Chapter 4
Viya
Today had been a very productive day at work.
I arrived at New Gen Corp early in the morning, my heart still racing with the excitement of being here as an actual employee. My manager, Vikrant, was waiting for me when I reached my desk. He was a friendly man in his mid thirties with kind eyes and an easygoing smile.
"Good morning, Viya. Welcome to the team officially," he said, shaking my hand. "I have your first project assignment ready. Let me introduce you to Akshita. She will be working with you on this."
He gestured to a young woman sitting at the desk next to mine. She had short hair and wore bright red glasses that suited her cheerful face perfectly. She stood up and extended her hand with a warm smile.
"Hi, I am Akshita. It is so nice to have another woman on the team. We are going to work great together, I can already tell."
I shook her hand, feeling instantly comfortable with her energy.
"Thank you. I am really excited to be here."
Vikrant explained the project to us. It was a new module for one of the company's existing applications, and we would be working on the backend development together. As he talked, I could feel my excitement growing. This was exactly the kind of work I had dreamed of doing.
Akshita and I spent the entire day working side by side. She was patient and helpful, explaining things I did not understand and sharing tips she had learned from her time at the company. By lunchtime, I felt like I had known her for months instead of hours.
During our lunch break, we sat in the cafeteria together. Akshita was telling me about the different people in the office, pointing out various team leads and senior developers. Then she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Okay, I have to tell you something. Our CEO is ridiculously handsome. Like, unfairly handsome. I may have a tiny crush on him."
I laughed at her dramatic expression.
"Really? I have not seen him yet."
Akshita pulled out her phone and quickly scrolled through something. Then she turned the screen toward me.
"Look. This is Armaan Khanna."
My breath caught in my throat.
It was him. The man from the elevator. The man who had given me CPR. The man whose arms I had collapsed into on my very first day here.
Oh god. I had fainted in my boss's arms.
My face immediately went hot with embarrassment. I could feel the color rising in my cheeks. Akshita noticed immediately.
"What? What is it? Do you think he is hot too?"
I shook my head quickly.
"No, I mean, yes, I mean... I just... nothing. He is very handsome."
Akshita grinned.
"Right? I told you. Anyway, he is totally out of our league. But a girl can dream, right?"
I nodded, still staring at the photo on her phone. His face was serious in the picture, all sharp angles and intense eyes. The same face that had looked down at me with concern when I could not breathe.
I pushed the thought away and focused on my lunch.
The rest of the day flew by. Akshita and I made good progress on the project, and I felt a sense of accomplishment I had never experienced before. This was mine. This work, this achievement, this place in the world. It belonged to me.
By the time seven o'clock rolled around, the office had mostly emptied out. Akshita and I packed up our things and headed to the elevators together.
"Same time Monday?" she asked as we walked out of the building.
"Yes, definitely."
We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I flagged down an auto and gave the driver my address. The ride home felt longer than usual, my mind replaying the events of the day. My first real project. My new friend. The shocking realization that my CEO was the man from the elevator.
When the auto pulled up in front of my house, I paid the driver and walked to the front door. I pulled out my keys and unlocked it, pushing the door open.
The house was silent. Empty.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. The dishes I had prepared in the morning were still spread out on the table, untouched and cold. That was strange. Usually, everyone ate and left the dishes for me to clean later. But these looked like no one had even touched them.
"Uncle?" I called out. "Aunty?"
No response.
I walked through the living room, checking the kitchen and then the other rooms. Nobody was home.
Where was everyone?
I pulled out my phone and dialed Uncle's number. It rang several times before going to voicemail. I tried Aunty's number next. Same thing. No answer.
A knot of worry began forming in my stomach. What if something had happened?
I was about to try calling again when I heard the sound of a car engine in the parking area outside. I rushed to the window and looked out. Uncle's car was pulling into the driveway.
Relief flooded through me.
I hurried to the front door and opened it just as Uncle, Aunty, and Avija were walking up the path. But the relief I felt quickly turned to confusion.
Avija's eyes were red and swollen, like she had been crying for hours. When she saw me standing in the doorway, her expression twisted into something I could only describe as pure disgust. She pushed past me without a word and ran up the stairs to her room.
I stared after her, completely bewildered.
"Avija?" I called, but she did not respond.
Aunty gave Uncle a meaningful look, some silent communication passing between them, and then she too walked past me and headed upstairs without saying anything.
I turned to Uncle, worry tightening my chest.
"Uncle, what happened? Is everything alright? Where were you all? I was worried."
Uncle's face was tired. He looked older somehow, the lines around his eyes deeper than I remembered.
"Viya, I need to talk to you about something. Come to the terrace with me."
His tone was serious. Final. It sent a chill down my spine.
"Okay," I said quietly.
