The Price Of Her Sindoor

Chapter one

Author's pov

The first golden rays of dawn gently filtered through the lace curtains, casting a soft glow across the room.

A girl stirred awake, the warmth of morning light coaxing her from sleep.

Stretching languidly, she breathed in deeply___ the sweet, comforting aroma of gajar ka halwa drifting up from the kitchen downstairs, where Anjali was preparing breakfast and ria allured by the smell rolled out of bed.

She padded across the floor, her anklets softly chiming as she reached the window.

Pulling back the curtains and opening it wide, she breathed in the fresh air of a new day.

The world outside was calm, only just beginning to stir.

A flock of birds passed by the balcony, and Ria just stood still for a moment, heart full of quiet gratitude.

She smiled to herself, "Another day, another chance to live, to dream, to love," she whispered to herself.

Her eyes flickered to the clock on the wall.

7:30 am. College would begin in just 40 minutes she thought.

That was enough to jolt her into action.

She dashed into the bathroom, and within minutes,she emerged fresh from the shower, her skin glowing and her long hair left to dry naturally.

She went to her wardrobe and picked out a simple yet elegant white anarkali, delicate embroidery on the hem, paired with a matching dupatta.

Her jhumkas swayed as she turned infront of the mirror examining herself.

She wasn't vain___ far from it. But that morning, as she looked at her reflection, she felt something gentle bloom in her chest. Not pride in her beauty, but in the girl she was becoming __ soft,yet strong. Dreaming, yet grounded. And deeply,wholeheartedly human.

Her thoughts was broken by the commotion which was happening downstairs, she immediately started arranging her bed and smiled to herself. "Let me go see what everyone is upto," she whispered, before dashing out.

The sound of her silver anklets and glass bangles filled the hallway as she ran to the kitchen. The heart of the home was warm with the scent of spices and the quiet sound of a spoon tapping against a steel pan. Her mother, gracefully as ever, moved around the kitchen with practiced ease.

Without a word, Ria hugged her mother from behind. "Good morning, mama," she said sweetly.

Her mother smiled, not turning. "Good morning, meri jaan. What a suprise, how are you awake without anyone dragging you out of bed today?"

Ria pouted,resting her chin on her mother's shoulder. " Yaar mama, you should be happy. I'm up on time! No dragging, no shouting."

Her mother turned to face her, eyes full of love. She cupped Ria's cheeks, brushing her thumb against them. "You need to learn, beta. One day, you'll be married and I won't be there to wake you up. You'll have to manage all on your own."

A flicker of sadness passed through Ria's face. She hugged her mother tightly. "I don't want to get married and leave you, mama. I want to become a teacher. I want to make you proud."

Her mother's arms wrapped around her, warm and reassuring. "You already make me proud, Ria. Every single day."

Ria kissed her mother's forehead. "Now, let me set the table before you call me lazy," she said, playfully nudging her mother and running off.

In the living room, her maasi sat peacefully on the couch reading her favourite novel __ completely absorbed, as always. Ria smiled, quietly touching her feet. Her maasi, suprised at first, blessed her and pulled her into a comforting hug which she returned.

Ria exchanged greetings with her maasi and didn't talk much as Ria didn't want to disturb her maasi's reading time. Ria loved that someone in her family shared her love for books. It made her feel seen and happy.

She headed to the dining table and started setting when her mind drifted to one person, siya.

" Where is she," she asked herself. Just as she was about to call her, two arms wrapped tightly around her waist from behind, making her squeal a little.

But she smiled, already knowing who it was.

"Siya," she turned around with a grin.

"I was just thinking about you," Ria said. Siya laughed, "And here I am."

"Where were you," Ria asked curious as she didn't see Siya all morning. "I went to collect my money from that shop keeper across the street," she replied casually.

"What money," Ria asked, confused.

"Yesterday evening, I bought milk from that shop keeper and he didn't tell me it was expired. So this morning, I gave him an ear full until he returned my money." Siya explained, already taking a seat.

Ria laughed, shaking her head. That was just like Siya ___ fearless, no nonsense and unapologetically bold. Ria had always admired that about her cousin. They weren't just family, they were soul sisters in every way.

Siya and Ria continued their chatters until Anjali brought out breakfast. Plates clicked, steam rose, and laughter filled the room. They all were having a great time __ but they were two empty seats. Ria looked around.

"Where are baba and bhaiya," she asked.

"They had to leave for a family wedding out of town," Her mother replied.

Ria nodded,though she missed their presence. Still, surrounded by her favourite women, the morning felt perfect.

After breakfast, Siya and Ria bid their goodbyes before heading out to college on their scooter. It was gifted to them by Arjun when they both turned 18, and both Siya and Ria cherished it.

It was their last year of college. Ria studied education, her heart set on becoming a teacher.

She was inspired by her high-school teacher, who told her that, " Teaching is not just a profession, it's a talent.

" Meanwhile, Siya pursuing fashion design __ an artist in the making, loud in her confidence.

At college, they parted ways, siya headed to her fashion studio, Ria to her lecture hall.

Ria was soon joined by her friends, Mishti and Veer,who always brought laughter and a little chaos with them.

The trio headed to class as they chatted about latest gossip, upon reaching class, heads turned to Ria's direction as she got compliments from the other students.

Ria was quite popular because of her beautiful features.

Some students nicknamed her 'Gulabo.' Ria always hated being in the spotlight, but as time passed, she learnt to ignore people's stare.

She took a sit and waited for the lecture to begin.

By noon, lectures were done, and Ria waited outside under the big need tree. Siya arrived a few minutes later, waving dramatically.

"I dont want to go home, let's have some fun," she said.

Ria didn't hesitate and happily agreed with the idea.

The girls rode around the neighbourhood, stopping at an ice cream truck. They ate at least 5 cones before they decided to browse the market trying on bangles and jhumkas, teasing each other like kids. It was a day that felt like a warm memory even as it was still happening.

When they reached home, the sun had began to set. Anjali and Deepa were seated on the verandah, chatting. The girls ran into their homes, gifting their mothers the bangles they bought.

"Our girls have grown up," Deepa said, gently stroking siya's hair.

"They may have," Anjali smiled, "but they will always be little in my eyes."

"How sweet,maasi,"Siya said while hugging Anjali. They chatted for awhile before the girls went upstairs to freshen up.

Later that night, Ria changed into her soft pajamas, tied her long hair in a loose bun, and sat at her desk. Her journal lay open before her, it's pages filled with years of dreams, fears, and everyday story. She wrote about her day just as she did since she was fifteen.

Ria lost track of time, while journaling. Anjali's yelling brought her back to reality. She quickly went downstairs to join others for dinner which went smoothly

Ria wished her family good night, before heading to bed. She was tired and immediately, drifted off to sleep.