Eventually, exhaustion won out over my racing thoughts. My eyes grew heavy, and sleep pulled me under like a tide.
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows, warm and bright against my closed eyelids. I blinked awake slowly,disoriented for a few seconds. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar. The bed beneath me was too soft. The room smelled like expensive cologne and fresh linens.
Then everything came rushing back.
The wedding. The bedroom. Armaan.
I turned my head quickly to check the right side of the bed.
Empty.
The sheets were rumpled where he had slept, but he was already gone. I reached out and touched the space where he had been. It was cool. He must have been awake for a while now.
I sat up slowly, running my hand through my tangled hair. What time was it? I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Eight thirty in the morning.
A knock on the door made me jump.
I scrambled out of bed and walked over to open it, smoothing down my wrinkled pajamas as I went.
A middle aged woman stood in the hallway, her kind face breaking into a warm smile when she saw me.
"Good morning, beta. I am Mamta, the housekeeper. Dadi is waiting for you downstairs for breakfast."
I nodded quickly, suddenly very aware of how messy I must look.
"Thank you, Mamta ji. I will be down in fifteen minutes."
She nodded and walked away, her footsteps fading down the hallway.
I closed the door and leaned against it for a moment, taking a deep breath. Then I rushed to the bathroom.
I took the fastest shower of my life, scrubbing away yesterday's makeup and the lingering scent of jasmine from the wedding flowers. I dried off quickly and realized with a sinking feeling that I had no clothes here. All my belongings were still at Uncle's house.
Then I noticed a small suitcase sitting in the corner of the bathroom that I had not seen last night. I opened it and found some of my clothes inside. Uncle must have sent them over this morning.
I pulled on a simple salwar kameez, something comfortable and modest. I brushed my hair and tied it back into a neat braid. I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
The face staring back at me looked the same as always. Same eyes. Same nose. Same mouth.
But everything had changed.
I was married now. I was someone's wife.
I was Armaan Khanna's wife.
The thought still did not feel real.
I made my way downstairs, following the sounds of quiet conversation until I found the dining room. It was a large,elegant space with floor to ceiling windows that overlooked a beautiful garden. The morning light filled the room with a golden glow.
Dadi was sitting at the head of the long dining table, a cup of tea in her hands. She looked up when I entered and smiled warmly.
"Good morning, beta. Come, sit down. Did you sleep well?"
I walked over and wished her good morning, then took a seat beside her.
"Yes, Dadi. Thank you."
Mamta appeared almost immediately with a tray of breakfast items. Parathas, fresh fruit, yogurt, and chai. She set everything down with practiced efficiency and gave me an encouraging smile before disappearing back into the kitchen.
