-45-
Jayasvi's face was glowing when she returned home.
For once in her life, she felt as though someone truly cared about her thoughts and choices—that there was someone who cared about her beyond her family.
When she rang the doorbell, it was her mother who opened it.
The familiar aroma of dinner and the sharp whistle of the pressure cooker filled the air as she stepped inside.
"How on earth did you end up meeting Raghav there out of nowhere? Weren't you supposed to be out with your friend?" her mother questioned, following her into the hallway.
"Beta, let her breathe. Besides, they're going to get married anyway. It isn't a crime if they met," her dadi interrupted, shifting slightly on the sofa so Jayasvi could sit beside her and share details of her day.
"Mummy, you won't understand what I'm feeling right now. I am the mother of a young girl who is about to get married. I'm terrified of what the world will say. It isn't as simple as you think," her mother spoke to her dadi in a frustrated tone,
looking as if she carried the weight of the universe on her shoulders.
"Beta, I raised a daughter too. Stop acting as if you're the only woman in the world who has one. She is getting married soon, and you can't act as her safety net forever," her dadi countered gently, looking over at Jayasvi.
"How was your day, Jayu? Did you enjoy yourself?" her dadi asked, a warm smile gracing her face.
Whatever lingering anxiety Jayasvi felt dissolved at those words. She eagerly began explaining everything that had happened that afternoon, from the Italian restaurant they visited to the BMW showroom they went to afterward.
"You won't believe it, Dadi, the car is so beautiful. Raghav dropped me home in it. He said it's going to be my wedding gift and that he bought it in my name. I can't believe this is actually happening," Jayasvi murmured in a low, dreamy voice, a radiant smile lighting up her face.
"Oh my God," her mother gasped in horror upon hearing that Raghav had bought such an expensive car for her.
"Have you lost your mind, girl? Your in-laws aren't even willing to take anything from us! Do you realize how society will view this? You aren't even married yet, and you're accepting such lavish gifts from him. What will his family think of us—and especially of you? When will you learn, Jayu?
Even if he offered to gift it to you, you should have stopped him!"
Jayasvi's face fell as she realized the gravity of her oversight through her mother's eyes. She hadn't considered that perspective at all.
"You need to calm down now. She didn't know any better," her dadi interjected, before turning back to Jayasvi.
"Beta, you've lived a very free life here, but after marriage, a woman's life changes completely.
No matter how you speak to your mother or me, we will always forgive you because you are our daughter.
But in your in-laws' home, you will have to think a hundred times before speaking or acting.
Your every step will be closely observed and analyzed.
Even if your intentions are pure, things can easily be turned against you.
You must be mindful of your actions from now on."
Jayasvi's eyes welled with tears at the harsh reality of her dadi's words. She hadn't expected a simple gift to turn into such a massive issue, but clearly, it was.
"This foolish girl understands nothing! Girls are supposed to take dowry to their in-laws' house, not accept expensive gifts from their future husbands beforehand.
If it were any other family, they would have expected us to buy a car for the groom!"
her mother scolded, holding her head in frustration. "
Jayu, beta, tu haath judwaa le. Shaanti se shaadi karke apne ghar chali jaa.
Puri zindagi izzat bachakr chale hai tujhe bhi pata hai.
Ab bhi izzat se apne ghar chali jaa. Ye samaaj bohot kharab h.
Ye shaadi ka kaam bohot naazuk hota hai.
Thodi si bhi chook ho gai na toh puri zindagi ka muh kala ho jaega."
(Jayu, my child, I am begging you. Just get married peacefully and go to your home. You know we have spent our entire lives protecting our honor. Go now with that same respect. This society is cruel. Weddings are delicate affairs—one small mistake and our reputation will be ruined forever.)
It was one of those rare moments when Jayasvi felt completely speechless.
It wasn't the first time she had heard these warnings, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.
She couldn't comprehend why society was so obsessed with their private family matters.
Why couldn't people just focus on their own lives instead of constantly scrutinizing hers?
"This time I agree with your mother, Jayu," her dadi added with a heavy sigh. "The neighbors have eyes and ears everywhere. They might not know what is happening inside their own homes, but they will know every detail of what goes on in ours."
Unable to find the words to respond, Jayasvi quietly stood up and retreated to her room, wanting to avoid further confrontation. Her head throbbed with mounting stress. The day that had felt so magical just moments ago now felt like a curse.
She didn't even have the heart to eat dinner, staying curled up in her room despite her father coming in to check on her, asking about her health and why she was skipping her meal. Her mother had already instructed her not to mention the incident to him.
"Jayu... look, I might not have been fully supportive of this marriage initially, but circumstances have changed," her father said softly, settling down on the edge of her bed.
"All my life, I wanted my daughter to live comfortably without worrying about money. My words might sound harsh to you, but the truth is, men are as bad as dogs when they want to be—including me. It is only the concept of shame and responsibility that keeps them in check. Otherwise,
this society grants men complete freedom to escape consequences. You are old enough to understand this now. A man can have an affair or fall into addiction, yet the woman is still expected to compromise. Men rarely compromise—not because they can't,
but because they are raised to believe they don't have to."
