The air was thick with a tension that shimmered like a mirage, distorting the reality around Ishani. She stood amidst the chaos of her wedding, a blur of colors and laughter, yet the joyous sounds felt like a distant storm—thunderous and ominous. Faces surrounded her, their expressions a mix of excitement and curiosity, but none understood the turmoil brewing within her.
Everyone had questioned her stepmother, hoping for some semblance of clarity regarding Ishani’s father. Where was he? Why hadn’t he come to bless his daughter on this momentous occasion? The stepmother had woven a tale of excuses, her melodramatic performance leaving everyone baffled yet strangely satisfied. Ishani clenched her jaws, the truth gnawing at her—a truth that felt heavier with each passing moment.
“This is what it has come to,” Ishani thought bitterly. “A lifetime of lies.”
The vidai ceremony was a blur of tears yet her heart felt as heavy as the gold bangles clinking on her wrist. Ishani’s tears didn’t stem from the thought of leaving her house; they were for the dreams that lay shattered at her feet. The passion that had once ignited her spirit now felt like a distant memory, suffocated by the impending gloom. And most painfully, she was leaving her Baba behind—the one person who understood her soul.
As she climbed into the luxurious car beside Tanishq, the man she barely knew, her heart raced with an urgency that threatened to consume her. The moonlight glinted off the polished surface, illuminating Tanishq’s face—a face that held hope and excitement, completely unaware of the storm raging within her.
Ishani turned her gaze toward the window, her reflection merging with the dark night. Each passing streetlight flickered like her fading dreams, illuminating the truth she couldn’t voice. She felt trapped in a nightmarish void, a mockery of the life she had envisioned for herself. Her heart ached to scream, to run as far away from this gilded cage as possible, but the weight of duty and fear anchored her to her seat.
Tanishq glanced at her, a flicker of concern etching across his features. “Ishani?” he began hesitantly, sensing the silence that enveloped them. “Is everything okay?”
The question hung heavy in the air, and Ishani fought the urge to break down. How could she begin to explain? How could she articulate the suffocating feeling that her essence was being stripped away, piece by piece? Instead, she offered a faint smile, a mask carefully crafted, but her eyes betrayed her—a deep ocean of despair that could drown anyone who dared to look too closely.
*“It’s just… overwhelming,”* she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
The truth was far more complicated. Tanishq’s kindness was evident, but he was a stranger, a pawn in her stepmother’s game. He didn’t know that she was being forced into this marriage, that her heart belonged to another. The memories of stolen moments spent studying under the sun, of practicing late into the night, flooded her mind like a tidal wave. “You don’t know me,” she thought, *“you don’t know what you’ve married into.”*
Outside, the city blurred past, a whirlwind of life continuing happily, completely oblivious to her anguish. The laughter of children, the chatter of couples, the vibrant energy of life; each sound felt like a dagger, piercing through her heart. Silently, Ishani begged for strength to break free, to shatter the chains binding her to this fate.
Just then, a flicker of movement caught her eye—a lone figure standing on the corner of the street, illuminated by a streetlamp. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized him: her Baba. He looked older than she remembered, a sadness etched into the lines of his face, but his eyes still sparkled with love and resilience.
*“Baba!”* she screamed silently, pressing her palms against the window, wishing it could shatter and free her from this torment. But the car sped away, the vision of him disappearing into the night like the remnants of her dreams.
Tanishq shifted in his seat, misreading her turmoil. “We’ll have our fairytale,” he said, his tone optimistic, yet oblivious to the shattered world around her. Ishani closed her eyes, battling a storm of emotions. She wanted to tell him the truth, to explain that the fairytale he envisioned was her nightmare, but the words felt lodged in her throat, trapped by the weight of sorrow and anger.
As the car continued its journey into the night, Ishani felt the darkness closing in, threatening to engulf her. She realized then that she was not just leaving her home; she was being swallowed by a reality that offered no escape. With each passing moment, she felt more lost, more alone, trapped in a world where her dreams were mere shadows, and her voice was silenced by the very people who were supposed to love her.
In that moment of despair, a flicker of defiance ignited within her. “I will not be a silent specter in my own life,”* she vowed silently, her heart pounding with a new resolve. The journey before her was fraught with uncertainties, but deep down, a voice whispered promises of rebellion and hope.
Ishani clenched her fists, determination coursing through her veins like fire. She would find a way to reclaim her life, to fight against the shackles of this forced marriage. She would tell her story, and she would not let the dark night define her destiny.
But for now, she would bide her time, for every dawn must break through the darkest of nights. As they drove deeper into the night, a storm brewed within her, the promise of change hanging in the air like the electric tension before a summer rain.
Ishani made her mind that she would tell him, tanishq her husband that she was forced in this marriage..
Sahika, tanishq’s sister brought her into their room teasing her about the night which scared Ishani even more she wondered what if he didn’t understand her feelings and tried to force himself upon her?
