The soft rustle of silk and the faint scent of flowers filled the room. Anvika sat in front of the mirror, her hands trembling slightly as the last few bangles slid over her wrists. The lehenga felt heavier than it looked, every layer a reminder of the life she was about to step into.

Her reflection stared back at her, painted and adorned, the perfect bride for the perfect wedding. And yet… she couldn’t feel perfect.

Her mind kept wandering two days ago, on the day of her haldi ceremony, and the talk she had with her to be husband ‘Ved Raizada.’ 

The weight of the words rest heavy upon her chest. Her heart beat unevenly, all the excitement and nervousness she felt vanishes. The lehenga and the jewellery started to feel suffocating.

The faint sound of music, the hustle bustle of people coming from the hall, makes her palm sweaty.

She flinched, hearing the door creak. Stepped in, her best friend ‘Samira Chauhan,’ carrying a polybag in her hand.

She closed the door and locked it from inside. Handing the polybag to the Anvika.

Anvika nodded, removing the pins of the pallu sitting on her head.

she let herself linger in the mirror, in the quiet before the storm, knowing that once she did That… nothing would

ever be the same.