THE PATH I DIDN'T CHOOSE

As soon as Yuvaa's mother stepped into the hallway, her breath wavered. Her steps faltered as she leaned against the wall, her fingers gripping the soft fabric of her saree as if it were the only thing holding her together.

She had smiled. She had told Yuvaa to be strong.

But the moment she was out of his sight, the weight of her own words crashed down on her.

Her lips trembled. Her shoulders shook.

She had held herself together for him.

She had reassured him, told him to move forward.

But now…

A silent tear slipped down her cheek.

She wiped it away—quickly, almost desperately—but the ache in her heart only deepened.

She closed her eyes.

And then, in a voice so fragile, so full of sorrow, she whispered—

"You should be here, Yadhana."

The words barely made a sound, but they crushed her chest as if she had spoken them aloud.

"This was supposed to be your day."

Her fingers curled against her saree, clutching the silk so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"You should have been the one standing beside him."

"Laughing. Fixing his sherwani. Making sure he ate something before stepping out."

Her chin quivered as she swallowed the sob that threatened to escape.

"You should have been the one he was waiting for at the mandap."

Her breath shuddered.

"Not someone else."

A sharp, stinging pain settled in her chest, deep and raw.

"I tried to be strong for him. I tried to smile, to make today feel like something to look forward to. But, Yadhana… I saw it. I felt it."

Her hand lifted, pressing against her heart as if trying to steady the storm inside her.

"The way he looked at himself in the mirror today—like he was waiting for you to be there. Just behind him. Teasing him. Touching his sleeve. Telling him he looks perfect."

"But you weren't."

A choked breath slipped past her lips.

"And still… he stood up straight. He smiled for me. He nodded when I told him we had to keep moving forward."

"But I know my son. I know what it took for him to do that."

Slowly, she lifted her gaze, staring at nothing—at everything—as if searching for something, someone, in the empty hallway.

"He doesn't say your name out loud, but he carries you in his silence. In the way he presses his lips together. In the way he breathes."

"You are still with him, Yadhana."

"In every step he takes, even the ones that hurt."

A soft, broken laugh escaped her lips.

"You'd scold me for this, wouldn't you?"

She exhaled shakily, as if hearing Yadhana's voice in the silence.

"You'd tell me to stop being sentimental. To fix my saree. To pull myself together before someone sees."

Her chin trembled.

"But you were always the strong one, my love. Not me."

Her voice cracked, and this time, she didn't stop the tears.

She let them fall.

She let them slip down her cheeks like the unspoken words she never got to say.

"I talk to you every night, you know?"

She smiled faintly, though it was drenched in sorrow.

"I tell you everything. Sometimes, I wait… just for a second… thinking maybe I'll hear your answer."

Her smile disappeared.

"But there's only silence."

Her fingers curled against her palm.

"You loved him so much, didn't you?"

"More than anything in this world."

She exhaled deeply, her body trembling.

"But, Yadhana… you left him behind."

Her breath caught. The words had slipped out before she could stop them.

"You left him all alone."

A deep, gut-wrenching sob ripped through her chest, and she pressed a hand to her mouth, as if trying to contain the grief threatening to drown her.

"He still loves you, Yadhana."

She took a shuddering breath, barely holding herself up.

"And I… I still miss you."

Her knees nearly buckled.

She reached out, steadying herself against the wall.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, but through the pain, through the unbearable weight in her chest, she forced herself to stand straight.

She forced herself to take a step forward.

Because she had to.

Because if she faltered now, Yuvaa would too.

She inhaled deeply. Exhaled slowly.

"You weren't just his. You were mine too."

"The daughter I never had."

Her lips parted, and in the quietest of whispers, she said—

"I will love you always, my child. Always."

With a final breath, she wiped her tears, straightened her saree, and took another step forward.

She didn't look back.

But her heart did.

.

.

.

Yuvaa's POV

I am Yuvaanesh—Yuvaa. The name my parents gave me. Their only son. Their entire world.

I am thirty-four years old.

In our home, it had always been just the three of us—my mother, my father, and me. They loved me so much that they never even thought of having another child. And because they loved me so deeply…

I could never bring myself to let them down.

That's why I agreed to this marriage.

Even though my heart still belonged to her.

Even though I still loved her.

I turned away from the door, walking back to the window.

Outside, the world was alive—bustling, celebrating, moving forward.

But inside me, time had stopped.

My gaze lifted to the sky. The clouds drifted lazily, undisturbed by the storm within me.

And just like that, my thoughts drifted to her.

I missed everything about her.

Her eyes.

Her scent.

The way she would smile at me—like I was her entire world.

I clenched my fists, exhaling slowly.

"I'm sorry, baby… but I have to do this. For my parents."

A lump formed in my throat. I forced myself to swallow it down.

"You would understand, right?"

"You always loved my parents more than you loved me… Isn't that right, baby?"

A bitter smile touched my lips. Then—

A knock on the door.

I blinked, pulled from my thoughts.

It was time.

I inhaled deeply, exhaled shakily, and walked toward the door.

As I unlocked it—

Jay, my younger brother-in-law, stood outside, grinning.

"Brother, are you ready? It's time!"

I arched an eyebrow.

"Do I look unprepared? Is that why you're asking?"

Jay laughed, shaking his head.

"No, no! Just making sure. But damn, brother, you look so stunning today. I actually regret being born as a guy. If I were a girl, I'd marry you instantly!"

I smirked, crossing my arms.

"Oh? So now I'm your type? Interesting. But hey, even if we're both guys... we could still get married, you know? Think about it."

Jay gasped, dramatically clutching his chest.

"Brother, are you seriously proposing to me? This is too sudden! Give me some time to think!"

Yuvaa smiled. Played along.

Because this was how he had to survive today.

"Then let's do it. Tell me when, darling!"

Jay smirked.

"Hmm… but wait. There's a small problem. You're getting married to my sister today. How do we break the news to her?"

I chuckled, pretending to be serious.

"Simple. We leave the wedding hall right now, run off to the temple, get married, and then come back to deal with the consequences."

Jay burst out laughing, shaking his head.

"Ah, let's do it then—"

"JAY!"

Both of us froze.

Turning our heads, we saw a woman marching toward us, eyes sharp with suspicion.

Jay straightened up immediately, his smirk vanishing.

His mother.

Which meant—my mother-in-law.

Hands on her hips, she narrowed her eyes at Jay.

"Didn't I tell you to bring your brother-in-law straight to the wedding hall?! The priest is asking for the groom! The auspicious time is running out! And here you two are, joking around?"

She let out a deep sigh, rubbing her forehead.

"Boys. Always up to nonsense."

Jay shot me a wink before turning to his mother, grinning.

"Relax, Mom! My brother and I were just discussing some very important life decisions."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Well, guess what? I don't care. Right now, the only important thing is my daughter's wedding. Once that's done, you two can talk about whatever nonsense you want."

Then, turning to me, her expression softened.

"Are you alright, son? Will you come with me to the hall?"

I forced a smile.

"Yes, Auntie. Let's go."

Jay let out a dramatic sigh, placing a hand over his chest.

"Ah, my dear husband… you're leaving me?"

I laughed, shaking my head.

"Duty calls, my love."

And with that, I stepped forward—toward the wedding hall.

Toward the life I never wanted.

But one I had chosen.

For them.

For her.

For a future I no longer believed in.