The hospital room smelled like antiseptic and faint traces of jasmine, Sahil Sharma's favorite scent. The once-vibrant man lay weak and fragile on the bed, his breathing shallow and labored. The dull beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room apart from the distant hum of hospital machinery.

Iriti stood by her father’s side, trying to hold back her tears. She couldn’t bear to see him like this, her only family left. Her father had always been her rock, her guide, and her source of strength. Now, he was slipping away, and there was nothing she could do but watch.

“Beta,” Sahil’s voice was a hoarse whisper, barely audible over the steady rhythm of the machines. Iriti leaned closer, clutching his frail hand tightly.

“Yes, Papa?” Her voice trembled, despite her efforts to sound strong.

“There is something... something you must do for me,” Sahil said, his eyes filled with a mixture of love and regret. He glanced briefly to the other side of the room where Ekaksh stood, his broad frame casting a long shadow across the sterile floor.

Ekaksh Singh Rawat, cold and composed as ever, was a stark contrast to the fragile scene in front of him. He watched the exchange in silence, his sharp eyes betraying no emotion. For Iriti, he was a stranger. For her father, he was a last link to a promise made years ago—one she had never been aware of.

“You remember... Ekaksh,” Sahil continued, his voice faltering as he fought to keep his composure. “He was like a son to me... after your mother passed. I... I want you to marry him.”

The words hung in the air like an accusation, heavy and suffocating.

Iriti’s eyes widened in shock. “What? Papa, no... you can’t ask me to—”

“It’s my last wish,” Sahil interrupted gently, his grip on her hand tightening with surprising strength for a man in his condition. “Please, beta. I won’t be here to protect you... but Ekaksh... he will.”

Her heart pounded in her chest as she glanced at Ekaksh. His gaze remained fixed on her father, unreadable. He hadn’t said a word since arriving, and yet his presence alone felt like a silent command. There was no warmth in his eyes, no comfort—just cold resignation.

“Papa, I—” Iriti started, her mind racing. She wanted to scream, to protest, to beg her father to take back his words. Marriage? To a man she barely knew? It felt like a cruel joke, like fate was punishing her for something she didn’t understand.

But the look on Sahil’s face silenced her. He was pleading, desperate for her to understand. He didn’t have much time left.

“Iriti,” Sahil rasped, his voice breaking. “You’re all I have... you’re all that matters to me. I need to know you’ll be safe... I need to know that someone will take care of you.”

She swallowed hard, her vision blurring with unshed tears. Her father’s face, lined with age and illness, was filled with a kind of sorrow she had never seen before. How could she refuse him? How could she deny his final wish?

“Okay, Papa,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I’ll do it. I’ll marry him.”

Sahil exhaled, his chest shuddering as if a great weight had been lifted from his soul. A faint smile appeared on his lips, and for a brief moment, there was peace in his eyes. “Thank you, beta. You’ve made me so proud... so proud...”

His hand went limp in hers, and the steady beeping of the heart monitor slowed, then stopped. A deafening silence filled the room as the machine flatlined, signaling the end of his life.

Iriti stood frozen, her mind reeling. Her father was gone. Her last connection to her old life, her childhood, her sense of safety—all of it had vanished in an instant. And now, she was bound to a man who didn’t even look at her, a man who seemed as distant and unfeeling as the cold wind outside.

Ekaksh stepped forward, his gaze finally shifting to her. “I’ll take care of the arrangements,” he said flatly, as if discussing a business deal instead of the most important decision of her life.

Iriti nodded numbly, her mind too clouded with grief to process his words fully. She barely noticed when he left the room, leaving her alone with her father’s body.

She sank to the floor beside the bed, clutching her father’s lifeless hand, her tears falling freely now. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. She was supposed to have more time—time to grieve, time to live her life, time to choose who she loved.

But that time was gone.

All that was left was the promise she had made to a dying man and the shadow of the stranger she had just agreed to marry.

.......