CHAPTER TWELVE : PRETEND TO BE MINE
“What is that?”
“Do a contract marriage with her.” Karan said plainly, as if it was the most logical thing in the world.
Aryan’s eyes widened. “What? How? And why do you think she would agree to it?” His voice carried disbelief and skepticism.
“Look, leader,” Karan said calmly, “When she comes, tell her the same thing as I am telling you.”
“Okay, say,” Aryan replied, now both curious and restless, wanting to hear the plan.
Karan then explained everything to him properly, step by step, his tone firm yet convincing. Aryan listened quietly, his mind racing between practicality and the storm of emotions he was denying.
“Do you think she will agree after all of this?” Aryan finally asked, his voice quieter, almost vulnerable.
“Hmm…” Karan nodded with confidence. “And yes, if she agrees, sign a contract with her tomorrow before her mood changes.”
Aryan leaned back in his chair, lost in thought, the weight of the decision heavy on his shoulders. “Hmm…” he murmured, neither agreeing nor denying, but clearly shaken by the possibility.
Priya’s shoot finally came to an end. She adjusted her coat lightly, still catching her breath after the long posing session. Her cheeks had a faint glow, both from the lights and from her own excitement. She turned politely toward the old lady and said softly, “Thank you.”
The lady’s eyes sparkled with warmth as she patted Priya’s arm gently. “Welcome, dear. I hope you will achieve your goals soon,” she said, her tone carrying genuine blessings, as though she was speaking to her own granddaughter.
Priya’s lips curved into a bright and beautiful smile, the kind that instantly lit up her whole face. “Thank you,” she replied, her voice full of respect and gratitude. For a moment, her heart fluttered with the kindness she had just received—encouragement always meant more to her than compliments.
The lady gathered the papers in her hand and added kindly, “And yes, I’ll send your portfolio tomorrow.” Her voice was calm, reassuring, almost promising Priya a safe future.
“Okay. Bye,” Priya said, bowing her head slightly out of respect. Her tone was sweet yet filled with relief, as though she had taken the first real step toward something big in her life. With one last grateful smile, she turned and left, her mind already buzzing with dreams and possibilities.
Priya entered Aryan’s cabin, her steps soft but cheerful. With a polite smile, she greeted, “Good morning.”
Aryan briefly looked up from his desk, his expression softening. “Good morning,” he replied warmly, then asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice, “How was your shoot?”
Her eyes lit up instantly, and she clasped her hands together as she replied, “It was wonderful, that lady was very nice.” Her tone was filled with excitement, like she was reliving the good moments as she spoke.
Aryan gave a small smile, his voice steady but approving. “Hmm… she is.” For a second, his eyes flickered with satisfaction, pleased that Priya had enjoyed the experience.
Just then, his phone buzzed. A new message from Karan appeared on his screen. Aryan’s brows furrowed slightly as he opened it and read silently: ‘Leader let’s start.’ A sigh escaped him, because he knew exactly what Karan was pushing him toward.
Before Aryan could react further, his phone began to ring. He picked it up quickly. Priya, noticing he was occupied, quietly walked over to her desk and sat down, trying not to disturb him.
“Yes, Dad,” Aryan said into the phone, his voice calm but tinged with irritation.
On the other side, Karan disguised his voice playfully and said with a grin, “Best of luck, my son. And do your best. Let’s start.”
Aryan froze for a second, realizing the trick, and his lips twitched in disbelief. Still, he decided to play along. “Dad, how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want to get married because…” He paused mid-sentence, his mind going blank at the crucial moment. His hand tightened around the phone, frustration bubbling.
From across the phone, Karan reminded him with a mischievous smile, “Because there is someone…”
Taking a deep breath, Aryan repeated the line with forced conviction, “Because there is someone in my life whom I love, and I want to marry her.” His voice was firm, but inside, his heart raced—he wasn’t just saying the words, he was picturing someone.
Karan nodded approvingly, suppressing a laugh, then said into the phone, “Maybe it’s enough, now cut the call and try to talk to her.” His voice carried encouragement, as though he was giving final instructions before a battle.
Aryan let out a low sigh, a mix of irritation and resignation. “Okay, fine,” he replied, his tone reluctant but obedient.
For a moment, silence lingered in the cabin. Aryan set the phone down on his desk, his fingers tapping nervously against it. Across the room, Priya sat quietly, unaware of the little act Karan had staged, while Aryan stole a glance at her, his expression caught between annoyance, confusion, and something unspoken.