Soon the door opened and tanishq entered making her heart beat fast as sweat covered her face
He slowly come to her and sat beside her and when collecting her courage she was about to say tanishq started
” We have never talked to each other.. or we didn’t get the chance but.. i- I I mean I really like you, in the first sight itself and the time I saw you in temple, I was lost” like this he confessed and told how excited he was for this new starting
Tears flowed from her eyes seeing how much he expects from her.. she knew he isn’t a bad guy but how will she convince her heart?
How will she live here? How can she easily forget her dreams?..
She doesn’t knew what would she do or say she just sat there on bed while tears flowed from her eyes.. because of a long viel on her face he couldn’t see her tears, after a minutes his face echted with confusion and he asked
“ What happened? Why are you not saying anything” he asked making ishani’s heart beat raise like a bullet train
“ Th-a-” Ishani was going to say when he interrupted
“ Oh I am mad.. ofcourse you must be tired.. you should sleep..” tanishq said smiling slightly, Ishani looked up and saw his smiling face from the viel, tanishq decided to sleep on the couch to not make her uncomfortable, Ishani tried to ask him to sleep on the bed only but he said he would manage,
The whole night she couldn’t sleep and just kept thinking and crying over her life..
The next 2 days were like same, the whole house was filled with guest, whole day both would be busy and again at night, he used to say something and she just used to listen to him not knowing what to do..
The 3rd day,
As sun light peered through the window tanishq opened his eyes, not knowing what his life held for today…
He opened his eyes slowly and looked around.. only to see Ishani wasn’t in the room .
He checked the time it was 5:00 am and wondered where she must be in this early morning..
He stood up from the sofa, rubbing his eyes slightly
He checked the whole room, washroom but Ishani was nowhere to seem..
When he was about to go outside his eyes fell on the table beside bed.. a paper was kept there..he moved towards that paper and picked it up..with confusion
I tried.. tried to accept everything.. but I couldn’t… I am sorry’.. I know.. I know what I am going to do wasn’t a solution but… dam ghut ta hai mera.. aur jhuth nahi bol sakti thi aapse me..
Tanishq.. I was forced in this marriage.. I didn’t wanted any of this.. I know it’s breaking you but.m i- am sorry… I couldn’t live there.. I am going.. I am sorry..
Ishani~
“ Ishani..” he whispered.. his heart felt like crashing down.. he thought maybe .. maybe this isn’t true but.. his eyes betrayed him, every word written by her pierced something inside him.. badly, his breathing fastened.. he sat on bed clutching the paper in his hand.. he felt nothing but his heart crashing into millions pieces..
He thought.. she needs time that’s why she was silent.. but-.. he don’t know what to do or say..
What would he do now? What will he say to his family?.. what about his heart?.. when he thought that finally someone will be there who would wait for her even if he is late, who would listen to his problems, who would support him.. destiny gave him a hit..- ISHANI SHARMA..
Suddenly tanishq heard the door knocking.. he came out of his thoughts and stood up.. and saw the door wasn’t locked from inside just was closed..
He was about to open it when it got opened by itself revealing his tensed mother infront of him..
“ Beta.. that guard told me that Ishani went out somewhere!” His mother said being tensed
“ I know” tanishq replied very slowly sitting on the sofa beside him with the letter
“ What? Where did she go this early morning? Oh wait.. temple? Right she went to temple I am also stupid where else she would go, abhi aa jayegi 1 ghante tak!” His mother said laughing slightly..
“ She will not come now..” tanishq said slowly
“ What? What are you saying beta” his mother asked with shock and concern..
“ Nahi ayegi ab wo.. jaa chuki hai” tanishq said in a very low voice, his heart broke with every words he said..
Suddenly there was a loud voice in the hall
“ ISHANI! ISHANI BETA! Ishani!!” It was her father, who just came back from Delhi and got to know what his wife has done..
His mother ran towards downstairs and hearing the loud voice everyone also came there.. tanishq also followed his mother
There they saw her father looking all concerned and her step mother who was standing at a corner with her head low..
“ Bhai sahab aap? Aaiye-” his father was saying when her father interrupted and said
“ Ishani kaha hai?” Her father asked with worry and anger
“ Ishani? Apne kamre m hogi, tanishq Ishani kaha-” his father asked but Tanishq cut him off saying “ nahi hai wo ghar par ”
“ Nahi hai!?” Her father asked with concern..
“ Hua kya hai? Aap shadi pr bhi nahi the sab sahi to hai na?” His mother asked with concern and that was the time when her father told everyone that how her step mother forced her in this marriage..
They were shocked and angry listening to everything..
“ Tabhi.. bhabhi itni shant rehti thi..” sahika said shockingly and everyone nodded
“ Tanishq! Kaha h Ishani!?” Suddenly his mother asked him
And he showed them the paper Ishani has left, the two families had a great argument over this topic, tanishq just stood there being broken,
The families fought endlessly making tanishq more angry,
“ BAS KARIYE AAP SAB!” tanishq shouted in anger..