The grand ballroom of the Oberoi Palace Hotel shimmered beneath crystal chandeliers. White lilies, ivory roses, and golden candles lined the aisle, creating the illusion of a perfect fairy-tale wedding.

Yet no one was smiling.

Guests whispered behind expensive fans and champagne glasses.

"She's too young."

"They say the last three wives disappeared."

"Do you think she knows?"

"Poor girl..."

The murmurs spread through the hall like wildfire.

At the centre of it all stood Aarav Oberoi.

Six feet three.

Tailored black sherwani.

A face that looked as though it had forgotten how to smile.

The heir to the Oberoi empire.

One of the youngest billionaires in the country.

And the man every newspaper had nicknamed—

The Husband of Vanished Brides.

He ignored the whispers.

He always did.

His dark eyes remained fixed on the sacred fire before him, expression unreadable.

Marriage had never been his choice.

Neither had the previous three.

This one was no different.

The priest glanced toward the entrance.

"The bride has arrived."

Every head turned.

The ballroom fell silent.

She stepped inside, dressed in a crimson bridal lehenga embroidered with gold. A sheer veil covered her face, but nothing could hide the quiet confidence in her walk.

She didn't rush.

She didn't tremble.

She didn't look around.

It was almost as if...

...she had already walked this path before.

Aarav watched her approach.

Something felt... strange.

Not familiar.

Not comforting.

Just... unsettling.

She stopped beside him.

The priest began chanting the wedding mantras.

The ceremony moved forward.

Seven vows.

Seven circles around the sacred fire.

Seven promises exchanged between two strangers.

When it was over, applause filled the ballroom.

Cameras flashed from every direction.

"Look at the bride!"

"Over here!"

"Sir, one smile please!"

Neither of them smiled.

The photographer hesitated before speaking again.

"Ma'am... could you please lift your veil?"

The bride slowly raised her hands.

The room held its breath.

She lowered the veil.

Soft features.

Calm brown eyes.

A face untouched by fear.

She looked directly at Aarav.

For a brief moment...

Time seemed to stop.

His heartbeat faltered.

Not because she was beautiful.

Because something about her eyes stirred a memory he couldn't reach.

He frowned.

Have we met before?

Before he could speak, she offered a small, polite smile.

"Congratulations... husband."

Her voice was gentle.

Steady.

As though marrying the most feared man in the country meant nothing to her.

For the first time in years...

Aarav was the one who felt uneasy.

Miles away...

Inside the centuries-old Oberoi Mansion...

An elderly woman sat alone in a dimly lit room.

In her trembling hands rested an old photograph.

Four children smiled at the camera.

Three faces were clear.

The fourth child's face had been violently scratched away.

The old woman traced the damaged photograph with her fingertips.

Tears filled her eyes.

At last...

She whispered,

"The fourth bride has come home."

Then she looked toward the dark corridor behind her.

"You don't have much time left."

A floorboard creaked.

Someone else was in the room.

End of Chapter 1

...━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━...

...🖤 ADITYA RAICHAND 🖤...

...Age: 30...

...CEO of Raichand Group...

..."A man feared by the world......

...yet misunderstood by all."...

...━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━...

...The massive gates of Raichand Mansion slowly opened....

The newlyweds stepped inside.

Rows of servants stood in perfect formation, lowering their heads in respect.

"Welcome home, Mr. and Mrs. Raichand."

Anika quietly observed everything around her.

The mansion was breathtaking.

Towering marble pillars, sparkling crystal chandeliers, priceless paintings, and elegant white roses decorated every corner. Every detail reflected unimaginable wealth and power. It looked less like a home and more like a royal palace built for kings.

Yet...

Something about it felt different.

Cold.

Silent.

Almost as if laughter had been forbidden within these walls.

A young maid stepped forward, carrying a silver tray.

"Madam, this is your room key."

Before Anika could take it, another servant immediately stopped her.

"No."

"The young mistress will stay in the Young Master's room."

The maid quickly lowered her head.

"My apologies, Madam."

Anika instinctively looked towards Aditya.

He didn't react.

Not even slightly.

His face remained unreadable.

Without saying another word, he turned around.

"Come."

His deep voice echoed through the hallway.

Calm.

Cold.

As though he wasn't speaking to his wife...

...but to a complete stranger.

Anika quietly followed behind him.

The silence between them was almost uncomfortable.

Only the sound of their footsteps echoed through the enormous mansion.

Halfway upstairs...

Anika suddenly stopped.

Three magnificent bridal portraits hung on the wall.

Three beautiful women.

Three smiling brides.

Fresh white lilies had been placed beneath each portrait.

She couldn't take her eyes off them.

"Who are they?"

Aditya didn't even turn around.

"My past."

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

Just two words.

His answer left no room for another question.

Anika looked at the portraits once again.

Every bride wore a beautiful smile.

Yet...

Their eyes carried an unbearable sadness.

Almost as if they were trying to tell a story no one had ever heard.

She slowly followed him upstairs.

The master bedroom was luxurious.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the gardens.

Dark wooden furniture, soft golden lights, and elegant décor filled the room.

Everything was perfectly arranged.

Almost...

Too perfect.

Aditya removed his wristwatch and placed it on the bedside table.

Without looking at her, he finally spoke.

"This marriage exists because our families wanted it."

"I won't interfere in your life."

"I expect the same from you."

Anika remained silent for a moment before asking softly,

"So...

We're simply two strangers living under the same roof?"

He nodded once.

"Exactly."

Silence settled between them again.

Then...

Anika smiled gently.

"I can live with that."

