Zara Khan is a dreamer with a heart full of kindness and a smile that lights up any room. Adopted into a loving family, she's spent her life proving she belongs, despite the whispers of relatives who see her as an outsider. Zara has always believed...
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I sat in front of my parents, completely stunned by the news they had just dropped on me. This has to be a prank, right?
"One of the families from the bride's side at Arnav's wedding really liked you," Mama continued calmly, as if she hadn't just flipped my world upside down. "And they've sent a marriage proposal."
My eyes widened as I stared back at her, waiting for her to burst out laughing and tell me it was all a joke. But Mama wasn't one for jokes—at least, not with me. That was more Papa's territory. And judging by the solemn expression on her face, this was very much real.
"They... what?" I managed to choke out, voice barely above a whisper. My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to process her words. A proposal? Like, a marriage proposal?
Papa sighed, leaning forward to take my hands gently in his. "Zara, listen. We're not forcing you into anything or telling you to get married tomorrow," he reassured me, his warm gaze softening. "We just want you to meet him and his family. See if it's something you might want to pursue. If not, we'll say no. The decision is completely up to you."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. If they were bringing this up, it must mean the guy and his family had already passed their own scrutiny. But still... marriage?
"I'm not sure I'm ready for marriage yet," I mumbled, glancing between the two of them. "I'm only 23. I thought I'd have more time before we started talking about all this. I still want to focus on my career."
Mama rolled her eyes and scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Don't be foolish, Zara. You're already 23! Do you know how many girls your age are married and settled?"
There it was—the inevitable comparison. The subtle implication that I wasn't measuring up. My stomach twisted, but I bit back my retort and lowered my gaze to my lap, hands clenched tightly in Papa's. No need to start another argument. Not tonight.
"Stop it, Anjali," Papa murmured, his tone sharpening slightly as he shot Mama a look. He turned back to me, his expression softening again. "There's no pressure on you, Zara. You hear me? This is just a meeting, nothing more. You can take your time."
I knew Papa hated it when Mama spoke to me like that, but she always claimed that one of them had to be strict since everyone else around me treated me like a delicate princess. I didn't want to be the reason for another argument between them, so I nodded, hoping to ease the tension.
"I... I'll meet them, I guess," I murmured, lifting my gaze just enough to see their faces without actually making eye contact. Even if it seemed rude, I hated making eye contacts with people. "We can set up a family meeting between ours and theirs, right?"
Papa's face lit up with a grin, but Mama just rolled her eyes again, leaning back in her chair. "Whatever you want to do," she replied coolly.
The air in the room felt heavy, almost suffocating. I forced a smile, excused myself, and fled up the stairs to the sanctuary of my bedroom, my thoughts swirling like a storm.
