Mehendi & Moonlight || Ana

Chapter 42:: Explanation

As the atmosphere settled in, Nisha felt like a criminal.

It was as if she had disappointed her parents deeply. The fears instilled deep within her awakened. 

Her lips quivered as she tried to form her next sentence, "Maa... Baba... I—"
"If you had him in mind, you could've told us. Why did you sneak around this way? Jafrin sent me this video. What do you think? She'll show this to many others and you'll become a laughingstock. Your sister's marriage had put enough trouble on her. We thought we'd marry you off to a great family but..."

She held back her tears at the sharp words that left her mother's tongue. 
"Maa... I promise, I wanted to tell you but... I was scared that you'd react negatively and force me to marry someone else. After seeing how Priti-pi fought for years to marry the one she loved, I didn't dare to do the same thing and put you both through the same again... I know what you expected of me all along."

"Nisha, we both are your parents. You're an adult but whatever you did was indecent. Roaming around with a guy on the streets? That's enough of a reason for people to talk about you... look how there's even a video of you both. You should be mindful of these things and do proper things." Her father spoke, making her look down.
"Baba... why should I worry about what people say about me? They always find things to say. And when there's none, they'll make something up." 

"You don't even know whether he's serious about this. He would've been here by now if he intended to marry you." Her mother spoke.

"Maa..." Nisha was about to speak but said, "This was the last thing I expected from you. How come you disappoint us at an age where we expected nothing but your goodwill?" 
"She's right. Nisha... you lied to us as well with all the suitors. I feel as if my efforts have been in vain." Her father completed, leaving the room as she opened her mouth to speak. 
A heavy burden pressed into her chest, causing her to take two steps back. 

Her mother got up and gave her a brief look before exiting the room. The gloomy atmosphere made an impact on her thoughts. Just a while ago, she was fine.
Until now. 

The looks of her parents repeatedly flashed at the back of her head, causing an electrifying pain to hit her chest. 
Was she wrong? She feared her parents' disappointment, yet was too afraid to face the obstacles that would come. 
But now, she wondered what would've been the right choice.

If she told her parents beforehand, instead of hiding it, would the situation have been different?

"It wouldn't have been any different if I told them earlier." She whispered.

Because that was the truth.

Whether now or then, they would disapprove of Kabir as they had set their standards for the specific category they wanted for Nisha. And that was nowhere near where Kabir stood. 

"What happened?" Adil's voice reached her but no response left her mouth. Adisha and Bindu were right behind but they remained quiet, sensing the situation. 
She could hear the three whispering nearby but had no energy to ask. Her mind was too busy wondering about other things. 
Specifically, the future.

What was going to happen now?

They were disappointed. In no way were they in approval of Kabir. 
Did that mean she'd have to fight the way Priti did?
"That wouldn't work again. Priti already fought for hers... they won't let me do the same thing." She whispered, walking out of the room, leaving the three dumbfounded figures. 

As Nisha closed the door of her bedroom, she heaved out a soft breath, feeling the pressure residing deep within her chest.
"How will I face this now?"