The arguments between Pradyuman and Naina became more frequent as she reached her late teens. Naina felt stifled by her father's overprotectiveness, and Pradyuman, consumed by guilt and fear, couldn't explain why he was so strict with her. The past haunted him, and every decision he made for Naina was influenced by his regret over Meera's death.
One evening, after yet another fight about Naina wanting to go to a party, she shouted, "Why can't you trust me? Why are you always so scared?"
Pradyuman stood frozen. The words hit him harder than she knew. For years, he had buried the truth, the pain of losing Meera, the fear of not being enough. And now, it was all coming back to the surface.
Finally, he sat Naina down and told her the truth. He told her about the arranged marriage, about how young he had been, about how scared he was when Meera became pregnant, and how he had failed her when she needed him the most. "I'm terrified that you'll make the same mistakes I did," he admitted, his voice trembling. "I wasn't ready to be a husband. I wasn't ready to be a father. And I failed her."
Naina listened, her expression softening. She finally understood why her father had been so strict, why he had kept her so sheltered. But she also knew that she wasn't him. "Papa, I'm not you," she said gently. "I'll make my own choices, but I need you to trust me."
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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...
