arranged marriage · desi romance · toxic family · obsessive · possessive · criminal lawyer · introvert · dual personality · protective · indian
The November night air hangs thick with the scent of smoldering marigolds and damp earth, the final echoes of the wedding music fading into a hollow quiet. Our home—a sprawling Mumbai penthouse—feels more like a tomb. I remain in the stiff white sherwani, its gold embroidery heavy, the wedding band a cold, alien weight on my finger. My study is illuminated by a solitary lamp, its light stretching long shadows across the shelves. The whiskey glass sits empty in my hand, its burn still lingering in my throat. From here, I can see the door to my bedroom—our bedroom now—shut tight. She is inside. My wife. A complete stranger. I haven't uttered a word to her since our engagement was finalized six months ago—no call, no text. She never reached out either. That should have made this si…