Between Goodbye and Tomorrow
1197 Words
naya's POV
The mansion had gone silent.
Too silent for a night that was supposed to be filled with celebration.
A few hours ago, this house had been overflowing with guests, rituals, music, and forced smiles. Now all that remained was an eerie stillness that seemed to settle into every corner of the building.
My family was gone.
No hugs.
No proper goodbyes.
No whispered words of comfort before leaving me behind.
Maybe they couldn't bear to look at me.
Or maybe they couldn't bear to look at the consequences of the decision they had helped make.
Either way, I was here.
And they were gone.
A strange ache settled in my chest.
For twenty-six years, I had lived with them. Shared meals, arguments, laughter, festivals, and ordinary moments that suddenly didn't feel ordinary anymore.
Now, in a single day, everything had changed.
I wasn't Inaya Sharma anymore.
I was Inaya Malhotra.
The name felt unfamiliar.
Like a dress that didn't belong to me.
Priya bhabhi's gentle touch on my shoulder pulled me back to reality.
"Come, Inaya," she said softly. "You must be exhausted. I'll take you to Aarav's room."
His room.
The words alone made my stomach tighten.
I nodded silently.
What else was I supposed to do?
She led me through the long hallway.
The marble floors reflected the warm yellow lights hanging from the walls. Family photographs decorated the corridor—pictures of birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, and celebrations.
Happy memories.
A happy family.
I found myself studying the faces.
Aarav smiling beside his cousins.
Dadi laughing at something.
Kabir making a funny face at the camera.
The photos felt strangely intimate.
Like I was intruding into a life that wasn't mine.
The mansion smelled faintly of jasmine and sandalwood.
Everything looked elegant.
Expensive.
Perfect.
And somehow, that perfection only made me feel more out of place.
The silence between Priya bhabhi and me wasn't uncomfortable.
Maybe because she understood that I had no words left tonight.
Maybe because she knew some wounds couldn't be soothed immediately.
When we finally stopped in front of a large wooden door, my heartbeat quickened.
Priya bhabhi opened it slowly.
And I froze.
The room was beautiful.
Large floor-to-ceiling windows.
Dark wooden furniture.
Bookshelves.
A work desk.
A small seating area.
Everything looked neat and organized.
Not a single thing out of place.
It looked exactly how I imagined Aarav's room would look.
Disciplined.
Controlled.
Distant.
But then my eyes landed on the bed.
And my breath caught.
Rose petals.
Fairy lights.
Fresh flowers.
The room had been decorated for newlyweds.
A bridal room.
A room meant for dreams and promises.
For shy smiles and new beginnings.
Instead, it felt like a cruel joke.
Because there was nothing romantic about this marriage.
Nothing magical.
Nothing beautiful.
Just two broken people forced into the same story.
Priya bhabhi seemed to notice my expression.
Something sad flickered in her eyes.
"I'll send some comfortable clothes for you," she said gently.
I nodded.
"Thank you."
She gave me a small smile.
The kind people give when they don't know how to help but desperately want to.
Then she quietly left.
The door clicked shut behind her.
And suddenly, I was alone.
Completely alone.
I stood there for several moments.
The silence felt heavier now.
Almost suffocating.
Slowly, I walked further into the room.
My fingers brushed against the edge of a bookshelf.
Business books.
Leadership books.
Finance books.
A few novels tucked into a corner.
Tiny pieces of Aarav's life surrounded me.
And it felt strange knowing that I was supposed to share this space now.
For one year.
Exactly one year.
His words echoed inside my head.
"This marriage ends in one year."
The memory stung more than I wanted to admit.
Not because I wanted anything from him.
But because hearing those words on our wedding day had made me feel disposable.
Temporary.
Like an obligation.
A responsibility.
Never a choice.
I walked toward the bed and ran my fingers over the velvet blanket.
The roses looked beautiful.
Fresh.
Bright.
Unaware of the sadness hidden beneath them.
I stared at them for a long moment before closing my eyes.
Taking a deep breath.
"One year," I whispered softly.
The words felt stronger when spoken aloud.
"I'll fulfill every responsibility."
I swallowed hard.
"I'll be a good daughter-in-law."
A pause.
"A good member of this family."
Another pause.
"And after one year, I'll leave."
The promise wasn't for Aarav.
It wasn't even for this marriage.
It was for me.
A reminder that this situation wasn't forever.
A reminder that I would survive it.
Eventually.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
Priya bhabhi entered carrying folded clothes.
Simple cotton clothes.
Comfortable.
Normal.
For the first time all day, something about them felt reassuring.
She placed them on the bed.
"If you need anything, my room is right next door."
I nodded.
"Thank you"
Her smile softened.
Then she quietly left again.
This time, I locked the door after her.
I didn't know why.
Maybe because I needed one thing tonight.
Privacy.
I slowly moved toward the dressing table.
The mirror reflected a bride I barely recognized.
The makeup.
The jewelry.
The heavy lehenga.
Everything felt foreign.
Like I was looking at a stranger.
Without another thought, I began removing the jewelry.
The necklace came off first.
Then the earrings.
Then the bangles.
One by one.
Each piece landed on the table with a soft clink.
Tiny sounds filling the otherwise silent room.
Each one felt like a goodbye.
A goodbye to the wedding I never had.
A goodbye to the future I once imagined.
By the time I changed into the cotton clothes, my shoulders felt lighter.
The bridal outfit had weighed more than just my body.
It had carried expectations.
Dreams.
Disappointments.
I glanced toward the decorated bed.
Then toward the couch in the corner.
The choice was easy.
The couch felt safer somehow.
Less symbolic.
Less painful.
I grabbed a pillow and wrapped a shawl around myself.
Curling up carefully, I settled against the cushions.
The fairy lights continued glowing softly across the room.
Their warm light cast dancing shadows on the walls.
Beautiful.
And heartbreakingly sad.
I turned toward the wall and pulled the shawl closer.
The events of the day replayed endlessly in my mind.
The wedding.
The whispers.
My family's faces.
Aarav's cold expression.
His warning.
Everything.
My eyes burned.
A single tear slipped free.
Then another.
And another.
Soon, silent tears soaked the pillow beneath my cheek.
No sobs.
No dramatic breakdown.
Just quiet heartbreak.
The kind that hurts the most.
Eventually, exhaustion began to win.
My eyelids grew heavy.
My thoughts blurred.
And as sleep slowly pulled me under, one final thought crossed my mind.
This wasn't how love stories began.
There was no romance.
No fairy tale.
No happily-ever-after waiting around the corner.
But maybe life wasn't asking me to find love right now.
Maybe it was simply asking me to survive.
And for tonight, survival would have to be enough.
PLS comment it helps me to know what you all like about this chapter and what i need to improve 💕💫
~Velvet Ink
- Writer
