Storyverse – Universe of Different Stories

Broken Vow – 2

"I will never marry you," she spat.

Behind her, the sound of her mother's choked sob broke the silence. "Aditi..."

Aditi turned to see her mother standing by the wall, her eyes red and pleading. "Please... listen to him."

"What?" Aditi's voice was barely audible.

Her mother took hesitant steps forward. "Your father... he won't survive prison, beta. The media is destroying us. No one is answering our calls. They've frozen our accounts. The only reason we're even still in this house is because the bank hasn't processed the foreclosure yet."

She clutched Aditi's hand like a lifeline. "He's giving us a way to survive. Don't throw it away."

Aditi pulled her hand back, trembling. "You want me to marry him? After everything he's done?"

"I want you to survive," her mother whispered, brokenly. "I want your brother to have a future. You can hate Vihaan all you want... but if this is the only way to keep our family from falling into the street, then... please."

The silence after that plea was louder than any scream.

......................

Vihaan didn't move. Didn't smirk. Just watched.

He knew he had her cornered.

Aditi turned her face away, her heart bleeding inside her chest.

This wasn't a proposal.

It was a punishment.

And she was the price.

Her voice came out barely a whisper.

"When?"

A slow, cruel smile finally tugged at his lips.

"Tomorrow."

Next day :

The sound of camera shutters echoed like gunshots in Aditi's ears.

Flash.

Smile.

Pose.

Flash.

......................

She stood beside Vihaan Oberoi, dressed in an elegant ivory lehenga, heavy gold jewelry weighing down her neck, wrists, and spirit. Her eyes were outlined in kohl, lips painted in crimson — every inch of her looking like a bride.

Except for her eyes.

Those were hollow.

Vihaan stood tall beside her, hand resting lightly on her lower back, his other hand gently intertwined with hers — like they were a fairy tale couple.

In reality, he was her captor in a designer sherwani.

Reporters screamed over each other just outside the wedding venue gates.

"Mr. Oberoi, how does it feel to marry the daughter of the same man you had arrested?"

"Is this love... or something else?"

"Mrs. Aditi Oberoi, are you happy?"

Before she could flinch, Vihaan leaned toward her and pressed a light kiss on her temple.

The cameras went wild.

"I appreciate it," he said smoothly to the reporters. "If you all respected my wife's privacy.

Today is about us. Not the past."

......................

She wanted to scream. But all she did was smile.

A rehearsed, frozen smile.