Location: Ravindra Grand Palace – Zenith Medical Charity Gala
Time: 7:00 PM – Two Days Later
Vashti stood in front of the mirror, tugging at the golden embroidery on her soft ivory lehenga.
Her hair was braided with pearls. A sheer dupatta pinned to her shoulder.
She looked stunning.
She looked… bride-like.
Too bride-like.
"This is not funny anymore," she muttered.
Arya entered, smirking. "You'll be married for exactly 46 minutes. Just long enough to infiltrate the donor list database in the palace vault. Then we extract."
Shabd knocked once before stepping in. His black sherwani was lined with silver threads. And the moment he saw her, he froze.
"You… you look like a trap."
Vashti narrowed her eyes. "You're supposed to say bride."
He smirked. "A trap works too. I'd still walk in."
---
Ceremony Hall – Fake Wedding Setup
Guests believed it was a surprise ceremony.
Medical legends, politicians, scientists… the perfect cover.
Vashti stood beside Shabd on the platform.
A real priest, chanting mantras.
Because Arya said the acting had to be flawless.
"I swear if you actually tie that mangalsutra—"
Shabd whispered, "Would that really be so bad?"
She glanced at him.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
But when he gently touched her cheek during the ritual, something shifted.
The room faded.
It felt real.
Even the moment he placed the ring—again—slipped past the lines between fake and something more dangerous.
---
10 Minutes Later – Secret Passage, Palace Basement
Dressed now in scrubs under their wedding clothes, Vashti and Shabd moved through a corridor with scanners and pressure traps.
The wedding had worked.
They were inside the data vault.
Vashti pulled the chip from her necklace.
Shabd inserted it.
"Downloading everything they've got on Project Mirage."
"Once we're out, we burn this fake marriage alive," Vashti muttered.
Shabd glanced at her.
"Or we don't."
She blinked.
He stepped closer.
"Maybe… some fake things become real when no one's watching."
Before she could answer—
BOOM.
An explosion shook the hallway.
Vault doors slammed.
Red lights flashed.
They were trapped.
---