"Better late than never."

___________________________

"Dekhta nhi hai kya? Couldn't you watch where you were going?" Veer's first instinct was to check his bike for any harm or scratches. Thank goodness his Munni was safe. Or else he would've taken that person to court, who dared to harm his beloved.

[Can't you see?]

Veer looked ahead to see who bumped into him only to see Suhana. SUHANA VYAS. His father's assistant lawyer. Also, the one example his father always uses to taunt him. The one who was also checking her scooty for any damage.

She had a quiet grace that drew people in without her even trying. Her medium-length hair, smooth and dark, usually rested neatly around her shoulders, sometimes tucked behind her ear as she focused on something or lost herself in thought. Her black eyes were deep and unreadable-like still water at night-calm, steady, yet filled with unspoken thoughts.

She moved with a composed elegance, never rushed, never flustered. An introvert by nature, she rarely spoke unless she had something meaningful to say, but when she did, her words carried weight. There was a comforting silence around her, the kind that made others feel at ease. She wasn't the kind of girl who sought attention but rather the one you'd notice in a quiet corner-serene, self-assured, and unknowingly captivating.

Suhana looked at him, and their eyes met. "Of course, it's you." He muttered under his breath. "Aapka dhyan kaha tha?" She asked, clutching her bag on her shoulder.

[What were you thinking?]

Veer gasped. "Excuse me? What was I thinking? What were you thinking? Your scooty bumped into my Munni." He said in a full-on, defensive plus assusing tone. Like he was ready to throw hands on that thing (her scooty) if necessary.

"No way. Your bike bumped into my Guddu." She said in an equally defensive but relatively calm tone. Veer's eyes narrowed.

"Guddu?" Veer scoffed at the silly name. Who in their sane mind names their vehicle-Guddu? (As if he named his one any better)

"My Munni did no such thing it was your.. this thing that did everything."

"Dekhiye, aap bin baat ka batangad kyu kar rahe hai? Sorry boliye aur khatam kariye." Suhana said in a calm, resolving tone. She didn't want to stretch such trival matter into something big. Her brows were slightly furrowed as she stared back in his striking amber eyes.

[Why are you making such a big deal out of it? Just say sorry and end it]

Veer folded his arms. "Exactly, sorry bolo aur khatam karo. Chaliye ab jaldi boliye mere paas time nhi hai." He looked at her expectantly. Her furrow deepened.

[Exactly. Say sorry and end it. Come on, be quick now. I don't have much time]

"Why should I apologize? You do it." Suhana countered. No way, she was going to apologize when he was the one at fault. He was the one in a rush who didn't see where he was going. As a lawyer, she would stand beside who was right—that is herself.

"I don't go on giving out sorrys as tokens for no reason. I wasn't at fault here. So, I won't apologize. Simple." He said stubbornly. His phone tinged, indicating another message. He knew who it was-Arnab.

Could he just apologize, resolve the matter, and go end his friend's weight? Yes. But would he do that? No. Why? Because he may or may not have developed a personal one-sided grudge against the woman in front of him by the grace of his lovely father.

The father, who never misses a chance to compare him with her. She's this. She's that. She's doing so well. He's doing so, not well. And blah, blah, blah. The list was never-ending. Unknowingly, he had developed a grudge against her. He knew it was irrational. She wasn't the one at fault. But his heart wasn't listening to anything otherwise.

So, yeah. He wasn't going to apologize. At least not first. He didn't want to give his bruised ego another bruise by giving her the satisfaction by apologizing. Was it immature and childish? Yes. But did he give two flying damns? No.

He tapped his foot on the ground, indicating that he was waiting for the impending apology.

Suhana, on the other hand, could've done the same. Apologize and resolve. But the lawyer in her wasn't ready to give in. Why should she admit the guilt when she wasn't wrong. On top of that, her guddu could've been harmed.

"You are apologizing." He stated, reminding her once again. He said it as if it were a universal fact. She mentally scoffed. She wanted to say more. Much more. But she couldn't because of two things.

One, her introverted nature, her inability to say what was in her mouth out aloud. And trust her, that bugged her more than it did to anyone else.

Two, whether she liked it or not. He was still her employer's son. Although, she knew Tarun won't fire her for disputing with his son. But she still had to respect the fact.

"You bumped into me. A simple sorry would've been.. decent. Your gigantic bike almost caused severe damage to my Guddu. The least you could do is apologize." Her voice calm, but assertive as she spoke.

"Wow, seriously? You're blaming it on me? You bump into me and can't even say sorry? Basic manners aren't that hard, you know-" before Veer could finish. His phone started ringing, startling both him and Suhana. Arnab! He mentally cursed him and himself. But then sighed.

Guess he was bound to lose to her anyway.

"You know what? I guess being the bigger person here.. I'll apologize." He said, but his tone was anything but apologetic. Suhana raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of events but nodded nonetheless. She wanted to resolve it soon. She had to bring the draft of their current case to Tarun, and she was getting late as well.

"Sauny." Veer muttered.

"Huh?" Her brows knitted in confusion. "What did you say?"

Veer poked his inner cheek and took a deep breath, spoke again. "Sauny." He muttered again, but clear enough for her to hear.

How can a man be so dumb? She knew he was jobless, and now she was getting the reason behind it, too. Who would want to employ a person who doesn't even know how to pronounce a simple 'sorry'.

"It's not sauny, it's sorry." She corrected, controlling the urge to roll her eyes. She looked away, biting back a smile, feeling proud that she finally got a sorry out of him.

Veer smirked widely, titling his head. "See, that wasn't so hard, now, was it?" He went towards his bike and hopped on it. "Pehle hi bol deti toh aap apna bhi time bacha leti aur mera bhi. But koi nhi, der aaye durust aaye. Bye-bye, Suhana ji." He fixed his helmet and sped away, flashing her a wide grin. Suhana didn’t miss the taunt in the last sentence.

[You could've said that earlier-it would've saved both your time and mine. But no worries, better late than never. Bye-bye, Suhana ji]

Victory!

He won, she lost. (Evil laugh)

Veer grinned to himself as he sped off towards his destination. He was feeling content. Happy. Arnab was definitely getting a treat from him. You lost, Ms. Suhana Vyas.

Meanwhile, Suhana stood there confused. What just happened? Why did he..

Her eyes widened in realisation. That smart idiot! I'll handle him next time. She thought as she kicked the stone from the ground.

Her phone rang. It was Tarun. Of course. If there was one thing she'd learned after working with him for two years, it was this-Tarun Saxena valued punctuality like it was a religion.

And now? Perfect. She was late.

Just perfect!

___________________________

A week later.

Virendra was sitting in his office, seemingly lost in thoughts. Which seemed to be doing a lot these days.

Harish was sitting in the ahead ahead of him, flipping through the village documents. He looked up towards Virendra and sighed as he saw the lines on his forehead.

He was just his associate in work. He was a friend Virendra grew up with, went to school with, and a childhood companion. Harish knew the reason behind those lines, all too well.

He slowly called out to him. "Choudhary Sahab?" But his voice was heard to deaf ears. Virendra was too deep in his thoughts.

"Choudhary Sahab." He called a little loudly this time. Which seemed to break Virendra's trance. He looked at him, raising his eyebrow.

"Where were you lost?" Harish asked, closing the document. Virendra shook his head. "Nowhere. Were you saying something? Is there any trouble with the documents?"

"No. Nothing that sort. But you've been zoning out like this ever since we returned from that collector's office.." he started off suggestively. But he knew Virendra wasn't the one to easily open up. He liked to keep his worries to himself instead of burdening others with them.

"It's nothing, Harish."

Harish exhaled, contemplating whether to push more or drop it. "Are you worried about Meera bitiya doing the same as Kusum Ji did?" He asked, knowing this was a sensitive topic for him.

"Harish." Virendra's voice was firm, indicating that he didn't want to talk about the topic.

"Sorry, Choudhary Sahab. But working for you for all these years. I could tell this is the thing troubling you." Harish's voice was low and calculated. Virendra sighed and nodded, looking out of the window.

"Meera bitiya won't do such thing. I've seen her grow up in front of my eyes. She loves and respects you the most. And I'm saying this as a friend." He said, looking at Virendra. His each word seemed genuine.

"I know..." But my mind is still spiraling around it, and I don't know why. I know my Meera would do no such thing. But I can't help it. The fear of what happened to Kusum happening to her terrifies me. I can't stop worrying about it.

"Choudhary Sahab, if you don't mind, I have a solution for it. But it's just a suggestion, the rest is totally up to you." Harish said cautiously. He was very grateful to Virendra for he had helped Harish's family a lot when he needed it the most. He also wanted to help his friend when he was clearly troubled.

Virendra raised his eyebrow, intrigued and curious about what Harish had to say. A solution, he said. "What is it?"

Harish gulped, hesitating for a minute but deciding to go for it. "You should get Meera married." He said. Virendra's gaze turned into a glare. "What are you talking about? Just because I'm being paranoid doesn't mean I'll marry Meera off to that man." He said harshly. He was aware what he was feeling. But just because of his fear, he wouldn't force Meera. Never.

Harish shook his head. "No, Chowdhary Sahab, I'm not asking you to marry Meera to that Collector's brother. There are other boys in the world."

Virendra thought for a while. Fxing Meera's marriage? "Meera won't agree." He shook his head. "She doesn't want to get married just yet. She's still young and.. I'm not ready to send her away from me yet, either."

"I know. But what if you get her married to someone you know well. Someone she knows. Someone who'll not take her away from here?" Harish's tone was suggestive. Virendra raised an eyebrow.

"You have someone in mind, don't you?" He asked. Because his suggestive tone was suggesting he knew who he was talking about. "Who?" Virendra asked firmly.

"Rishi, Choudhary Sahab. He decided to open a clinic and settle back here. And it is not foreign to you that he loves Meera." Rishi. Virendra thought about the boy.

Rishi Jadhav. Harish's son. Who had gone to Delhi to practice his medical degree. Who liked Meera since childhood. It wasn't unknown to Virendra. In fact, Rishi himself was the one who had told him.

Before he went to Delhi. Rishi came to him to confess, asking him for Meera's hand in marriage when he came back. Virendra didn't give this thing much thought before. But now, if he were to think about it,

Rishi was a decent guy. A doctor at that. No bad habits, polite, on top of that, he loved Meera. He was good friends with Vikram, too. Meera and him had known each other since childhood. Meera won't have any trouble living with him.

Overall, he was the best option rather than marrying her to a stranger and sending her away. He'll be constantly worrying about her if that happened.

He looked at Harish, who was already looking at him, as if to gauge his reaction. "Meera doesn't want to get married just yet." Virendra said. He knew Meera won't agree, and he won't force her to get married if she didn't want to.

"Choudhary Sahab, it's for her betterment only. You know that Thakur won't sit still after what happened. And we don't have to get them married just yet. Let's just get them engaged." Harish said. Virendra looked at him, trying to figure out if it was genuine concern for Meera or a father's helplessness to fulfill his son's wish. Was he being selfish for his son's love? No, all Virendra could see was genuineness. No ulter motive.

Harish blinked. "Bas ek sujhav tha ye, Chowdhary Sahab. Rishi sach mein bohot pasand karta hai Meera ko. Baki toh aap aur Meera bitiya jaisa chahe. Lekin ha, ek baar vichaar jaroor kijiyega iss par." His voice was calm and unbiased. Virendra nodded. Maybe this wasn't a bad idea, after all? Rishi liked Meera. He'd take care of her. And if he didn't. Then Virendra was there to ensure that he did.

[This is just a suggestion, Mr. Choudhary. Rishi really likes Meera a lot. But then again, it's totally up to you and Meera. But yes, do give it a thought]

___________________________

This is the place where we found the body; the officer had said when Dhruv first arrived at the here, in Naveli, in this forest. At that time, Dhruv didn't really find anything. No traces of Billrubin. Or any such chemical.

And now, he was here, once again. Alone, this time at darkness of the night. He went towards areas where he didn't check before. The UV light from his pocket device shimmering in the dark.

Even after a while, there was nothing he found there. There was just forest everywhere. He checked the ground, the trees, the woods. But nothing did he find.

He decided to walk a little further inside the forest. Maybe, just maybe he'd find something.

And so he did.

A warehouse. In the middle of the forest. Strange.

He approached the warehouse. It didn't look isolated. It looked it there were people frequenting here more often than never. But right now, it didn't seem like anyone was here. He checked the time—12:38 am.

That explained why no one was here.

low fog clung to the cracked concrete floor, swirling faintly around the Dhruv’s boots as he stepped deeper into the skeletal remains of the warehouse.

His flashlight flickered once, then steadied. It cast a pale cone of light onto the shattered glass and splintered crates around him.

Dhruv adjusted the strap of the worn-out satchel slung over his shoulder and crouched near a blackened scorch mark on the floor.

His gloved fingers moved carefully, brushing aside soot and ash, revealing a faint greenish stain that shimmered under the UV light from his pocket device.

“Got you,” he muttered under his breath.

He took out a test strip from a plastic vial, dipped it gently into the stain, and watched as the end turned deep nasty green.

Billrubin.

Rare. Illegal. And volatile when mixed with heat.

His pulse quickened, as he turned his flash light to see huge containers filled with something.

That same compound had been found on the dead body and now it is here in these huge containers? How did they even manage to retrieve so much of these? The thought alone made his gut twist.

Whoever was behind this was getting bolder—and smarter. But they’d slipped up here. A half-melted vial lay buried beneath a collapsed beam.

Dhruv carefully retrieved it with tweezers, sealed it in a sample bag, and scribbled notes in the small black notebook he carried everywhere.

Suddenly, a creak echoed from somewhere behind him.

He froze.

His breath hitched as he slowly turned, flashlight beam sweeping over shadows that seemed to move just a second too late. Was someone watching him? Had he been followed?

A distant clatter. Then silence.

Dhruv backed up, keeping his flashlight steady with one hand, the other reaching into his pocket for the small knife he always carried

The warehouse went silent again.

Should he look ahead if there was someone here? Should he stay or leave? Dhruv had what he came for. He gave the greenish stained containers one last glance before retreating into the darkness, footsteps silent as ghosts.

His job was done. Now about these containers.. Harsh and the police can look after it.

As he was about to step out the warehouse. He suddenly, felt a cold, sharp metal pressed behind his back. He froze.

A knife.

Soon after, 6-7 men surrounded him. The man behind him, pressed the knife more firmly against his back. "Kon se tu? Aur yahaan ke kar reha se?" The man spoke harshly, in a cold voice.

[Who are you? And what are you doing here?]

___________________________

Garv nudged Meera, who was standing beside him. "What do you think he called this conference for?" He asked, in a hushed tone, glancing at his family gathered around the dining table.

Everyone was present at the table; well, everyone except Virendra, who they were all waiting for.

"I don't know. I can't foresee the future." Meera countered in the same hushed voice.

Garv gave her a look, then nodded. "By the way, don't you think it's the percect opportunity for you to tell him about the law college?" He asked. Meera hummed with unsurity.

Garv frowned slightly. "Don't just hum. Do you even want to be a lawyer, or is it just a fleeting moment, huh?"

Meera clicked her tongue. "What are you saying? You know more than anyone and everyone how badly I want to be a lawyer. How can you still say this?" She complained.

"Toh sirf bolne ya sochne se ho jayega kya? Kuch pane ke liye na mehnat bhi karni hoti. Sirf baithe baithe sochne se kuch nhi hota. Dreaming is the first step. There is so much more ahead." He said in a serious tone. Meera nodded, understanding what he wanted to say.

[So, is just thinking and saying enough? If you want something, you have work for it. Just sitting ideal and thinking will do you nothing]

"Yeah, don't just nod. Will you finally man up and do it or not?"

"I will." Her voice was firm and unwavering. Just then, Virendra came and sat on the head chair. Pallavi stood up to serve his plate.

Amma turned to her elder son. "Sabne yaha kahe bulaya hai tanne. Aise konsi baat ho gyi?" She asked, taking the first bite from her plate.

[Why did you call everyone here? What happened?]

Virendra inhaled, briefly glancing at Meera. "I have made a decision," he began, his voice steady as a mountain wind—cool, certain, unmoved.

The table fell quiet.

He didn’t look at anyone in particular as he spoke, yet the room seemed to shrink beneath the weight of his words. "A very important one at that. I've given it a lot of thought," he trailed off, looking at Meera, who was looking at him with curious eyes.

Everyone at the table was looking at him, intending listening to what he had to say. "I have fixed Meera's alliance." The table went silent as he dropped the bombshell. Meera’s throat tightened, but she said nothing. Everyone shifted on the table, but didn’t speak either.

Every single one of them were speechless for thier own reasons. And Meera, her eyes were wide, filled with confusion, defiance, and anger. She didn't know what to say. It was hard to believe what she was hearing.

"I have thought about it a lot. And I think everyone will agree to this." He turned his gaze to Meera. "You know I have never taken decisions about your life lightly, Meera. I'll never say or do anything that wasn't for your well-being."

Right. He never took the wrong decisions for her. Never taken decisions about her life lightly, but it was her life, wasn't it? Her life. Shouldn't she get to decide what she wanted to do with it?

Never. Never did she have any problem with what he had decided because he knew the best, right? He wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Maybe this decision was also right, but what about her choice, her wish, what she wanted?

"Baba, what are you saying? I don't want to marry anyone just yet." Her eyes were pleading, but her words were firm. She really did waste too much time not saying what she wanted. But not anymore.

"Meera.. I know, but it's for your own good." Virendra said, his expression was soft. Meera's frown deepened. Distress clearly visible on her face.

"But baba, you know I don't want to marry just yet. Why are you doing this? So suddenly? No, I don't want to marry anyone." She stated firmly.

Virendra's expression hardened slightly. "Meera." He called out, his voice was firm but a tinge of softness was still present there. Like it always is.

"How did you decide this all of a sudden? And who is the boy?" Pallavi sensing the tension in the atmosphere and the clash of opinions between her daughter and husband, said.

Virendra's gaze turned to her. "Rishi. Harish's son. You all know him, saw him grow up before our own eyes. Meera knows him. He is respectable, steady, and responsible. And.. he likes Meera. " He said the last part, looking at Meera. His voice was devoid of any emotion yet weighted heavier than ever.

She knows a lot of people, should she go on marrying every one of them then? Meera thought.

The dining hall felt unusually still that evening. Not quiet—still. The kind of stillness that comes before a storm, when the air itself holds its breath.

"Harish and I have talked about it already. This alliance will be better for everyone."

Meera blinked. Once. Twice. She heard the words, but they reached her like distant echoes from behind glass.

Vikram inhaled sharply but kept his gaze lowered. Garv turned his head slightly toward her, eyes narrowing in concern.

“I have never made decisions about your life without thought, Meera,” he said. “You know that.”

That was his version of love. Steady. Silent. Ironclad.

But this time, it wasn’t enough.

“No,” Meera said firmly, her voice louder than she intended. It cut through the silence like a blade. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her fingers curling into fists on her lap.

Everyone turned to her.

Virendra’s expression didn’t change, but the stillness around him sharpened. He had expected this reaction from her.

“I’m not ready,” she continued, her voice trembling now but unrelenting. “Yes, I have known him since childhood, but I don't know him. You didn’t even ask me. You know I don't want to marry yet.”

Virendra knew. He knows. He doesn't want to force her, but his judgment was clouded by a father's worry. And this.. this was for her wellfare. And he wouldn't compromise that. Never that.

"It's for the best. Your best." His voice was calm, but unwavering, steady, and non negotiating.

