Two weeks passed in a jiff, and today is my wedding day. Rakesh ji had cleared all our debts and even taken care of the wedding expenses. Appa and Amma were over the moon, inviting half of the village to celebrate.
A knock sounded on the door, and Priya entered, followed by Kavitha aunty and Grandma. I gave them a polite smile as they sat on the bed, watching the lady who was getting me ready for the wedding.
The saree and jewels I wore had been chosen by Rakesh ji, and I couldn’t deny—I truly looked beautiful in them. I hadn’t spoken to him or seen him since the first day he visited our home to fix the wedding.
“You look beautiful, Meera. Finally, your mother’s burdens are over. Be smart and live your life better. Your parents are the example of how you shouldn’t live. Keep control over everything, and don’t let anyone ruin your life,” Kavitha aunty said. I simply bobbed my head in response.
Priya looked radiant in a lehenga as she helped the beautician put the final touches on me. Dressed in the golden-maroon silk saree with jewels shimmering, I barely recognized myself. My hair was tied in a bun, adorned with jasmine flowers. Amma entered the room and softly said it was time.
I followed her to the mandap and saw Rakesh ji seated there. He looked handsome, and when he smiled at me, I remembered his words from our first meeting. Almost unconsciously, I found myself smiling back.
I was seated beside him, and together we went through the rituals. We exchanged garlands, and then Rakesh tied the nuptial thread around my neck.
In that moment, I was no longer just Meera. I was Meera Rakesh—the wife of the man who had paid for everything to marry me.
We received blessings from the elders, but even amidst the noise and joy, I caught sight of the monster smirking at me.
“Rakesh ji, he is my brother-in-law. He has helped our family a lot. Please get his blessings,” Appa said, and Rakesh ji bent down to touch his feet.
I couldn’t avoid it—I bent too, but I would never touch this monster’s feet. Quickly, I retracted and stood back beside Rakesh ji. My heart ached for Janani; I wished she were here to bless me, to stand by me in this moment.
Rakesh ji held my hand and never let go. My heart fluttered with every gentle squeeze of his fingers. After all the rituals, we reached home. I felt shy to even look at him. Amma guided me to my room to rest for a while, while Rakesh ji stayed in the hall, talking to the guests.
I stood before the mirror, staring at my reflection. I looked so different… so beautiful. The nuptial chain resting on my chest gleamed brightly—it felt like a promise of something new. For the first time, I felt that I had a life of my own to live. I wouldn’t have to live up to my parents’ expectations anymore. I wouldn’t be their burden anymore. This was my life now. I would leave this hell behind forever. It was time to build my own path with Rakesh ji.
I would tell him everything—the tortures I had endured, the injustices I’d faced. I prayed he would understand, that he would see I was innocent in all that had happened to me. In him, I wanted to find strength, and together we could build a life… a family.
I changed into a simple saree and carefully folded the wedding saree, packing the jewels neatly into a box. Amma had bought me a few sarees and clothes, and I had already packed them. Everything was ready.
Everything was set for my new journey.
By afternoon, Amma and the neighbor aunty entered the room with more bags of sweets and savories packed for my departure. Amma sat behind me and started combing my hair.
“Meera, you are now married and have your own family to take care of. Rakesh ji is a very kind and humble man. I’m sure you will be happy in your new home and family. But keep this in mind—you must always put forth his needs and happiness before everything. He has given us so much and married you, so it is your duty to take care of him. Men will always have needs, don’t stop him from having his rights on you. It is your duty as a wife to fulfill his needs, and that is the key to his heart. If you take care of him, he will take care of you. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Amma said, and I felt the air knocked out of my lungs.
How could she say this to me? Why must my comfort and needs come last? Most importantly, how could I give myself to him when I was still drowning in the trauma of what the monster and the devil had done to me? How could I let him touch me? What if he grew upset or angry when I couldn’t? Would he understand if I needed time for intimacy—or would that be my doom? Oh my god, what should I do now?
My trance broke when Amma nudged my shoulder. I turned to her, and she smiled, mistaking my shock for shyness.
“Meera, by god’s grace you have a good husband and family. Hold on to this life and take care of yourself,” Amma said and walked out of the room, leaving me stunned.
Beside me lay the saree she had chosen for me to wear. Lost in thought, I dressed in it, and when I was called, Rakesh ji and his family were ready. Appa placed my luggage and all the carefully packed things into the car.
My hands trembled at the mere thought of the wedding night that awaited me tomorrow in Rakesh ji’s home. I prayed he would understand me, that he would give me the time I needed to adapt to everything.
