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In bridal attire, Malini sits alone,
A 15-year-old heart, with a future unknown.
Forced into marriage, with a stranger's fate,
She yearns for knowledge, and a life to create.
Her mind is filled, with dreams and desires,
To learn and grow, and reach higher fires.
But tradition's bonds, seem to hold her tight,
Malini's spirit, refuses to take flight.
She'll meet her husband, with a heart full of cheer,
And confront the unknown, with a spirit clear.
As she steps forward, with a courageous stride,
Malini's heart beats fast, with a mix of hope and pride.
The unknown becomes, a chance to explore,
And find her place, in a world she adores.
With every step, she'll find her voice,
And shape her destiny, with a heart that rejoices.
Malini's journey, is one of self-discovery,
A path from unknown, to a brighter reality.
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14th April 1846
Calcutta, Bengal
MALINI'S POV~
The scent of jasmine and sandalwood clings to me like a curse, suffocating the air with its heavy sweetness.
The air is thick, as if even the breeze knows I don't belong here, a stranger in my own skin.
It wraps itself around my skin, making me feel as though I'm trapped in a gilded cage, the fragrance too pure for the storm brewing inside me.
I sit stiffly on the embroidered bedsheet, its intricate patterns a mockery of the comfort I crave.
The crimson veil itches against my temple, a constant, irritating reminder of the cage I've been forced into.
The room is heavy with the scent of incense and stale air, as if it's been waiting for me to arrive.
The ornate bed posts tower over me, their carved wood intricate but cold.
The velvet curtains are drawn tight, blocking the outside world as though my new life is meant to be hidden away, trapping me in this oppressive silence.
The flicker of the oil lamps creates shadows that dance across the walls, and I wonder if they too are mocking me.
They say a bride should be shy.
I say— she should be furious.
They've wrapped me in gold and silence, the heavy chains of jewelry around my neck and wrists pressing against my skin like a constant weight.
Each movement feels labored, my own body betraying me under the weight of tradition.
The fine gold thread pulls at my nerves, yet I remain unmoved— unbroken.
I am a storm with bangles on my wrists, but beneath the fury lies a girl who is still just fifteen.
A girl who had dreams, who had plans, who had a future outside of this suffocating marriage.
The bangles jingle against my skin like a cruel reminder of everything I've lost, but I won't let it break me.
Fifteen.
And married.
To a stranger whose name I barely remember, whose face I was not allowed to see, and whose house now holds me like a prison with velvet curtains.
If he walks through that door expecting a docile wife, he's about to meet Malini se— Mukherjee—top of her class, rebel of her ghat, and newly-forced bride with a sharpened tongue.
IDIOT!
MONSTER!
DEVIL!
A sack of rotten tomatoes!
What did he think he was going to get?
A sweet, docile bride, all obedience and smiles?
I'm fifteen— forced into this, with no say in my future.
A child— caught in a trap of promises and lies.
My tongue burns with curses, but beneath the venom, I'm scared.
Scared of what happens when the man I can't even look in the eye walks through that door.
I clench the corner of my veil, my nails pressing hard into the silk, the fabric cold and foreign beneath my fingertips.
It feels like a part of me is slipping away with each pull, the delicate threads taunting me with their fragility.
The anklets on my feet jingle mockingly with every movement I make, the soft, melodic sound like a cruel lullaby, reminding me of my new place in this world—bound and tethered to tradition.
They sound like chains.
My books— my dreams— left behind in Baba's study, gathering dust in the shadows of my past life.
Those pages were once my escape, my future, but now they lie forgotten, just like me.
Each word, each page, now seems so far out of reach, like a life that never was.
They said marriage is the beginning of a girl's life.
For me, it feels like the end of everything I ever wanted.
A door slammed shut on my dreams, the echo ringing in my ears. I'm suffocating in this new role, yet deep within, I refuse to let go.
I was supposed to become someone.
A teacher.
A writer.
A voice.
But now, I'm just a wife.
A wife to a boy I've never met, a stranger with a face I haven't seen and a life I have no part in.
He's an unfamiliar shadow in my world, a name spoken only in whispers, a figure who holds the key to my fate.
A stranger with the power to decide whether I live like a caged parrot or…
No!
Not if I can help it.
The moment he steps in, I'll tell him exactly what I think.
My heart races with both fury and fear.
What if he doesn't listen?
What if he shuts me down?
But I can't stay silent.
I refuse to be a caged bird.
I'll fight him, even if it costs me everything.
And I'll demand my education back— even if I have to fight him for it.
I'm not weak!
I'll show him who he's been married to— no meek, obedient girl, no silent, trembling bride. I am Malini Mukherjee.
I am a storm, a fire that refuses to be extinguished.
And I won't be silenced.
I yank the veil off my head, the pricking zari work digging into my scalp like a thousand tiny needles.
The moment it's gone, a sense of brief relief washes over me, but it quickly fades, replaced by the suffocating weight of my new reality.
That's when I hear the soft click of the wooden door creaking open, the sound hanging in the air like a promise of something unknown.
~ When there's a fire.... There's a pain.
჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻.✾.჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻
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