“No, Sana. I don’t need a doctor. I need to talk to you.”
I ignore her statement and shake my head. “Mom, the talk can wait. Let the doctor check on you first.”
She gives me a tired smile, her thumb brushing over my knuckles. “Sana, we need to talk,” she repeats.
Knowing I can’t avoid the conversation any longer, tears well up in my eyes once again. “Mom, I’m so sorry. This isall my fault. If it weren’t for me… if I hadn’t chosen Aditya, you wouldn’t be here,” I whisper, my voice trembling under the weight of emotion.
She shakes her head, her expression firm despite the exhaustion lining her features. “No, Sana. Don’t do that to yourself. This is not your fault. All of this happened because some people don’t know the value of respect. It’s not your fault that his family failed to see your worth. You… you are my daughter, and I will not let you suffer for someone else’s cruelty.”
I bite my lip, looking down at our joined hands. “I never thought it would come to this, Mom. I knew Aditya’s parents weren’t happy with me, but I never expected his mom to… to say those things. To accuse me like that. And I just sat there, frozen, unable to defend myself.”
Mom’s gaze softens, but there’s an underlying steel in her voice as she speaks. “You know I’ve always liked Aditya, Sana. He’s a good boy. But marriage isn’t just about love—it’s about respect. And if his mom—his family—can belittle you and strip you of your dignity with their words, then I can’t send my daughter to that house. I won’t let you be part of a family that makes you feel like you’re not enough and makes you question your worth. Because you, my daughter, deserve so much more.”
A sob escapes me. “I love him, Mom. I really thought we could fight through anything. I was ready for the struggle, ready to prove myself to them… but now, I just feel so tired. I feel… defeated.”
She cups my cheek gently, her touch so comforting it almost breaks me. “Sana, it won’t be easy, but you need to let go. Being with Aditya will only turn into a constant battlefield. You shouldn’t have to fight for the bare minimum respect. Because if you ever have to beg for dignity and your place in someone’s life, then it is just not worth it. And it’s better to let go.”
I nod slowly, the weight of her words settling deep in my heart. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just… it hurts, Mom. Letting go of him… it feels like a part of me is breaking.”
Mom sighs, her fingers squeezing mine with all the strength she can muster. “Healing will take time. Love doesn’t just disappear overnight. But it’s better to let go.”
I swallow hard. She’s right. This is closure—not the kind I wanted, but the kind I needed. A finality to the dream I had been holding onto for far too long.
“I’ll be okay, Mom,” I say softly, not just for her, but for myself. “I know it’ll take time, but… I’ll be okay.”
She nods, a small, proud smile gracing her lips. “I know you will, my love.”
I press my forehead against her hand and close my eyes as fresh wave of tears spills down my cheeks. “Mom, I… about that night with Aditya… I never meant for it to be something that would bring shame to you. I…”
She interrupts me softly. “Sana, I’m not so old-fashioned that I would hold you accountable for that. You are an adult, and your choices are yours to make. My concern isn’t what happened between you and Aditya in private. My concern is that you are being made to suffer for it, that your character is being questioned, as if love itself is a crime. That, I will not accept.”
A shaky breath leaves me as I lift my head to look at her. “You really don’t blame me?”
She smiles, brushing away a stray tear from my cheek. “No, beta. What I blame is a society that holds a woman responsible for love, but never a man.”
Her words act like a balm over my guilt, and I lean down, wrapping my arms around her as gently as I can, her heartbeat a steady reassurance against my own. For the first time since this nightmare began, a sense of clarity washes over me.
I don’t need to fight for love. I have the one person who has always been there for me, and she’s enough—my mom.
Chapter 38
Aditya
I slam on the brakes, the tyres screeching as anger thrums through my veins. Every instinct in me rebels against leaving Sana in the hospital when she needs me the most, but she pushed me away, and that fucking stings more than I want to admit. My chest heaves, my muscles taut, ready to explode. I should be there for Sana, protecting her, making sure she knows she’s not alone. But instead, I’m here, drowning in a storm of rage and helplessness.
I clench the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles turn white, my jaw locking as my mom’s cruel words replay in my head like a constant sting. I still can’t believe she would stoop so low. It fucking burns deep, a fire I can’t put out. I slam my palm against the steering wheel. No. I refuse to let my mom take away my happiness.
I take a steadying breath, gripping the wheel tighter. If my mom thought she could destroy things between Sana and me and dictate how this played out, she was in for a rude awakening. One way or another, I am going to fix this and win Sana back into my life. And no one—no one—is going to stand in my way.
I step out of my car, slamming the door shut behind me, my body thrumming with barely restrained fury as I stride into the house. But I come to an abrupt halt, my gaze locking onto my parents and Samantha, sitting on the couch like they’re here for some fucking family reunion.
But rather than being angry about their unannounced arrival, a slow, dangerous smirk tugs at my lips.Perfect.
This is exactly what I needed. My mom’s words had already crossed a line, and seeing them all gathered here only fuels the fire raging inside me. Time to give them exactly what they asked for and show them just how wrong they are to mess with my happiness.
“Son, I’m aware of what happened, but we can talk,” my dad’s voice cuts through the thick silence.
Talk? Now? After everything? Too fucking late. The damage is done. And I’m fucking done. It just doesn’t matter what they have to say.
