Next Day
Misha woke up when someone gently kissed her forehead.
Startled by the unfamiliar touch, she jolted upright—only to find her mother smiling at her as if she loved her more than anything in the world. The sudden sweetness confused her, until reality hit her like a slap. Her father had told her to take care of her. People were coming today to fix the wedding.
"Good morning, my princess."
The words made Misha's stomach twist. She felt like throwing up.
Her mother wrapped her arms around her tightly, then came the magarmach ke aansu—crocodile tears.
"Oh my sweet child," she cried. "You scared me so much yesterday. When I saw you unconscious, it felt like my whole world was ending."
Yes, Misha thought bitterly. Because if I had died, you wouldn't have gotten a single rupee from marrying me off.
"Beta, you're listening, right? I love you so much. Never do that again."
Misha looked around the room for a moment, half-expecting someone to appear with a camera and shout, Surprise! It was just a prank!
But no one came.
Because this wasn't a joke.
This was her life—made into one by her own parents.
With a tired sigh, she gently pushed her mother away and walked toward the bathroom without saying a word, shutting the door on her fake concern.
As the water ran over her body, tears mixed with it. She felt helpless. In just a week of working, her life had been destroyed. If she tried to run away and they caught her… she didn't even want to imagine what they would do.
Her heart felt like it was being stabbed over and over again.
She looked at herself in the mirror. The girl staring back didn't feel like her anymore. Her eyes were swollen from crying. In just three days, everything had changed.
When she came out, she froze.
A beautiful off-white suit lay on her bed—minimal silver embroidery on the borders, silver bangles beside it, and white heels. It looked like something out of a dream. An Indian princess' outfit.
"You'll look so beautiful in this, my princess."
Her parents stood there, smiling widely. It was all fake.
"Shaam ko ladke wale aa rahe hain tumhe pasand karne," her father said softly. "Achhe se tayaar hona, meri pyari bacchi."
It was the first time in years that he had spoken to her this gently.
She stared at them blankly.
"You'll regret forcing me into this marriage. Bhagwan sab dekhte hain."
Before she could finish, her mother slapped her hard.
"Shut up! How dare you talk back to your parents? We know what's best for you. Do as we say, or face the consequences."
You know what's best for you, Misha thought bitterly.
The doorbell rang.
Ding dong.
Her parents looked confused. It was only 12 PM—they were supposed to arrive at 4.
"You bitch, stay in your room and get dressed," her mother snapped. "And hide that slap mark."
They rushed to the door.
Misha looked out the window. She was on the second floor. Jumping would kill her… but even death felt better than this hell.
As she was desperately thinking of escape, she heard a familiar voice.
"Ishvi?"
Her heart pounded.
"No, you're at the wrong place. No Misha lives here," her mother said sharply.
"Aunty, please… just five minutes," Ishvi pleaded. "Let me meet her and I'll go."
"There is no Misha here!"
Ishvi was about to cry when she spotted Misha standing near the stairs.
"Misha!"
Her parents turned. Before they could react, the manager arrived and grabbed Misha's father's arm tightly.
"Hello, Mr. Sharma," he said coldly. "Talk to me too."
In that moment, Ishvi ran to Misha.
"Why did you quit?" she cried—and then her eyes widened. "What is this? Why do you have a slap mark? And bruises on your wrist? Your eyes are swollen… what happened?"
Tears filled Ishvi's eyes.
"We knew something was wrong when your mother called. You were so happy there! I tried calling you so many times in the past three days—why didn't you answer?"
Misha's eyes filled with tears. A stranger she had known for only a week cared more about her than her own parents.
"What happened, Misha?" the manager said softly. "Are they hurting you? I told you—you're family now. You can trust us."
"I—" her voice broke. She burst into tears and hugged Ishvi tightly. Everything came rushing out.
But her mother shoved Ishvi away.
"You girl! Stay out of our family matters! Get out!"
Suddenly Ishvi shouted,
"Now, Veer!"
Before Misha could understand, four men dressed in black rushed inside. Two grabbed her father. Two grabbed her mother.
Misha stepped back in fear—
But suddenly a handkerchief was placed over her mouth.
Her vision blurred.
She saw Ishvi smiling gently.
"Why…?" Misha whispered weakly.
Ishvi held her before she fell.
"Sleep, cutie. We'll protect you from everyone."
And everything went dark.