Rati & her husbands| 18+

prologue

The letters began arriving long before the wedding.

At first, Rati had thought they were merely gifts from the family she was promised to. A courtesy between two influential households.

She had been wrong.

The first letter was from Vikram.

His handwriting was as severe as the man himself-straight lines, precise words, no unnecessary softness.

Rati,

All the arrangements have been made.

You are to take care of yourself until the wedding. I expect you to arrive healthy for our wedding night.

You will be my wife soon. Do not forget that.

-Vikram

Rati had read it twice before folding it carefully.

There was something almost frightening about how little he explained.

He didn't ask whether she wanted him.

He wrote as though he had already decided that she did.

The next letter arrived from Vikrant.

His was entirely different.

Where Vikram's letter had made her nervous, Vikrant's made her blush.

Rati,

I want to hold you.

You will let me hold you, won't you?

I keep imagining what it will be like when you are finally here. I want to sit beside you, talk to you, annoy you, and hear you tell me to stop.

I miss you, even though we have barely met.

Write back to me.

-Vikrant

Rati had stared at the final line for far too long.

She had never written back.

But she had kept every letter.

Viren's letters were different again.

They were the longest.

He wanted to know everything.

What time had she woken up?

Had she eaten breakfast?

What had she worn?

Had she gone outside?

Who had accompanied her?

What had she done in the afternoon?

Why had she seemed tired when he had seen her from a distance the previous week?

Had she been sleeping properly?

Had anyone upset her?

His questions sometimes filled several pages.

One letter read:

Rati,

Tell me about your day.

Everything.

What time did you wake up? Did you eat? Did you go to the market? Who was with you? Did you spend the afternoon in your room again?

You seem to like sitting near the eastern window. Am I right?

And I still don't know your preferences. What is your waist and bra size, even though your clothes will be designed by the top designers. I need this information for other gifts.

I want to know you before you come here.

I want to know every little thing.

-Viren

Rati had slowly begun to realise that the three brothers had already made her the centre of their lives.

Vikram wanted certainty.

Vikrant wanted closeness.

Viren wanted knowledge.

And all three wanted her.

The wedding was only weeks away.

The gifts continued arriving.

So did the letters.

And with every passing day, Rati became more certain of one thing:

She had no idea what awaited her in the house of the three men who had chosen her as their bride.