Paridhi was sitting in front of the mirror, staring at herself for a long time..

Her red lehenga looked beautiful. Her jewelry was really heavy. Her hair was pinned up neatly with little flowers tucked into it.

The makeup artist had worked hard to make her look like a bride.. Yet, she didn't feel like one.

She kept gazing at her reflection, hoping to feel something. Maybe excitement, or at least peace, something a girl should feel on her wedding day..

But there was nothing. !

From the next room, she could hear her family laughing. None of them had checked on her. She pressed her lips together and looked down at her hands..

Her parents had never really seen her,. To her father, she was a way to rise higher. To her mother, she was a chance to attend better parties..

And today, on the most important day of her life, they were in the next room laughing while she was sitting alone, trying to breathe properly..

She had tried to understand why the king had chosen her. No matter how often she thought about it, it didn't make sense.

She wasn't the most beautiful girl anyone had seen. She had no great talent, no special skill, and no remarkable quality that would catch a king's attention.!

So why her????

She had considered running away. She wasn't proud of it, but she had thought about it...

Late at night, when the house was quiet, she thought about leaving. Just getting up, taking nothing, walking out the door, and going somewhere nobody could find her...

But there was nowhere to go. She had thought it through from every angle, and the answer was always the same.

There was no open door, no person to call, and no money saved up on her own..

She was completely stuck. Knowing that, accepting it fully, made her eyes teary..

She exhaled slowly and blinked fast before any tears could form. She couldn't cry right now.

Her makeup would run, and then her mother would come in and make a fuss, which Paridhi simply didn't have the energy for..

She would be strong. She would walk out there, do what was expected, and figure everything else out later.

She just needed to get through today.

The door opened. Her mother walked in, quickly scanning her over, and said,,

"Paridhi, it's time. Everyone is waiting."

Paridhi nodded. She stood up slowly.

Her mother took her hand and led her out without saying another word.

On the other side of the wedding venue, Abhimaan Singh Rathore was sitting at the mandap..

His back was straight. His hands rested still on his knees. His face remained calm.

The priests were nervous. Their hands moved a bit too carefully. They checked the offerings and the fire more times than necessary.

Nobody in that room wanted to be the one who made a mistake in front of the king..

Abhimaan was used to this. That was just how things were. Power created distance, and distance created fear, which kept order. He had accepted that long ago..

Abhimaan's family sat nearby, watching the ceremony with a smile.

His mother, Maithili Rathore, loved her son deeply. She knew he loved her too, but a distance always kept them apart.

His father, Abhimanyu Singh Rathore, had also been a strong king. But now everything was managed by Abhimaan only.

Abhimaan's younger sister and cousins sat quietly, glancing at him from time to time..

They loved their brother but understood the importance of not irritating him..

His brothers, Abhay Rathore and Shivansh Rathore, admired Abhimaan's strength and wanted to be like him one day.

Still, the weight of such responsibility made them feel both proud and scared..

His sister, Yashvi Rathore, cared for him but often wished he could be a bit softer and easier to talk to..

The wedding guests were the elite of Rajasthan, nobles who had come to witness their king marry Paridhi..

They kept their distance and spoke in hushed tones. Their eyes reflected respect and fear..

They understood that being in the king's favor could bring great rewards but that a single mistake could lead to disaster..

As the ceremony continued, Abhimaan's face showed no change..He knew how he affected others, but he had learned to live with it.

Power came with a price, and he had accepted that long ago..

He understood that fear was necessary to maintain control and order..

But that didn't mean he lacked feelings. He loved his family deeply, even if others couldn't see it..

Right now he was thinking about his bride, Paridhi.

His Pari.

He had chosen her for reasons known only to him.

He knew she was scared, but he hoped she would come to understand him with time...

He wasn't an easy man to love, but he believed Paridhi was strong enough to see past his cold exterior..

"Nervous, bhai sa?" Abhay whispered, breaking his concentration with a grin..

Abhimaan shot him a hard glare that made him gulp.

"I know! Why would you be nervous? Right! You make people nervous instead."

He muttered that last line to himself while grinning at Abhimaan.

Before Abhimaan could respond, a hush fell over the crowd.

He looked up to see his siblings eagerly following Paridhi's sister-in-law and mother, who were bringing the bride to the mandap...

The soft jingle of ankle bells grew louder, and then, suddenly, there she was..

Paridhi entered the area, a vision in red and gold. Her lehenga sparkled under the lights, and her veil was embroidered..

Abhimaan's breath caught as their eyes met for a brief moment before she quickly looked away..

As she approached him, he couldn't take his eyes off her..

When she finally stood beside him, he found himself stealing glances at her beautiful face..

Suddenly, Abhay's voice came from behind.

"Bhai sa," he whispered,

"The priest has asked you the same thing twice. Maybe stop looking at bhabhi sa for five seconds."

Abhimaan gave him a sharp glance. Abhay straightened up immediately and became very interested in the fire.

"The bride and groom will now join hands," the priest announced.

Abhimaan reached out. His hand was much larger than hers, and when her fingers rested in his palm, he noticed how much she was trembling.

He held her hand a little more firmly, just enough to silently say he was there.

She looked up at him then. For a brief second, their eyes met, and he saw exactly what was behind hers.

"Paridhi," he said softly, enough for her to hear,

"Are you alright?"

She looked at him as if the question caught her by surprise. Like she hadn't expected it.

It seemed she had prepared herself for many things today, but kindness wasn't one of them.

"Yes, Rana sa," she replied quietly.

He nodded once and faced forward, but he didn't loosen his grip on her hand.

They walked around the sacred fire together, her small hand still in his. Then the priest called for the sindoor...

Abhimaan picked up the small container and turned toward her. Paridhi tilted her head down without being asked, her eyes lowered and her face still..

He looked at her for just a moment, admiring how she held herself together so carefully..

He applied the sindoor slowly, as gently as he could manage. A small bit of vermillion shifted and landed on the tip of her nose.

At that exact moment, before she could stop it, a single tear rolled quietly down her cheek and disappeared..

"A good omen," the priest announced.

"This marriage will be full of love and happiness."

Abhimaan saw Paridhi's lips curve into a bitter smile..

He wanted to ask her what was hurting her. He had so many questions, but nowhere to put them. So he said nothing..

Yet, he turned his hand slightly and held hers a little more gently than before.

________________________

Hello🎀💗

This is the first chapter of the book...starting ke chapters bohot boring honge so have patience please🌷

See you soon!😚

Take care🎀💗