He turned and walked toward the stairs. I followed him, my heart beginning to pound. We climbed up to the terrace in complete silence. The evening air was cool, and the sky was beginning to darken with the approaching night.
Uncle walked to the edge of the terrace and stood there for a long moment, his hands clasped behind his back. He did not look at me. He just stared out at the street below.
"Uncle?" I prompted gently. "What is it? You are scaring me."
He took a deep breath. Then he turned to face me.
"I need to tell you something, Viya. And I need you to say yes."
I blinked, confused.
"What do you mean?"
He hesitated, his jaw working as though he was struggling to find the right words.
"I have arranged your marriage."
For a moment, I just stared at him. The words did not make sense. They felt disconnected from reality, like something I had heard in a dream.
"What?" I finally managed to say. "Why?"
Uncle took a step closer, his expression pained.
"Viya, please listen to me."
But I could not listen. Panic was rising in my chest, drowning out everything else.
"I am not ready for marriage, Uncle. I have dreams. I have ambitions.
I am only twenty two years old. I just got my first job.
I do not want to get married so early. I thought you of all people would understand that.
I thought you would at least consult me before making such a huge decision about my life.
I did not expect you to just marry me off to some random person. "
My voice was rising with each word, trembling with emotion.
Uncle looked at me for a long moment. Then he spoke, and his voice was so quiet I almost did not hear him.
"I am suffering from a heart disease, Viya."
The world stopped.
"What?" I whispered.
Uncle's face was calm, resigned, like he had already accepted whatever fate awaited him.
"There is no guarantee of my life. The doctors have told me it could be months.
It could be weeks. I do not know how much time I have left.
And I cannot leave you alone with Sangeetha.
I know she will take care of Avija. But you...
I worry about you, beta. I need to know you are settled.
I need to know you have someone who will take care of you when I am gone. "
My legs felt weak. I took a stumbling step toward him.
"No. No, Uncle, we will go to the doctors. We will get you treated. Nothing is going to happen to you. You are my only family. You cannot leave me."
Tears were streaming down my face now, hot and unstoppable.
Uncle reached out and placed his hands on my shoulders, steadying me.
"Viya, listen to me. I have never asked you for anything in my entire life. But I am asking you now. I need you to do this for me. I need you to marry the man I have chosen for you."
I shook my head, unable to speak.
"I can take care of myself, Uncle. You do not need to marry me off. Please."
"I want you to have your own family, beta. I want you to have someone who will stand by you. Someone who will protect you."
His voice broke slightly on the last word.
I looked up at him, my vision blurred with tears. This man who had taken me in when I had no one. This man who had raised me, educated me, given me a chance at life. He was asking me for something. For the first time in my entire life, he was asking me for something.
How could I say no?
My lips trembled. I tried to speak, but no words came out.
Uncle's eyes were filled with an emotion I could not name. Desperation, maybe. Or sorrow.
"Please, Viya. Take this as my last wish."
My last wish.
The words felt like a weight pressing down on my chest, crushing the air from my lungs.
I closed my eyes. Tears continued to slide down my cheeks.
"Yes," I whispered. "Okay. Yes."
Uncle's shoulders sagged with relief. He pulled me into a tight hug, and I felt him shaking slightly.
"Thank you, beta. Thank you."
I pulled back after a moment, wiping at my face with the back of my hand.
"Can I at least know who I am getting married to?"
Uncle hesitated.
"Armaan Khanna. The CEO of New Gen Corp."
My heart stopped.
Armaan. My boss. The man from the elevator.
I stared at Uncle, unable to process this new information.
"Can I meet him before the wedding?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Uncle shook his head.
"No. The wedding is this Sunday."
"Sunday?" My voice cracked. "That is in two days."
"It will be a small affair," Uncle continued quickly. "We need to keep it a secret for now. Armaan's father is in the United States. They want to announce the marriage publicly after a year, once his father returns. Until then, no one can know."
None of this made sense. Nothing about this made sense.
"Uncle, why so much hurry?" I asked, fresh tears welling in my eyes. "If we have to keep it secret anyway, why can we not wait a year? Why does it have to be this Sunday?"
Uncle looked away, his jaw tight.
"Because I do not have that much time, Viya."
His words were like a knife to my heart.
"I requested Armaan's grandmother for the wedding to happen this Sunday. She agreed. You need to be ready."
He did not wait for my response. He turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing on the stairs as he descended back into the house.
I stood there alone on the terrace, the cool evening air wrapping around me like a shroud.
Tears flowed down my face unchecked.
What kind of cruel joke was life playing with me? I did not understand. I could not understand.
A week ago, I celebrated my first job. A week ago, I felt like my life was finally beginning.
And now, in two days, I will be married to a man I did not know.
A man I had only met once, when I collapsed in his arms in an elevator.
I wrapped my arms around myself and let the tears fall.