Seven Vows, Seven Lies

She sat in her room, tears quietly rolling down her cheeks, her mind a storm of confusion. Everything was fine until an hour ago. What changed so suddenly? You're probably wondering the same thing, right? Then come closer. Let's rewind... just one hour back. . . . . . . . . 1:58 PM – Earlier That Afternoon She sat on the edge of her bed, lost in a world that wasn't real. The room was quiet — too quiet — except for the soft rustle of pages turning and the faint ticking of the clock. It was 2 PM. The golden afternoon sun poured through the cream curtains, bathing the room in a calm, dreamlike glow. Aanya was smiling, her eyes glued to the pages of her favorite fantasy novel. She wasn't here — not really. In her mind, she was inside the book, wearing a flowing gown, standing at the edge of a cliff with the fictional hero calling her name. She could almost hear his voice. Her lips parted slightly, ready to respond. And then — a sharp creak. The door to her room swung open. "Aanya," her mother's voice called softly. "What is it, Mom?" she whispered. "Please tell me. You're scaring me." Her mother took a deep breath — the kind you take when you're about to say something irreversible. "Aanya... listen to me carefully. Don't panic, okay? Just let me finish before you react." Aanya's breath hitched. Her body tensed. She glanced at her father, whose silence only made her more nervous. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please tell me." Then came the sentence that shattered her entire world. "Aanya... we've fixed your marriage." The words hit her like a slap. Her ears rang. Her world spun. She stood up abruptly, her voice loud and trembling. . . . . "What?!" Her mother tried to calm her. "Beta, please—just hear me out—" "No!" Aanya stepped back. "You're telling me I'm getting married? Just like that? Without even asking me?" Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Mom, I just finished my graduation. I haven't even started applying for my dream job yet! I have a career planned! My own life! And you—you want me to throw it all away for a marriage I didn't choose?" Her mother reached out, but Aanya pulled away. "I'm not doing it," she said firmly, shaking her head. "I won't." And then her father spoke for the first time, his voice calm but stern like a verdict being passed. "Aanya. The marriage is already fixed. You don't have a choice. You have to do this." Her body froze. Her voice cracked. "You're... forcing me?" Her mother stepped in, her eyes filled with pain. "Beta, we're your parents. We'd never hurt you. But believe us when we say... this marriage is necessary. It's the only way." Aanya's voice broke. "How can you say that? You haven't even told me who the guy is! What does he do? What's his name? What kind of person is he?! I don't know anything!" Her father stood up. "You'll know everything soon. After the wedding." "After—?" Aanya's knees went weak. "Dad, please... just tell me what's happening. What kind of 'situation' forces you to marry off your daughter in secret like this?" Her parents exchanged a glance. Her father clenched his fists. "Right now, we can't tell you everything. But when the time is right, you'll understand. Just trust us." Aanya stared at them in disbelief. And then came the final blow. "You don't have days to prepare, Aanya," her father said. . . . . "You have three hours." Her soul left her body for a moment. She staggered back. "W–what did you just say?" Her mother's lips trembled. "Beta... the wedding is today." "No..." she whispered. "No, you're joking. You can't do this to me. Not like this. Please..." She turned to her father. "Dad... please don't. You're ruining my life." Her mother was crying now. "We're so sorry, Aanya. Forgive us. Please just... be ready." And just like that, they left — quietly. No more explanations. No more answers. Just the sound of the door clicking shut behind them. Aanya's legs gave out beneath her. She collapsed to the floor. Her sobs shook through the silence like thunder. The girl who was just reading about fantasy love stories an hour ago... was now being married off to a stranger in the next three hours. Her dreams had no time to shatter. They were simply... erased. Her dreams hadn’t been shattered — they had been erased, stolen before she could even hold them. Minutes passed. Maybe hours. She wasn’t sure. But then — through the pain — came a single, desperate thought. “No. This can’t be real. I have to stop this. I have to talk to someone. Someone who won’t let this happen. Someone who cares…” She whispered aloud, her voice shaky, filled with tears. “Bhai. Yes. My brother. He’ll never let this happen to me.” She rushed to the table where she had been reading earlier, snatched her phone, and searched his name in her contact list. Her hands trembled as she hit “Call.” No answer. She called again. Still nothing. “Please… pick up, Bhai” she whispered, tears sliding down her face. Third time. Disconnected. “No,” she sobbed. “No, no, no. I have to find him.” She ran out of the room, calling his name. “Bhai?! Where are you? Please, I need you!” She checked his room. Empty. The living room. No one. Kitchen. Silent. She searched the entire house. Then — a voice behind her, sharp and cold. “He’s not here. And you should be getting ready.” She turned, startled. It was her father. “Dad… please. Where is Bhai? I need to talk to him. He won’t let this happen—he loves me! He’ll stop you!” Her father’s face darkened. “No one can stop this, Aanya. Not even your brother. You have to do this. For the family. For him. If you truly love us — him — you’ll say yes.” Tears spilled down her cheeks as she whispered, “How can you say that? How can you expect me to give up everything like this?” Her father looked away, his eyes wet. “I didn’t want this either. But our hands are tied. This marriage… it has to happen. I’m sorry, beta. I’m sorry for everything.” He turned and walked away. Aanya collapsed once more. Like a lifeless doll, she lay on the cold floor, broken and breathless. A few minutes later, her mother arrived. She knelt beside Aanya and held her gently, whispering her name. But Aanya didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Didn’t blink. She was there, but she wasn’t. Her mother helped her up and walked her back to her room, guiding her like a child. The bridal dress lay on the bed — heavy, ornate, and crimson red. But Aanya’s eyes were blank. Her lips were sealed. And the only thing moving were her silent tears, dripping like raindrops against stone. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. Her mother tried to speak. Tried to comfort her. But Aanya didn’t hear her. Because the girl she had been… was already gone.