Chapter 4: A Caged Bird

The engagement is over.

The guests are gone, the decorations are being taken down, and the house is quiet again. But inside me, there is no peace.

I sit in front of my dressing table, staring at my reflection. The maroon saree drapes perfectly around me, my jewelry still in place, my makeup untouched. On the outside, I look calm. Composed. The perfect fiancée of Aarav Rathore.

But inside?

I feel like a caged bird.

The engagement ring on my finger is proof of it—a symbol of a future I never asked for.

A knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts. Before I can respond, the door opens, and my mother steps inside. Her face is unreadable, but the way she looks at me makes my stomach twist.

"You embarrassed me today," she says, her voice controlled but sharp.

I knew this was coming.

"I wore something more elegant," I say, my voice steady. "It was still appropriate for the occasion."

Her lips press into a thin line. "It was not about the clothes, Meenu. It was about defying me. About defying tradition. You should have worn what I chose for you."

I stay silent. There’s no point in arguing.

She walks toward me, placing a hand on my shoulder, her grip firm. "Aarav is not an easy man, Meenu. He is powerful, ruthless, and not someone who will tolerate disobedience. You need to be careful with him."

I meet her gaze in the mirror. "He doesn’t even care enough to notice me, Mother."

For a second, something flickers in her expression. Then, she sighs. "Then make him care. A marriage without love is still a marriage. But a marriage without respect? That’s dangerous."

A chill runs down my spine.

"You are engaged to Aarav Rathore. This is your life now. There is no turning back," she continues. "So, do not make him your enemy."

With that, she turns and leaves, the sound of the door closing behind her echoing in the silence.

I glance down at my hands, at the ring that now feels heavier than before.

Make him care?

Make him respect me?

Aarav Rathore barely acknowledged me today. He didn’t say a single word, didn’t even look at me twice.

And that should be a relief.

Yet, my mother’s warning lingers in my mind.

I may have been forced into this engagement, but that doesn’t mean I have to play the role of a lovesick fool.

If this is my life now, then I will live it on my terms.

Even if it means standing against Aarav Rathore himself.

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End of Chapter 4

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