Author's POV,
As the door closed behind Srestha and Sarthak, the house fell into a quiet stillness. The earlier buzz of excitement had faded, leaving behind an almost oppressive silence. Prachi's mind was still spinning, trying to process everything that had just happened. Tomorrow, she would be engaged. She couldn't quite believe it.
"Prachi, beta, come for dinner," Preeti called from the kitchen, breaking her out of her trance.
The family gathered around the dining table. Naveen sat at one end, Preeti at the other, with Prachi quietly picking at her food between them. The excitement from earlier seemed to have drained from the room, at least for her. Her parents ate in peaceful contentment, but Prachi felt the weight of the upcoming engagement pressing down on her, making every bite feel heavy.
Dinner passed quietly, and soon, Preeti got up to clear the table, humming to herself as she moved towards the kitchen. Naveen stayed behind, taking the opportunity to have a moment alone with his daughter. He had noticed the quietness in her all evening, the way her mind seemed far away, lost in thought. Something wasn't sitting right with him.
He glanced over at Prachi, who was still sitting at the table, her eyes distant as she absently fiddled with the edge of her plate. She looked like she was in a world of her own, almost as if she wasn't really there. He decided it was time to ask the question that had been gnawing at him since Sarthak's proposal.
"Prachi," Naveen began gently, his voice pulling her back to the present, "Beta, are you alright?"
Prachi blinked, coming back to reality. "Hmm? Yes, Papa, I'm fine," she said, offering a small, forced smile.
Naveen leaned forward, his eyes searching her face. He could sense the hesitation in her, the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "You've been quiet all evening," he continued, his voice soft but concerned. "Is something bothering you? You can tell me."
Prachi hesitated, her heart skipping a beat at her father's question. She looked down at her hands, which were resting in her lap, her fingers twisting nervously. For a moment, she considered telling him the truth—that she wasn't ready, that this was all happening too fast, that the weight of everyone's expectations was suffocating her. But before she could speak, Naveen asked another question that made her heart race even faster.
"Do you really want to marry Sarthak?"
His words hung in the air, and for a moment, Prachi felt the urge to confess everything. The whirlwind of emotions inside her, the feeling that she had been swept up in something she couldn't control. She wanted to tell her father that she wasn't sure, that she hadn't thought things would escalate this quickly when she had agreed to the marriage in theory.
She glanced up at him, her father's kind eyes filled with concern. He wasn't pressuring her. He wasn't asking for anything except the truth.
"Papa..." she started, her voice small. She could feel her throat tightening, the familiar lump of anxiety making it hard to speak.
Naveen reached out, placing a comforting hand on hers. "Beta, if you feel this is all happening too fast, we can postpone it. You don't have to rush into anything. No one will be upset if you need more time."
His words were gentle, giving her the space to breathe, to make her own decision. For a brief moment, Prachi felt the weight lift off her shoulders. She could say it. She could tell him that she wasn't ready, that she needed more time to figure things out.
But just as she was about to speak, Preeti entered the room, her excitement from earlier still bubbling over. "Prachi!" she said, her eyes sparkling with joy as she wiped her hands on a towel. "You're still awake? Tomorrow's a big day, beta. You should go to bed, get some rest. We have so much to do in the morning!"
