Page 40 of Entangled Vows

He smiled, and she resisted the very real urge to slap his annoyingly chiselled face. Right before the camera flashed, he pulled her closer, and she blinked like an idiot. Wow. Great.

“You spoiled my picture,” she grumbled with a frown. “I blinked.”

“One ruined photo is a small price to pay for standing this close to perfection.”

She muttered under her breath, “Human migraine in a suit.”

“Well, that migraine is now your husband, Momo,” he stated, leaning closer with obvious smugness. “And trust me, there’s no cure for it.”

Click.

The photographer straightened with a wide grin. “Perfect. These came out beautifully.”

Vikram stepped back, removing his hand from her waist. The space between them returned, and she felt colder than expected.

Mahika tried not to think about the forlorn feeling. She kept telling herself it meant nothing. It was only for the photos, a brief formality. She tried to drill into her brain that their charade was purely for the cameras and societal appearances. There was nothing else besides that. That’s what she clung to, as if it were the only lifeline keeping her from unravelling.

16

“There they are!” Arjun cheered.

Mahika stopped in her tracks as she and Vikram stepped into the foyer, just outside the office doors. In front of them stood four striking couples, who looked far too excited about what had just taken place inside. Before she could gather herself, they were already walking towards them.

The group looked familiar, and then it hit her. She had seen them countless times on Vikram’s social media pages. His feed was filled with pictures of this very group. There was a time when she used to stalk his socials, trying to find out about the kind of life he lived. And after their marriage had been arranged, she’d noticed how the old photos of random women had vanished. What remained was a squeaky-clean feed, which was all about fitness, wholesome meals, work updates, and this close-knit circle of friends.

The man leading the way had to be Arjun. Tall and broad-shouldered, his smile was so effortlessly charming that Mahika almost smiled back. She caught herself just in time, settling for a polite half-smile. She didn’t want to appear as if she already knew them. Beside him was his wife, Ira. And she was beautiful and so elegant.

“Congratulations, Vicky,” Arjun said, grinning at Vikram.

Vikram frowned. “What are you all doing here?” he asked, his voice clipped, more irritated than surprised.

“We’re here to celebrate your big day, Vik. Do you really think we would let you off the hook so easily?” Ira raised a brow. “Remember when you welcomed me to Mumbai after my wedding? This is our turn to return the favour.” She gave them a playful wink.

Mahika’s gaze moved to the others. Adil had a calm, no-nonsense aura that somewhat reminded her of Vikram, though Vikram seemed softer and more approachable. Adil’s wife, Mira, smiled at her with such warmth that Mahika felt disarmed, making her feel as if they were already friends.

Next, she looked at Vaayu, who was grinning mischievously with his arm draped around his stunning wife, Ruhi, who looked equally excited. Kabir stood nearby with his crooked smile, and next to him was Kyra, radiating confidence with her grace and poise.

Mahika’s palms grew clammy, and she tried to wipe them on her pallu. These were no strangers. They were Vikram’s close friends. The infamous circle she had known about but never met. And now, she was standing face to face with all of them.

“Congratulations, you two!” Ira wished them warmly. “Finally tied the knot, Vicky?”

Mahika opened her mouth to reply, but Vikram beat her to it, his tone dry with humour. “Tied would be generous. Shackled feels more accurate.”

The whole group burst out laughing, and Mahika turned to him in shock.Holy shit!Vikram just cracked a… joke? Why did this playful side of him feel so alien to her?

“You can joke later. Introduce us first,” Arjun said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Vikram sighed, as if surrendering to the inevitable. “Momo, these are my friends.”

“Momo? He already has a nickname for her. How cute!” Kyra teased, instantly drawing a chorus of cheers and hoots from the group.

“Kyra, stop,” Vikram muttered, his cheeks actually flushed pink.

Mahika almost gasped.Was he… blushing?For the first time ever, his mask had cracked, and instead of that cold, controlled detachment, she could see and feel real emotion on his face.

“What?I’m just saying,” Kyra shrugged innocently, mischief twinkling in her eyes.

“Alright, enough, Ky. As much as I’d love to hear his answer, that can wait. Vicky, continue with the introductions, please,” Vaayu cut in, grinning.