Chapter 5: chapter 5

The days after Shweta’s wedding blurred together, a whirl of rituals, guests, and laughter that felt distant to Aarohi. She tried to keep herself busy, hoping the chaos would drown out her own thoughts. But every quiet moment brought her back to the same suffocating reality. The overheard conversation with her father had rooted itself in her mind like a stubborn weed.

Late one evening, while cleaning up after another family gathering, Aarohi messaged Tanya.

“I need to talk to you,” she typed.

“Everything okay?” Tanya’s reply came almost instantly.

“No,” Aarohi admitted. “I feel like I’m losing control of my life.”

“Call me,” Tanya sent back, and Aarohi immediately dialed.

Tanya picked up on the first ring. “What happened?”

Aarohi let out a shaky breath, her voice low. “I overheard my dad talking about me again. They’re planning to wait until I graduate, but they want me to meet Vihaan before making the announcement. It’s like my life’s already planned out, Tanya. And I’m supposed to just sit back and accept it.”

Tanya was quiet for a moment before saying, “Aarohi, you can’t keep waiting for them to change their minds. You need to take control somehow.”

“How?” Aarohi asked, frustration creeping into her voice. “What can I possibly say to stop this?”

“You don’t have to stop it, not yet,” Tanya said. “What you need is time. Convince them that you want to study further—like an MBA or something. It’ll give you at least another year or two to figure things out.”

Aarohi frowned. “You know I’m not good at studies, Tanya. My dad will never believe I’m serious about it.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Tanya said firmly. “You just need to be convincing. They’ll argue, sure, but if you push hard enough, they might agree. And it’s better than just sitting back and letting this happen to you.”

Aarohi nodded to herself, a spark of determination flickering to life. Tanya was right. She needed to do something, even if it was just to buy herself some time.

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The next morning, Aarohi woke up with a plan. She would bring up the idea of further studies to her parents, but as the day went on, her confidence wavered. Her father’s stern gaze and her mother’s disapproving expressions loomed in her mind.

That evening, as she passed the living room, she paused when she heard her father’s voice.

“I’m so happy everything went well with Shweta’s wedding,” he was saying. “One down, one to go.”

Aarohi’s stomach twisted as she quietly moved closer, careful to stay out of sight.

“Have you spoken to Dev recently?” her mother asked.

“Yes,” her father replied, his tone light. “We agreed to wait until Aarohi graduates. There’s no rush. But I’d like them to meet before then—let them get to know each other a little before we make anything official.”

Aarohi’s chest tightened. They had no intention of involving her in this decision, not until it was already too late. She clenched her fists, the frustration and helplessness bubbling inside her.

“She’s been so distracted lately,” her mother said. “I hope this doesn’t become an issue.”

“It won’t,” her father said confidently. “Once she meets Vihaan, she’ll see why this is the best choice for her.”

Aarohi backed away quietly, her heart pounding in her ears. She wanted to scream, to burst into the room and demand to know why they were deciding her future without her. But instead, she retreated to her room, her mind racing.

She had to act fast. If she didn’t take control of her life now, she might never get the chance.