‘I hope our plan will work,’ Aryan thought to himself as his sharp eyes drifted toward Priya. He studied her carefully, his gaze almost calculating, yet there was a flicker of hesitation hidden behind it. She was already looking at him, curiosity shining in her eyes.
‘Maybe it’s the right time for real acting,’ he decided, taking a deep breath before speaking aloud.
“Ahh Aryan, you said it, but there is no such girl, then whose photo will you send him?” He murmured the words as if talking to himself, but loud enough for Priya to hear. His tone was deliberately dramatic, almost as though he wanted her to catch on.
Priya tilted her head, her brows knitting together. “Sir, is everything okay?” she asked gently. There was genuine concern in her voice, her mood soft and attentive.
Aryan hesitated, then sighed. “Actually…” His voice trailed off, heavy, like he was debating whether to share the weight on his shoulders.
Her heart softened at his hesitation. “If you have any problem, then you can share with me. Maybe I can help you,” she said, pulling the chair in front of him and sitting down, her tone encouraging. Her mood was compassionate and supportive.
Aryan raised his eyes to hers, his expression vulnerable. “As you know, my dad wants me to marry. And being irritated by this fact, I lied to him today that there is a girl in my life. And now he wants me to marry her. But the truth is that there is no one in my life. Now I don’t know what to do.” His tone was a mixture of frustration and helplessness.
He exhaled deeply, then added softly, almost like a plea, “I wish I could find such a girl who would be ready to marry me, if not real, then at least contract marriage.”
Then, locking his eyes with hers, he whispered with hope that trembled in his voice, “Riya…”
She leaned forward slightly, her lips parting. “Hmm?” she responded, a little unsure.
“Can you…” he started, but the words stuck in his throat. His eyes searched hers desperately.
Doubt clouded her face, and with a shaky voice, she asked, “Can I what?”
Finally, with a steady breath, he completed, “Can you do a contract marriage with me?” His tone was firm, but his eyes betrayed his nervousness.
Priya gasped softly, her body stiffening. “How can I?” she asked, her voice filled with shock, disbelief flashing in her widened eyes. The mood was tense, almost surreal.
“You just said, you can help me,” he reminded her in a low tone, almost like a wounded child seeking comfort. His mood was desperate but hopeful.
Her brows furrowed deeper. “But why me?” she asked, her voice sharp with doubt, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Aryan leaned slightly closer, explaining, “Because you said you like acting. And if you act to be my wife, then our chances of getting caught will be less. So, can you?” His words were calm, logical, but his eyes were searching, pleading for her agreement.
Priya inhaled slowly, her heart racing. “I can understand what you’re trying to say, but you also try to understand me. I am not ready for marriage yet,” she said, her tone defensive but not harsh, her mood conflicted.
“I’m not asking you to marry me for real,” he clarified, his voice steady but persuasive. “It’s just a contract marriage. You just have to pretend to be my wife in front of everyone. And other than that, you can do whatever you want. And yes, thereafter, you will not even need to come here for a job. You can totally focus on your acting career too.” His words were tempting, coated in reason.
Her lips parted slightly as she processed his offer. “And for how long will I have to do this?” she asked hesitantly, her tone cautious, mood uncertain.
“Only six to seven months. And meanwhile, if I find someone with whom I want to marry in real, then this contract will end there. And yes, don’t worry about the payment. I’ll give you one million dollars per month.” His voice was confident now, presenting the offer like a businessman sealing a deal.
Priya’s eyes went wide, her jaw dropping. “One… Million… Dollars…” she repeated, stunned. The mood was of utter shock, her disbelief plain in her tone.
Aryan smirked faintly, raising his brows. “Is it not enough? Then two million dollars?” His tone was serious, but there was a sly hint of amusement in his mood, testing her reaction.
Her hands gripped the table as she blinked rapidly. “Okay… Okay… I’ll do it,” she said, giving in, her voice still shaking, caught between shock and surrender.
Relief washed over Aryan’s face, though he kept his expression composed. “Thank you. So today, firstly, you have to sign the contract, and we will marry when my parents come,” he said, his tone firm, businesslike.
Priya exhaled deeply, still overwhelmed. “Okay,” she said finally, her voice low, mood resigned but uncertain.
