Riya ran into her room and collapsed on the bed. Her fingers dug into the mattress.
Riya's thoughts:
Why her? I prayed. I waited. I obeyed. And still... she wins. She never cared about impressing anyone. But still they Pampers her like this, back then they never treated me like this and Meena aunty why she's like this?How is this fair?
Tears streamed down her face silently. But in her heart, a new bitterness began to bloom — quiet and poisonous.
---
, behind locked doors and behind Riya's veil of silence, jealousy was gathering — not the loud kind, but the slow, calculating kind. The kind that waits for its chance to strike.
---
A quiet war begins beneath garlands and gold.
---
The morning of the engagement, the venue was wrapped in silk and song. Strings of jasmine dangled from the balconies like waterfalls, and the scent of incense hovered in the air like a blessing… or a warning.
But inside the house, not all hearts rejoiced.
Kamla Devi moved mechanically between guests, her smile brittle as glass. She greeted with folded hands, complimented outfits, served sweets — but inside, she was burning.
Kamla Devi's thoughts:
I birthed Riya to be a mistress of Riches and Fame, not Nalina. This is a theft wrapped in rituals. A betrayal from inside our own home.
Riya stood beside her, draped in a rose-pink lehenga. Her face was carefully made up — the kohl perfect, the lipstick flawless — but her eyes were hollow.
She was so happy an hour ago but then they came, together.
Avinash's family and Ashutosh's Family.
Their ceremony were held together. But Nalina steels the show again, everybody was talking how beautiful she looked in traditional green lahenga, How expensive her shagun was, compared to her's what Avinash's family brought look shaby ,not even that but everybody was talking about how both our shagun was brought from the same place but comparing with her my choice doesn't look so good.
Not only that but just after giving Nalina, iPhone and all ,he still brought a gift for nalina -a diamond studded bracelet.
Avinash on the other hand come empty handed, His mother has added a Diamond set on my shagun,the one which was gifted to Nalina by Avinash-a used one. if Avinash was a little sensible they won't talk about me like this. Now they even went for a photoshoot but Avinash just insisted to carry the photoshoot here -in hall nothing compared to Some beautiful location they are shooting right now.
She should be angry or crying.
Instead, she smiled.
Riya's thoughts:
I can't them ruin my mood, compared to Ashutosh, Avinash is much better, a successful businessman, after I marry him I'll be a rich Madam, surrounded by wealth and fame everywhere. Nalina will be long forgotten by then.
---
Nalina, dressed in green with gold detailing, sat like a statue as the priest chanted mantras. Her hands rested in her lap, henna still fresh, bangles clinking with every small movement.
Ashutosh sat beside her — confident, proud.
But beneath Nalina's calm face, a smile was tacking place.
Nalina's thoughts:
I didn't ask for this. Yet here I am — bound to a man I don't know, in a family I may not fit in, But they treat me so well, I don't why I'm smiling sinse yesterday, is it because of him? What Is it?, Simple happiness? gratitude? Or maybe Love?
She stole a glance at him.
He smiled, as if he already knows her thoughts,as if he already knows how he stirred my feelings.
Ashutosh's thoughts:
She looks beautiful when she's nervous. But she'll soften. Once she's mine fully, I'll make her feel so loved that she'll totally forgot her past and never doubt my feelings.
---
The Engagement rituals passed in a blur of smiles, sweets, and chants. Looks were exchanged, the beautiful rings on finger, Sweetness love in the air.
And just like that, Nalina officially became Mangetar of Ashutosh Mehra.
And Riya became Avinash Mehra's Mangetar.
The cameramen capturing every seen the ceremony was completed , as Ashutosh have given a order for Engagement shoot. They took their leave to nearest shooting location and Avinash wanted to keep it simple so their photoshoot was arranged in venue.
—
In Nalina's house
The photographer have given the the edited pictures, in living room Raghunath and sumitra with some other relatives are watching the photos.
Upstairs Nalina have already taken a shower and siting in front of the dressing table, she was combing her hair.
After doing her hair, she turned to look at dinner her mother have placed on the tea table saying, "If not hungry now ,then eat something before going to sleep, don't sleep with empty stomach."
She sighed then lay down on the bad, the moonlight from the window entered her room falling on the bad. She turned to look out of the window the moon and the clouds giving tranquility to her heart.
Now finally after so many days her heart feel at peace. She looked at the sky smiling without any reason, don't even know why she's happy, but one thing for sure she knows that Ashutosh is different from Avinash, this time she's sure that Ashutosh will be good life partner, Maybe this is what love do, makes you happy and confident about your choice.
Tired from today's event aa was about to close her eyes Ashutosh's message came,
"Hi."
Looking at the message she turned around from the moon to her phone, replying with evident smile on her face.
She doesn't know why but she's been smiling a lot lately, not knowing the reason but she's truly happy with her life, just like now only a message of hi can make her smile.
She took her phone typing a reply,
"Hi"
"What are you doing?"the reply came instantly.
Her lips turned to smile,
"Oh, nothing much just looking outside the window."
"You seem to like to look out of windows."
"Yes, I do."
"So, what else do you like beside this?"
"I like so many things, ask about something specific."
"Did you see the pictures ?Do you like it."
"Yes."
She replied with a smile.
thinking maybe this is how one should feel when you are engaged to someone, Maybe this is love.
____