A Decision No Longer Hers

Sejal stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection with vacant eyes.

She had barely recognized herself in the past few months, but today, she looked like a stranger. The weight of everything—her pregnancy, her family's expectations, the decision she had made—sat heavily on her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

A simple, flowy maxi dress covered her growing belly, hiding what she had spent months pretending didn't exist. But now, there was no escaping it. No more delaying. Today was the day she would end it all.

Her fingers trembled as she ran a brush through her hair, her lips parting slightly as she whispered, "This year has given me nothing but surprises… so many unexpected turns. I never thought I'd be walking such twisted paths, yet I somehow survived. But this… this is the road I cannot take. I can't do this. I just can't."

The words sounded hollow even to her own ears.