The photo wasn't what broke her. It was the knock on the door that came the next morning.
Her father stood there. Jaw clenched. Eyes dark. Behind him, her mother — pale, furious, silent.
Ananya's heart sank.
They had found out.
Some relative, some whisper, some forwarded message — whatever the source, the damage was done. Her affair with a professor was now her family's shame.
"Pack your things," her father said.
"I'm not leaving," she replied.
Slap.
The sound cracked louder than the pain.
"You've disgraced us," he hissed. "You'll fix it."
Her mother didn't meet her eyes. "We've already spoken to someone. A good match. From a respectable family."
Ananya's stomach twisted. "No. I won't marry some stranger—"
"You've lost the right to choose," her father snapped. "He's a government officer. IPS. Educated. Stable. Not a man who'll ruin you in the shadows."
She froze.
Her mind screamed. Her body shook. But her voice stayed low.
"I won't do it."
"You will," her father replied. "The engagement is in ten days."
They turned to leave.
And just before her father walked out, he said, "If you step out of line again, we'll make sure you lose everything — your education, your name, your future. Understand?"
The door closed.
And Ananya crumbled.
---
Rael called that night. She didn't answer.
Not because she didn't want to. Because if she did, she knew she would run to him.
And this time, running to Rael might destroy what little she had left.
So she stared at her engagement dress hanging on the wall. A symbol of obedience.
But inside her chest, something darker was waking up.
She wasn't going to be caged. Not by her father. Not by tradition. Not by anyone.