Author's POV,
The night was still, a heavy silence blanketing the house. Preeti sat on the bed, her fingers brushing over the intricate embroidery of the lehenga she had chosen for Prachi. The deep crimson shimmered under the dim glow of the bedside lamp, casting delicate patterns on the walls. But despite its beauty, the fabric couldn't erase the weight pressing on her heart.
Naveen sat beside her, watching silently. He had noticed how carefully Preeti had selected the lehenga, how her eyes lit up with excitement whenever she talked about the wedding. But he could also see the deeper tension beneath her smiles, an unspoken fear neither of them had dared to confront. Clearing his throat, he broke the silence.
"How is it?" Preeti asked, holding up the lehenga for him to see.
"It'll be beautiful on Prachi," Naveen replied softly. His mind conjured up an image of their daughter in the outfit, a vision of beauty on her wedding day. But the image wavered. Something was wrong. He saw it in Prachi's distant eyes, the forced smiles.
He hesitated, then spoke, "Preeti... don't you think this is moving too fast?"
Preeti froze, her fingers tightening on the lehenga. She didn't look at him.
"You can tell from Prachi's face that she's not ready," Naveen continued, his tone gentle but firm. "Why are we pushing her into this? Why are you pushing her?"
The words hung in the air, Preeti's hands stilled completely, but she didn't respond right away. Naveen pressed on, his concern growing. "And Sarthak... Do you think he's right for her? There's something... I don't know, something I can't put my finger on. But every time I see them together, I feel like Prachi is slipping away, like she's... lost."
Preeti finally looked up at him, and Naveen immediately saw the shift in her eyes. The warmth that had been there just moments before was gone, replaced by something hard, something bitter. When she finally spoke, her voice was laced with bitterness. "Do you think you have any right to question this? After what you did?"
Naveen flinched at her words, the familiar sting of guilt flooding his chest. He had known this was coming—Preeti always circled back to it, and she had every right to. He swallowed hard, unsure of what to say, knowing that any defense would only deepen the divide between them.
Preeti's eyes stayed fixed on the lehenga, but the hurt in her voice was unmistakable. "As far as Prachi's happiness is concerned, I know she's hesitant. I know she's scared. And why wouldn't she be? After everything she went through as a child—everything we went through—she carries those scars. She's not going to be ready ever. Not for marriage, not for love. Not unless someone pushes her to move forward."
Naveen tried to interject, but Preeti wasn't finished. Her voice sharper now, her heart hardened. "But Sarthak... Sarthak is different. I've known him since he was a ;ittle boy. I've seen the way he looks at Prachi, and I know he will love her. He care for her and he will care for her in future too. If it were anyone else, I would be just as concerned as you, but with Sarthak... I trust him. I trust Srestha. They're good people. And I don't want her to miss a boy like Sarthak due to her fear."
Naveen's mouth tightened into a thin line. Preeti's words hit him harder than he had anticipated. He had made peace with the fact that he had no right to question certain things—not after his betrayal. But he was still Prachi's father.
"I understand that you trust them," Naveen said quietly, choosing his words carefully. "And I know I have no right to question your decisions after what I did... but I'm still her father. I'm worried about her, Preeti. Can't you see she's not happy? She's agreeing to this wedding because she feels like she has no choice."
