“I don’t know why you’re behaving like this, Meera,” she says, hurt sharpening her words. “But please… don’t create any problems that will upset me.”
She shakes her head in disappointment and leaves. The moment she disappears down the hallway, I don’t waste another second. I rush straight to Sonia’s room and push the door open.
She’s sitting on the floor with her back against the bed, her face buried in her hands. Her shoulders tremble with quiet sobs.
“Sonia…” I close the door behind me and sit beside her. “Why did you say yes?”
She looks up at me and wipes the tears from her face. “Meera… please… don’t start.”
“I have to,” I insist. “You know how those people are. They’re not… good. None of them.”
“I know,” she whispers.
“Then why would you say yes to a proposal that came from their suggestion?” My voice cracks, louder than I intend to.
Sonia’s chin wobbles before she speaks. “Because of Mom.”
“What do you mean by ‘because of Aunty?’”
“She’s been so worried. About me… about the future… about everything. She wants me settled. She thinks this family is good for me.” Her voice shakes. “And when Dev came with the proposal, she looked so relieved... like her biggest problem had just been solved.”
She closes her eyes. “I don’t want to break Mom’s heart. She’s already been through so much.”
“That’s not a reason to marry someone,” I whisper, pulling her into a tight hug. “Sonia, you can’t just throw away your life to make someone else happy, even if it’s your mom.”
She leans into me but doesn’t speak.
A horrible thought hits me, and I pull back slightly. “Did Dev threaten you into saying yes?”
“No!” she answers quickly. “Nothing like that, Meera. No one forced me. No one threatened me.”
“Sonia, this might be a trap.” My voice trembles.
She stares at me for a long moment before whispering, “Please… don’t fight with Mom. Don’t fight with the Rathores. Don’t create any trouble. Just… let this happen peacefully, okay?” Her eyes search mine, pleading quietly.
I stand up slowly, my throat tightening. Every part of me wants to scream, to fight, to drag her out of this house if I have to, but I don’t. Instead, I take a breath and say, “I am here for you. Always.”
Sonia nods, tears spilling again. I walk out, my mind spinning with a dread I can’t shake.
The moment I step out of the house, I see Samarth leaning against his car with his arms crossed, his head bowed slightly.The moment he senses me, he looks up and pushes off the car as I approach.
“I didn’t want to hover inside,” he explains as I stop in front of him. “I thought you both needed some space.”
I nod, grateful.
“You okay?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
“Listen… while you were talking to her, I checked into the Mehtas,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “A quick background check—business records, legal issues, people they deal with…”
“And?” I ask, holding my breath.
“They’re clean,” he says quietly. “Spotless. Too respected.”
I blink, wanting to believe him, but I just can’t. I still feel like this is some kind of a trap.
He steps a little closer, his voice softening. “Meera… I know you’re scared for her. And I get why.”
