1| the wedding house
________________________________________
_________________________________________
The entire palace was glowing under countless colorful flowers and golden lights. Servants rushed from one corner to another, trying to make every single detail perfect.
And why wouldn't they? Tonight, the friendship between the Rathore and Rajput families was turning into a lifelong relationship.
"Nothing should be lacking today," Avantika's father instructed for what felt like the hundredth time. "It's my elder daughter's wedding. Match every flower carefully, exactly the way she likes."
The decorators exchanged tired glances among themselves.
"Why does he keep repeating the same thing? We're professionals. We won't ruin anything."
Just then, Avantika's brother came running downstairs.
"Dad, hurry up! The baraat is about to arrive. I'll go check the food arrangements one last time."
Her father nodded quickly.
"Yes, beta. Check everything once more. I'll handle things here."
Even though he had already inspected everything more than a hundred times, his restless heart still wasn't satisfied. There couldn't be a single flaw in his daughter's wedding.
Inside the bridal room, Avantika sat quietly between her mother, aunt, and cousin Siya.
Her mother gently caressed her face, her eyes already brimming with tears.
"For twenty-two years, I've protected my daughter like a flower... and today someone will take away a piece of my heart right before my eyes."
Avantika stayed silent.
She wasn't unhappy about the marriage... but she only had two reasons for agreeing to it.
And love wasn't one of them.
Her aunt sighed dramatically. "Girls are meant to brighten someone else's home, didi. We can't keep them with us forever."
Siya immediately frowned.
"Oh really, Mom? So daughters are just decoration pieces for other people's houses? Do people raise daughters to give them away... or are daughters simply mistakes that happen by accident?"
"Siya!" her aunt snapped. "Stop talking nonsense."
Avantika's mother tried to calm things down.
"No beta, it's not like that... but this is society's tradition. How can we change it?"
Siya crossed her arms.
"At least try, Badi Maa things can change."
Both women fell silent.
Because somewhere deep down... they knew she wasn't completely wrong.
Avantika still sat quietly, lost somewhere far away. Maybe she was feeling someone's absence... or maybe she had already sensed the storm waiting ahead.
"Didi?" Siya nudged her shoulder. "Tell me honestly. Am I wrong?"
Avantika blinked out of her thoughts.
"Huh? Did you say something?"
Siya laughed softly. "Where are you lost? Missing jijaji already?"
Avantika finally smiled faintly. "You seem more excited than me."
"Obviously," Siya grinned. "But tell me one thing... are you really happy with this marriage?"
Both her mother and aunt looked at Avantika nervously, almost holding their breath for her answer.
Avantika glanced at them before speaking slowly.
"Yes... of course I'm happy. Look around. Everyone's face is glowing tonight."
Both women finally exhaled in relief.
Siya, however, didn't let it go.
"And what about your face?"
Avantika paused before answering softly,
"Mine too..."
But the long breath that escaped her lips carried far more exhaustion than happiness.
Siya leaned closer mischievously.
"Fine then. Tell me three reasons why you want to marry him."
"Enough now," her aunt interrupted. "This girl spends too much time on her phone."
Her mother nodded helplessly. "Beta, the baraat is about to arrive. Is this really the time for such conversations?"
Siya rolled her eyes.
"Phones don't ruin girls. They just teach them to think... and people can't digest that."
The room fell silent.
Because nobody there could ever win an argument against Siya.
Younger daughters were often like that—fighting not only for themselves, but for their elder siblings too.
And elder daughters...
They learned sacrifice so early that maturity became a habit before childhood even ended.
The eldest daughters are often made to be far more mature than their age.
("???? ??????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ????")
Siya wasn't even Avantika's real sister.
But Avantika loved her more than anyone else.
After Siya's father passed away, Avantika's father had adopted Siya and given her mother a respectable place in their home without a second thought.
After a long silence, Avantika finally answered.
"First... because my father wants this marriage."
"Second... he's a good man. When I was four years old, he saved me from street dogs."
Siya burst out laughing.
"That's not a reason to marry someone! You've only met him twice after growing up. Just because he was nice as a child doesn't mean he's still the same person."
"Who knows if it was truly him?"
Then she tilted her head.
"And the third reason?"
"Didi..."
Avantika's expression froze.
Because there wasn't a third reason.
No matter how hard she searched for one... she found nothing.
Suddenly her brother rushed into the room.
"The baraat is almost here!"
Without another word, Avantika stood up and ran outside.
"Avantika!" her mother called after her. "Wait!"
Her aunt gasped. "You can't see the groom before the wedding!"
But Siya immediately followed behind her. "??? ?? ????, ??? ?? ? ??? ???!"
(Hey, Di! Wait up—I'm coming too!)
Avantika hurried into the grand hall where her father was still fixing a flower arrangement that had slightly tilted sideways.
"Papa... you still haven't gotten ready?"
Her father looked up.
"I was just fixing this flower, beta..."
But before he could finish, tears filled his eyes.
And Avantika broke too.
The next second, both father and daughter clung to each other tightly as tears spilled uncontrollably.
Siya joined them moments later, wrapping her arms around both of them while crying just as hard.
From afar, her mother and aunt wiped their own tears silently.
Even her brother's eyes had turned red.
Yet nobody there said the one sentence every daughter secretly wishes to hear:
"Don't go... This house will always be yours."
("?? ??? ????... ?? ?? ????? ???????? ?? ??????")
Her mother finally walked over, forcing a smile through her tears.
"Enough now. Don't make my daughter cry so much that her makeup gets ruined."
Everyone laughed weakly.
Avantika wiped her tears before looking at her father.
"Papa... go get ready now. After today, you'll have to take care of yourself alone. Nobody will be there to remind you anymore."
Silence spread through the hall instantly.
Her younger brother stepped forward immediately.
"Why not? I'm here, Di."
He might have been younger in age...
But his heart carried the responsibility of an elder brother.
Her mother clapped her hands lightly.
"Bas, enough emotional drama. Come now, Avantika."
As Avantika walked back inside with them, she turned around one last time to look at her father.
And suddenly a painful thought crossed her heart—
"If daughters are ultimately destined to go to someone else's home... then why do parents raise them with so much love?"
("??? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?? ????? ?? ???? ??... ?? ???-??? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ?? ????? ????")
But then another answer followed quietly within her own soul.
Because no matter where a daughter goes...
Nobody in the world could ever love her the way her parents do.