Chapter six:Preparations
241 Words
The wedding was planned in three days.
Mira barely had time to breathe before she was swept into fittings, rituals, and endless instructions. Women she barely knew clucked around her, adjusting fabric and offering advice.
“This is how accidents happen,” she muttered to herself as she stared at her reflection, draped in red and gold.
“You look… composed,” Kamala said, standing behind her.
“That’s one word for it.”
Kamala rested a hand on Mira’s shoulder. “You are stronger than you think.”
Mira met her gaze in the mirror. “I shouldn’t have to be.”
Kamala said nothing, and somehow that was worse.
Weeks passed.
Mira returned to the archives. Arjun worked long hours at his family’s logistics firm.
They shared meals occasionally, exchanged practical updates, and avoided personal topics.
Until one evening, when the power went out.
The apartment fell into darkness, lit only by the glow of the city beyond the windows.
Arjun lit candles. “You’re afraid of the dark?” he asked, noticing her stillness.
“No,” Mira said. Then, after a pause, “I just don’t like surprises.”
He nodded, as if that explained everything.
They talked that night—really talked—for the first time. About books. About travel. About the pressure of family expectations.
Mira found herself laughing, surprised by the sound.
When the lights came back on, something between them had shifted.
- Writer