“And one more thing, you shift all your belongings from the apartment to my house today. I will tell Karan, he will help you,” Aryan said firmly, his voice steady and commanding, as though the matter was already decided.
Priya’s eyes widened slightly. Her hands tightened around the hand rest of chair, and she asked hesitantly, “Why today?” There was a nervous edge in her tone, as though she was being asked to take a step she wasn’t yet ready for.
“Because you have to stay there from today,” Aryan replied without hesitation. His expression was calm, but his tone carried urgency. For him, it was a simple statement of fact. For her, it felt like her entire world was shifting too fast.
Priya bit her lip, trying to steady the flutter of unease in her chest. She nodded slowly and whispered, “Okay.” On the outside, her response sounded calm, but inside, her heart raced with a mix of fear and curiosity.
What am I getting myself into? Is this even good for me. Being so close to him with this fake relation.
“You wait, I will make the contract. After signing it, you can go,” Aryan added. His eyes flickered to her briefly, then back to his phone, already switching to business mode.
He dialed Karan.
“How’s it going?” Karan asked casually, though his tone carried an underlying eagerness.
“Come to my cabin,” Aryan said directly, no explanations given.
“Did she agree?” Karan pressed, curiosity evident in his voice.
“Hmm,” Aryan replied, glancing sideways at Priya, whose heart skipped a beat hearing that confirmation spoken so simply.
“Okay… okay… I’m coming…” Karan chuckled before ending the call.
Moments later, Karan entered Aryan’s cabin, eyes sparkling with curiosity. He looked at Priya briefly, as though trying to read her, then turned to Aryan for details. Aryan handed him the necessary instructions with his usual seriousness, and Karan left to prepare the papers.
When he returned, he placed the neatly arranged contract papers on the desk. “All done,” he said lightly.
Aryan pushed the papers toward Priya and said in a calm, steady voice, “Riya, sign here.” His gaze was sharp, but there was something softer hidden behind it—almost as though he was silently reassuring her.
“Okay,” Priya said, though her voice was barely above a whisper. She reached for the pen with trembling fingers. Her mind raced, This is it… once I sign, there’s no turning back. She hesitated for a brief second, then pressed the pen against the paper and signed her name.
Aryan followed smoothly, his movements efficient and decisive, like he had done this a hundred times before. Priya watched him, a strange chill running down her spine. For him, it seemed like business. For her, it felt like binding her future to something she didn’t fully understand.
When both signatures were done, Aryan leaned back slightly, his eyes fixed on her. “Remember one thing—except the three of us, no one should know that this marriage is fake… Understand?” His tone was low and serious, his words like a warning carved into stone.
Priya swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay,” she said. Outwardly calm, but inside, she felt the weight of secrecy pressing down on her chest. A fake marriage… can I really hide something like this?
“You go with her and help her move all her stuff from the apartment to my house,” Aryan instructed Karan, his tone shifting back to authority.
“Me?” Karan blinked, caught off guard.
“Hmm…” Aryan nodded, his expression unchanging.
“But…” Karan started to protest, though his playful tone hinted he wasn’t entirely serious.
“I said go with her,” Aryan interrupted firmly, his voice like steel.
“Fine,” Karan sighed, raising his brows in surrender. Still, there was a mischievous spark in his eyes, like he was already planning to tease Priya along the way.
Priya stood quietly, clutching her bag tighter. As Karan turned to lead the way, she cast one last glance at Aryan. His face was unreadable, but his gaze lingered on her for just a moment longer than necessary.
And then, with a mix of hesitation and determination, Priya followed Karan out of the cabin, each step making her realize more deeply that her life had already changed forever.
After some time, they finally reached Priya’s apartment. Karan, in his usual playful yet helpful manner, carried most of the luggage while Priya silently packed the last of her essentials. The room that had once felt like her safe corner now looked strangely empty, and with every item she put into the bag, it felt like she was leaving behind a part of herself.
Together, they loaded everything and drove straight to Aryan’s house.
Once inside the grand mansion, Karan pointed toward the staircase, his lips curving into a teasing smile. “That’s the leader’s room.”
Priya, looking around in awe and hesitation, asked softly, “And my?”
Karan gave her a look as if she had asked the silliest question in the world. “What do you mean, yours? You have to live in the same room with him… are you forgetting you are going to marry him?”
Her eyes widened for a second, and she blinked as the reality of the situation hit her again. “Oh… Yaa…” she murmured, her tone uncertain, trying to sound casual but betraying her nervousness.
