𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

Chapter 18

Rajveer Krishnappa Bairya stood at the window of his spacious office, gazing out at the city skyline below. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the bustling streets of Mumbai. But despite the beauty of the scene before him, Rajveer's mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the future - a future that held the fate of Bairya Constructions in its hands.

Bairya Constructions was not just any company; it was a legacy. Founded by Rajveer's grandfather decades ago, it had grown from humble beginnings into one of the most successful construction firms in the country. Under the leadership of Rajveer's father, Krishnappa Bairya, the company had flourished, taking on ambitious projects and earning a reputation for excellence and integrity.

But now, with Krishnappa's passing just a year ago, the future of Bairya Constructions hung in the balance. According to his father's will, if Rajveer did not marry within a year of his father's death, all shares of the company would be donated to charity. It was a provision that had taken Rajveer by surprise, and one that he had struggled to come to terms with.

Marriage had never been a priority for Rajveer. He was fiercely independent, pouring all of his time and energy into the company that bore his family name. He was married to his work, so to speak, and had never felt the need for companionship or romantic entanglements. But now, faced with the prospect of losing the company that meant everything to him, Rajveer found himself at a crossroads.

He turned away from the window and walked over to his desk, where a framed photograph of his father sat prominently displayed. Krishnappa Bairya had been more than just a father to Rajveer; he had been a mentor, a guide, and a source of inspiration. The thought of letting down his father's legacy weighed heavily on Rajveer's shoulders.

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The sickening click of the lock sent a tremor through Reena. Trapped. That was the only word that accurately described the suffocating feeling that constricted her chest as she stared at Rajveer across the cramped apartment. Gone was the defiant fire in his eyes, replaced by a mixture of regret and a vulnerability that made her anger waver.

Rajveer, as if to break the heavy silence, reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers. With a flick of his wrist, he sent them flying through the air, the flutter landing them right on Reena's face. She snatched them up, her gaze falling on the bold, black lettering that screamed "Contract Marriage Agreement."

Confusion melted into a flicker of hope. This wasn't a permanent binding, a life sentence he'd dragged her into. It was a bizarre solution, a twisted fairytale with a one-year expiry date. A flicker of suspicion ignited within her.

"What is this?" she demanded, her voice a brittle whisper.

Reena stared at the document in her hand, the legalese blurring before her eyes. A contract marriage. It sounded like something out of a cheap romance novel, a plot device to create manufactured tension. Yet, here she was, the unwilling protagonist in this bizarre reality.

Rajveer paced the cramped confines of his apartment, a caged tiger wrestling with his own anxieties. The weight of his father's will hung heavy in the air, a constant reminder of the ultimatum that had forced him down this path. If he wasn't married within a year, his inheritance – the controlling shares of Bairya Constructions, his father's legacy – would be donated to charity.

He glanced at Reena, his gaze filled with a mixture of desperation and a flicker of something more – an unspoken plea for understanding. He knew this was unconventional, a desperate gamble, but it was the only way he could think of saving the company his father had built from the ground up.