For the first time that day...

Aditya looked directly into her eyes.

There was no fear.

No greed.

No attempt to impress him.

Only quiet acceptance.

Something about her felt...

Different.

Anika placed her suitcase beside the bed and looked around the room.

"You don't have to worry," she said softly.

"I won't make your life difficult."

Aditya looked at her for a brief moment.

"I've heard those words before."

His voice remained calm.

But this time...

There was pain hidden beneath it.

Before Anika could ask what he meant, he walked out of the room.

The sound of the closing door echoed through the silent mansion.

Standing alone, Anika whispered to herself,

"Who are you, Aditya Raichand?"

That night...

Unable to sleep, she stepped onto the balcony.

A cool breeze brushed against her face.

The mansion was silent.

Almost unnaturally silent.

Her gaze slowly drifted towards the old east wing.

One window glowed faintly.

A woman stood behind the curtain.

Watching her.

Anika froze.

She blinked.

The light disappeared.

So did the woman.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

To Be Continued...

...━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━...

...🤍 ANIKA SHARMA 👀...

...Age: 24...

...Interior Architect...

..."She wasn't fearless......

...She simply refused to let fear decide her fate."...

...━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━...

...The first rays of sunlight slipped through the sheer white curtains, casting a warm golden glow across the spacious bedroom....

Anika slowly opened her eyes.

For a few peaceful seconds, she simply stared at the ceiling, trying to remember where she was.

The room felt unfamiliar.

The luxurious king-sized bed.

The elegant crystal chandelier hanging above her.

The faint fragrance of fresh lilies drifting through the room.

Then reality settled in.

She wasn't in her apartment anymore.

She was inside Raichand Mansion.

Mrs. Anika Raichand.

The thought made her sigh softly.

Everything had changed in less than twenty-four hours.

Her surname.

Her home.

Her future.

Yet the man she had married still felt like a complete stranger.

She sat up slowly and walked towards the balcony.

The cool morning breeze greeted her immediately.

From the balcony, the entire Raichand estate stretched endlessly before her.

Beautiful gardens surrounded the mansion.

Fountains sparkled beneath the morning sunlight.

Rows of colourful flowers bloomed perfectly, as if every single petal had been carefully arranged.

It was breathtaking.

Yet...

No matter how beautiful the mansion appeared...

It never felt like a home.

Instead...

It felt like a place hiding countless secrets.

Anika rested both hands on the marble railing.

"What exactly happened in this family...?"

A gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.

"May I come in, Madam?"

"Come in."

The door slowly opened.

A young maid entered, carefully pushing a breakfast trolley.

She looked no older than twenty-two.

Her uniform was perfectly pressed.

Yet her hands trembled slightly.

"My name is Meera, Madam."

"I'll be taking care of you from today."

Anika smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Meera."

Unlike the other members of the household, Meera looked genuinely kind.

As she arranged breakfast on the table, Anika noticed something.

Meera never looked directly into her eyes.

She appeared...

Afraid.

"Is everything alright?"

The young maid froze.

"Y-Yes, Madam."

"You don't seem alright."

Meera forced a smile.

"I'm just new."

Anika knew she was lying.

People often revealed their emotions without saying a word.

Before she could ask another question...

A loud voice echoed through the hallway.

"Breakfast is ready."

"The entire family is waiting."

Meera's expression changed instantly.

Fear flashed across her face.

"We shouldn't keep them waiting, Madam."

She hurried out of the room.

Anika looked after her thoughtfully.

"What are you hiding...?"

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

A few minutes later...

Anika walked downstairs.

The dining hall was larger than most banquet halls.

A long table stretched across the room.

Every chair was already occupied.

The Raichand family had gathered for breakfast.

The atmosphere was...

Silent.

No one spoke.

No one smiled.

The only sound was the gentle clinking of cutlery against porcelain plates.

Anika immediately noticed Aditya.

He was already seated at the far end of the table, reading the morning newspaper while sipping black coffee.

He didn't even look up.

Not until she reached the empty chair beside him.

Without saying a single word...

He quietly pulled the chair out for her.

A simple gesture.

Yet somehow...

It surprised everyone at the table.

Several family members exchanged silent glances.

Anika noticed them immediately.

She thanked him softly.

"Thank you."

He simply nodded.

Nothing more.

Breakfast continued in complete silence.

Anika glanced around the table.

Everyone seemed...

Careful.

Almost as if they were afraid of speaking.

Suddenly...

The doors opened.

An elderly woman slowly entered the dining hall with the support of a walking stick.

Every family member immediately stood up.

Every member...

Except Aditya.

He remained seated.

His expression didn't change.

The old woman's eyes searched the room.

Then...

They stopped on Anika.

For several long seconds...

She simply stared.

Tears slowly filled her eyes.

The walking stick slipped slightly from her trembling hand.

Anika instinctively stood up.

"Are you alright?"

The old woman stepped closer.

Her wrinkled fingers gently cupped Anika's face.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Then, in a trembling whisper...

"You finally came home..."

Anika's heartbeat quickened.

She had never met this woman before.

Then why...

Did those words feel strangely familiar?

Before she could ask anything...

The old woman suddenly looked toward Aditya.

Her gentle expression disappeared.

"Protect her this time."

The entire dining hall fell silent.

Aditya slowly lowered his coffee cup.

For the first time...

Something flickered across his emotionless face.

Guilt.

Then it vanished.

As though it had never been there.

Anika looked between the two of them.

Questions filled her mind.

Who was this woman?

What did she mean by...

"This time?"

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

To Be Continued...