Kartavya's POV

The moment I stepped into the crowd, I regretted every life decision that had brought me here.

People were pushing from every direction.

Someone bumped into my shoulder.

Another almost stepped on my shoes.

How on earth does she eat here so casually?

Taking a deep breath, I started making my way forward.

It felt less like buying breakfast...

...and more like fighting a battle.

By the time I finally reached the stall, I understood why the place was so crowded.

An elderly couple was running it together.

The old man prepared the food while the old lady served everyone with a warm smile.

Despite the rush, neither of them looked irritated.

"One dosa and one paratha," I said.

The old man nodded.

Within seconds, a plate of dosa was ready.

Just as I reached for it, another customer grabbed it first.

I blinked.

Seriously...?

I tried again.

"One dosa and one paratha."

This time the paratha was served first.

Before anyone else could take it, I quickly picked up the plate.

Now only the dosa remained.

The moment it was ready, I immediately handed a ₹2,000 note to the boy collecting payments and grabbed the dosa before someone else could.

Holding both plates carefully above shoulder level, I slowly made my way out of the crowd.

"Sir!"

The cashier called after me.

"Itne chhutte nahi hain mere paas! Khule paise dijiye!"

(I don't have enough change! Please give me smaller notes!)

Without turning around, I replied,

"Keep the change."

The boy stared at me speechlessly.

A few people around him did the same.

At that moment...

I honestly didn't care.

My only mission was making sure the food reached Dharini before it ended up on someone else's plate.

The moment I came out of the crowd, I saw her standing beside the car.

The instant she noticed the plates in my hands, her face lit up.

There it is...

That smile.

Without realizing it, I smiled back.

She hurried toward me.

"Jaldi lao!"

(Quick, give it to me!)

She pointed toward the bonnet of my car.

"Keep it here."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to eat here?"

She looked around dramatically.

"Tumhe yahan kahin baithne ki jagah dikh rahi hai? Nahi na? Toh yahin khaungi."

(Do you see anywhere to sit here? No, right? Then I'll eat here.)

I couldn't argue with that.

Instead, I opened the passenger door.

"Sit inside."

She looked at the spotless interior of my car.

Then back at me.

"Soch lo... gaadi gandi ho gayi toh?"

(Think carefully... what if your car gets dirty?)

I shrugged.

"So what?"

A small smile appeared on her face.

She quietly got in.

The moment she took the first bite, her entire expression changed.

Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

For a while...

She forgot everything around her.

She looked like a child enjoying her favorite meal.

I simply sat there and watched her.

Halfway through eating, a little chutney fell onto the seat.

She didn't even notice.

I did.

Normally...

If anyone had spilled food inside my favorite car, I would've lost my temper.

Today...

I silently picked up a tissue and wiped it away before she could see.

She was too busy enjoying her breakfast to notice.

You're unbelievable, Dhani.

A few minutes later she finished everything and looked at me with complete satisfaction.

"Happy now?" I asked.

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Much better."

I couldn't help bul feel satisfied.

"Good."

---

About an hour later, we reached the mall.

Before arriving, I had already instructed the management to keep the mall reserved for us.

We finally reached the mall. As I had already instructed my staff beforehand, the entire mall had been cleared before our arrival. The moment we stepped inside, the silence around us made it obvious that there wasn't another customer in sight. I wanted today to belong only to her—no crowds, no interruptions, no unnecessary eyes following her every move.

We had barely started looking through the dresses when she frowned slightly and glanced around.

"Why is no one here? There isn't even a single customer," she asked, genuine confusion written all over her face.

A smile tugged at my lips.

"I ordered them to clear the entire mall."

She immediately stopped walking and stared at me with wide, shocked eyes.

God...

I absolutely loved it whenever she looked at me like that.

Her beautiful brown doe eyes grew impossibly large whenever something surprised her. They sparkled with innocence and disbelief, making her look even more adorable. Every single time she did that, I found myself completely lost in them. Those eyes... they had become my biggest weakness without her ever realizing it.

She blinked a couple of times before finally finding her voice.

"You mean... you cleared the entire mall? For what?"

I looked at her as if the answer was obvious.

"For shopping."

She dramatically rolled her eyes.

"Of course... amiron ke chochle (the extravagant habits of rich people)."

I couldn't help smiling at her comment. She always had a way of teasing me without even trying.

She walked away to continue browsing through the racks while I quietly observed her. Every dress she picked up, every thoughtful expression she made while comparing colors—it all fascinated me more than it probably should have.

After a few minutes, I called one of the staff members.

"Bring the executive wedding lehenga collection."

