Chapter 7: Final Goodbyes

The city lights blinked awake, rickshaws clattering outside, the world turning as always.

Sunita led us with a lantern. I held Ananya’s hand, the grass cool beneath our feet, her words tumbling out—confessions, worries, hopes.

She revealed how Rohan, desperate for stability, had chosen Priya for her resemblance to me. Priya set boundaries, yet kept learning, shaping the household quietly. The joint family’s silent tug-of-war played out in every corner.

We reached the corridor. Rohan waited, half his face in lantern shadow.

"Priya bears no resentment. She’s prepared the west wing for you. You can stay tonight."

I shook my head. "I will not stay here."

Rohan’s tone sharpened. "If you don’t stay, where will you go? You’re my first wife, still on the family register. If you come only to leave, what will people say?"

Ananya squeezed my sleeve. "Maa, are we not going to Kaveripur?"

I smiled at her, ignoring Rohan. "Yes, we’re going to Kaveripur."

The air thickened with anticipation—the old house holding its breath as I chose a new path.