Where trust trembles.
[๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ผ๐ผ๐ป.]
[๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ๐น๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฏ๐๐ฏ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ-๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฐ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ.]
Advika stands by the stove, dressed in a soft yellow saree that contrasts with the dark circles beneath her eyes. Her face is paleโlips pressed into a flat line, her usual gentle smile nowhere to be seen.
She moves like someone in a tranceโhands stirring the pot, but her mind far away.
๐ฆ๐๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐น๐, ๐๐ผ๐ณ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ฒ, ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฟ.
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
โAdvika beta?โ
(Soft and calm voice)
The voice is sweet, laced with the affection of a mother.
Advika Nair.
(turns halfway, her eyes flicking to the doorway.)
Her mother-in-law stands there with a concerned expression on her face. She steps forward slowly, ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ฎโ๐ ๐ฑ๐๐น๐น ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐.
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
(softly):
"๐๐ฎ๐ท ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐บ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ผ ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถโฆ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ต๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ถ๐ธ๐ฎ๐น ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฎ."
โYouโre very late today, betaโฆ Itโs already past lunchtime.โ
(๐ฅ๐๐ช๐จ๐)
"๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐ธ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐บ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต?"
(โIs everything alright between you two?โ)
The question lands like a stone in her chest.
That one question. Spoken so sweetly, yet so heavy for Advikaโs fragile heart.
๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐. A knot tightened in her chest. She blinked twice, holding back tears that had started pooling again. But ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ, ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ.
Advika Nair.
(In mind started spinning with thoughts)
*Why is she asking? Does she know something?
Noโฆ he warned me. Told me not to say a word.
If she finds out, things might get worse. For meโฆ and maybe even for her.*
Advika Nair.
(In mind)
*No, not nowโฆ maa shouldnโt know this*
Advika Nair.
(Still thinking in mind)
*But, How can I lie to maa... she is like my mother, She will definitely help me to fix everything between me and Aditya ji*
Advika Nair.
*Hmm... Heโs already distantโฆ already cold.
How much worse can it get now?
I need to know. I canโt keep holding my breath in this marriage.*
(Takes a deep breath)
With a soft breath, Advika slowly turned back around, her voice hesitant but steady.
Advika Nair.
"๐ ๐ฎ๐ฎโฆ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ ๐ธ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฝ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐๐ป, ๐๐ผ ๐ธ๐๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฝ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต-๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ถ?"
("Motherโฆ if I ask you something, will you tell the truth?")
(Hesitant voice, soft)
Her mother-in-law blinked, taken aback for a second, but then nodded with softness in her tone.
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
"๐๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ธ, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ. ๐ง๐๐บ ๐ฏ๐ฒ-๐ท๐ถ๐ท๐ต๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ."
("Of course, Beta. You can ask without hesitation)
Encouraged by her words, Advika stepped closer, fidgeting with the edge of her dupatta. Her voice trembled ever so slightly.
Advika Nair.
"๐ ๐ฎ๐ฎโฆ ๐ธ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถโฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐บ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ป๐ธ๐ถ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐๐ถ ๐๐ต๐ถ?"
("Motherโฆ Is this marriageโฆ really happened by his own will?")
Advika Nair.
"๐ ๐ฎ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฏโฆ ๐ธ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ป๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐ฒโฆ ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ธ๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ต ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ ๐๐ต๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ถ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐๐ท๐ต๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ต๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป? ๐ฌ๐ฎโฆ ๐จ๐ป๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ต๐ฎ โฆ?"
(" Meansโฆ Did he said to you that he wanted to marry me? Or... Someone forced him to do so?)
Her words hung in the air, hesitant, wounded, and full of hope
Her mother-in-law's face fell. Her smile faded, replaced with a stillness that made the air heavier. She looked down for a moment,
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
(Looked down)
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
"๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎโฆ"
she began, pausing to take a long breath.
โ๐ ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ปโฆ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ. ๐๐๐ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐โฆ ๐ถ๐บ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ. ๐๐ผ๐๐.โ
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
โ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐โฆ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐บ.โ
โ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ถ๐บ. ๐๐๐โฆ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ปโ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป.โ
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
โ๐ก๐ผโฆ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ.โ
(face hang with guilt)
Advika Nair.
(Eyes widened)
Advika Nair.
" Maa... You... Youโve always been like a mother to me, I believed you. My family also as you are the best friend of my mother... "
Advika Nair.
And I still believe to you, You know this. Right?
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
(Nods Silently)
Advika Nair.
โ๐ฆ๐ผ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟโฆ ๐ฃ๐น๐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐"
Her eyes shimmer with unshed tears, her voice begging, but not blaming. Just seeking.
Advika Nair.
๐ .... ๐... ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฎ...
Her mother-in-law stares at her for a long moment, eyes clouded with guiltโฆ and something else. Pain.
She closes her eyes, taking in a long breath. When she opens them again, theyโre glistening.
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐โฆ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป.โ
Advika Nair.
(looking into her eyes with tears)

Ashvini (Aditya mother)
๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐, ๐ถ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ณ๐๐น. ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ-๐ถ๐ป-๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ต๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ.
Advika Nair.
But... Still maa... I .. I...
Her mother-in-law moves forward, holding her shoulders gently.
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฑ๐ผ, ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ณ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ถ๐ป ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐. ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ. ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ,
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
๐บ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ. ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐, ๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น. ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐. ๐ง๐ฟ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ.
Advika Nair.
(Nods and hugged her)
Advika Nair.
๐... ๐... ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฎ... ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐บ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐...
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐บ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ... (smiled)
Tears slide down Advikaโs cheeksโbut she doesnโt wipe them away. She lets them fall, quietly, as her heart holds on to the only thing it has leftโhope.
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
(tightened the hug)...
Ashvini (Aditya mother)
(In mind)
*Sorry, beta... You had to endured all of the because of my benefit... Have I really ruined your life, have I?*
(teary eyes while hugging her)
Comments