ENTANGLED AND HEARTS (Her Price For Dreams)

Chapter 19: Shattering

Maryam's POV

Twenty-four hours have passed since I last ate. Starvation is my protest, my resistance against my mothers decision of making me quit my studies. As a brown girl, it's one of the few tools I have.

I sit on the floor, doors closed, lost in thought. The memory of my mother's words still pierces my soul.

"I sent you to Delhi for studies, not to ruin our family's reputation," she said, her voice laced with venom.

I recall the desperation in my voice as I tried to reason with her. "Ammi, it's fake. I wasn't involved with anyone. It's all a misunderstanding."

But she wouldn't listen.

"Girl, don't make a fool of me," she snapped. "There's no smoke without fire."

Her eyes gleamed with anger, and I saw the trust I thought we shared shatter.

Now, hunger gnaws at my belly, but the pain in my heart is worse. Her words echo, a constant reminder of her doubt.

She had taken my phone, her words cutting deep.

"I know you'll call that boy and try to run away from the house, disrespecting our entire family," she says, her tone dripping with accusation.

Her words shatter my heart into a million pieces.

Why are girls never trusted? Why are our lives revolving around the whims of others, yet our autonomy constantly questioned?

I silently plead to God, seeking answers. All I want is an opportunity to prove myself, to save my dignity, to escape the shackles of dowry.

I said nothing to her . The pain of her words is suffocating, leaving me speechless for hours. I need time to digest the venom she's spewed.

The door creaks open, and Ammi enters, her expression stern.

"Haven't you stopped crying?" she demands, anger lacing her voice.

I wipe away tears, my heart still reeling.

"Stop it and go take a shower," she orders. "Take care of yourself. Ahmed and his family are coming tomorrow for your rishta."

My world shatters. Ahmed - the man who's haunted me since I was 16. Ahmed- womenizer.Ahmed-10 years older than me.His leering gaze still sends shivers down my spine.

"I won't marry him," I declare, my voice trembling.

Her face remains impassive. "I'm not asking for your permission. I'm informing you."

My desperation grows. "Ammi, why are you doing this to me? Why?It seems like I am a burden to you."

Her response cuts deep. "Yes, you are a burden. Daughters are burdens. We should get rid of them as soon as possible."

I feel a stinging slap from her words.

"I don't want to be treated like a burden," I assert, my voice firming. "I won't marry him. It's final."

"Think of how good Ahmed is," Mom persists, her voice laced with desperation. "He's not demanding a hefty dowry. He'll settle for less, much less."

Her words sting.

"You must marry before this rumor spreads," she presses on, her tone condescending. "After that, no one will marry you."

Tears stream down my face as I plead, "Ammi, I haven't done anything wrong. Why can't you understand it's a fake rumor?"

She raises her voice, "Maryam, stop..."

Just as she's about to continue, Baba intervenes, his calm demeanor a balm to my frazzled emotions.