The amber hues of twilight spilled over the palace walls as I sat cross-legged on the velvet carpet of our main hall, my head resting lazily in Mumma's lap. The sky outside had turned a delicate blend of orange and blush pink, the sun slowly sinking behind the Aravalli hills, casting long golden shadows across the marble floors.

Our palace our home glowed like a jewel beneath the dusky sky. The arches were wrapped in sheer drapes of ivory and gold, the jharokhas framed with marigold strings, and fairy lights winked to life as evening set in. It was breathtaking, yes. But for me, it was more than that. It was legacy. Responsibility. My world.

"Mumma, just listen to me," I said, my tone light but firm, tracing my fingers along the carved edge of the low table beside us.
"This palace, this estate, this legacy Dadu and Dad built it with blood, sweat, and sleepless nights. And now, it's my job to keep it alive. Let me focus on that."

Mumma, perched regally on the sofa above me, continued to run her fingers through my hair, her bangles clinking softly with each motion. Her voice was half-annoyed, half-affectionate.

"Vivaan beta, I’m not saying you stop working. But you're twenty-five now. Thoda toh sochna chahiye about your future, hmm? Arjun is twenty-eight and getting married. What’s your plan?"

I sighed, tilting my head so I could look up at her. The soft lights made her features look even gentler.

"My plan is to keep this palace standing tall. Taking care of my parents. Manage our properties, deal with clients, handle renovations, make sure our staff doesn't burn down the back kitchen again doesn’t that count as enough adulting?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Enough adulting. Wow. Is that what you’ll tell your children?"

"I don't plan on having any. So problem solved."

She gave a dramatic gasp, pressing a hand to her chest like I'd just announced I'd run off to join a traveling circus.

"Tum na... You are impossible! You are exactly like your Dad in his younger days. So stubborn, so full of yourself. Arjun is getting married and you still act like you’re seventeen."

I grinned. "I’m not acting. I just have no interest in marriage and the emotional circus that comes with it. Relationships are messy. Love is filmy nonsense. I’m good where I am."

"You are such a drama queen," she muttered under her breath, smacking my arm lightly. Then louder, more serious, "Vivaan, I’m not saying fall in love. Mujhe pata hai, tum woh 'feeling-less' type ho. But let us at least find a nice girl for you. Someone grounded, understanding. You might be surprised."

"Mummaaa," I groaned, stretching the word like a child refusing to eat karela. I sat up abruptly, rolling my shoulders.

"Please. Don't start this arranged marriage hunt. I'm serious. I am not ready and not even interested. Not now." Now I was getting angry.

She huffed, pushing my shoulder playfully. "And kab interested honge tum? Jab tumhare baal safed ho jayenge tab?"

Before I could reply with another dramatic retort, I heard a pair of footsteps echo through the long hallway. Rajendra singh Rajawat. My Dadu’s voice, bold and amused, broke through our back-and-forth.

"Lagta hai phir se maa-beta ka court session chal raha hai," he chuckled as he entered, followed by Dadi, her soft laughter filling the evening air.

"Kya karein," Dadi added, settling beside Mumma on the sofa, "Nayana, your son is just like you ziddi and always ready to argue."

I got up and walked to them, folding my hands respectfully. "Good evening. You guys also join mumma's marriage bureau drama"

Dadu placed a firm, loving hand on my shoulder. "Beta, hum toh bas dekhne aaye the ki kaun jeet raha hai—maa ya beta. But clearly, you both are loosing."

I laughed, then looked seriously at both of them. "But Dadu, I mean it. I really don’t believe in this whole marriage thing. Arjun's getting married, and I’m genuinely happy for him. But I don’t want it. Not now, not ever. Please trust me. I’m happy in my life. I have work, dreams, responsibilities. I have my family. That’s enough for me. I don’t need someone else to complete me."

There was a brief silence.

Then Dadu spoke, voice deeper, firm with age-old authority. "Why, Vivaan? Kya koi wajah hai? Because if there is a serious reason, we’ll understand. And I have sympathy for you… but don’t mistake that for freedom. You will marry. Before you turn twenty-six. And I’ll make sure of it."

I opened my mouth to argue again, frustration rising like a tide but then I saw the seriousness in Dadu’s eyes. The finality in his voice.

I huffed, clenched my jaw, and looked away. "Fine," I muttered under my breath. "I have better things to do than argue."

And just as I turned to leave, footsteps echoed through the open doors. The scent of warm air and engine grease followed Kartik as he strolled in, a file in his hand and a sheepish grin on his face.

"Finally!" I called out. "Where the hell were you?"

Kartik raised the file like a white flag. "Relax, bro. I went to pick up Bhabhi’s friend from the railway station. She just arrived."

I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Ohh... so now Bhabhi’s friend is more important than your job? Priorities toh dekho."

He rolled his eyes and tossed the file onto the table. "Shut up, Vivaan. I was doing a favor. You can thank me later."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get to work. We have a company to run."

But before diving into the files, I leaned against the edge of the table and looked at him seriously for a moment.

"By the way," I began, glancing toward the hallway that led to the dining wing, "don’t go home tonight. I mean, it's already evening. Just stay here. Have dinner with us. Tomorrow the madness begins, the functions and all the drama. Might as well settle in early."

Kartik stretched his arms behind his head, letting out a tired groan. "Yeah, about that ,I’m already planning to move in here for the next eight days. But my luggage is still at my place. So I’ll head home tonight and come back tomorrow morning, all packed and prepped. Ready for the fun," he added with a mischievous wink.

