Chapter 17
Meera
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I smile at Sonia, perched on her vanity stool in her bridal red lehenga, her dupatta half-pinned, loose strands of hair brushing the delicate shimmer on her cheek.
My chest swells, tightens, and then pulls inward all at once, as if the sight of her, happy and radiant, is almost too much for my heart to hold.
God… I always wished she’d find happiness like this.
“Don’t just sit there grinning to yourself. Come help me,” Sonia says, catching my eye in the mirror as she adjusts her earring.
Smiling, I stand and walk over to her, lowering myself onto the chair beside her as she turns on the stool to face me fully.
“You’re glowing,” I murmur, cupping her cheeks gently. “The most radiant bride I’ve ever seen.”
“Thank you,” she whispers, her cheeks flushing even deeper.
The very next second, my eyes sting. I blink, then reach for her necklace and fasten the clasp at the back of her neck, my hands seemingly steady even though I barely feel them.
“You okay?” she asks, her eyes fixed on me.
“I should be asking you that.” I pick up her bangles and slide them onto her wrists. “Are you really happy, Sonia?”
Her smile softens, and she replies without hesitation. “I am really, really happy, Meera. Kushal is wonderful. He’s good for me. Gentle. Patient. Kind.”
My throat closes, and all I can manage is a small smile, letting her know I am happy that this marriage isn’t forced on her and that she’s stepping into it wholeheartedly.
“And,” she hesitates, “I told him about Veer.”
My fingers freeze mid-air. “You… you did?”
She lets out a breath. “Yes. All of it. How broken I was. How stupidly I clung to something that wasn’t love.”
“And?” The word barely leaves my lips.
“He accepted me,” she says, her eyes shining. “He didn’t question me. He just held my hand and said, ‘Thank you for trusting me. Your past doesn’t scare me.’” She gives me a dreamy smile and adds. “He accepts me with all my flaws, Meera. Can you believe that?”
My heart twists so hard I feel nauseous. “Sonia… I am so happy for you.”
She pulls me into a tight hug. I close my eyes, burying my face in her shoulder, and the thought hits me all at once. This happiness she’s feeling is somehow because of Dev. He’s the one who brought the proposal.
What’s wrong with me? Why is my hate for him starting to waver? Last night, seeing him hurt shook me. And now… I am thinking good things about him? No. I can’t. I won’t think anything good about the man who is the reason my parents turned away from me.
I stiffen, instinctively pulling back.
Sonia frowns. “What happened?”
“I… nothing.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Meera. Don’t lie. You’re a terrible liar.”
I swallow hard, and before I can stop myself, the truth spills out. “I miss my parents.”
My voice cracks as I continue, “They don’t answer my calls. They don’t want to see me. And every day it feels like another piece of me is being scraped away.”
Tears blur my vision. I wipe them, but they keep coming. “I—I miss them. I miss Maa’s morning scolding. I miss Papa’s stupid jokes. I miss… being someone they loved.”
Sonia’s expression softens with a flicker of pain and a hint of regret. “I am sorry, Meera. I…”
“Don’t you dare start blaming yourself again. I am the one who should be saying sorry for bringing up all these stupid emotional talks on your wedding day. I didn’t mean to ruin your happiness.”
“You could never ruin anything for me. Never.” She squeezes my hand firmly. “And your parents may be hurt… shocked… stubborn. But they still love you,” she says, her voice steady with fierce certainty.
“They haven’t even tried,” I whisper, the words breaking free.
“They will,” she insists. “They’ll come around. Yes, it may take time for them to calm down, but once they do, they’ll come back twice as strong. Just hold on to patience and give them time.”
“What if they never forgive me?” I blurt out, my voice trembling with fear.
“They will,” she repeats, her thumb wiping my tears. “Because you are their daughter. Their happiness. Their reason to live. Nothing can change that. Not a marriage, not anger, not distance.”
My breath shudders as I lean into her, and she hugs me again, tighter this time.
“I am with you. And so are they, even if not physically. They just need a little time to remember they can’t live without you.”
I close my eyes, letting her words settle over me like balm on a wound that hasn’t stopped bleeding. For a long minute, we stay like that, holding onto each other.
Finally, she pulls back, “Meera… do you regret marrying Dev?”
My breath catches at the word regret. I should say yes without a second thought, but instead, I whisper, “I… don’t know.”
“It’s okay to not have all the answers yet. When the time is right, they’ll come to you,” she says softly.
I nod, my throat tight.
She turns back to the mirror. “Now come fix my dupatta and keep me distracted before I cry and ruin my makeup.”
“You better not.” I laugh through my tears, arranging her dupatta.
Once done, Sonia gets up and arranges her lehenga. Before I can compliment her again, there’s a knock on the door, and her mother enters the room with a warm smile, dressed in a pastel pink saree with delicate gold embroidery that catches the light.
“Sonia beta, you look beautiful.” Aunty kisses her forehead, then smiles at me kindly. “You look radiant, too, beta.”
I glance down at my simple, elegant cream kurta with subtle gold embroidery, then meet Aunty’s eyes. “Thank you, Aunty.”
Aunty looks back at Sonia. “Now let’s go. The pooja is about to start, and Panditji and everyone are waiting.”
Sonia nods, then turns to me, squeezing my hand. “Let’s go.”
“You go. I’ll tidy up a bit and come,” I reply, offering her a reassuring smile.
Sonia thanks me before Aunty guides her out. The door closes behind them, leaving me alone in the quiet room.
I stay frozen, taking in everything. The soft fairy lights draped across the mirror, white flowers arranged delicately, jewellery and dresses scattered across the bed… This is exactly like how a bridal room should be.
