“I… nothing.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Meera. Don’t lie. You’re a terrible liar.”
I swallow hard, and before I can stop myself, the truth spills out. “I miss my parents.”
My voice cracks as I continue, “They don’t answer my calls. They don’t want to see me. And every day it feels like another piece of me is being scraped away.”
Tears blur my vision. I wipe them, but they keep coming. “I—I miss them. I miss Maa’s morning scolding. I miss Papa’s stupid jokes. I miss… being someone they loved.”
Sonia’s expression softens with a flicker of pain and a hint of regret. “I am sorry, Meera. I…”
“Don’t you dare start blaming yourself again. I am the one who should be saying sorry for bringing up all these stupid emotional talks on your wedding day. I didn’t mean to ruin your happiness.”
“You could never ruin anything for me. Never.” She squeezes my hand firmly. “And your parents may be hurt… shocked… stubborn. But they still love you,” she says, her voice steady with fierce certainty.
“They haven’t even tried,” I whisper, the words breaking free.
“They will,” she insists. “They’ll come around. Yes, it may take time for them to calm down, but once they do, they’ll come back twice as strong. Just hold on to patience and give them time.”
“What if they never forgive me?” I blurt out, my voice trembling with fear.
“They will,” she repeats, her thumb wiping my tears. “Because you are their daughter. Their happiness. Their reason to live. Nothing can change that. Not a marriage, not anger, not distance.”
My breath shudders as I lean into her, and she hugs me again, tighter this time.
“I am with you. And so are they, even if not physically. They just need a little time to remember they can’t live without you.”
I close my eyes, letting her words settle over me like balm on a wound that hasn’t stopped bleeding. For a long minute, we stay like that, holding onto each other.
Finally, she pulls back, “Meera… do you regret marrying Dev?”
My breath catches at the wordregret.I should say yes without a second thought, but instead, I whisper, “I… don’t know.”
“It’s okay to not have all the answers yet. When the time is right, they’ll come to you,” she says softly.
I nod, my throat tight.
She turns back to the mirror. “Now come fix my dupatta and keep me distracted before I cry and ruin my makeup.”
“You better not.” I laugh through my tears, arranging her dupatta.
Once done, Sonia gets up and arranges her lehenga. Before I can compliment her again, there’s a knock on the door, and her mother enters the room with a warm smile, dressed in a pastel pink saree with delicate gold embroidery that catches the light.
“Sonia beta, you look beautiful.” Aunty kisses her forehead, then smiles at me kindly. “You look radiant, too, beta.”
I glance down at my simple, elegant cream kurta with subtle gold embroidery, then meet Aunty’s eyes. “Thank you, Aunty.”
Aunty looks back at Sonia. “Now let’s go. The pooja is about to start, and Panditji and everyone are waiting.”
Sonia nods, then turns to me, squeezing my hand. “Let’s go.”
“You go. I’ll tidy up a bit and come,” I reply, offering her a reassuring smile.
Sonia thanks me before Aunty guides her out. The door closes behind them, leaving me alone in the quiet room.
I stay frozen, taking in everything. The soft fairy lights draped across the mirror, white flowers arranged delicately, jewellery and dresses scattered across the bed… This is exactly like how a bridal room should be.
A hollow ache seeps into my chest. I never had fairy lights. No chaotic bridal mess. No rituals. Nothing. Nothing at all.
