Threads of Destiny

12-A shift in shadows

In Devalgeer, Kali sat across from a client, pretending to listen as they discussed the terms of their agreement. Her pen hovered over the paper, but her mind was elsewhere, weighed down by troubling thoughts.

A sadness hung over her, made worse by the memory of a photo she’d received earlier. It came from an unknown number, but Kali didn’t have to guess for long. "How did she even get my number?" she wondered, the answer clear in her mind. Ishita. It had to be her. Kali suspected her Facebook account might have given Ishita the access she needed, and the thought made her uneasy.

But what troubled her more was the doubt creeping into her heart. "Am I making a huge mistake by marrying that jerk?" The question wouldn’t leave her, no matter how hard she tried to focus on the meeting. She forced herself to smile at the client, though her mind was far from the words being said.

She managed to finalize the deal quickly, though her mind was elsewhere. To her surprise, the client offered payment upfront, even before the work was complete. Without hesitation, she accepted the money, feeling a small sense of relief amid her turmoil.

Her thoughts drifted back to Barun, her soon-to-be husband. He hadn't even called her since their engagement was announced. "I'll ignore him too," she resolved, trying to steal herself. But she knew that ignoring him was easier in thought than in reality. Deep down, she still had expectations from this so-called relationship, expectations she knew would only lead to heartache.

A particular memory burned in her mind, sharper and more painful than the rest. It was the day she had dared to ask Barun about Harsh, a man from his company who had wronged her. She had expected anger, maybe even some reassurance that justice would be served. Instead, his response had been chillingly casual.

"Harsh is doing well," he had said, as if Harsh’s betrayal was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

The words had struck her like a blow, leaving her breathless. He knew—he knew—what Harsh had done to her, yet he had done nothing. No confrontation, no consequences, not even a flicker of acknowledgment. His indifference cut deeper than any insult, deeper than the original betrayal.

It wasn’t just that he didn’t care; it was the realization that her pain had no weight in his world. She had swallowed the lump in her throat that day, but the bitterness lingered, growing heavier every time she replayed the memory.

As she sat lost in thought, her phone buzzed. It was Ravi. She ignored the call at first but eventually picked up. Ravi sounded concerned, asking about her health and why her house had been locked. She brushed off his concern, coldly informing him that she didn't need anything from him and that she was getting married next month.

Ravi tried to continue the conversation, but Kali ended the call abruptly. As she set the phone down, a wave of memories flooded her-days when they would sneak around just to meet. She tried to console herself by remembering that Ravi wasn't who she had thought he was. He had seemed like a gentle lamb but had shown himself to be a fox in disguise.

But no matter how hard she tried to rationalize, the past still haunted her.

Kali knew, deep down, that Barun had little interest in marrying her. Marriage had never been something he desired, and she suspected his sudden willingness was less about her and more about convenience. To him, she was nothing more than a simple, rustic ganwar—someone he assumed would silently endure his indifference and turn a blind eye to his inevitable extramarital affairs.

The thought churned in her stomach, leaving a bitter taste. She hated the way he lit his cigarettes without a second thought, the smoke curling lazily around him as though her discomfort didn’t exist. Every time he exhaled that cloud of disregard, it fueled the fire in her chest.