The next morning, Astha stirred awake to the soft press of lips against her skin. She sighed, eyes fluttering open to find Arin hovering above her, his gaze warm, his touch possessive.
“Morning, wife,” he murmured against her neck, trailing kisses up to her jawline.
She blinked. “Wife?”
He leaned back slightly, smirking. “Not yet. But we need to fix that today.”
Astha arched a brow. “Excuse me?”
Arin exhaled, his expression turning serious. “The Elders… They’re plotting something. They want to bind you to someone else in my world because of the power you hold.”
Astha frowned. “Why would they do that?”
“Because your sacrifice, your willingness to take the hit for me—it showed them you’re extraordinary. They think if they bind you to someone in my world, they can keep that power here and use it for their own gains.” His voice hardened. “But if you marry me, you’ll escape that fate. Marriages in my world are irrevocable.”
Astha sat up, pulling the sheets around her. “Are you actually serious?”
Arin nodded. “Deadly serious.”
She studied him for a long moment. “And if I agree, will I still be able to return to my world? To my life?”
Arin took her hands in his. “Yes. You can keep everything you love—your job, your family, Shanaya. I won’t take anything away from you.” He hesitated before adding, “But in my world, you’ll be my wife.”
Astha let out a breath. “I love you, Arin. But I won’t lie—I don’t want to get married to you in my world. I don’t want to lose my independence or change my life for you. I don’t want to be a wife in the way the world expects.”
Arin cupped her face, his thumbs stroking her cheekbones. “I understand,” he said softly. “I won’t pressure you.”
But deep inside, he resolved to himself that one day, he would make her want to marry him in her world too. He just had to be patient.
The Wedding in His World
The ceremony was unlike anything Astha had ever imagined. Arin’s world didn’t celebrate unions with grand feasts or extravagant rituals. Instead, marriage was sealed through an exchange of vows before the Elders and an ancient binding of energy—something that fused two souls together in an unbreakable connection.
As they stood before the council, Arin took her hands in his and whispered, “No matter what happens, you’re mine.”
Astha met his gaze. “And you’re mine.”
The energy pulsed around them, weaving their fates together. The Elders, watching, knew there was no undoing what had just been done.
Arin smiled as he leaned in. “Too late to back out now, Mrs. Verma.”
Astha rolled her eyes. “I should’ve known you’d enjoy this too much.”
Their First Night as Husband and Wife
That night, as they lay tangled in each other’s arms, Arin’s fingers traced lazy patterns on her bare skin. He had loved her with a fervor that left her breathless, worshipping every inch of her as if making sure she knew she belonged to him now.
Astha chuckled, still breathless. “My husband seems really crazy.”
Arin lifted himself on one elbow, his smirk full of mischief. “You’re too late to notice it now.”
She playfully smacked his arm, only for him to capture her wrist and pull her against him again. “Get used to it, wife.”
Astha sighed dramatically. “If this is married life, I might survive it.”
Arin kissed her soundly, his voice a husky whisper against her lips. “You’ll love it.”
And as she drifted off to sleep in his arms, she wasn’t so sure he was wrong.
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