Naina's alarm buzzed on her nightstand. She woke up with a practised ease and started her morning routine.

Naina was the kind of person who always had a sense of peace. She was an airhostess at Aura Air and that required her to maintain the grace and peaceful persona. To her, being soft-spoken wasn't a weakness, it was her greatest strength.

She walked into the kitchen where the aroma of cardamom powder and ginger were already in the air. Her mother was in the kitchen, trying to put a heavy jar back on the shelf, while the tea brewed.

"Mumma! Ruko, mai krti hu."

(Mumma! Wait, I’ll do it.)

Naina carefully placed the jar back on the shelf and turned to her mother.

"Aap itni jaldi kyu uth gyi? Mujhe nikalne mai abhi almost 2 ghante hai."

(Why did you wake up so early? I will leave in two hours.)

Naina said softly.

"Tujhe chai nashta karaye bina kaise bhejdu?"

(How can I let you go without breakfast?)

Her mother replied, kissing her head. 

An hour later, she was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting her name tag on her blue saree. Her hair was tucked into a neat bun.

She worked through the eight-hour shift with a smile that never wavered. She loved her work. She loved the sky. And she loved the feeling of responsibility that came with it.

She changed into her night dress, came out of her room and saw her parents sitting in the living room, discussing something. They stopped as soon as they saw her. 

She knew what it might be about and her heart fluttered. Her father smiled and motioned for her to come forward.

"Naina, beta idhar aa."

(Naina, come here.)

Naina sat beside him, her hands folded in her lap. She knew her parents had been looking for a match for months. She trusted them completely, but the idea of sharing her life with a stranger was a little scary.

"Ek ladka pasand aaya hai hume tere liye. Kartik naam hai uska."

(We selected a man for you. His name is Kartik.)

Her father said and passed his phone, which had the photograph, forward. Naina took a deep breath and looked at the photo.

The man in the picture had a sharp jawline and deep, piercing eyes. He looked intense and intimidating, yet there was something warm in his smile.

'He is so handsome.'

Naina thought and a blush creeped onto her cheeks.

On the other hand, Kartik stepped out of his sleek black Mercedes. His gait was confident as he walked past his guards, who bowed in respect, and entered his parents' house.

Kartik was a no-nonsense man. People in the boardroom called him a predator. He was ruthless. 

He knew that in the airline industry, a single mistake could cost lives, so he demanded nothing less than excellence.

However, the moment he would step inside his home, his cold demeanour would melt away instantly. Kartik was a thoroughly pampered and spoiled grandson of his grandmother.

"Dadi! Aap abhi tak soyi kyu nhi ho? 12 bajne wale hai."

(Grandma! Why did you not sleep yet? It’s going to be 12.)

His usually cold and strict tone, turned into a softer, warm and caring tone.

"Jab tak mera rajkumar ghar nhi aata, mujhe neend nhi aati."

(Until my prince comes home, I cannot sleep.)

She caressed his head and pulled him down to sit beside her. She handed him the water bottle and then looked at him with a mischievous and excited glint in her eyes.

"Gullu, beta bhut ho gaya kaam kaam. Ab ghar basane ki umar hai teri. Tere mumma papa ne ek ladki dekhi hai. Mujhe badi pasand aayi. Ye dekh. Naina naam hai. Bhut pyaari bachi hai."

(Gullu, work will be done. Now you should also focus on making a family. Your parents have selected a girl. I liked her a lot. Look. Her name is Naina. She is very sweet.)

She said and pushed the phone in which she had her image opened in his hands. Kartik sighed and prepared himself for his usual speech about being too busy for marriage.

But, the moment his eyes landed on Naina's picture, the words died in his throat. She standing in front of a beautiful floral arch in the picture, her smile genuine and shy.

There was a kindness in her eyes that seemed to pull him towards her. He traced the edge of the photo with his thumb, his expression softening into something unrecognizable.

'She's so beautiful.'

He thought and a small, genuine smile formed on his lips.

"Sundar hai na? Aur sirf sundar hi nhi. Bhut shaant aur sanskaari bhi hai. Suna hai bhut...kya kehte ho tum bache usse...haan...talented bhi hai. Achhi ladki hai. Ghar baar achha hai. Haan krde, gullu."

(She is beautiful, right? And not just beautiful. Very polite and respectful also. I have heard…what do you say…yes…talented also. She is a good girl. The family is nice. Say yes, gullu.)

His dadi urged. Kartik looked at the girl in the picture once more. 

"Thik hai dadi. Sirf aapke kehne par mai milne ke liye ready hu."

(Ok dadi. I will meet her only because you are saying.)

He said pretending to be not very interested. But the wheels of fate had begun to turn. Both them were about to be bound by a promise of forever, completely unaware that their professional and personal worlds were about to collide in a way neither of them expected.