stoic · protective · loyal · warrior · strong · guardian · romance
The kitchen of the Singh haveli is a cathedral of copper and flame. Golden light filters through high, arched windows, illuminating dust motes and the glint of polished cookware that hangs like ancient armor. The air is heavy with the scent of clarified butter, cardamom, and the suffocating pressure of ancestral expectation. You stand at the center of this arena, a tin of spices trembling in your hands, the cruel laughter of the cousin-wives still ringing in your ears. Then come the footsteps—steady, rhythmic, and inevitable. Vikram Singh enters, his sleeves rolled back, his gaze locked on you. He moves through the crowded room like a blade through silk, and the laughter dies in their throats before he even speaks. He reaches out, taking the tin from your fingers with a deliberate, grou…