Chapter 16: A Turn No One Expected

Everyone was waiting.

Time passed, but there was no sign of the baraat. Calls were made again and again, but no one picked up. The excitement slowly turned into confusion, then into whispers.

“What is happening?”
“Why haven’t they come yet?”
“Something must be wrong…”

The whispers didn’t stay whispers for long.

They started turning.

Toward her.

“Maybe something is wrong with the girl.”
“Why else would they not come?”
“These things don’t happen without a reason…”

The words were low, but sharp enough to be heard.

Each one landing where it shouldn’t.

Veeresh stood there, his jaw tightening.

His anger was quiet, but visible.

Baraat didn’t come.

That was the problem.

But still, the blame found its way to the girl.

He looked at the people around him.

When will people stop blaming girls?

His eyes shifted toward her for a moment.

She was standing there, silent, listening to everything, not saying a word.

That silence…

It made something inside him settle.

And rise at the same time.

Before anything could get worse, Raju stepped forward.

Lakshmi stood beside him.

The murmurs slowly faded as they came ahead.

Raju looked at Siddharth and Riya.

Then, calmly, “If you agree… we would like to ask for her hand for our son.”

For a second, no one reacted.

The words hung in the air.

Veeresh looked up.

Shocked.

Lakshmi continued, her voice steady but emotional, “They have grown up together. They understand each other. Yes, he is a bit cold… but he will take care of her. He will never hurt her.”

She paused, then said softly, “You can trust our son.”

Silence filled the room again.

Riya looked at Siddharth.

Siddharth looked at her.

A decision was being made in seconds.

Riya nodded slowly. “Okay.”

All eyes turned to Veeresh.

He stood still for a moment.

Thinking.

Measuring.

Then he spoke.

Not loudly.

Not dramatically.

“Marriage will happen according to me.”

A pause.

“And her.”

It wasn’t a direct yes.

But it was enough.

Raju nodded. “Okay.”

Lakshmi’s eyes softened with relief.

The atmosphere changed.

From uncertainty…

To something no one had expected.

And in the middle of it—

A new decision had already begun to shape their lives.