“Hello?” A familiar woman’s voice came through the speaker.
Hope flared instantly. “Ma.”
There was a pause. “Yamini?”
“Yes, Ma,” she said quickly. “I just wanted to check on you. How are you, Ma?”
Yamini heard a faint sniffle. “I’m fine. How are you managing?”
The concern in that simple question tightened her chest. “I’m okay, Ma,” she said, steadying her voice. “I’ve moved back to India.”
A stunned silence followed.
“I heard…” her mother said in a hesitant tone. “You’re divorced now. Your father told me a few weeks ago. I was worried.”
Yamini swallowed. “Yes, Ma. But don’t worry—”
A sharp sound cut her off. She heard her mother’s muffled protest before another voice came through.
“Yamini.” Her father’s voice was harsh and furious.
Yamini sucked in a breath. “Papa—”
“I already told you not to call us again,” he said sharply.
“I just wanted to speak to Ma—”
“You’ve done enough,” he cut in. “Because of you, our family name is ruined.”
The words hit harder than she expected.
“Papa, I didn’t mean to—”
“You humiliated us,” he said. “And you humiliated one of the most powerful royal families in the country.”
Her eyes burned. “Papa, I was young. I-I thought I was in love.”
“That doesn’t matter,” he replied coldly. “You’ll live with the consequences of your mistakes.”
“Please, Papa. I don’t want anything. I just want to talk to you and Ma. I’m still your daughter—”
“No,” he said flatly. “You are no longer our daughter. You made your choice five years ago. Stay away from us.”
The line went dead.
Yamini stood still, the phone pressed to her ear long after the call ended.
Slowly, she lowered it.
The fan rattled overhead. A horn blared somewhere outside.
Everything continued as if nothing had happened.
Mistake.
Disgrace.
Consequences.
