Feel of Love

Chapter 1: The Wedding She Never Attended The bridal room smelled of roses, silk, and tension. Tara Jain sat still in front of the mirror, dressed in a maroon lehenga embroidered with gold thread, her face painted into perfection. Outside the door, the sound of dholaks and distant laughter told her the guests were already arriving. The wedding was happening. Her wedding. Except—something was wrong. The phone buzzed on the table next to her. It was Rohan. Finally. She opened the message with a mix of hope and frustration. Then her heart stopped. “I can’t do this. I’m sorry. Don’t look for me.” Four lines. That was all. No explanation. No goodbye. No future. Her fingers trembled, but no tears came. Instead, a strange calm settled in her chest. She stood up, removed the heavy dupatta from her head, and looked at herself in the mirror one last time. The bride she saw wasn’t real. Just a well-dressed lie. Without telling anyone, Tara slipped out of the house, walking barefoot down the back alley. The rain had started, soft and cold, like the universe was mourning with her. She reached the station by instinct, not intention. Her red lehenga caught stares, but she didn't care. She bought the first ticket she saw and boarded a nearly empty train heading toward the Konkan coast. She didn’t know where she was going. Only that she couldn’t stay. The train rocked gently as night fell. She pressed her forehead to the glass, watching the blur of rain and shadows.

Disclaimer: This show may contain expletives, strong language, and mature content for adult listeners, including sexually explicit content and themes of violence. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real persons, businesses, places or events is coincidental. This show is not intended to offend or defame any individual, entity, caste, community, race, religion or to denigrate any institution or person, living or dead. Listener's discretion is advised.Less