The family had gathered in the hall, the shagun thalis prepared, incense rising in the air as the vrat savitri puja was about to begin.
Vihaan and Gauri descended the stairs together. Gauri's dupatta was already draped neatly over her head, her jewelry shining in the soft light of the diyas. Her eyes brightened when she spotted Gayatri and Charvi entering.
"Ma… Charvi!" she whispered, rushing to embrace them. Hugging Charvi tightly, she leaned to her ear and murmured, "Get well soon, my little star."
Charvi smiled, whispering back, "Didi… you look stunning today."
Gayatri folded her hands warmly to greet the Kotharis, and the family nodded and returned the gesture with restrained courtesy.
Sharda stepped forward, her gaze sharp and commanding. "Good. You met them," she said flatly. "Spend all the time you want with your mother and sister today… because you won't get another opportunity."
Gauri blinked, her smile faltering. "Of course, Bade Maa… but why worry? They aren't going anywhere. There will always be another opportunity."
Sharda's eyes hardened, her voice echoing through the hall. "It seems you didn't hear me, Gauri. I told you… this is your last time meeting them."
The words stilled the air. The family exchanged uneasy glances.
Confused, Gauri took a step forward. "What… what do you mean, Bade Maa?"
Sharda's expression was unyielding as she declared, "If you wish to remain the daughter-in-law of this family, you must break ties with your family forever. No visits, no attachments. From this day forth, the Kotharis are your only family."
Everyone froze in shock. Gayatri's face paled, Charvi gripped her mother's hand, and Gauri's eyes welled with disbelief.
"Break ties…?" Gauri's voice cracked, her chest tightening as she looked at Sharda in horror.
Even Vihaan stiffened at the harsh decree.
The silence hung heavy in the hall after Sharda's declaration.
Sharda straightened her shoulders, her tone sharp and authoritative. "When a girl gets married, she leaves her family behind. Her husband's family becomes her real family. That is the way of tradition, and that is how it shall be in this house."
Gauri swallowed hard, but she did not lower her gaze. She stepped forward, her voice steady despite the tremor in her heart.
"I agree, Bade Maa," she said softly at first, then stronger, "that when a girl marries, she leaves her parents' home. She learns new ways, she becomes a part of her husband's family. But…" she paused, her eyes shining as she looked at her mother and sister, "she doesn't break ties with her family. Blood and love cannot be severed by marriage. I may live here, but my roots will always remain with my mother and my sister. Nothing can change that."
A murmur spread across the hall. Dadi's lips curved faintly in approval, while Urvashi and Raani exchanged worried glances.
Sharda's face hardened further at Gauri's defiance. "So you are arguing with me?" she asked coldly.
"No, Bade Maa," Gauri said respectfully, folding her hands. "I'm not arguing. I'm only speaking the truth of my heart."
Her words created a pin-drop silence, every eye shifting between the unyielding Sharda and the quietly resolute Gauri.
Sharda's voice sliced through the hall like a whip.
"You have become the Kothari daughter-in-law, Gauri," she said, her tone dripping with disdain. "Which means you have been picked from filth."
The words hit Gauri like stones. Her lips trembled. "Are you… are you calling my family filth?"
Sharda's eyes narrowed. "Aren't they? Your mother is a dancer. She dragged you into the same dirt. Your younger sister—God knows what she is or what she will become. The only one among you who carried a shred of respect was your elder sister, Adrija. A nutritionist, about to marry into this family. But even she fled shamelessly. Tell me then, what value does your family hold in the eyes of society?"
Tears welled in Gauri's eyes, but her voice was steady. "First, I am not a dancer, and nor is Charvi. Secondly—" her chest heaved as her gaze darted to her mother and sister— "whether you or society sees my family as dirt or filth, they are my family. How could you expect me to break ties with them?"
Sharda's lips curled into a bitter smile. "You must learn to be like a lotus, Gauri. A lotus grows in mud but rises above it—plucked only for veneration. If you want to survive as the Kothari bahu, you must rise above your dirt. Become a lotus."
She turned sharply to Vihaan, her gaze commanding. "Make her understand what is right for her."
The entire family's eyes shifted to Vihaan. He looked at Gauri—her trembling lips, her moist eyes pleading silently for his support. His own eyes glistened with unshed tears, but when he finally spoke, his voice was low and heavy.
"Bade Maa is right, Gauri," he said, each word crushing her heart.
Her breath hitched, her tears spilled, and in that moment the floor beneath her seemed to vanish. She staggered back, staring at Vihaan in disbelief—her savior, her protector, her husband—breaking her heart with a single agreement.
The silence in the hall was deafening.