“But I’m sure you love your mother very much. You can at least do this much to save her life.”

Hearing this, Eeshani fell into deep thought. Her mind was consumed only with concern for her mother, who was in a critical condition. One phrase kept echoing in her ears: “Without money, your mother cannot receive treatment.” It pierced her ears like a needle. She looked at the man with her tear-filled eyes.

After a while, all the hospital staff and doctors had left the ward because the man had paid the entire hospital bill according to what he had promised. Eeshani’s mother was not discharged. Eeshani sat by her mother on the bedside, holding her tightly and crying. She whispered through her sobs, “Mom… what should I do to save you? I see no way except to follow that uncle’s instructions. Why is my life so difficult, Mom? I don’t know what to do. Life has brought me to a crossroads where there seems to be no way forward. I cannot lose you. When you find out what I’ve done… maybe you’ll never forgive me. But Mom… I have no other choice. I’m sorry, Mom.” Saying this, she clutched her mother even tighter and cried.

Later that night, Eeshani sat at a dressing table in her room. She was wearing a red bridal outfit, with no makeup at all, because her soul refused to focus on such things. Yet she looked extraordinarily beautiful. Thick tears slid down her cheeks from her large, expressive eyes. She stared at her reflection in the mirror; her face looked weary, expressionless, and stunned, as if frozen in shock.

She took out her phone and placed it on the dressing table. On the screen was a photo of her mother. Wiping her tears, she spoke in a pain-filled voice, “Mom… you said you wanted to see my wedding with your own eyes. But this feels so impossible. Today, your Eeshani is about to play with such a sacred bond of marriage… for money. I don’t know the man I’m marrying; I don’t even know what he looks like. I know nothing about him. But Mom… you are all that matters to me. That’s why I’m willing to do anything for you. I’ll go to any extent to save you. I don’t know what will happen today… what will be the outcome of this wedding? But like always, Mom, I’m ready to face everything for you. Besides, I’ve stopped expecting anything good from my life anyway… so even the outcome of this marriage won’t matter to me.”

With that, she steeled herself from within and wiped her tears.

At that moment, the room door opened. Hearing the sound, Eeshani quickly drew her veil over her face and hid her phone in her lehenga, standing frozen. Shashikala ji entered the room with a smile. Looking Eeshani over from head to toe, she said, “Ratika, dear, are you ready?”

Eeshani said nothing and remained silent. Seeing her with the veil, Shashikala-ji approached in surprise. “Ratika, why are you wearing a veil? You don’t need it. We’re not that old-fashioned. Take it off.”