Within moments, several luxurious bridal lehengas were placed before us.

My eyes instantly landed on one particular outfit.

A rich dark-brown lehenga.

The intricate embroidery shimmered beautifully under the lights, elegant without being overly flashy. For some reason, I could already picture her wearing it.

Meanwhile, she was looking at soft pastel-colored lehengas, completely unaware that I had already made my choice.

Sensing my gaze, she turned toward me.

Without saying a word, I picked up the brown lehenga and handed it to her.

"Try this."

She looked at it for a moment.

I already knew...

That color would look breathtaking against her fair, porcelain-like skin. It would make her natural beauty stand out effortlessly.

Without arguing, she disappeared into the changing room.

A few minutes later...

The curtain moved.

And then she stepped outside.

For a brief second...

I forgot how to breathe.

She looked unreal.

Like a fairy who had accidentally wandered into the human world.

The deep brown lehenga contrasted perfectly with her fair complexion, making her glow even more under the warm lights of the showroom. Every delicate thread of embroidery seemed to exist only to enhance her beauty.

She wasn't wearing expensive jewelry.

She didn't need any.

She herself was enough.

The blouse had a slightly deeper neckline , so the beginning of her cleavage was visible —not inappropriate, just elegantly designed. It suited the outfit perfectly.

My eyes instinctively swept across the room.

Only female staff members.

A quiet breath escaped me.

Good.

If there had been any male staff standing there, I knew I wouldn't have liked the way they looked at her. The thought alone stirred an unfamiliar possessiveness inside me—one I rarely allowed to surface.

Just then, one of the female employees smiled warmly.

"Ma'am, you're looking absolutely gorgeous."

Dharini smiled politely but remained silent.

Without taking my eyes off her, I simply said,

"Privacy."

Every staff member immediately understood and quietly left the room, leaving only the two of us.

I slowly stood from my chair.

She looked at me and smiled—a small, genuine smile that somehow made her even more beautiful.

Then she gave a playful little twirl.

Good Lord...

One spin was enough to leave me completely speechless.

She was going to be the death of me with her beauty.

She stopped in front of me and asked softly,

"So... how do I look?"

For a second, countless words rushed through my mind.

You look like you already belong with me.

You look like every dream I never knew I had.

You look so beautiful that it's becoming impossible for me to look away.

But I swallowed every single one of those thoughts.

Some feelings were too precious to speak aloud.

My hands were itching to hold her, pull her towards me, and claim her soft plum lips. To make it worse, she was standing just inches away from me.

She waited for my answer for a moment.

When none came, she sighed dramatically, moved past me, and stood in front of the mirror instead.

"Never mind."

She examined herself in the reflection before glancing at me through the mirror.

"By the way... I must appreciate your choice. Not much bad."

A smile finally appeared on my face.

Coming from her, even that half-hearted compliment felt like the highest praise.

And deep inside, I knew one thing with absolute certainty—

No matter how beautiful the lehenga was...

It was she who made it unforgettable.

I looked straight into her eyes.

"I know that."

The moment those words left my mouth, she realized how they sounded.

Her gaze immediately dropped to the floor.

A faint blush spread across her cheeks, turning them a soft shade of pink.

She cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I... I was talking about the dress."

A smile tugged at my lips.

Walking behind her, I gently adjusted the dupatta that had slipped from her shoulder.

Leaning slightly closer, I said softly near her ear,

"I'm talking about the dress too."

She froze for a second.

Then, without saying another word, she quickly stepped away and disappeared into the changing room.

I chuckled to myself.

Running away again, little squirrel?

A few minutes later, she came out wearing her regular clothes.

"I like this one," she said, referring to the lehenga.

I nodded before taking out my phone.

Pack the brown lehenga.

I texted Shesh.

Within moments, one of the female staff members entered.

"Pack this lehenga."

"Yes, Sir."

She carefully took the outfit away while Dharini and I moved toward the next section.

---

She began looking at other dresses.

Something caught my attention almost immediately.

Every single time she liked a dress...

She checked its price tag first.

Only after seeing the price would she decide whether to keep it or put it back.

I smiled to myself.

She's actually worried about the price.

I was about to tell her not to think about it when I noticed something else.

She was holding two beautiful party-wear dresses.

One was clearly expensive.

The other was comparatively low than previous one.

After thinking for a few seconds...

She quietly handed the cheaper one to the staff member.

I frowned.

What exactly is she thinking?

She continued shopping, selecting a few more outfits before suddenly turning toward the right corridor.

Without realizing it, I followed her.

She stopped walking.

