Enchanted pen

         CAN WE FIND THE BALANCE?

ANAYA

There are very few things worse than accidentally getting engaged.

Finding out the internet is invested in it was one of them.

I had barely slept.

Not because of Veer.

Not because of the fake engagement.

But because my mother had apparently entered her “future wedding planning” era.

At six in the morning.

No sane person should be discussing floral arrangements before breakfast.

My phone buzzed.

Then again.

Then again.

I ignored it.

A mistake.

Because eventually Rhea called.

Which was always worse.

RHEA

“Please tell me you’re sitting down.”

ANAYA

“No.”

RHEA

“You should.”

ANAYA

That wasn’t reassuring.

I sat anyway.

RHEA

“Open Instagram.”

ANAYA

“I hate when people say that.”

RHEA

“Open it.”

ANAYA

I did.

And immediately regretted it.

At the top of my screen—

a post from Kapoor Estates International.

My stomach dropped.

No.

No.

No.

I opened it.

Then I froze.

KAPOOR ESTATES INTERNATIONAL APPOINTS ANAYA KAPOOR AS EXECUTIVE CHAIRPERSON.

Silence.

Complete.

Absolute.

Silence.

RHEA

“You knew this was happening, right?”

ANAYA

No.

Because I definitely would’ve remembered becoming the head of a billion-dollar hospitality empire.

My grandfather was supposed to announce it next month.

Not today.

Not publicly.

Not to everyone.

RHEA

“Anaya?”

ANAYA

“I’m considering moving countries.”

RHEA

“Reasonable.”

ANAYA

The article continued.

Luxury resorts.

International properties.

Expansion plans.

Future growth.

Corporate nonsense.

Then—

I reached the final paragraph.

And nearly threw my phone.

Reportedly, Kapoor is engaged to Delhi-based corporate king Veer Malhotra.

Industry insiders speculate that Kapoor Estates and Malhotra Group could become one of Delhi’s strongest strategic alliances following recent engagement rumours.

Industry experts have already begun speculating about future collaboration between the two influential families.

Below that:

LOVE OR MERGER?

I stared.

Then stared harder.

Interesting.

Apparently my fake engagement had evolved into corporate fan fiction and economic analysis.

——

VEER

The first article arrived at 8:12.

The second at 8:17.

The third at 8:21.

By nine o’clock—

my assistant had printed all of them.

I looked at the headline.

LOVE OR MERGER?

Ridiculous.

The problem was that people were taking it seriously.

My office door opened.

“Sir.”

I looked up.

“What?”

“The board wants to know if this affects the Kapoor proposal.”

Silence.

Interesting.

There it was.

The actual problem.

Months.

Months of negotiations.

Meetings.

Proposals.

Discussions.

Nothing.

Kapoor Estates had rejected every partnership conversation we’d attempted.

And now—

somehow—

I was fake engaged to the woman sitting at the top of the organisation.

Life had a strange sense of humour.

ASSISTANT

“Should I schedule a meeting?”

VEER

“No.”

ASSISTANT

“No?”

VEER

“No.”

The answer came too quickly.

Interesting.

The assistant left.

I looked down at the article again.

Then at the engagement photograph.

Then at the article.

Then at the photograph.

This day was becoming irritating.

——

ANAYA

By evening my mother had dragged me to a charity networking event.

Apparently becoming Chairperson meant I could no longer avoid rich people.

Tragic.

The ballroom was filled with investors.

Business owners.

Socialites.

Aunties.

The most dangerous category.

I was hiding beside the dessert table when I saw him.

Of course.

Veer Malhotra.

Dark suit.

Annoyingly calm.

Annoyingly attractive. I so want to think that he might be a weirdo, but his nature, chiseled jaw, hazel eyes and just his personality says otherwise.

Annoyingly, Veer.

He noticed me immediately.

Also annoying.

I walked over.

ANAYA

“You.”

VEER

“Me.”

ANAYA

“Did you know?”

