Isha stared at the photograph clipped to the contract.
Her fingers trembled as she lifted it carefully.
It was her younger brother.
He was standing outside the hospital, looking thinner than she remembered. The date on the corner of the photo was from yesterday.
Her heart dropped.
"How… how did you get this?" she whispered.
Arjun didn't answer immediately. He leaned back in his chair, watching her reaction with calm, unreadable eyes.
"I make it a point to know everything about the people I work with," he said finally. "Especially when I'm about to trust them with my name.""This isn't trust," Isha said, her voice shaking. "This is control."
Arjun's lips curved slightly. Not quite a smile.
"Call it what you want. The reality doesn't change."
Kavya clenched the photograph. Her mind raced. Hospital bills. Her brother's treatment. The landlord's warnings. Every problem she had been trying to outrun suddenly stood in front of her.
And this man held the solution.
"Why me?" she asked quietly. "You could choose anyone."
"I don't want anyone," Arjun replied. "I want someone who understands necessity."
He slid another page toward her.
"Read the conditions carefully."
Kavya forced herself to focus.
A legal contract marriage. One year. Public appearances together. No interference in each other's personal lives. Financial security guaranteed. Medical expenses covered.
Her breath caught.
He knew exactly where to strike.
"And after one year?" she asked.
"We separate peacefully. No obligations remain."
It sounded simple.
Too simple.
"There must be a catch."
"There is," Arjun said calmly. "You must never betray the agreement. If you do, the consequences will not be pleasant."
A chill ran down her spine.
She looked up at him. His expression remained composed, but something in his eyes warned her he never made empty threats.
Silence filled the office.
Outside the glass walls, the city moved as usual. People walked. Cars passed. Life continued.
But inside, everything felt frozen.
Kavya placed the photograph back on the table.
"You said I don't have time to think," she said slowly. "Why?"
Arjun stood and walked toward the window, his back to her.
"Because," he said, "there are people who would do anything to prevent this marriage."
Her confusion deepened.
"Prevent it? Why?"
He turned slightly, his profile sharp against the city lights.
"My personal life is… valuable information. A public marriage protects certain interests."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you need."
Isha swallowed her frustration.
This wasn't a proposal. It was a negotiation she was already losing.
Her gaze drifted once more to the contract.
One signature
That was all.
Security… in exchange for freedom.
Her chest tightened.
"What happens if I refuse?" she asked quietly.
Arjun walked back to the desk. His movements were slow, deliberate.
"Nothing," he said. "You walk away."
He paused.
"And your problems remain yours alone."
The words were not cruel. They were simply true.
And that made them heavier.
Isha closed her eyes briefly.
She thought of her brother's tired smile. The hospital corridor. The unpaid bills folded inside her bag.
When she opened her eyes again, something inside her had changed.
Resolve.
She picked up the pen.
Arjun watched her carefully, as if measuring something deeper than her decision.
"Before I sign," she said, "I want one promise."
"Speak."
"You will keep your word. About the treatment. About everything."
Arjunwatched her carefully, as if measuring something deeper than her decision.
"Before I sign," she said, "I want one promise."
"Speak."
"You will keep your word. About the treatment. About everything."
Arjun didn't hesitate.
"I never break my promises."
Kavya studied him for a long moment. His confidence was unsettling… but also strangely reassuring.
Slowly, she signed her name.
The sound of the pen moving across paper echoed louder than it should have.
It was done.
Arjun took the contract and glanced at the signature. A faint satisfaction crossed his face.
"Welcome to the agreement, Mrs. Arjun Mehra."
The title felt unfamiliar. Heavy.
Isha stood abruptly.
"This doesn't change who I am," she said.
"No," Arjun replied softly. "But it will change your lifeAs she turned to leave, his voice stopped her.
"The wedding will be in three days."
Kavya froze.
"Three days?!"
"You wanted urgency," he said calmly. "This is urgency."
Her mind spun. Marriage. Public appearances. A stranger who controlled everything around him.
She walked toward the door, each step uncertain.
Just as her hand touched the handle, Arjun spoke again.
"There is one more condition I didn't mention."
Kavya turned slowly.
"What
condition?"
For the first time, his calm expression darkened slightly.
"You must never fall in love with me."
The words hung between them.
Kavya let out a short, disbelieving breath.
"That won't be a problem."
She opened the door and walked out.
But behind her, Arjun watched in silence — as if he already knew something she didn't.
And for the first time since signing the contract…
Isha felt like she had stepped into a story she could no longer control.
To be continued....