Eternal Ties: The Heartfelt Journey of Rohan and Priya

9.) A Stormy Confrontation

Priya made her way back home, her heart heavy with the weight of Rohan's words. As she was in the cab, her mind kept on replaying the intense conversation, the passion in his eyes, the desperation in his voice. She knew what she had to do, but she was already frightened about how she would ever defy her father's wishes.

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As she entered her home, she saw her father, sitting on his usual spot in the living room, engrossed in the newspaper. The smell of freshly cooked chapatis wafted from the kitchen where her mother was preparing dinner. It was a scene of an ordinary life, yet to Priya, it felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to step into the unknown.

"Papa, I need to talk to you," Priya's voice trembled, betraying the storm brewing within her.

Mr. Sharma looked up from his newspaper, his face calm but his eyes sharp, as if sensing the gravity of the moment. "What is it, beta?"

Taking a deep breath, Priya walked over to him, her hands shaking as she clutched the edges of her dupatta. "Papa, I... I can't go through with the marriage proposal."

The words hung in the air like a dark cloud, and for a moment, the entire world seemed to stand still. Her father's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing as he slowly lowered the newspaper. "What did you say?"

Priya's heart pounded in her chest, but she forced herself to hold her ground. "I don't want to marry the boy you've chosen, Papa. I can't do it."

The silence that followed was suffocating, the weight of her words sinking deep into the room. Her father's eyes flashed with disbelief, then darkened with anger. He stood up, his towering presence casting a shadow over her. "Priya, do you have any idea what you're saying? This marriage is for your own good, for the good of our family. You will marry this boy, and that's final."

"Papa, please try to understand," Priya's voice broke, her tears threatening to spill. "I don't love him. I can't marry someone I don't love."

"Love?" His voice was cold, cutting through her like a knife. "This isn't about love, Priya. This is about duty, about honor. You think marriage is a game? That you can just choose anyone you want? We have responsibilities, obligations to fulfill!"

"But what about what I want, Papa?" Priya's voice rose, the desperation seeping into every word. "What about my happiness? Doesn't that matter?"

"Your happiness?" Mr. Sharma's voice was thunderous now, his anger barely contained. "Everything I've done, everything, has been for you! And this is how you repay me? By shaming our family? By refusing to do your duty?"

"I can't live my life for someone else, Papa," Priya cried, the tears finally spilling over. "I can't marry someone, whom I don't even know. I have my own dreams, my own hopes!"

Mr. Sharma's face twisted with rage, his hands clenched into fists. For a moment, Priya thought he might strike her, the fury in his eyes so intense it took her breath away. But instead, he turned away, his voice cold as ice. "If you refuse this marriage, you are no longer my daughter, get out."

"Suniye ji,..." her mother tried to say something but Mr. Sharma raised his hand, signaling her to stay quiet.
(Listen...)

The harsh words of her father hit Priya like a physical blow, the air leaving her lungs as if she had been punched. "Papa..."

"I said, get out from my sight!" Her father's voice was final, he refused to look at her, his body rigid with anger.

The room spun around Priya, her vision blurred by tears. She felt like the ground had been ripped out from under her, her world crumbling into pieces. She couldn't believe what was happening, that her own father was disowning her, casting her aside like she was nothing.