The shame and anger still lingered, a bitter taste in my mouth. My cousin, Kiara, had always been the favored one, the golden child. But when she jilted her fiancé, Neil khanna , at the altar, she not only humiliated him but also brought shame to our entire family. Now, as I stood before my family elders, I felt a sense of dread wash over me. They were insisting that I, Dr. Kaveri , marry Neil khanna to salvage the family's reputation. I couldn't believe it. Neil khanna, the man I had always found arrogant and condescending I hated him more than anything, and now Ihad to marry him. The thought of spending my life with him made my skin crawl. But my family's words cut deep - "Family honor is at stake." "You owe it to us." "It's your duty." I felt trapped, suffocated by the weight of family expectations. I knew I couldn't refuse. Neil, too, seemed less than thrilled about the arrangement, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of anger and resentment. As we exchanged our vows, I felt like I was signing away my life. The ceremony was a blur, the words meaningless. I knew I was in for a lifetime of misery, trapped in a marriage with a man I despised. The question was, how long could I endure this forced union?