Chapter 1 — The Forgotten Marriage
I was lying in my room on an ordinary afternoon, half-awake, drifting in and out of my thoughts, when sleep finally pulled me in.
And then I saw it—
A dream.
In it, I was a child again.
So was Ritika, my childhood friend… the girl I had grown up with, the girl who had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember.
We were both dressed in tiny traditional clothes.
People around us were laughing, showering flowers, and taking pictures.
And then it struck me—
we were getting married.
A sudden shock ran through me and my eyes snapped open.
My heart raced in confusion.
"What kind of dream was that…?"
Still shaken, I walked to the kitchen for some tea. My mother noticed immediately.
"What happened?" she asked casually.
"Nothing… just a weird dream," I replied.
She smiled as she continued making tea.
"What kind of dream?"
I hesitated and then said, "I dreamt that you all got me and Ritika married when we were kids."
My mother suddenly laughed—
not mockingly, but with a strange, amused fondness.
"Oh dear… that wasn't a dream," she said.
"It actually happened."
My world stopped.
"What…?" I whispered.
She placed the cup down gently.
"When you two were little, Ritika's mother had a dream that if she didn't get Ritika married to you, something bad would happen to her. She took it seriously… and both families agreed to a small ritual. Just for her peace of mind."
I stared at her in disbelief.
A childhood marriage?
How did I not remember this?
Without thinking twice, I grabbed my phone and immediately called Ritika.
"Do you know about this?" I asked, almost breathless.
"My mom told me everything."
She answered calmly, "Yes… I remember it. You're the one who forgot."
Her tone held no surprise. No confusion.
Only a quiet understanding.
"I need to meet you," I said.
"Right now."
She paused for a moment, then softly replied:
"Then who's stopping you? Come to my house."