I let out a shaky breath, squeezing my eyes shut as I inhaled her scent through the letter. Even after all these years, she was still in there. The way she smelled, the warmth she carried, it lingered in the ink and paper. My mother was the greatest person in my life. She had been there for me even without her physical presence, her love etched into every word she wrote.
“I’m glad you’re following our tradition and letting Kavya wear your mother’s clothes and jewellery…”
The voice snapped me out of my trance. My father. He had entered my room without knocking, as always. I clenched the letter tighter in my palm, my eyes shooting up to meet his. My expression was neutral, but inside, rage simmered.
“Don’t think I’m doing this to please you,” I said sharply, my voice cutting through the silence.
He smirked, one side of his mouth curling upward in that victorious way I hated. “But still, you’re doing what I wanted. I like it when you follow my will. I wish you were always like this. My life might have been easier. You look like my son.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You think I’m your puppet?”
“Fulfilling a father’s dream doesn’t make you a puppet,” he replied smoothly. “And it’s not like I forced you into this marriage. It was your fault, and now you’re paying for your sin.”
His words were the same as always, repeated like a curse meant to shrink me smaller each time. My chest tightened. “You keepsaying the same thing over and over, making me feel smaller. I wish...just once you believed me.”
I shoved the letters back into the drawer, my hands trembling, and snatched my phone from the night stand before storming out of the room.
The sound of chatter hit me as I stepped into the hall. Guests filled the villa, their voices blending into a constant hum. The entire place was decorated with flowers and lights, glowing like a festival. I descended the stairs, and immediately people began congratulating me on my marriage.
Damn.
I regretted stepping among them. Their questions came like arrows, sharp and relentless.
“Love marriage?” they asked, their eyes wide with curiosity.
Love marriage. The words tasted bitter. I plastered a smile on my face, forcing myself to weave a story I never thought I was capable of. My mind screamed tell them to fuck off, but my mouth betrayed me, spinning a tale so sweet it almost sounded real.
“That’s really soon, isn’t it?” my father’s sister, Mrs. Rathore, asked. She was the only one who looked suspicious, her eyes narrowing as though she could see through me.
“Yes, Bua,” I replied with a fake smile. “If true love finds you, everything feels soon. Once you start loving someone deeply, you never want to let them go. Not even for a second. So Idecided to marry Kavya before leaving for duty. I’m… I’m just happy to have her in my life.”
My teeth clenched as I spoke the last line. Hopefully, they wouldn’t notice the hesitation in my voice, the way my smile faltered.
My mother used to say I was like a lamp that lit the entire house with its glow. I had always been cheerful, always the one to make people laugh. But now? Who was going to do that for me? Who was going to light my darkness?
“Here she is,” my aunt said, her voice pulling my gaze upward.
Kavya was descending the stairs, draped in my mother’s saree, adorned with every piece of jewellery I had given her. She looked beautiful. But was that smile on her face one of victory, or was it just for show? Avni and Rhea walked beside her, but they stepped aside when I approached.
Kavya’s eyes flickered toward me, hesitant, almost fearful. She didn’t look at me directly, as though she expected me to lash out.
It was better for her to stay away.
My father appeared again, his sinister smile cutting into me. “Get closer to her. Put a smile on that shitty face of yours. You look awful with that scowl. I don’t want our relatives to doubt us. So be careful, son.”
I breathed sharply, forcing myself to shift closer to my new bride. Kavya flinched when my shoulder brushed hers, but after a moment, she relaxed.
God. She was really behaving like I had tried to violate her.
“This is a beautiful saree,” Kavya whispered, her voice soft but deliberate.
I glanced at her, my brows raised. “But you look like a complete piece of shit in it,” I snapped, the words spilling out before I could stop them. Regret hit me instantly, but it was too late.
“Actually, I am a piece of shit,” she replied with a cheery smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Hate me all you want, but I’m your wife now. You’re stuck with me for the rest of your life...”
Her words hit me softly near my heart. What the fuck was that?
“What if I don’t?” I cut her off sharply, my voice low and dangerous. “You might be sharing my surname now, but you will never become my wife, Kavya. Never.”