Married to the Grumpy Billionaire

Ananya

"Beta, can you pass me the coriander?" Mom's voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I stood in the kitchen, absentmindedly peeling garlic. My hands fumbled, and I nearly dropped the knife I was holding.

"Are you even listening?" she teased, raising her brows at me.

"Sorry," I mumbled, handing her the bunch of coriander. But my head was still spinning from the previous night's dinner. Aarav's gaze—intense, deliberate—felt like it had burned through me, leaving behind a storm of emotions I couldn't name.

Why was he like that? So quiet, so still, yet so... present.

Even now, I could picture him perfectly. His sharp jawline covered in faint stubble, the faint wrinkle between his brows that made him seem perpetually serious, and those deep, dark eyes that seemed to hold the weight of the world. Everything about him screamed control and dominance—so different from anyone I'd ever known.

It was unsettling. And maddening.

I sighed and busied myself with the vegetables, hoping that focusing on something else would help me forget. Spoiler: it didn't.

Aarav

I tapped the pen against my desk, my thoughts refusing to align. A stack of papers lay untouched in front of me, my usually sharp focus nowhere to be found.

"Sir, the conference call with the Singapore team is scheduled for—" My assistant's voice broke through my reverie, and I held up a hand to stop her.

"Reschedule it for tomorrow," I said curtly.

Her eyes widened slightly, though she knew better than to question me. "Of course, sir," she said, retreating from the office.

The moment the door clicked shut, I leaned back in my chair, my fingers pressing against my temple. Ananya's face kept flashing before me—the way her cheeks had turned pink when her mother teased her, the way her eyes darted nervously every time she caught me looking at her. She was utterly adorable, like a skittish little bird trying to escape a cage.

But she wouldn't escape me.

The thought was as possessive as it was irrational. I had spent my life building walls, safeguarding my emotions, and keeping distractions at bay. Yet, one evening with her, and those walls were already starting to crack.

She didn't belong in my world. Her innocence, her softness—it would be crushed under the weight of what I was. But I couldn't stop thinking about her, couldn't stop picturing the way she had looked at me last night—equal parts curious and wary, like I was some storm she couldn't figure out how to face.

And maybe I was.

Ananya

By afternoon, Kabir burst through the door like a tornado, tossing his jacket onto the couch.

"Why do you even have a hanger if you're never going to use it?" I quipped, shaking my head as I picked up after him.

"You're too young to nag," he shot back, ruffling my hair like I was a kid.

I slapped his hand away, scowling. "Stop doing that! I'm not a child."

"Tell that to Aarav," he said with a smirk, and just like that, the ground beneath me felt unsteady.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.

He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, enjoying this far too much. "He called me this morning. Asked if you were preparing for your exams and told me to make sure you're not overworking yourself."

I blinked, unsure whether to feel flattered or infuriated.

"Why would he do that?" I muttered, more to myself than to Kabir.

"Maybe he's concerned," Kabir said, his smirk widening. "Or maybe he's just obsessed with you."

The word "obsessed" sent a shiver down my spine. Aarav didn't strike me as the kind of man who was ever just "concerned." No, everything about him seemed too deliberate, too intense. If he had his sights set on something—or someone—there was no doubt he'd claim it.

"I think you're imagining things," I said quickly, turning away before Kabir could see the blush creeping up my neck.

But deep down, I couldn't help but wonder if he was right.

Aarav

When Kabir had picked up the phone that morning, he had laughed immediately.

"You're calling me about Ananya again, aren't you?"

I hadn't denied it. Why would I? There was no point in pretending when it came to her.

"You should see her study," Kabir had joked. "She looks like she's planning a heist, not preparing for an exam."

I hadn't laughed. I rarely did. "Make sure she's taking breaks," I had said, my voice clipped.

Kabir had laughed again, brushing off my concern. But this wasn't a joke to me. Ananya was so young, so naïve. She didn't realize how fragile she was, how easily the world could hurt her.

It was my job to protect her.

Even from a distance, even before she was officially mine.

The thought made my grip tighten on the pen in my hand. She didn't know it yet, but I was going to marry her. There was no room for doubt. Her innocence, her softness—they needed to be shielded, and I was the only one who could do it.

For now, I'd keep my distance. But not for long.

Ananya

That evening, as I sat at my desk, trying once again to focus on my notes, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Aarav.

"Have you eaten dinner?"

Simple. Straightforward. Just like him.

My hands trembled slightly as I typed back. "Yes. Why?"

His reply came almost instantly. "Good. Don't stay up too late."

I stared at the screen, my heart pounding. Why did a simple text from him feel so overwhelming?

Taking a deep breath, I set my phone aside and buried my face in my hands. Aarav Mehra was a storm I wasn't ready to face.

But somehow, I knew I wouldn't have a choice.