Born With A Curse

**Chapter 7: The Weight of Silence**

At home, her father, Mr. Waller, sat by the window in his wheelchair, gazing out into the world he could no longer fully experience. He had been waiting for her, as he always did. The old man’s eyes, worn with years of pain and love, brightened when he saw Meera step through the door.

"M - E - E - R - A," he called, his voice soft but filled with concern.

The moment she heard him, Meera rushed to his side and wrapped her arms around him, seeking comfort in his embrace.

"Don’t worry, Papa," she whispered, her voice wavering slightly. "I’m always here with you."

But Mr. Waller, though grateful for her presence, saw through her words. He gently pulled back and looked at her, his eyes searching hers.

"I worry because you have changed, my child," he said softly. "You have changed."

Meera shook her head, trying to dismiss his concerns. "No, Papa, nothing is happening. I’m fine."

But her father wasn’t convinced. His voice was gentle but firm as he replied, "I’m not talking about Reyansh. I’m talking about you, your attitude."

Meera’s defenses rose, and she turned her face away. "It’s nothing, Papa. Really, it’s nothing."

But it was far from nothing. Her father’s quiet observation had struck a nerve. The truth was that she had been changing, pulling away from everything and everyone, even Reyansh, who she cared for deeply. But the weight of her past, the whispers of a curse that had followed her all her life, held her back.

Her father, Mr. Waller, was one of the few people she truly loved, and Reyansh—Reyansh had become someone she couldn’t stop thinking about. She had decided that the next morning she would tell Reyansh the truth about her feelings, but also ask him to let her go.