Forbidden Mania

alhotr

lingering on my skin. Her smile, the way she'd leaned into my chest befor

ed at the thought, already imagining the surprise on her face when I'd

een oddly quiet all day. There were no calls, no meetings she dragged me into, w

ead, a sprawling mansion pass

ce of sleek modern lines mixed with traditional Rajasthani accents. Inside, however

ve chandeliers spilling through the windows. As I walked up the st

t. Everyone had an agenda, and navigating

y. My mother's favorite. She believed it gave the house an air of grace and trad

smooth, measured voice of my mother, Sumitra

was impeccable, her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun, not a strand out of place. Her face, still strikingly

to gauge her mood. She put her hand on my head as a blessing

test edge to her tone. She always had a way of making my time wit

" I replied,

heading to bed

he cut me off smoothly, as if she a

meeting. You'll be atten

racks, my brows k

Why tom

ut it didn't

iness. I need you there. You're the face of this family, Ar

ould she just cancel tonight's meeting and move it to tomorrow? It felt deliberate,

keeping my voice steady, but I could feel t

her I'd spend the day w

split second before she

s come every year. This meeting is about yo

framing her manipulations as something done for the greater good of the

ftly, but the steel in her voice was unmistak

ighting a losing battle. She always won in the end, and the more I resisted, the ha

"important family matters." My mother had made sure of that. She tolerated him,

s a product of my father's first marriage, someone who didn

ing to change the subject, tho

d. You know how your father feels about

different at best. My mother had poisoned his mind against his own son, painting him as unreliable, unworthy of the f

m." I said, my voice

still

her lips curling into

nd about Raghav long ago, and nothing I said would change that. I could already

ading for the stairs. I needed to get out of

broad frame that still carried the strength of his youth, though his hair was now more gray than black. He was staring out at the garden, lost in

d, standing a

omorrow?" He turned, his eyes dist

speak. I could feel the weight of the family's expectations closing in

it out and saw Mishka's name light up the screen. My chest tight

swered, trying to k

her voice warm but with

hing's still on for tomorrow."

paused, guilt gnawing at me. I hated disap

My mom's rescheduled a meeting I c

line, and when she spoke again, her voice was quie

s

it up to you, I swear. Maybe w

se, longer

understand. Family

that she was family to me, that she was just as important, more impo

She said, her voice b

dded, even though s

pressure of being a Malhotra, of constantly balancing between family

ew which sid