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "God help us all. Ok then, just make sure you’re here early. Come here first. We’ll head to the Udaigarh Palace together. It’s going to be chaos. Might as well face it side by side."

He gave a mock salute, picked up his phone from the table, and began walking toward the main door. "Got it, boss. Bright and early. Don’t worry, I’ll bring energy drinks and moral support."

"You better not," I called after him, still smiling.

As he opened the grand doors and stepped out into the twilight, I watched him walk down the stone steps of the Rajawat Palace, the faint glow of lanterns lighting his path. The air had cooled, and the scent of night jasmine floated in. Somewhere in the distance, a shehnai player was tuning his instrument, preparing for the upcoming sangeet.

And inside, I stood alone for a moment, letting the silence wrap around me. The calm before the storm. The last bit of stillness before fifteen days of noise, dance, relatives, rituals, and God forbid more matchmaking attempts.

But I wasn't scared of the chaos. I’d lived in it all my life. What scared me more was the possibility that maybe... just maybe... Dadu was right.

Maybe I'll also get married before turning 27.

But I wasn’t ready to face that. Not yet.

So I turned away and picked up the file, diving into numbers, papers, and plans the only place where I truly felt in control.

It was a calm, dusky night in Udaipur, the kind that made the stars glow brighter and the palace walls whisper stories of old. I lay stretched across a king-sized bed draped in pastel pink and ivory sheets. My body had just started to relax after the long train journey, my limbs slightly sore from sitting too long, and my eyelids heavy. But there was something oddly comforting about being back in this room.

No, not a guest room. My room—well, technically, Kavya's room but she had always made me feel like it was mine too. Every vacation, every spontaneous weekend visit, every escape from college stress..i ended up here, surrounded by her photo-covered walls and floral curtains.

Now, I was here not for vacation, but for her wedding.

The thought alone stirred a tight knot in my stomach.

I was lying on my side, wearing one of her oversized night T-shirts, my damp hair spread across the fluffy pillow, cool against my cheek. A dim golden lamp glowed from the bedside table, casting soft shadows across the room. Outside, the palace courtyard was humming with distant sounds staff voices, laughter from the kitchen, clinking utensils, and a faint echo of classical music from the grand hall below where decorations were still being finalized.

Beside me, Kavya sat half-upright, her back propped up against the padded headboard, phone in hand, her screen lighting up her face in intervals. Her thumb scrolled endlessly, and from time to time, she paused to type something.

I watched her through half-lidded eyes, not really meaning to question her but unable to hold back the lazy curiosity. "Kavya..." I mumbled, shifting a little so my voice wouldn’t be muffled by the pillow. "What are you doing? Chatting with jiju?"

A teasing grin tugged at the corners of my lips. Honestly, I expected her to blush or roll her eyes or tell me to shut up.

But she didn’t do any of that.

She kept her eyes glued to the screen, fingers still hovering.

"No," she replied flatly, without even glancing at me. "Just scrolling through reels. Sharing them with my cutie-pattoties."

I frowned slightly. She was typing something. I saw her screen light up again.

Something was off. But I didn’t ask more. Not now.

After a few seconds, she put her phone aside, the screen face-down, and turned her head slowly then buried her face into the pillow. Her body sank into the mattress like she was trying to disappear into it. A long, tired sigh escaped her lips, like she’d been holding it in for hours.

We were both sprawled out like two lazy cats, the silence between us broken only by the whirring of the ceiling fan and the occasional whisper of wind through the open window.

Then she said it.
Whispered it, actually.

"Mayra... I seriously don’t want to marry him."

My heart stopped for a moment.

I turned my head, slowly, blinking away the sleep that had just started to settle in. My hand slipped under my cheek for support, and I fully turned my body towards her, trying to gauge if I had misheard.

But no.

Her voice was clear. Heavy.

I pushed myself up slightly on one elbow and looked at her.

"Stop talking nonsense," I said gently, trying not to sound too alarmed. "You’re just nervous. That’s all. Cold feet, it happens."

She didn’t respond.

I reached out and gently grabbed her bicep, giving her a small shake. "Look at me," I said firmly.

She finally turned her face toward mine, eyes glassy, lips pulled into a weak smile.

"Aren’t you excited for tomorrow? The fun functions are starting, na? Then Mehendi, haldi, sangeet ,it’s going to be crazy! And come on, I’m here for you. Always."

She blinked a few times, then exhaled.

"Yeah... you’re right," she whispered. "Maybe I’m just... overthinking. It’s all happening too fast. But maybe... it’ll be okay."

I gave her a warm smile, relieved that she was slowly letting go of whatever was weighing her down.

And then it hit me.
My best friend was getting married.

I don’t know why it hadn’t struck me this deeply before. Maybe because I was caught up in exams, or packing, or getting permission from Papa to come here early. But now... lying beside her, in her room, with the wedding just days away ,it was real.

I felt a sudden sting behind my eyes. My vision blurred a little.
I threw my arms around her.

"Ohh Kavya... I’ll miss you so much," I whispered into her shoulder.

She tightened the hug, her own voice thick. "I’ll miss you too, Mayru... Who will I call when I feel like punching people for no reason?"

I giggled, wiping my eyes quickly with the back of my hand. "You can still call me. I’ll FaceTime you from college, mid-lecture, I swear."

We both laughed softly, lying in the tangle of sheets and memories. And then, just as the moment settled, a soft knock came at the door.

Both our heads turned at once.

We didn’t speak for a second.
Kavya pulled away slightly, sniffled, and sat up.

"Who’s that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

And then door cracked open...

Thank you for reading!!!