MY HEART BELONGS TO YOU

Love Arranged

Kabir stood in front of the mirror, trying to mask his irritation as he adjusted the collar of his shirt. The idea of visiting a girl for an arranged setup felt like an intrusion on the life he had meticulously planned for himself.

"I don't know what's gotten into Mom," he muttered to himself, pulling at the sleeves of his shirt as if the fabric were the source of his discomfort. "Why is she so insistent that I meet some random girl?"

A knock on his door broke his thoughts, and he opened it to find Kavya standing there, her expression unreadable. She had clearly been sent as the messenger.

"Bhaiya, Mom said to get ready quickly. We have to leave soon," Kavya informed him, her voice soft but with an underlying urgency.

Kabir's irritation flared up again. "Yeah, I'm getting ready, just so I can say no. How prepared can one be for that?"

He picked up his watch from the dresser, glaring at it as if it were complicit in the whole ordeal. "This time is so bad that I feel like throwing this watch away," he grumbled.

Kavya sighed, trying to soothe the situation. "Just say no if you want, Bhaiya, but let's at least go. It's important to Mom."

Kabir let out a deep breath, trying to rein in his frustration. He knew she was right, and there was no escaping this. "Yeah, I'm coming," he said, his tone begrudging. He ran a hand through his hair, giving it one last check in the mirror before heading out of the room.

As he descended the stairs, the weight of the situation pressed down on him. His mother was bustling around, checking that everything was perfect, her excitement almost contagious—if only it weren't directed at something he wanted no part of. His father stood nearby, silent and detached, but Kabir could tell he knew exactly how he felt.

Kabir shot him a look, one that asked, *Why aren't you saying anything?* His father's eyes met his, offering silent sympathy but no solutions. Kabir's annoyance only deepened. He felt trapped in a situation he hadn't asked for, yet here he was, about to meet a girl he didn't even know, for a marriage he didn't want.

But as much as he resented the situation, Kabir knew he had to go through with it—for his mother's sake, if nothing else. And even as he walked out the door, his mind was made up: no matter how today went, his answer would be "no"

Meera stood quietly in front of the mirror, her fingers smoothing the pleats of the saree she had borrowed from her mother. The fabric, soft and comforting, should have made her feel beautiful, but today it felt more like a burden. The reflection that stared back at her was somber, her eyes lacking the spark of excitement one might expect from a girl about to meet her prospective match. Instead, her gaze was distant, almost hollow, as if she were seeing someone else in the mirror.

Her fingers paused at the edge of the saree's pallu, which she had draped carefully over her shoulder, adjusting it to perfection. The weight of the occasion pressed down on her, and before she could stop them, her eyes began to well up with unshed tears. She was holding onto the last threads of her composure, but it was a struggle she wasn't sure she could win.

Before the first tear could fall, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. Meera turned slightly to see Navya standing beside her, offering silent support. Their eyes met in the mirror, and the comforting presence of her younger sister made Meera feel a little less alone. Navya's smile was soft but determined, urging Meera to be strong. Meera gave a reluctant nod, signaling she would try to get through this, but her heart wasn't in it.

Meanwhile, Kabir sat in the backseat of his father's car, his mood matching the gloomy sky overhead. Normally, he would be driving, taking charge of the wheel, but today he couldn't bring himself to care. He sat back, arms crossed, his thoughts a jumble of irritation and frustration. The prospect of meeting a girl he didn't know—couldn't know—left a sour taste in his mouth. It felt wrong, forced, like a role he was being pushed to play against his will.