Chapter 7 : Rukhsati

The sun cast a warm golden hue over the village as Arhaan stepped out, the loose gravel crunching beneath his polished shoes. One of his drivers stood beside a sleek black car, engine humming faintly. The morning was still, yet something in the air felt thick with change. Arhaan had called the driver the previous night after finally managing to charge his dead phone, a small but crucial task made possible by Hamid, who had managed to borrow a charger from a neighbor. Arhaan wasn’t going to ride back on a bike with his bride. Not when he had the means. Not when she deserved better.