Amara.I sat on the edge of the low sofa in the formal living room with my hands folded neatly in my lap and my eyes fixed on the pattern of the rug. The air smelled of cardamom and polished wood. My mother sat to my left, posture perfect, while my father spoke in the calm measured tone he always used for important family matters. Across from us the Malhotra family occupied the opposite sofa. Mr. Malhotra looked pleased. His wife smiled with polite satisfaction. Rohan, the younger son, kept glancing at me with a soft nervous expression. And then there was Kabir.Kabir sat slightly apart from the others, one arm resting along the back of the sofa, his dark eyes steady on my face. He was thirty, tall and broad in a way that made the room feel smaller. Where Rohan was softer and more eager to please, Kabir carried the quiet authority of someone used to being obeyed. I had met him twice before during the early talks between our families. Both times I had felt the weight of his attention l
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