Tangled Beliefs

Chapter-36: The Murthy Puzzle

Some wounds don’t bleed, they just ache… silently, endlessly.

Nandini’s POV,

The temple was quiet, the air thick with the faint scent of incense and flowers. It felt strangely serene as if the world outside didn’t exist. Yet, my heart was anything but calm. With every minute that passed, I could feel the weight of what was to come—a marriage, a life I hadn’t chosen. I had no idea how long I could keep pretending, how long I could keep up the act.

“Don’t worry, Nandu,” Bhai’s comforting voice broke through my thoughts. I turned to see him standing beside me, offering a smile that was supposed to ease my tension. “I’ve made sure the media won’t get through. You’re safe here.”

I nodded quietly, appreciating his words but feeling an empty ache in my chest. Sure, I was physically safe, but my mind? My heart? They were far from it.

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to find some peace in the stillness. I whispered a quick prayer to myself, not sure if I was praying for the marriage to end or to somehow make it all feel real.

“Would it really have been so hard?” Dad’s voice cut through my silence. He had been standing there, watching me as if I were some specimen on display. “If you hadn’t kept this condition about keeping your marriage a secret, maybe things would’ve been different.”

I let out a small sigh, turning to face him. “If you cared more about your reputation and less about people’s lives, maybe things would be different, Dad,” I snapped back. My patience had long worn thin, especially with him.

He raised an eyebrow, unfazed by my retort, but I could tell he was getting frustrated, too. We both knew this situation was spiraling out of control.

Before I could say anything else, Mom was by my side, gently placing a hand on my arm. “Nandini, please don’t get upset,” she said softly. “Today is supposed to be special for you. This is your day.”

I almost laughed, but it was bitter. “Special day?” I repeated her words, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “This isn’t special, Mom. It’s just another puja—a tradition. Don’t try to sell it as something it’s not.”

She didn’t respond to that, and I didn’t expect her to. The truth was, there was nothing special about today for me. It was just one more part of the life I was being forced to live.

And then they came—Manik and his family.

My heart did a strange flip in my chest as I watched them approach. Manik, was always the center of attention, his presence filling the space before he even spoke. He walked toward us, his family in tow, greeting Mom and Dad with the customary respect. His eyes met mine briefly as he passed by, and for a fleeting moment, I could feel the weight of his gaze.

He greeted everyone, and I stood there, frozen. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Everything felt heavy, too real.

Manik approached Rudraksh Bhai and Prisha Bhabhi, exchanging pleasantries with them. I glanced around at everyone else, feeling like an outsider in my own life. The entire time, Manik didn’t break his gaze from me—not fully, but enough that I could feel his attention like a physical thing.

“Hi, Ansh,” Manik said as he bent down to greet Prisha’s son. The little boy shyly whispered a “Hi” in return, causing Manik to smile softly and then Neyonika Aunty stepped forward, her voice bright as she introduced Manik’s grandmother, Radhika Malhotra.

I felt my stomach tighten as she walked toward us. I had heard so much about her from Neyonika Aunty, but this would be the first time I was meeting her. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my nerves.