Jayasvi looked down, absorbing his heavy words, silently nodding as she recognized the painful truth in them.
"Your wedding is coming up quickly. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have agreed to it for a few more years. But your mother believes that because of the way I am, you won't get good proposals in the future."
, he stated with a tired sigh. "I may not have been a good human being, husband, son, brother, or even father... but never forget that whatever capacity for affection I have belongs entirely to you. Regardless of how terrible I have been,
you were always shielded from the ugliness of the world and the cruelty of men. I won't lecture you about compromises the way your mother does. Yes, compromise when it is truly necessary, but the more you allow people to walk all over you, the more self-respect you will lose in their eyes."
He let out a long sigh before meeting her gaze—her eyes matching his exact shade as he studied her intently.
"You don't ever have to let anyone mistreat you. As my only child, everything I own belongs to you. You will never have to wonder where your real home is, unlike other girls. By God's grace, I have enough for you to live comfortably all your life without having to rely on anyone,
even if it isn't a lavish lifestyle here."
He paused, his voice softening further. "Honestly, I used to think nothing in this world could scare me. But now, with your marriage approaching... I realize there are things I am deeply afraid of. There are painful situations I never want you to experience.
And the hardest part is that you will be walking into that family surrounded by total strangers, putting your trust in Raghav—someone you barely knew a few months ago. There won't be anyone there to protect you. There will be fewer people to guide you,
and far more people looking for reasons to blame you."
"Papa, I know you care," she whispered weakly. "I've always known, even if you never quite knew how to express it. I know it might sound selfish of me to say this now, but I want to say it anyway... You and Maa always say you would have separated long ago if not for me..."
She stared down at her hands, tracing the faint line across her palm.
"I know maybe you should have parted ways back then. Maybe both of you could have lived happier, more peaceful lives. But the selfish part of me is glad you stayed together. Growing up, I came to realize how your presence alone made my life so much safer and easier.
Your ways of showing love might not have been conventional, but I always felt the warmth of it. Not just me, but the whole family. Looking back, I can honestly say I wouldn't change a single thing about my life. Not my mother, not my father, not my dadi—no one. I couldn't have asked for better."
She confessed this with her head bowed, a knot of guilt tightening in her chest.
It wasn't just because her father had raised his hand against her in anger during past arguments, but because she had witnessed him mistreating her mother verbally and physically over the years.
The fact that she still couldn't bring herself to hate him made her despise herself.
Her father stared at her in silence for a long time, swallowing down the surge of emotion catching in his throat.
He could still vividly recall the day he first held her in his arms—he had been heavily intoxicated that night, yet he could still clearly remember those big, innocent eyes looking up at him, accompanied by a tiny, gummy smile.
In that quiet moment, he wished more than anything that he could turn back time, to hold his baby girl in his arms once more and keep her safe from the world's cruelty, despite all his personal failings. A father's heart could never endure the thought of someone mistreating his precious child.
He reached out, resting his palm gently on her head for a moment. Jayasvi swallowed hard and closed her eyes, feeling the heavy, reassuring weight of his hand. She knew the comfort of that touch and wished it would stay there to anchor her for the rest of her life.
He gave her a quiet nod before turning and leaving the room, unable to say anything more.
Left alone, Jayasvi lay back down on her bed. A few moments later, her mother peeked through the door to ask when she planned to sleep. Jayasvi asked for a little time, remaining motionless as she stared up at the blank ceiling. Her mother closed the door softly, leaving her in the quiet darkness.
After a while, Jayasvi went into the adjoining bathroom, changing into a comfortable black t-shirt and pajama set. She tied her long hair into a loose bun and stared quietly at her reflection in the mirror, leaning closer to examine her tired face.
Suddenly, she heard the distinct click of her bedroom light switch turning off.
She froze, her heart skipping a beat before she tried to brush it off, assuming her mother had just stepped back in to turn off the lights. Yet, the small hairs at the back of her neck stood on end.
Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed outside, approaching the bathroom door. If it was her mother, why wasn't she saying anything? Scolding herself for being paranoid, Jayasvi took a step toward the doorway.
The moment she crossed the threshold, a terrified scream ripped from her throat—only to be instantly smothered by a cold, harsh hand clamping over her mouth.
"Shut the hell up, Jayasvi! I gave you plenty of chances, but you were too stubborn to understand," Aahan snarled, slamming her back against the wall to keep her quiet.
Before he could do anything more, the bedroom door burst open. Her mother stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with sheer panic.
"Who are you?! Get the hell away from my daughter!" her mother screamed, her entire body trembling as she took in the sight of Jayasvi pinned against the wall.
"Really? You don't recognize me?" Aahan sneered, tilting his head with a sinister smirk, though his eyes burned with pure malice and humiliation.
"Did you already forget the woman you publicly disgraced at that wedding? My mother was gracious enough to ask for your precious daughter's hand, but your arrogance was too high. You rejected us! Who do you think you people are? You are nothing compared to my family!
Yet you had the audacity to turn us down... and for whom? That Hooda bastard?"
His grip tightened, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "I want to see how your precious Raghav accepts your daughter after I'm done with her."