Tangled Beliefs

Chapter-23: Trapped Between Choices

They weren’t two people being given a choice; they were two chess pieces being moved without consent.

Nandini’s POV,

As I stood outside my father’s study, my heart was racing. My palms were clammy, and my mind replayed everything I needed to say. For a brief second, I contemplated turning back, but then I took a deep breath. No, Nandini. This is your life, and you need to take control of it.

I knocked twice, the sound echoing in the quiet hallway. “Come in,” came his deep, commanding voice. Pushing the heavy door open, I stepped inside. The room was as intimidating as ever—dim lighting, shelves lined with books, and the faint smell of old wood mixed with his cologne. Dad, sat behind his massive mahogany desk, his face stern and unreadable as always.

He looked up from his laptop, his piercing eyes fixed on me. “What do you want to say?” he asked bluntly as if he already knew the answer but wanted me to voice it.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and said, “I don’t want to get married.”

His expression didn’t change. If anything, it became colder. “Any reason?” he asked, his tone devoid of emotion.

I had rehearsed this part in my head so many times, but under his gaze, my confidence wavered. Still, I managed to speak. “I want to concentrate on my career and become independent. Marriage isn’t a priority for me right now, and besides, he’s, my boss. I can’t marry him, please.”

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Any other reason?” he pressed, his voice calm but laced with steel.

I felt my anxiety spike. Why couldn’t he just accept my decision? “Why can’t you just get it, Dad? I don’t want to marry!” I said, my voice is rising in frustration.

His gaze hardened, and when he spoke, it was with chilling authority. “It’s already decided, Nandini. You will marry him at any cost, no matter what. Do you understand?”

The finality in his voice sent a shiver down my spine, but I wasn’t going to back down. “Give me one good reason why I should marry him,” I challenged. “What makes this so important?”

He didn’t hesitate. “He’s well-mannered, settled, and good-looking. What more do you need?”

His dismissive tone, as though my entire life boiled down to these shallow qualities, infuriated me. My emotions got the better of me, and I retorted, “Oh, of course, Dad! That’s all that matters, right? Forget compatibility, love, or whether I even want this. As long as he ticks your stupid checklist, I should just marry him!”

My sarcasm didn’t faze him. Instead, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw tightened. “Enough, Nandini,” he said in a low, warning tone.

I was seething, and when I turned to leave, I heard his voice again. “Wait.”

I froze, reluctantly turning back to face him. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a folder. “Take this,” he said, sliding it across the desk toward me.

I hesitated before picking it up and flipping it open. As my eyes scanned the contents, I felt my stomach drop. My hands trembled as I held the document, my mind struggling to process what I was reading. Anger surged through me, and I slammed the folder shut, glaring at him. “You’re kidding me, right? You just can’t do this.”

His expression remained calm, almost infuriatingly so. “Try me,” he said, his tone daring me to challenge him.

“This is blackmail,” I snapped, my voice shaking with a mix of anger and disbelief. “You’re clearly blackmailing me into saying yes!”