The next morning, Aria woke up with the strange meeting replaying in her mind.
The luxurious hotel.The thick folder on the table.And the mysterious man who called himself Ryan Kapoor.
She sat at her small kitchen table, staring at the contract papers spread in front of her.
Six months of marriage.
Fifty lakh rupees.
No questions.
No emotions.
"No normal person would agree to this," she muttered to herself.
Yet the more she thought about it, the more she realized something painful.
Her situation wasn't normal either.
The hospital bills were piling up. The landlord had already sent two warnings. And finding another job so quickly felt almost impossible.
Her phone buzzed again.
A message from her sister.
Didi, the doctor said the payment must be done tomorrow.
Aria closed her eyes.
For a moment she felt like the walls of her tiny apartment were closing in around her.
Slowly, she picked up the contract again.
Maybe this strange offer was exactly the miracle she needed.
After a long moment of silence, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number written on the last page of the contract.
The call connected almost immediately.
"Hello?"
It was Kabir.
"This is Aria," she said.
There was a brief pause before Kabir replied calmly.
"So… have you made your decision?"
Aria took a deep breath.
"I'll do it."
That evening, Aria found herself once again inside the elegant suite at the Grand Meridian Hotel.
Kabir stood near the table, organizing some documents.
Ryan was standing by the window, looking out at the city lights.
When Aria entered, both men looked up.
Kabir smiled slightly. "Miss Sen. I was hoping you'd come back."
Aria crossed her arms.
"I'm only doing this because I need the money," she said bluntly.
Ryan turned to face her.
"That was the agreement."
Kabir placed the contract on the table.
"Once you sign this, the marriage will legally last six months," he explained. "After that, the divorce will be arranged and the payment will be transferred."
Aria glanced through the papers once more.
Everything looked exactly the same as before.
Except for one small velvet box placed beside the contract.
Her eyes immediately moved to it.
"What's that?" she asked.
Ryan picked up the box slowly.
Without saying anything, he opened it.
Inside was a ring.
It was simple but elegant—a silver band with a small diamond that sparkled under the light.
Aria stared at it in surprise.
"I thought this was just a contract," she said.
Ryan looked at the ring for a moment before answering.
"It is."
"Then why the ring?"
Kabir answered this time.
"Because even fake marriages need to look real."
Ryan stepped closer and held the ring between his fingers.
"This will be the symbol of our agreement," he said calmly.
Aria felt something strange in her chest.
A ring usually meant love.
Promises.
Forever.
But this one meant something completely different.
A deal.
A temporary life with a stranger.
"Once you wear it," Ryan continued, "everyone will believe you're my wife."
Aria looked at him carefully.
"You really thought of everything, didn't you?"
Ryan didn't answer.
Kabir slid the contract toward her along with a pen.
"All that remains is your signature."
The room became quiet.
Aria looked at the papers.
Then at the ring.
And finally at the mysterious man standing in front of her.
For some reason, his calm expression made her nervous.
Like he was someone used to living behind secrets.
But she had already come this far.
Slowly, she picked up the pen.
With one quick motion, she signed her name at the bottom of the contract.
Aria Sen.
Kabir immediately signed the witness section.
Ryan took the papers and added his own signature beneath hers.
Ryan Kapoor.
The contract was now official.
Kabir smiled. "Congratulations."
Aria raised an eyebrow. "That's a strange thing to say for a fake marriage."
Ryan stepped forward again, holding the ring.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he gently took Aria's hand.
His touch was warm and steady.
Before she could react, he slid the ring onto her finger.
The diamond caught the light and shimmered softly.
"There," Ryan said quietly.
Aria stared at the ring.
A strange feeling settled in her chest.
It looked so real.
Too real.
Almost like this marriage meant something more than a simple contract.
Ryan released her hand.
"From today," he said calmly, "you're my wife."
Aria let out a small laugh.
"Only for six months."
Ryan nodded.
"Only for six months."
But neither of them knew that this small ring—
this simple symbol of a fake agreement—
would soon tie their lives together in ways neither of them had ever expected.
Because outside the hotel, somewhere in the busy city streets…
A paparazzi camera had just captured a photograph.
And by tomorrow morning, the entire country would start asking the same question.
Who is the mysterious woman wearing the ring on Ryan Kapoor's hand?
End of Chapter 3
Next Chapter: A Sudden Wedding