Rubbing her temples, Meera stared at the official notice. Her blissful six-month stay in the US had ended sooner than she expected.

Another week in her wonderland, and she wouldn't be allowed back for the next three years.

It was too late to apply for an extension. If only she had been more cautious.

Her visa was expiring, and her workplace refused to issue a work visa since she was just an intern.

She had one day to decide: return to India and face her overbearing family, or find a way to stay in the US. The latter seemed impossible, but it was what she desperately wanted.

Desperate enough to type, "how to get a green card asap?"

Those 6.7 seconds for the search results felt like an eternity.

She clicked on the first article: "4 Easiest Ways to Get a Green Card."

The first option was through family. She laughed; apart from her colleagues and the old couple who owned the cafe across the road, she knew no one in the city.

The second option was through her employer, but the company had already refused.

The third option was as a refugee, but she wasn't eligible.

The last option was marriage, which the blog clearly didn't intend as serious advice.

Throwing her phone on the bed, she washed her face and straightened her clothes. Grabbing her bag and phone, she headed to her office, hoping to convince her employer one last time.

She called for a taxi.

"2 Park Ave, please."

"Sure!" The driver pressed the accelerator.

Soon, she stood outside the Kate Spade headquarters, with Pret a Manger to her left.

Entering the building, she walked to the elevator and pressed for the 9th floor.

After packing her things into a small box, she headed to her boss's office.

"She's on leave due to a personal emergency, won't be back for a week," her secretary said.

Disappointed, Meera walked to the elevator door, which was about to shut.

"Please hold it!" she called, rushing toward the elevator. For once, wearing sneakers worked in her favor.

She entered the elevator, trying to catch her breath. She was unfit and easily winded.

Once her breathing normalized, she looked up at a pair of dark brown eyes.

"Thanks," she said, almost inaudible.

Meera was always socially awkward.

Her phone rang, and as she took it out, she dropped a few things. Ignoring the call, she quickly picked them up.

As the elevator doors opened, she rushed out, embarrassed by her clumsiness.

Jai, or J as his friends called him, was frustrated. His father had set a condition for him to take over the CEO's post: he had to get married. Despite being the owner's son, he had worked from the bottom up for seven years. Now, he had to find a girl to marry within a week.

Frustrated, he went to his best friend Bella for help, only to find she was on vacation.

Frustrated, he walked to the elevator. Before the door shut, a soft voice asked him to hold it. A girl entered, trying to catch her breath.

She muttered a small, almost inaudible thanks.

Something about her amused J—maybe her sneakers at work or her lack of fangirling. She didn't even look at him properly.

She dropped half the contents of her bag while taking out her phone. J was tempted to help but decided not to.

As soon as the elevator door opened, she rushed out, making J chuckle. He found her cute.

He was about to exit the elevator when he saw a white envelope with a government seal. He picked it up.

The envelope read:

Meera Verma 
345C 
111 Lawrence St, 
Brooklyn, NY 11201, 
USA

Curious, J opened it. It was about her B2 visa overstay. She needed to leave the country soon to avoid legal issues.

Putting the address in his GPS, J drove to her apartment. Usually, he'd ask his secretary to do this, but he needed a distraction.

He arrived at a typical downtown apartment. After climbing to the third floor, he rang the bell of 345C.

Meera, shocked, opened the door. She recognized him from the elevator.

Gaining some confidence, she spoke, "Umm, how can I help you?"

Meera usually spoke so fast that she often mumbled her words.

Jai held out the envelope. "I guess you dropped this this morning," he said with a mild American accent.

Meera finally noticed him. He had a chiseled jaw, dark brown hair, and seemed of Indian descent, but his accent suggested he was born and raised here.

When her hazel eyes met his brown eyes, she realized she had been staring. He was well aware.

Little did she know, Jai was observing her too.

She had a light complexion, slightly chubby cheeks, a natural blush, and a face bare of makeup. The sunlight gave her a natural glow.

Clearing his throat, Jai decided to take a chance. "Meera Verma, I know this sounds crazy, but... would you consider a marriage of convenience?"

"Marry me please?"

—
︴Author's note︴
Here, it is the first chapter of Green Card, hope you all like it.
I don't have full knowledge about the legal procedures, I'm trying my best to be as accurate as possible. In case you find any error, feel free to inform me. Also, let me know if I should continue with this story.
Edited- 22.07.2024