ve done for me, how could I say no?” he said, his voice quiet, unsure.

But even as he spoke, he wasn’t sure if she’d understand—or if she even believed him.

“What do you mean by ‘all they’ve done for you’?” she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

“Well…” he began, but the words caught in his throat. A question lingered in his mind—Should I really tell her?

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it. I understand,” she said quickly, then blurted out in a single breath, “But I don’t want to get married. My parents still think you left me, and they believe we’ve slept together too, so now they’re pushing me to marry you.”

“I get it,” he said with a nod. “I’m facing the same pressure.”

“Well!” she huffed, scrunching her nose as if the very idea repulsed her. “Do you really want to marry me?”

He frowned at her expression. “What’s wrong with marrying me?”

She gasped, clearly offended. “What’s wrong? What isn’t wrong? Do you seriously think this—” she gestured between them “—this would work? Us seeing each other every day? Sleeping in the same place? Not killing each other?”

She looked at him, wide-eyed and horrified.

He paused, considering her words seriously. Then he nodded. “Exactly. That’s why I chose this place. It’s far from both our homes, secluded, and no one will disturb us. We can live like roommates—separate lives, no drama.”

Her horror only deepened. “What do you mean by that? You actually want to marry me? Are you serious?”

“Let’s just get married temporarily,” he said calmly. “A year or two, however long you’re comfortable. But there’s some serious stuff going on, Riva. I need your help to fix it. So... please.”

“You mean... a contract marriage?” she asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Uhmm... yeah... maybe. Whatever it’s called,” Vidharth muttered, clearly unsure of how to frame it.

“Huh!” She blinked, stunned. “And why exactly should I agree to that?” Her jaw dropped slightly. “Are you serious? You want to have a contract marriage—with me?”

Vidharth didn’t respond immediately. His fingers fidgeted with a small ring in his hand, turning it slowly between his fingers, as if it held all the answers.

“Would you marry me if I told you it’s related to Ava?” he asked softly, lifting his eyes to meet hers.

Her breath caught. “What about her?” she asked, suddenly still. She hadn’t expected him to bring her into the conversation. Her thoughts raced—faster than even the reader’s could keep up.

“What about her? Wait—are you... are you in love with her?” she asked, eyes narrowing.

“What?!” Vidharth exclaimed, startled. The ring slipped from his fingers and fell with a soft clink. His expression twisted in disbelief.

He clenched his jaw, trying to control his irritation. “It’s not like that,” he snapped. “But... there’s something going on. I can’t explain it right now, but trust me—if you don’t marry me, it’s going to hurt her. What I’m doing... it concerns her too.”

Riva’s gaze locked onto him. She didn’t understand everything, but one thing was clear—if this had anything to do with Ava, she was in.

“No matter what the odds are,” she thought to herself.

“Deal,” she said firmly, without a moment’s hesitation.

Vidharth reached for her hand and gave it a firm shake.

“But—” she raised a finger, “you need to draft a clause first.”

“You do that,” he said with a smirk. “That way, you won’t feel like you’re being taken advantage of.”

“Fine,” she nodded. “Then tomorrow we’re going shopping for the sake of our parents and signing the contract for the sake of our sanity.”

“Done,” he agreed with a quick nod.

With that, Riva stood up and left Vidharth’s penthouse, her mind already swirling with thoughts about Ava, the contract... and what she had just agreed to.

AUTHOR'S SCRIBBLING POINT

𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 " sɪʟᴇɴᴄɪᴀʀ"

𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓!!

I know it's not up to your par and feels like rather a full start of a chapter but
𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅
𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆
𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔
𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 "ᴜɴᴠᴇɪʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴏs"

𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆...