The wedding preparations for Shwetaâs big day had taken over the house. Aarohiâs parents were busy with last-minute details, her mother fussing over the decorations and her father making calls to vendors. There was a sense of excitement in the air, but for Aarohi, it felt like a heavy weight hanging over her.
Her sisterâs wedding should have been a joyous occasion, but the looming pressure of her parents' expectations and the conversations they had about her future made it feel suffocating. What made things even worse was the fact that Vihaan and his family had been invited to the wedding. Her heart sank when she overheard her parents talking about it in the kitchen.
âTheyâll be here in the evening, along with Vihaan,â her father had said, as if the mere mention of his name should have been a cause for celebration. âHeâs a successful businessman now. His family is quite well off.â
Aarohiâs pulse quickened. The idea of meeting Vihaan again, of being in the same room with him, made her feel anxious and uncertain. She couldnât bear the thought of facing himâespecially with the pressure of her familyâs future plans hanging over her. What if they started pushing her into something that she wasnât ready for? What if they mentioned the topic of marriage again?
The thought of being trapped in that conversation with Vihaan made her stomach churn.
She stood still for a moment, listening as her mother continued her excited chatter about the wedding arrangements. She felt a sense of dread creeping over her. The last thing she wanted was to spend the evening in that house, pretending everything was normal while Vihaanâs family watched on.
As her parents were busy discussing the guest list, Aarohi quietly slipped away to her room. Her hands shook as she reached for her phone, quickly sending a message to Tanya.
Aarohi: I canât stay here tonight. Vihaan and his family are coming to the wedding. I need to get away. I donât know what to do, Tanya.
Tanyaâs reply was almost immediate.
Tanya: Just leave, Aarohi. Donât let anyone force you into anything youâre not ready for. Just take a breather. Youâll be okay.
Aarohi stared at the message, a mix of relief and anxiety flooding through her. She couldnât stay. The thought of facing Vihaan and his family in such a setting, with her parents pushing her towards an unknown future, felt impossible. She had to leave.
She quickly got dressed, grabbing her bag and heading toward the door. Before she could be stopped, she wrote a quick note for her parents.
"I have something important at college. I need to be there. Iâll be back later."
She left it on the kitchen table, hoping they wouldnât ask too many questions. She knew they would be busy with the wedding preparations, and she didnât want to explain herself. She couldnât. Not right now.
Aarohi didnât wait for any response. She grabbed her keys and hurried out of the house, barely taking a breath as she made her way down the street. The fresh air outside hit her like a wave, and for the first time in hours, she felt like she could breathe again.
The wedding would go on without her, and that was just fine. The pressure to fit into her familyâs expectations was suffocating, and tonight, she needed to be far away from it all. She wasnât sure where she was going yet, but anywhere was better than being trapped in that house with the looming presence of Vihaan and his family.
As she walked aimlessly, her thoughts were a mess. Was running away the right choice? She didnât want to disappoint her parents, but every time she thought about facing them at the wedding, the fear and dread took over.
She reached the small park near her college and sat on a bench, staring at the empty space in front of her. The world around her felt distant, a blur of people and noise, while she sat frozen, lost in her own thoughts.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to see a message from Tanya.
Tanya: Youâre doing the right thing, Aarohi. Take care of yourself. If you need to talk, Iâm here.
Aarohi read the message, and for the first time that day, she allowed herself a small smile. Maybe leaving the house wasnât running away from her problemsâit was taking control. She didnât know what the future held, but tonight, she had to protect herself from the pressure that had been mounting for so long.
As the evening sky grew darker, Aarohi sat there, her mind racing with what to do next, but at least, for now, she felt a small sense of relief. She had escaped the overwhelming weight of her familyâs expectations, and for once, she could just breathe.