chapter 26

Maan’s father sneered. “Love? This isn’t about love. It’s about pride, about tradition. You have defiled our family’s honor by dragging our son into your world, a world he doesn’t belong to.”At that moment, Shri’s father, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward, his face contorted with anger. “You’ve always been headstrong, Shri. But this? This is unforgivable. You should have married within your caste like we told you, like you were meant to. Now you’ve brought nothing but disgrace to all of us.”Tears welled in Shri’s eyes as she looked at the people who were supposed to love and protect her. How could they say such things? How could they look at her with such hatred?“Please,” she begged, her voice cracking, “I never meant to hurt anyone. Maan and I…we just wanted to be happy. We just wanted to live in peace.”Maan’s mother scoffed. “Peace? There will be no peace for us as long as you remain here, poisoning our son and cursing this village.”Shri’s heart sank. “I didn’t curse anyone,” she whispered, more to herself than to the mob standing before her. She wiped away the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks, trying to maintain her composure. “How can you accuse me of such terrible things when all we’ve ever done is love each other?”At that moment, Maan’s voice rang out from behind the group, strong and filled with fury. “Enough!”The villagers turned to see Maan approaching, his face dark with anger. He pushed through the crowd, standing protectively in front of Shri. “How dare you come to our home and accuse my wife of such lies?”“Maan,” his father growled, “you’ve been bewitched. Can’t you see that she’s poisoned your mind?”Maan’s eyes flashed with rage. “I see perfectly well. What I see is that you can’t stand the fact that I chose love over your outdated traditions. Shri is my wife, and I love her. Nothing you say or do will ever change that.”Shri’s heart swelled with love and pride as Maan stood by her side, defending her against the mob. But her relief was short-lived.Maan’s father stepped forward, his voice dangerously low. “You would defy your own family for this woman? You would throw away your honor, your legacy, for a girl who doesn’t even belong to our caste?”Maan’s jaw tightened, but his voice was steady as he replied, “I would give up everything for her.”At that moment, the villagers erupted in anger. Some shouted curses at Shri, while others hurled insults at Maan, accusing him of betraying his bloodline. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating.Amidst the chaos, Shri’s father stepped forward again, his voice cold and final. “If you insist on staying with her, Maan, you’ll face the consequences. We will not let this abomination continue.”Shri’s heart pounded in her chest as she realized what was coming next. Her father turned to the villagers, his voice rising above the din. “If she won’t leave, we’ll make her.”