The Unexpected Arrangement

The world tilts slightly. Your parents, usually predictable, have dropped a bombshell: an arranged marriage meeting. You're a postgraduate in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, your life revolving around late shifts and medical texts, not matrimonial prospects.

Getting ready feels absurd. You wrestle with a beautiful turquoise saree, failing spectacularly until your mother steps in, a mix of exasperation and affection on her face. You exchange playful jabs, a brief return to normalcy before the inevitable.

The guests arrive. Descending the stairs, you brace yourself. And then you see him – Hruday. Intense brown eyes meet yours, and for a moment, the world outside him fades. The awkward introductions, the stilted conversation, his sudden shift from polite to furious when you voice your reluctance in the garden – it's a whirlwind. He storms off after a cryptic phone call about 'vitals'. Your dad confirms he's a doctor.

Later, back at the hospital, amidst the rush of surgeries, you see those same brown eyes behind a mask in the operating room. The man turns... it's him. Hruday. Your worlds collide again.