I hugged Akash, Grandma, Kavitha aunty, and Amma, and bid farewell to the neighbors before getting into the car with Rakesh ji beside me. I couldn’t stop crying. Rakesh ji quietly handed me his handkerchief to wipe my tears. The pain of leaving the place I had lived all these years, the fear of adapting to new family members and relationships, and above all, the fear of intimacy—it all weighed down on me. I leaned against the car window and sobbed until exhaustion dragged me into sleep.
By early morning, I felt someone gently shaking my shoulder. Blinking awake, I saw Rakesh ji smiling down at me. I looked outside and saw the car had stopped in front of a two-storey house. Rakesh ji got down first, and I followed him to the porch. My mother-in-law, Vasuki, welcomed us with all the traditional rituals and instructed one of the ladies to take me to a room to rest.
I followed the lady to a room, which was simple with just a bed, a wardrobe, and an attached bathroom.
“You can sleep, I’ll wake you later. I’m sure you must be tired from the travel,” the lady said and walked out, closing the door behind her. But the door opened once again, and Rakesh ji entered, dragging my trolley.
“I thought you would need a change of clothes. Rest well, and I’ll meet you for breakfast in the morning,” he said. I quietly bobbed my head.
I used the washroom and laid down on the bed, but I couldn’t sleep while looking at the unfamiliar room. I just stared at the ceiling until I saw the sun’s rays peeking through the curtains. Quickly, I picked out fresh clothes and entered the bathroom to get ready. I stood before the mirror on the wall, preparing myself exactly the way Amma had told me.
When I opened the door, the entire house was silent. Maybe everyone was still sleeping, so I returned to the room and sat on the bed, fidgeting with the pallu of my saree, waiting to hear some noise from outside.
An hour later, I heard voices and stepped out of the room. My mother-in-law was talking to a lady, giving her instructions. She smiled when she saw me and introduced the maid, Leela. I touched my mother-in-law’s feet for blessings, and she looked calm and happy seeing me.
“Meera, you must be tired from the travel. Why did you wake up so early? You could have slept a little longer,” she said. I just smiled at her kindness. I had never been allowed to sleep beyond 5 a.m. in all my life.
“I will prepare breakfast, aunty,” I said, glancing around the home, but she gently pulled me to sit on the couch.
“No, Meera. You are newlywed and should spend your time getting to know us and your husband. Leela will take care of the work. She will bring us coffee.”
I was still in shock that she wanted me to rest and relax while I would actually be served with coffee. Just then, I heard a gruff voice. Rakesh ji was descending the stairs, buttoning his shirt. I quickly averted my gaze, but he suddenly stopped talking. I raised my head and saw him still holding the mobile to his ear—his eyes were fixed on me.
“I need to be at the office. Something urgent came up. I’ll be back in an hour or two,” he said to his mother and then looked at me, as if confirming I had received the message. He gave a smile and a nod before walking out, lashing out at someone over the phone.
“Don’t be scared, Meera. He is always busy with his work. He will be back,” she assured me, and I nodded in reply.
After we had coffee, she led me to his room and opened a wardrobe, which was completely empty and looked brand new.
“He bought this wardrobe for you. Arrange your clothes, and I will call you for breakfast,” my mother-in-law said, walking out of the room.
I returned to the room I was allowed to rest in and dragged my trolleys to the new room I would be sharing with Rakesh ji. It was a huge room with a bed, two wardrobes, a couch, and an attached bathroom. The curtains looked new, and the chill from the AC still lingered in the air.
I started arranging my clothes, but I felt scared looking at the bed. Would he wait until I was ready? I didn’t know why, but I was nervous. When I finished arranging, Leela stood by the threshold of the room, and I noticed the way she looked at me.
Was she looking at me with pity? Why would she pity me?
Her gaze shifted to the room, and I saw her gulp before taking a step back.
“Sister, breakfast is ready,” she said and hurried away. I didn’t know why, but her reaction unsettled me. Maybe I was being paranoid because of my past experiences with men. I could talk to Rakesh ji and explain myself.
I entered the hall and saw Rakesh ji had returned, talking to his mother. They both stopped talking when they saw me, and he smiled warmly. We had breakfast together, and I wasn’t allowed to do any work.
Rakesh ji returned to his room while I stayed with my mother-in-law in the hall. I wondered why there were no relatives on the very next day of the wedding, but I didn’t dare question anyone. By evening, my father-in-law entered the home and simply retired to his room, ignoring me and his wife. I wondered where he had been all day, I hadn’t seen him since morning.
After dinner, my mother-in-law took me to another room and asked me to wear a new saree. She helped me wear simple jewelry and adorned my hair with lots of flowers. She gave me a glass of milk and sent me to Rakesh ji’s room… I mean, our room.
I stood by the closed door, my hands trembling, my forehead sweating, afraid of his reaction. I prayed to every deity in the world to be by my side and grant me the happy ending I longed for, and then I knocked on the door.
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