Thulika Chandran 

Thulika Chandran is a spirited 26-year-old Malayalee software developer with a natural talent for connecting with people and a personality that lights up any room she enters. Born and raised in a close-knit, middle-class family, she blends empathy and curiosity in a way that makes her approachable and insightful. Her extroverted nature, however, is a double-edged sword in her life. While she can easily engage with others, she's also unafraid to challenge the norms around her—a trait that often puts her at odds with her family and community.

As the only child in a traditional family of five, Thulika shoulders a unique set of expectations. Her parents and relatives adore her deeply, but their love comes with an intensity that often feels more like constraint than comfort. They want her to follow a conventional path, including settling down in marriage, and they frequently compare her to cousins who fit more easily into these ideals. Thulika, however, dreams of a life that doesn't involve shrinking herself to meet the standards others have set for her. She feels a sense of isolation, a yearning for freedom her family doesn't understand. They urge her to "dream within limits" and "not aim too high," but the idea of restraining her ambitions weighs heavily on her.

Despite her family's concerns, Thulika remains wary of marriage. She's tried to follow the path they envision by agreeing to meet potential suitors, yet each experience left her feeling unsettled, as though her intuition was warning her of something her family dismissed as "inexperience" or "fear." She nearly committed to an arranged marriage out of respect for her parent's wishes, but just months before the engagement, she discovered her fiancé's hidden truths, shattering her trust in a way she could no longer ignore. This painful experience brought clarity to Thulika's resolve. Rather than continue down a road paved with others' expectations, she has decided to pursue a life that honors her dreams, even if it means standing alone. Love feels distant and risky to her now, and she's learned to channel her energy into building a future that's authentically hers, untethered by convention. Thulika's journey is one of inner strength and determination—a quest to embrace her true self and her dreams, despite the emotional toll of challenging deeply ingrained traditions.

Ekaansh Arora
At 28, Ekaansh Arora—a Rajput of royal blood—embodies the steely, silent power of his heritage as the formidable President of Elixir Tech. With an aura that commands attention and a gaze as sharp as his intellect, Ekaansh's words are few but carry a weight that resonates, leaving no room for challenge. Though a natural introvert, his calm intensity and measured speech have earned him respect in the corporate arena, yet few grasp the loneliness and restraint behind his polished exterior.

Raised in the shadow of his father, Siddharth Arora, a titan in the industry, Ekaansh grew up under immense expectations. His life took a profound turn at 16, when his mother, his only source of warmth and understanding, passed away. Her death carved an emptiness in Ekaansh that he's since hidden from the world, withdrawing into a protective shell. He became an observer of life rather than a participant, speaking little and embracing solitude, retreating from the warmth and comfort he once knew.

Ekaansh's true passion lies not in business but in art. He once dreamed of becoming an artist, of creating rather than managing, but his aspirations were abruptly put on hold when his father fell ill. In an instant, Ekaansh was thrust into the business world, forced to assume a role he neither chose nor wanted. While he has achieved impressive success as President, he still feels the burden of his father's legacy, the pressure to meet standards set not by himself but by an indomitable man whose influence permeates every aspect of Ekaansh's life. Even in retirement, Siddharth's authority is felt, his final say casting a long shadow over Ekaansh's decisions and autonomy.

Now, his father has shifted his focus, pressing Ekaansh to marry the daughter of a family acquaintance to further align their fortunes. For Ekaansh, however, love is a distant, almost foreign concept. His mother was the only person who ever showed him the depth of true affection, leaving a void that has yet to be filled. Love, to him, has remained as abstract as his unpainted canvases. Ekaansh has since resigned himself to a life bound by duty, living each day in silent sacrifice as he immerses himself in his responsibilities as President. His life, stripped of passion and personal joy, feels like a perpetual waiting room, a space where dreams remain locked away, and emotions lie untouched. To outsiders, Ekaansh Arora may appear to be a man of cold confidence and unshakeable resolve, but within him is a deep well of untold sorrow, dreams deferred, and a yearning for a life that he may never be able to claim as his own.