Kashvi Rao never planned to get married, and it was never her choice. However, when she finally agreed to marry, it was to the man chosen by her parents.
There's nothing inherently wrong with a parent-arranged marriage, but when the man her parents...
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Vansh's mother stood beside me, her words fluttering like butterflies as she introduced me to yet another acquaintance. I nodded and smiled, my mind wandering, as the reception party dragged on, now three hours strong.
The only respite from the monotony was my brief encounter with Meera, her warmth and kindness, a beacon in the sea of strangers. But even she had vanished, summoned by the demands of her work, leaving me adrift once more.
Vansh, that enigmatic presence, had been noticeably absent for some time.
Earlier, his gaze had pinned me like a butterfly under glass, his intensity unnerving. Now, he seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving me to navigate the chaos alone.
The music on stage pulsed like a living entity, the dancers moving in rhythmic abandon, yet the atmosphere felt suffocatingly calm, a jarring contrast to the turmoil brewing within me.
I craved a refuge from the din, a sanctuary where I could escape the maelstrom of my thoughts. But the noise and laughter seemed to close in, a relentless tide threatening to engulf me.
I felt like a small boat adrift in a stormy sea, my mind racing with the undertows of anxiety and self-doubt.
As I stood there, surrounded by the hubbub of the reception party, my mind wandered to the gaping absence that had been nagging at me all evening - my parents. Their decision to skip this milestone event and instead choose a life with my older sister felt like a piercing arrow to my heart.
The sting of their abandonment lingered, a raw wound that refused to heal.
I felt like a fragile leaf, torn from its branch, helpless and drifting in the wind. The pain of their rejection simmered just below the surface, threatening to erupt into a torrent of tears and despair. My eyes stung, vision blurring as I fought to hold back the emotions.
The music, laughter, and chatter around me receded, replaced by the deafening silence of my parents' absence.
Their choice to start anew, leaving me behind like a worn-out chapter in their lives, filled me with a sense of inadequacy and doubt.
Was I not enough? Did they not love me enough to stay? The questions swirled, a maelstrom of self-doubt, as I struggled to come to terms with their decision. The party, once a celebration, now felt like a hollow mockery, a cruel reminder of what I lacked - the love and support of my family.
The music screeched to a halt, plunging the hall into an eerie silence.
The sudden stillness was like a slap to the face, leaving me stunned and disoriented. And then, my eyes landed on a figure that made my heart race, and my blood ran cold. On the stage, standing tall and unapologetic, was the man who had shattered my dreams and crushed my heart.
