Love after marriage

Every step she took toward the mandapam felt like the strength in her legs was slipping away. Someone — she didn’t even know who — was leading her forward... She glanced around. Faces she had seen somewhere before, perhaps, but none she could truly recognize. > “Father, Mother, Sister, Brother — no one… Not one person who believed me... Just because someone said something…” Her heart screamed silently within her. She held back the tears that were ready to spill, forcing them to retreat. > “Now, the thali can be tied,” the priest’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She lifted her eyes to the man holding the thali before her — Anger. Disgust. Hatred. Every shade of rejection flashed in her gaze. For a moment, she wished she hadn’t looked at all. A moment that comes only once in a lifetime — and yet… Whatever the reason, she folded her hands, closed her eyes. Not a single tear fell. > “Maybe there are no tears left,” she told herself. When she felt the cool metal touch her forehead, she opened her eyes again — The man before her didn’t even meet her gaze. > “Why am I disappointed? Didn’t I expect this from the start?” She consoled herself silently. > “Next groom and bride, come forward!” The priest called out again. She looked ahead. Joy filled the air — laughter, excitement, the sparkle of long-awaited happiness. Her throat tightened. Her dearest friend — her pride for years — what place would she hold in her heart now? She caught her friend’s piercing gaze and quickly turned her face away. > “I shouldn’t have looked,” she thought again. --- > “Badri, Lakshmi — your ceremony is done. Please step aside. Let them sit there. There wasn’t enough time to arrange two seats in the mandapam,” Badri’s mother, Indra, said hurriedly. > “Surya, Deva — you two sit there,” Surya’s mother, Shalini, said with a glowing smile. Surya looked at Lakshmi and smiled softly, winking at her. That little gesture brought Lakshmi a strange comfort. > “At least… he doesn’t hate me,” she thought, looking at him without expression. And soon, their ceremony began… Lakshmi glanced at Badri — his eyes never left Deva, sitting in the mandapam. The face that once burned with pride now flickered with pain and anger — the grief of losing something he had once desperately wanted. When Surya tied the thali around Deva’s neck, Deva looked at Badri for a fleeting second — then folded her hands in silent prayer. Everything after that happened in a blur. When it came time to take blessings, Lakshmi saw her mother, father, brother, and sister again — each face cold, filled with disdain. Only her sister’s face carried a trace of tenderness. > “After Deva… it was always my sister who kept my secrets…” That thought froze her heart. > “What kind of fate is this, God…” she whispered, helpless. Deva and Surya were moving from one elder to another, seeking blessings. --- > “Savithri, what’s done is done. Talking won’t change it. Go talk to her for a bit,” Lakshmi heard someone say nearby. > “Badri, my son… I’m taking her with me for a while. It all happened so suddenly — she doesn’t understand what’s going on. I can’t tell her everything now, but please, look after her. If she does something wrong, guide her gently,” her mother’s voice trembled with worry — the ache of sending her daughter into a new, uncertain life. Badri looked away, unwilling, then back at his father and mother — Savitri’s eyes were full of tears. Her husband just nodded. She took Lakshmi aside. > “Shekhar, come, they’re leaving,” someone called, and Lakshmi’s father walked away. Badri glanced around — everyone’s attention was still on Surya and Deva’s departure. > “Let them go first,” someone said. > “After all, Surya is the elder. Badri can leave later.” Badri’s head was pounding. If only he could get home and throw all of this off his chest... --- > “Mother… I swear, I don’t know what happened that day… I didn’t do anything wrong…” Lakshmi cried uncontrollably. > “Lachu, my dear, I know. You know your brother — once he’s angry, he loses control,” her mother soothed, caressing her head. She knew her daughter was innocent. But how could she make her son listen, when even her husband couldn’t? It was all his stubborn pride. If anyone ever learned that the woman he slept beside once belonged to someone else — his honor would shatter. A man of unbearable pride… yet her own son. Her heart broke at what he had done to his sister’s life. When Lakshmi finally stopped crying, her mother spoke softly: > “Lachu… I was married off when I was ten years old. Since then, I’ve lived only as a wife, a mother… never as myself. But promise me one thing — never destroy your life the way I did. Never sacrifice your happiness for others’.” Tears streamed down her mother’s face. > “Mother… this isn’t the time to cry. You should be comforting her,” her sister Anshi interrupted, walking in. Lakshmi turned to her. > “Chechi… don’t you believe me either? I didn’t do anything wrong…” > “I know, my dear. Maybe it’s brother’s mistake. Don’t panic. And listen — your new home isn’t like ours. Everything will be new. Watch, listen, and learn. If something bothers you, tell me. Don’t stay silent because you fear what your husband might say. If anything threatens your dignity, stand up for yourself. Never live your life for others.” Anshi hugged her tightly. Their mother watched them — the words she should have spoken to her daughter, her elder daughter was saying instead. She had learned it through pain. But the mother… despite her own scars, had never warned her daughter. That guilt crushed her heart. Her husband, Shekhar, approached just then. Lakshmi took blessings from all three. --- > “Tch… stop standing around deciding whose bed you’ll share. The man who tied your thali is waiting there like a fool. Didn’t I say she shouldn’t be sent anywhere? You all insisted she must ‘learn life.’ Well, now she’s learned — not how to live, but how to survive.” Her father’s harsh words stabbed into her heart. He looked at his son in disgust. Her mother and sister already knew what kind of man he was — this was no surprise. > “Ashwin, stop shouting! She’s coming!” Anshi pulled Lakshmi away before the crowd gathered further. Badri and Indra were waiting near the car. Indra smiled warmly; Badri looked irritated, tapping his foot. > “I’ve been waiting forever. If Mother hadn’t insisted, I would’ve gone ahead. This is ridiculous…” He stopped mid-sentence as Lakshmi’s parents approached. Indra looked at them with quiet sorrow. Anshi smiled politely — she understood that look. A woman who had lived her whole life obeying others, silencing herself — and now sending her daughter down the same path. > “Chechi, I’m leaving,” Lakshmi said softly. She bid farewell and walked to the car. > “See her arrogance? Couldn’t she even say goodbye to me? I’m her only brother, after all,” Ashwin muttered bitterly. > “Being born a brother isn’t enough,” Anshi wanted to retort, but stayed silent. No more fights today. They waved goodbye as the car rolled away. --- About fifteen minutes later, they reached Badri’s house. The car was silent — none of the three spoke. A marriage that arrived uninvited had shaken all of their hearts. After some time… > “Driver, stop near that textile shop. Everything happened so fast — we didn’t get anything ready. She can’t go in like this…” Indra’s voice broke the silence. Badri frowned, clearly unhappy, but said nothing. Together, Indra and Lakshmi went inside, bought a few dresses, and returned. Finally, their car stopped before a grand mansion, surrounded by towering stone walls — a nameplate that read “Paalakkal.” Lakshmi stepped out, her foot pressing against the earth of her new home — the thali at her neck glinting faintly in the sunlight. > What fate had that golden thread written into her life? Her heart trembled at the thought. (To be continued…) --- 💠 Support, please ❤️‍🔥 Comment + ❤️‍🔥