Months passed, and Meera's presence became more familiar, though the awkwardness between them never truly faded. They performed their roles as husband and wife, but their conversations were brief, their interactions quiet and unsure. Pradyuman often wondered what Meera thought of this life they had been forced into, but he never asked.
One afternoon, Meera approached him, her hands nervously clutching her dupatta. "I think I'm pregnant," she whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
Pradyuman froze. Her words hit him like a bolt of lightning. He was barely able to manage being a husband; how could he be a father?
"No, this can't be," he muttered, pacing the room, his heart racing. He wasn't ready for this. They weren't ready for this.
Meera stood silently, her own fear mirrored in her husband's reaction. She had been expecting this, of course—this was the inevitable result of marriage, as she had been taught. But knowing it didn't make it any easier to accept.
Pradyuman withdrew further. The thought of raising a child at his age was terrifying. He didn't know the first thing about fatherhood, and the weight of responsibility crushed him. He avoided Meera, staying out later at his part-time job and making excuses to be away from home. The reality of the pregnancy was too much for him to handle, so he pretended it wasn't happening at all.
But Meera's growing belly was a constant reminder that they couldn't escape the future. While Pradyuman ran from his fears, Meera faced them alone. She attended the doctor's appointments by herself, managing the physical and emotional strain of pregnancy with quiet strength. But inside, she was terrified. She needed Pradyuman's support, but he wasn't there.
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Burden of Tradition
FanfictionSummary: ACP Pradyuman, trapped in the traditions of his youth, is forced into a marriage at 16, leading to his wife Meera's tragic death during childbirth. Haunted by guilt, he raises their daughter Naina with overbearing control. As Naina grows, P...
