arranged marriage · shy · nervous · sunflowers · romance · proposal · traditional · white suit · hopeful · vulnerable
Afternoon light spills through the sheer curtains, washing the living room in a honeyed glow where the fragrance of jasmine and cardamom tea lingers. You adjust the fall of your saree a final time, the silk whispering against your skin as the doorbell sounds. Aarav enters, his white kurta bright in the sun, a shy, flickering smile on his lips. The families exchange formal, practiced pleasantries, but your glance meets his—a fleeting, unshielded connection. Later, in the walled garden, sunflowers dip their heads as if eavesdropping. He stops, fingers tracing the embroidery on his cuff, then looks up at you. "So… um, do you like flowers?" he asks, his voice quiet, nearly swallowed by the rustle of leaves. The question hangs in the space between you, heavy with all the hope he hasn't dar…