Slowly turned around.

Then looked at me with an expression somewhere between disbelief and annoyance.

"Are you planning to enter the women's washroom too?"

She asked through clenched teeth.

Only then did I realize where we were.

I immediately took two steps back.

"I'll wait here."

She rolled her eyes before disappearing inside.

Around fifteen minutes later, she came out.

Without mentioning what had happened, we quietly continued shopping.

After walking for a while, she suddenly stopped.

"I'm hungry."

I smiled.

"Again?"

She ignored my teasing completely.

We entered the café inside the mall.

She ordered a cold coffee and a pizza.

I ordered a black espresso.

While waiting for the order, I quietly observed her.

Something was definitely going on inside that little head of hers.

She wasn't her usual dramatic self.

She was thinking.

Thinking very seriously.

Finally, she looked at me.

"I'll sign the contract."

I raised an eyebrow.

"But..."

"I have some conditions."

I leaned back in my chair.

"Go ahead."

"What conditions?"

She took a deep breath.

"I want a monthly allowance for becoming your wife."

She looked straight into my eyes.

"One crore every month."

"That means twelve crores for one year."

I didn't even need a second.

"Okay."

She blinked.

"What...?"

Her eyes widened.

"You... you're okay with it?"

I simply nodded.

"Yes."

She looked genuinely shocked.

For a few moments, she just stared at me before rubbing her forehead.

Aha...

There it is.

Whenever she rubbed her forehead like that...

It meant she was nervous.

She cleared her throat.

"I also want you to send money to my parents."

"Okay."

She looked even more confused.

"I'll use your money for all my expenses while I'm living as your wife."

"I won't spend even a single rupee of my own."

"Fine."

She rubbed both her hands together, clearly trying to think of another condition.

"I want two bungalows in my name."

I looked at her curiously.

"For security."

"If you can't do that..."

"Then leave it."

"I'm not signing the contract."

For a second...

Everything became crystal clear.

She's trying to make impossible demands...

She wants me to reject the contract myself.

I almost laughed.

Instead, I calmly replied,

"Why just two?"

"I'll transfer five."

Her mouth fell open.

Those beautiful brown eyes widened once again.

God...

I could watch that expression all day.

"After the marriage," I added with a smile.

She blinked repeatedly before speaking again.

"I don't like household work."

"I won't cook, clean, or do any household chores."

I nodded.

"You don't have to."

"There are plenty of staff members."

She continued,

"I don't know how to cook."

"I can only make tea."

I smiled.

"That's more than enough."

"We have chefs."

"And I know basic cooking too."

"So don't worry."

She stared at me for a second before continuing.

"If anyone in your family insults me..."

"I'll answer back."

I nodded seriously.

"If anyone says anything to you..."

"I'll handle it."

She seemed surprised that I wasn't arguing with a single condition.

Then she asked quietly,

"Does your family know this is a contract marriage?"

"No."

"And they never will."

"Once the contract ends..."

"You're free to divorce me."

The word divorce echoed in my head.

I kept my expression calm.

But inside...

I hated that word.

Divorce?

Not a chance.

Forget a year...

I don't even want to imagine a single day without you.

She continued,

"And if they ever find out?"

"I'll handle it."

She nodded slowly.

A tiny smile almost escaped my lips.

She's actually considering this marriage.

Then she looked at me again.

"Every month, I need four days' leave to visit my village."

I frowned.

"Why?"

She looked down for a moment.

"My dadi has kidney problems."

"She needs dialysis regularly."

"I have to be there with her."

She paused before continuing.

"She also runs an orphanage."

"The children wait for me every month."

"So I'll continue visiting them after the marriage too."

I nodded without hesitation.

"Of course."

"You can go whenever you want."

She relaxed a little.

"Then add the money and bungalow clauses to the contract."

"I will."

She took one final deep breath.

"This is my last and most important condition."

I looked at her attentively.

"There will be no physical intimacy in this marriage."

"No intimate touching."

"No marital relationship."

"No sex."

"Add that to the contract."

"And if you ever try to force me..."

Before she could finish, I interrupted gently.

"I won't."

"I'll never force you into anything."

She studied my face carefully, as if trying to judge whether I meant it.

Then she nodded.

"And if that condition is ever broken..."

"The contract ends immediately."

"Agreed."

She looked relieved.

"And for this entire one year..."

"You'll remain loyal."

"No other women."

"No affairs."

"If that happens..."

"The contract ends."

I held her gaze and smiled softly.

"Agreed."

For the first time since we had sat down...

The tension on her face eased ever so slightly.