A hollow ache seeps into my chest. I never had fairy lights. No chaotic bridal mess. No rituals. Nothing. Nothing at all.
I exhale sharply and flop onto Sonia’s bed, my eyes shut, my heartbeat pounding loudly against my ribs, as if every lost moment, every denied joy, is pressing down on me.
“Meera.”
At the voice, my eyes snap open, and I freeze. No… it can’t be. I am imagining it. My stupid brain is playing tricks on my mind and making me hear things.
“Meera beta…”
At the second voice, my breath lodges in my throat and my fingers curl into the bedsheet as every hair on my body rises. No. No way. They can’t be here.
For a heartbeat, I just stare at my parents standing in the doorway. I am terrified that if I run to them, they’ll disappear… and I’ll realise it was all just my imagination.
“Meera…” my mom whispers again, taking a step inside.
My lips part, but no sound comes out. My chest rises in a shaky breath that barely makes it past my lungs. They’re here. Actually here.
My parents’ eyes soften, filled with something between concern and the kind of tenderness I’ve been starving for.
They walk towards me and sit on the bed, one on each side.
Mom hugs me tightly and cups my head, pressing a kiss into my hair, as though making up for the time she wasn’t there.
Dad wraps his arms around both of us, his chin trembling against my head.
“Are… are you really here?” I manage, the words barely a rasp.
“We’re here, beta,” Mom confirms quietly. “We came for you.”
My chest caves in, and a small, broken whimper catches somewhere behind my ribs.
I pull back, clutching both their hands in mine, unwilling to let go. “Maa… Papa… I am so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I swear I didn’t—”
“Hush,” Mom whispers, her tears falling with mine. “Bas, beta. Don’t say sorry.”
Dad cups my cheek and wipes my tears with his thumb just like he used to when I was a child. “We should have come sooner. We should have listened instead of reacting. We are the ones who should apologise.”
My heart twists painfully. “I missed you. I missed you both so much.”
Mom pulls me in again, her voice trembling, “We missed you too, beta. Every single day.”
“Our home felt empty without you,” Dad says, gently moving his hand over my head.
I hold her tighter, feeling the ache in my chest finally give way.
After a long moment, Mom pulls back, brushing my hair aside as her eyes sweep over my face.
“You look thinner,” she fusses softly. “Are you eating properly?”
“Maa…” I breathe out a trembling laugh before whispering, “I was so scared… I thought I didn’t have you anymore in my life.”
Dad’s eyes soften as he speaks. “Beta… did you really think we would abandon you forever?”
“I did,” I confess shakily. “You weren’t calling, you weren’t picking up my calls… I thought your love for me was gone.”
“We were shocked,” Dad admits. “Angry. Hurt. But we never stopped loving you.”
“And we never will,” Mom adds fiercely.
Just then, there’s a knock on the half-open door. All three of us look up to see Samarth step inside, offering a respectful nod to my parents. His eyes flicker to me, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Dad clears his throat lightly. “Beta, Samarth is the one who got us here. He met us a few days back. Sat with us for hours and told us everything. Explained your side… made us understand the circumstances under which you got married.”
“We are proud of you, beta. For your beautiful heart, always putting others first, even if it meant sacrificing your own happiness.” Mom wipes her eyes and squeezes my hand gently.
I stare at Samarth, teary-eyed and grateful. I had told him how much I was hurting without my parents, how every day felt like a part of me was missing. He had held my hands, looked me straight in the eyes, and promised me he would make it right. And he had kept his word.
Samarth shifts slightly, scratching the back of his neck, clearly uneasy with the attention. “I just… thought it was time. You were hurting. They were hurting. Someone had to speak.”
Dad’s expression hardens, a protective resolve settling in his eyes as he holds my gaze. “Beta… I can’t let you stay in this marriage. I’ll talk to the lawyers and get you out.”
I shake my head. “Papa… this is my battle. Please trust me enough to fight it my way.”
He studies me, unsure of what to say or do. “You… you’re sure about this?”
I nod firmly. “Every part of me is sure.”
Dad swallows, a storm of fear and conflict crossing his face. That’s when Mom adds gently, “I know my daughter is strong. And I have no doubt she’ll get through this.”
“If this is what you want, beta, we trust your decision. We’ll always be here for you, whenever you need us. We’re not going anywhere this time,” Dad says, his voice filled with emotion.
A shaky laugh escapes me, full of relief. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”
Mom pulls me close and holds me tightly. “Your place is always with us.”
“Even when you make decisions we don’t fully understand,” Dad adds.
I hug them both again, my tears soaking their clothes.
Another knock startles us, and we see Sonia standing in the doorway with her mother. The moment she takes in the scene, the three of us tangled together, her eyes widen with joy.
“Oh my God, Meera!” she gasps, rushing in, holding her lehenga. “They’re here?”
I nod, laughing through my tears.
Sonia squeezes my arm. “I told you they’d come around! I told you!”
Her mother smiles warmly at my parents. “So glad you’re all here. We were just about to begin.”
Dad nods. “We are ready.”
Samarth steps back, giving a small nod of his own. He gestures towards the door, making space for everyone to move. Sonia, her mother, and my parents begin walking towards the doorway. Samarth is about to take a step when I catch his wrist. He pauses, looking at me.
“Samarth… truly… thank you. For bringing them back to me.”
He smiles softly. “It’s my job to make sure you’re always surrounded by people you love and who love you.”
My chest tightens, a warmth flooding through me. For the first time in a long while, I feel whole. As though nothing in the world is missing, now that my parents have finally forgiven me and opened their hearts to me again.