“Best,” she echoed, almost laughing. “You think I’ll just accept it because you think it’s best for me?” Meera’s voice was respectable, soft, yet steady and firm.

His silence said yes.

Her mother placed a gentle hand on her arm, whispering, “Meera, calm down.”

“No, Ma. I can’t just ‘calm down’ this time.” She turned to Virendra again. “You raised me to think. To choose. Then how can you decide this without even hearing me out?”

Her grandmother’s voice, thick and sharp, broke through next. “He only wants what is right, chori. He always has. Aur accha hi toh socha se isne. Shaadi ki umar ho gyi se thari. Arre, pareshani hi ke se thareko?”

[His decision is right. You've reached the age of marriage. What problem do you even have, huh?]

“I know,” Meera said, softer now, her voice cracking. “That’s what makes this so hard. He always chose what's right for me. But I don't think this is right.”

Amma's gaze narrowed. "Thareko kuch na pata. Hum sab jo sochenge thari bhalayi ke lane hi sochenge na. Aur ye kya shadi na karni, shadi na karni laga rakha se? Ab na karegi toh kab karegi?" Her sharp voice, cutting through the room like a slap.

[You don't know anything. We all always think about your good. Why are you chanting this, 'I don't want to marry' mantra? If not now, then when, huh?]

"I know you all think about my good, but what about my wishes, my choice?" Her voice raised a little at the end. Amma's words did nothing but increase her frustration and annoyance more.

With a clenched jaw, she turned towards Virendra. "Baba.." she began, her voice soft and pleading. "I don't want to marry. I.. I want to do.. law. Hume lawyer banna hai baba. Bohot samay se aapse yahi kehna chahte the. Lekin lagta hai kehne me bohot samay laga diya. Please, Baba, let me be a lawyer first, and then I'll marry whoever you want me to. Please. I'm begging you." She begged.

Virendra's heart clenched at the site of the daughter he had cherished, begging before him. He had almost.. almost reconsidered his decision. But before he could say anything, Amma spoke up.

“You think your Baba made this decision overnight? You think he’s doing this for himself? You think he doesn’t care about you?” She snorted. “In our time, we were told who we were marrying. There was no discussion. We wore red, we cried in silence, and we adjusted.” she said with finality.

“Amma, things are different now,” Meera said quietly, trying not to snap or say something disrespectful.

Dadi raised a hand, her bangles clinking sharply. “Haan, haan, now girls want to fall in love first, bring boys home, and make their own decisions." Her voice turned painful and lost, as if reminiscing the past. "Then what? Regret? Cry if that boy wasn't the right one? Or just take your own li—"

"Amma." She was cut off by Virendra's firm voice. He shook his head. "Mareko ke chup kara raha se? Sach toh keh rahi hu mai." Amma retorted.

[Why are you making me shut up? I'm saying the truth.]

"Amma, that's not what I'm saying. I don't want to do any such thing. I would never go against Baba about boys. I just want some time. I want to do something. I want to be a lawyer and then I'll marry whoever you ask me to. No questions asked." Meera’s voice was desperate now. Her frustration and her need for them to understand her evident in her voice.

Why weren't they getting it? Why couldn't they just understand her? It wasn't like she was refusing or something. She just wants some time. She just want to fulfill her dream. Was it too much to ask? Why couldn't they just understand? Why?

"Kya ye vakel-vakel laga rakha hai? Bachapan se lekar ab tak ki thari sari zidd ko pura kiya se humne lekin ab bas. Tu chup chap Shadi ke lane haa keh rahi se bas." Amma said in a final tone. She didn't need anymore arguement over the topic.

[What is this new drama about being a lawyer, huh? We've fulfilled your every wish since childhood but enough now. You're saying yes to the marriage, that's that.]

"Amma at least listen to her—" Garv tried to back Meera up but was cut off by Amma. "Mai thare se baat na kari." She turned her glare to him.

[I wasn't talking to you.]

"Fine. You're talking to me, right? Let's talk. I said, I'm not marrying just yet. And that's that. I said what I said. And you can't force me to get married." Meera snapped, the mix of emotions she was feeling becoming overwhelming.

