Great! Here's the start of **Chapter 1: *The Proposal She Refused***
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**Chapter 1: The Proposal She Refused**
Aanya sat at the far end of the dining table, pretending to scroll through her phone as her mother served chai to the guests in the living room. The clink of porcelain cups and murmured polite laughter reached her ears like nails on a chalkboard. She didn't need to look up to know what this meeting was about. Another proposal.
"I don't know why you're making that face," her mother whispered, shooting her a tight-lipped smile. "At least go say hello."
Aanya let out a breath and set her phone down. She smoothed her kurti absentmindedly, her pulse drumming beneath her collarbone. This was not how her life was supposed to go. She was twenty-five, a qualified Chartered Accountant, and fiercely determined to pursue an MBA in the coming year. Marriage? It wasn't even on her list.
She walked into the living room with measured steps, eyes finding the man her parents were beaming at. Arjun Malhotra. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a pale blue shirt and dark jeans, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was neatly combed, his jaw dusted with stubble. Handsome, maybe. But that wasn't the point.
Their eyes met. He didn't smile.
"Hi," she said, standing stiffly.
"Hi," he replied, rising to his feet and nodding politely.
"Why don't you two talk in the balcony?" her mother chirped. "Get to know each other."
Aanya wanted to scream. But she bit back the retort, pivoted on her heel, and marched to the balcony. Arjun followed silently.
Once outside, she turned to him. "Let's save each other the trouble. I'm not interested in getting married."
He blinked, caught off guard. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"You're honest. That's good." He leaned against the railing, looking out at the skyline.
She frowned. "So why are you here?"
"My parents insisted. Thought I should meet you at least once."
"And now that you have?"
He looked at her, something unreadable in his eyes. "Now I can tell them I met someone smart, driven, and completely uninterested. Saves me from the drama."
His words took her aback. Not because they were insulting, but because they weren't.
She narrowed her eyes. "So, we're agreed? This isn't happening?"
He nodded slowly. "It doesn't look like it."
There was silence. Then, he added, "But they'll still try. Especially your side."
"They'll fail."
"We'll see."
She didn't like the way he said that—calm, certain, like he knew something she didn't.
"You're really going to let them push you into this?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I'm twenty-seven. An IIT grad. Running a tech startup. If I keep saying no, they'll think something's wrong with me. Easier to play along until things sort themselves out."
"And you think marrying someone who clearly doesn't want to is going to solve that?"
He gave her a quiet look. "I don't think anything solves everything. But sometimes… things shift."
She folded her arms. "Not this. I want to do an MBA next year. Abroad, if I can."
"Then you should," he said simply.
That surprised her too.
"You don't care?"
"I care about a lot of things. But not forcing someone to marry me."
Another silence. One she couldn't quite place.
"I'll tell them no," she said finally.
He gave her a half-smile. "Me too."
***
Except, a week later, she found herself sitting in her bedroom, staring at a gold-embossed wedding card.
She stormed into the living room where her parents were sipping tea.
"What is this?!"
Her mother looked up with a guilty expression. "It's just a draft—"
"You fixed the date?! Without even asking me?!"
Her father sighed. "Aanya, we spoke about this—"
"I said no!"
"They're a good family," her mother said. "He's educated, respectful, no bad habits—"
"I don't care! I don't want this!"
"You won't find someone like him again. Don't ruin it for your ego," her mother snapped.
The betrayal stabbed deep. "My ego? I have plans! A life!"
But no one was listening.
***
She tried everything—called Arjun, messaged him, even went to his office once. But he was always "in a meeting" or "unavailable."
She finally cornered him at a family event thrown to "celebrate the upcoming union."
"You promised," she hissed, dragging him aside.
"I didn't promise anything," he said coolly. "I said we'd tell them. I did. They didn't care."
"You just gave up?"
He stared at her for a long moment. "Do you really want to ruin your relationship with your parents for this?"
Her fists clenched. "Yes."
He tilted his head, curious. "Then why haven't you run away yet?"
Her breath hitched.
She hadn't.
Because some part of her—some foolish, weary part—was too tired to fight everyone anymore. Maybe she thought it would all go away. Maybe she didn't believe they'd go through with it.
And maybe… maybe she'd been wrong.
***
The wedding was set for next month.
Aanya sat on her bed the night before the ceremony, staring at the henna on her hands. The intricate swirls and designs stretched from her fingertips to her elbows. Somewhere in there, hidden in the loops, was Arjun's name. Tradition, they called it.
She called it a prison.
She wiped away a silent tear as her cousin walked in and said, "You're so lucky. He's perfect."
She wanted to scream again.
Perfect for someone else. Not for her.
And yet, tomorrow, she would become his wife.
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**[End of Chapter 1]**