VEER

“About your promotion?”

ANAYA

“My public execution.”

VEER

“That happened three episodes ago.”

ANAYA

I hated that I laughed.

——

VEER

She laughed. Again. That’s interesting.

I guess it’s happening more around me.

Anaya usually looked like she was one bad decision away from starting a revolution.

Today she looked tired. But her charm never wore off. I knew she was chattering inside her brain like a monkey that she already had to deal with a fake engagement and now this.

If anything there is going to be more drama. But the one thing that I noticed I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

She looked tired.

Which should have made this easier.

It didn’t.

The emerald dress wasn’t helping.

Neither was the fact that she somehow managed to look completely out of place and entirely in control at the same time.

I found that irritating.

Very irritating.

But still dangerous.

ANAYA

“Love or merger?”

VEER

I sighed.

ANAYA

“Love or merger?”

VEER

“No.”

ANAYA

“Love or merger?”

VEER

“Anaya.”

ANAYA

“I’m framing the article.”

VEER

“I’ll burn it.”

ANAYA

“That’s dramatic.”

VEER

“You’re dramatic.”

ANAYA

“That’s fair.”

——

A man approached us.

Expensive suit.

Expensive smile.

Dangerous combination.

“Mr. Malhotra.”

“Ms. Kapoor.”

We nodded politely.

Corporate survival mode.

The man looked between us.

Then smiled.

Wider.

I immediately disliked him.

“Wonderful news.”

Neither of us responded.

A strong start.

“I’ve always believed Kapoor Estates and Malhotra Group would make a powerful combination.”

Silence.

The man continued.

Mistake.

“Business and marriage. Very efficient.”

ANAYA

I almost choked on my drink.

VEER

I almost enjoyed that.

Almost.

The man eventually left.

Still smiling.

I hated him.

ANAYA hated him.

It was a rare moment of unity.

——

ANAYA

I escaped to the terrace thirty minutes later.

Fresh air.

Finally,

The city lights stretched across Delhi.

Beautiful.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

For approximately twenty seconds.

The terrace door opened.

I didn’t turn around.

ANAYA

“Are you following me?”

VEER

“Unfortunately.”

ANAYA

“That’s concerning.”

VEER

“For both of us.”

I laughed.

Again.

Interesting.

That was happening too often.

For a moment neither of us spoke.

The noise from the ballroom faded behind us.

ANAYA

“Can I ask you something?”

VEER

“You usually do.”

ANAYA

“Why did you agree?”

Silence.

Not awkward.

Thoughtful.

Dangerous.

VEER

“Which answer do you want?”

ANAYA

“There are multiple?”

VEER

“Unfortunately.”

ANAYA

I turned toward him.

Being suspicious was difficult when he looked that annoyingly calm.

Which felt unfair.

VEER

“The honest one?”

ANAYA

“That’s usually how questions work.”

For a second—

something shifted in his expression.

Tiny.

Gone before I could understand it.

VEER

“You looked terrified.”

I blinked.

“What?”

VEER

“The day you asked.”

ANAYA

That wasn’t the answer I expected.

Not even close.

VEER

“And for some reason…”

Silence.

ANAYA

“For some reason?”

VEER

“I said yes.”

My stomach did something strange.

Annoying.

Very annoying.

ANAYA

“So, you’re telling me, there was no other reason?”

VEER

“Yes?”

ANAYA

My brain exploded with anger, I was about to yell at him but

Before I could reply—

The terrace door opened.

Again.

A mistake.

Because this time—

it wasn’t one person.

It was five.

Rhea.

My mother.

His mother.

And two aunties.

The dangerous kind.

The observant kind.

The storytelling kind.

Silence.

Deadly silence.

Then—

One auntie smiled.

The smile of a woman who had just discovered next week’s gossip.

I immediately knew my life was over.

VEER

Interesting.

ANAYA

Shut your damn mouth. Do you really think this is “Interesting?”

VEER

“We’re definitely on the front page tomorrow.”

END.