Aarohiâs heart pounded in her chest as she stood just outside the door, her hand trembling as she reached for the knob. The guilt that had been eating at her ever since she left the wedding was unbearable. She had never wanted to disappoint her parents, but today, she had gone against everything they stood forâeverything they had worked so hard for. She couldnât help but wonder how things had spiraled so far out of her control.
As soon as she stepped into the house, the silence hit her like a brick wall. It was too quiet. Too tense. She could sense it immediately, the heavy weight of the unspoken words that lingered in the air.
Neelamâs voice echoed in her mind: âWhere were you? Why would you do this to your sister, to us?â
Aarohi pulled her oversized hoodie over her head, pulling the strings tighter, covering her face as she rushed up the stairs. The hallway felt endless, but she couldnât bear to face anyone just yet. Not like this. Her heart was a battleground, torn between the guilt she felt for leaving her family in the lurch and the unbearable need to escape the suffocating reality of this forced marriage.
She reached her room, slammed the door behind her, and leaned against it, trying to catch her breath. The room felt too small, the walls closing in as the suffocating feeling deepened. She stood there for a few seconds, just letting the guilt wash over her like a wave.
Finally, she gathered herself, pulling the hoodie off and tossing it aside, her hands shaking as she tried to dress herself in something more suitable, though no outfit could make her feel less like a failure.
But before she could even finish changing, the unmistakable sounds of voices downstairsâher parentsâhit her ears. It wasnât long before Neelam called her down in a sharp tone, her patience clearly tested. Aarohi hesitated for a second before she took a deep breath and walked downstairs, dreading what was to come.
As soon as she entered the room, her gaze immediately went to the empty seat across from Vihaanâs parents. Vihaan himself had already left. The tension in the room was suffocating, the absence of his presence leaving a chasm that was all too noticeable.
Her parents looked up from their quiet conversation, their faces tense, their smiles forced. Neelamâs eyes locked on her with a flicker of disappointment, and Rajeshâs jaw was clenched tight.
âAarohi,â Rajesh said, his voice dangerously calm. âDo you have any idea what youâve done? Your sisterâs wedding. Vihaanâs family. You think you can just leave and everything will be fine?â
Aarohiâs stomach churned. âI... I didnât mean to hurt anyone. I just couldnâtââ
âCouldn't?â Neelam interrupted, her voice a mixture of anger and hurt. âYou couldnât what, Aarohi? You couldnât stand being there? You couldnât show a little respect for your sister and this family? You couldnât even stand to face Vihaanâs parents, who were waiting to meet you?â
Aarohi could feel her chest tightening. The words they spoke were like daggers, each one cutting deeper into her conscience. She wanted to explain herself, to tell them it wasnât about Vihaan or the weddingâbut she couldnât find the words.
Neelamâs tone softened, but the disappointment was clear in her eyes. âAarohi, I understand youâre struggling, but we are family. We are doing this for youâfor youâand this is how you repay us?â
Aarohiâs heart broke as her motherâs words sunk in. âIâm sorry,â she whispered, barely above a breath. But the apology felt hollow, as if it couldnât fix the damage she had done.
Her parents exchanged looks, a silent conversation passing between them, before Rajesh finally spoke again. His voice was cold, harsh with frustration. âAarohi, you need to go and apologize to Vihaanâs parents. Now.â
The weight of his command hit her like a physical blow. She stood frozen for a moment, before nodding wordlessly. Aarohi moved toward the door, her legs heavy, her heart sinking with each step.
Vihaanâs parents were still seated, their faces unreadable, but the polite smiles they offered were thin, strained. Aarohi could feel the anger and disappointment simmering beneath their composed exteriors.
âIâm so sorry for my behavior earlier,â Aarohi said, her voice breaking as she addressed them. âI didnât mean to cause any trouble. It wasnât personal. I... I just couldnât be here.â
Dev, Vihaanâs father, gave a curt nod, but the chill in the air only deepened. His lips barely moved when he spoke. âItâs alright,â he said, his voice flat. âWe understand... But perhaps, next time, a bit more communication would be better. Letâs leave this for now.â
Aarohi didnât know how to respond. She opened her mouth to say more, but her words felt useless. Vihaanâs absence, his quiet exit, left her feeling more humiliated than she had ever felt in her life.
When she returned to her parents, they were waiting for her, standing in the doorway like judges waiting for their guilty child to admit to her crime.
Rajesh wasted no time, his eyes hard with disappointment. âYou think saying sorry is enough? You think your apology can undo what youâve done? Youâve embarrassed us, Aarohi. Youâve embarrassed your sister. And youâve made things uncomfortable for Vihaanâs family.â
Aarohiâs eyes filled with tears, but she refused to let them fall. âI didnât mean to. I... Iâm sorry.â
Neelam stepped forward, her expression softer but still full of hurt. âWeâre not angry with you, Aarohi. Weâre disappointed. Youâve made a choice, and now you need to stand by it. If youâre going to be part of this family, you need to start acting like it.â
Rajesh nodded in agreement, his voice low. âI donât care if you like the marriage or not, but you will respect it. And youâll respect your family. The next time something like this happens, I donât know how weâll move forward.â
Aarohi nodded numbly, feeling the weight of her actions crashing down on her. Her mother and father exchanged one last disappointed look before turning their backs, leaving her to face the consequences alone.
She wanted to fix everything, to undo the mess she had created. But for now, all she could do was apologize. And even that felt like too little, too late.