Karan, noticing her awkwardness, didn’t comment further. Instead, he carried her belongings upstairs and placed them neatly inside the room. Standing at the door, he gave her a quick reassuring smile. “Now you adjust it comfortably. I will be back in a while,” he said before walking out, leaving Priya alone in Aryan’s space.
The silence wrapped around her almost immediately. Slowly, she unzipped her bag and pulled out her clothes, her fingers brushing against the fabric as though trying to buy time. She stepped toward the cupboard, her hand hovering near the handle, but then froze.
Suddenly, an uneasy thought struck her. What am I doing? This is his cupboard. How can I touch his things in his absence? Her heart started racing with a mix of guilt and nervousness. Shaking her head, she whispered to herself, “No… no… it’s not good… it would be better if I keep my belongings aside.”
With that, she carefully folded her clothes back, setting them neatly to the side, and then sank onto the edge of the bed.
The bed felt unfamiliar, and yet it carried a faint warmth—his warmth. She turned her face toward the large window. The sky outside was beginning to glow with the colors of dusk. Watching it, she sighed softly, her mind drifting. Where did he leave? She wondered, her eyes unconsciously searching for him even in his absence.
Minutes passed, then stretched longer. The ticking clock in the quiet room made her impatience louder. He didn’t come. So, with a sigh, she pulled out her phone, trying to distract herself.
Scrolling absentmindedly through her gallery, a picture suddenly appeared on the screen—one of her and Mini together. The moment her eyes landed on it, her chest tightened. Her smile faded, and tears welled up, blurring her vision.
Holding the phone closer, she whispered, “Mini…” Her tears slipped silently down her cheeks as memories flooded back—of laughter, of warmth, of the comfort she missed so much.
In that grand room, surrounded by someone else’s world, Priya felt small, lonely, and uncertain—caught between her past memories and the unknown future waiting behind the door.
“Let me call her,” Priya whispered to herself, her hands trembling slightly as she pressed Mini’s number. The phone rang, and when the call connected, her voice came out a little too cheerful, almost desperate for comfort.
“Hello!!!” Priya said, her tone carrying both excitement and nervousness.
“Who is?” Mini asked, sounding curious but guarded.
“It’s me,” Priya replied softly, her lips curling into a smile just from hearing her friend’s voice.
“Priya… How are you, my girl?” Mini’s tone instantly melted into affection, full of warmth and longing.
“Fine… You say, how you, and Mom and Dad are?” Priya asked eagerly, her heart aching to hear about her family.
“We all are fine… I really want to see your face. Let me do a video call,” Mini said, her excitement bubbling as she switched the call.
When the video connected, Priya turned her camera around proudly, showing Mini her surroundings. “Look, it’s my room,” she said with a faint smile, trying to hide her own uneasiness.
Mini’s eyes widened on screen. “It looks like a five-star hotel room,” she said, her voice mixed with awe and disbelief.
“No, it’s my own room,” Priya corrected her with a small laugh, though the truth weighed heavily in her chest.
“This is very expensive. How did you get this?” Mini asked, her suspicion already rising.
“Because I got married,” Priya admitted in a low tone, almost as if she wasn’t sure how Mini would take it.
“What… Was this your dream? That you left us all to fulfill… HUH?” Mini’s voice hardened with anger, her face tightening with hurt.
“Hey… Hey… relax… It’s just a contract marriage,” Priya said quickly, her hands raised in defense, her voice trembling as she tried to calm her friend down.
“Contract marriage?” Mini asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion. Her expression shifted from anger to curiosity as Priya started explaining everything—the truth about Aryan, the deal, the conditions. Mini listened quietly, her brows furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Suddenly, her eyes caught something in the background. A picture frame on the wall behind Priya. Her tone turned sharp with curiosity. “Hey… Priya… who is he?”
“The person with whom I signed the contract,” Priya replied casually, turning her phone toward the photo.
“Can you show me that picture up close?” Mini demanded, her tone urgent now.
“Sure,” Priya said, walking closer to the wall and adjusting her camera so Mini could see clearly.
Mini’s eyes widened instantly. Her voice rose in disbelief, almost shaking with anger. “Priya, are you sure he is that person?”
“Yes, I am… What happened?” Priya asked, confusion clouding her face.
❁𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑❁
❀𝕴𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖙!❀
♡ 𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎, 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚎 ♡
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