Anger, desperation, frustration, helplessness. All at once.

"See? Are you all seeing how she's talking back now. She's being shameless day by day." Amma grimaced.

Meera closed her eyes, inhaling sharply. She looked down at her lap, fists and jaw clencing. Her voice came out small but firm. “I just want time.”

Amma’s voice lowered, but not in kindness—only in menace. “Time? Chori, time is a luxury women like us never had. You’re lucky. Lucky to be raised in this house, fed well, educated, spoken to with softness. And now, you want to throw it all away for what? A feeling? A fleeting wish?”

Meera blinked back the sting in her eyes. Amma didn't stop, her surly voice ringing in the whole room like a broken bell. "Acche ladke milna bohot mushkil hota se. Rishi accha chora se, arre manne toh woh chora bachpan se hi bhata tha. Naamdar, seedha-saadha, hoshiyar, chhittar bhi achha dikhe hai, kamaai bhi badiya hai. Chikitsak hai, wo bhi ekdum badhiya wala. Aur ke chahiye tujhe? Itna naak-chadha kyun kar ri se?"

[Nice guys are hard to find. Rishi is a nice guy. I liked him since childhood. He is respectable, decent, smart, good looking and must be earning well. He is a remarkable doctor. What else you need? Why are you showing so much tantrums?]

That was it.

"Agar itna hi bhata hai aapko woh toh aaphi kar lijiye na unse shadi. Humari kyu bali chadha rahi hai?" Meera snapped her voice voice raising making every head on the table turn towards her.

[If you like him so much then why don't you go marry him yourself? Why are you forcing me?]

"And what did you say? That I'm lucky to born here? I should be grateful you raised me, gave me all the luxury.." she continued, her voice hoarse. "That was your responsibility. You gave birth to me, it was your responsibility as my guyardians. I didn't ask you to give birth to me, to give me all the luxury. All I'm asking from you is to just give me my basic right to choose what I want to do with MY life."

Meera inhaled, blinking back the wetness of her eyes. Her voice was sharp, and words were harsh.

"Boj lagte hai kya hum? Jo humari shadi karake, humse picha chudana chahte hai aap sab? Aur agar itna hi bada boj lagte hai toh bata dijiye na. Hum chale jate hai yaha se." Virendra's head snapped towards her as the words of leaving left her mouth.

[Am I a burden to you all? That you want to get rid of by marrying me off? If so, just say the words. I'll leave on my own.]

"Aap sab ka boj hum khud hi halka kar dete hai. Itni mehnat karne ki koi jaroorat nhi. Hum chale jate hai aapka ghar chod kar. Phir toh aap sab khushi khushi rahenge na. Ki wah! chalo sir se boj toh hata. Haina?"

[I'll help you get rid of your burden myself. You don't need to take so much trouble to do so. I'll leave your house. Then you all will be able to live happily. Finally, the burden is gone! Right?]

"Meera. What are you talking about? That's total rubbish." Vikram middled in the conversation for the first time. Everyone expect Amma and Virendra nodded in agreement.

Meera chuckled bitterly. "Save it, bhaiya. I don't these fake words anymore. I know you all just want to get rid of me by marrying me off. But don't worry, I'll save your money, luxury, resources, time and gard work. I'll leave on my own."

"What did you say?" Amma asked, her voice still surly, still harsh, still repulsive.

"I'll leave your house. I'll help you reduce your burden. You'll then be happy, right? Chale jayenge hum aap sab ko chodkar—"

[I'll leave you all for good—]

"MEERA!"

Meera flinched as Virendra's voice echoed through the room like a loud roar. Never. He had never raised his voice at her. Meera's tears finally started to fall free.

Virendra's jaw clenched, looking at her tears. He just wanted Meera to be safe and be near him, and now, she herself was talking about leaving.

Meera stood up and ran away from there towards her room. She could hear everyone’s call to stop but she didn't stop.

___________________________

Daily soap? drama? over-acting? Over-doing? Yes.

But we all love a little dr