Aaradhya stepped into the hall on the first floor, her footsteps slow and deliberate, as her mind raced with how dramatically her life had transformed in just a few hours.
Every corner of the house felt foreign and overwhelming, with echoes of laughter and chatter from his family—now her in-laws—drifting up from the ground floor like haunting memories of a life she had never anticipated.
The man she once thought of as her brother-in-law was now her husband, and that single shift sent waves of uncertainty rippling through her.
The thought of marriage, which had always loomed over her like a dark cloud, was now a storm she could not escape.
Clad in a heavy red lehenga, she felt the sheer weight of the fabric clinging to her, amplifying the reality of her new status. The bright red adorned with intricate gold embroidery was beautiful yet oppressive, a constant reminder of the life-altering decision that had been made for her.
The vermilion on her forehead felt like a shackle, binding her to the coldest man she had ever encountered, a man whose presence sent shivers down her spine. The garland around her neck felt like a noose, tightening with each moment she lingered in this liminal space, while the cold touch of the mangalsutra dangled heavily against her chest, serving as a relentless reminder that she was no longer the carefree girl she once was; she was now Mrs. Harshavardhan Singh Acharya.
Throughout the wedding, she had felt his piercing gaze locked onto her, a mixture of scrutiny and indifference that left her feeling small and vulnerable.
She recalled the quiet curses he had muttered under his breath after every instruction given by the priest, a stark contrast to the joyous occasion that surrounded them. His grip on her hand was firm—almost possessive—but it lacked tenderness, and the roughness of his demeanor rattled her to her core.
Aaradhya had always been a girl who shied away from raised voices, preferring the comfort of quiet conversations. Now, thrust into this tumultuous situation, she was confronted by a man who radiated an intimidating aura, leaving her feeling more like a pawn than a partner.
She stopped in front of his bedroom door, a formidable barrier that seemed to separate her from the man she was meant to call her husband, the devil himself.
Her heart raced, and her breath hitched as she stood there, hands slightly trembling as they clutched the doorknob.
A whirlwind of questions spiraled through her mind, each more distressing than the last: What if he sees me as nothing more than a replacement for someone he lost? What if he directs his anger towards me for events I had no control over? What if he harbors hatred in his heart, and I find myself thrown out in a fit of rage? What if he tries to control me in ways I cannot understand? Panic gripped her; she felt utterly unprepared for this new reality.
She had grown up with dreams and aspirations, but never once did those dreams include a life like this. She had never thought she would grapple with the weight of marriage so soon in her life, let alone become someone's wife at the young age of twenty-three.
The girl who had barely exchanged words with a boy was now on the brink of sharing an intimate space with her husband- a man whom she barely knew and with whom she had no shared history.
The fear of the unknown loomed over her like a shadow, accompanied by resentment towards her family for orchestrating this unexpected turn in her life.
Sadness enveloped her as she grappled with the realization that her fate had been sealed, and she felt powerless to change it.
In that moment, she drew in a deep breath, determined to steady herself against the tidal wave of emotions crashing over her.
She had held her breath for what felt like an eternity, trying to calm her racing heart and find the strength to face whatever lay beyond that door.
With resolve, she released the breath she had been holding and, with her small hand, gently knocked on the door, preparing to confront this new chapter in her life—ready or not.
Whatever awaited her on the other side would shape her journey as a wife and as a woman, and it was time to discover what that journey meant for her.
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