The soft afternoon sunlight gleamed like an old instrument - less melodic, more mysterious. In a quiet corner of the café, Meera and Sameer sat facing each other, but the silence between them was heavy - filled with things left unsaid, truths pressing to surface.
"No. You're lying. I just can't believe it," Sameer said with firm conviction.
Meera took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to hold in her own vulnerability.
"Just because you refuse to believe it doesn't make it any less true, Sameer sir. I'm only telling you what actually happened. Thank God everyone found out in time, or else who knows what disaster might've occurred."
Sameer listened quietly for a moment, then straightened in his chair.
"Look, now this is getting a little too much. I've known Swapnil since we were kids. He would never touch you without your consent. In fact, forget consent - he would never touch you at all. Got it?"
Meera's eyes locked onto Sameer's face for a second before a spark of anger lit within them.
"What do you mean by 'he would never touch me'? You think something's lacking in me? He won't find a girl better than me. It was sheer luck for him that he trapped me in this bond by mistake. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even looked in his direction!"
Sameer tried to suppress a smile but couldn't hide the flicker of annoyance in his eyes.
"Being too full of yourself isn't a good thing either, Meera. Sure, you look good - fine. But he didn't trap you. What happened the first time was a mistake. And honestly, it was my fault. Though I'll never admit that to him."
Meera looked surprised, but her expression remained stern.
"Fine, let's say the first time was a mistake - your mistake. But wasn't it his responsibility to check the papers before signing? And then, after signing, he was the one who asked me to leave early. Even if I call all of that an accident, what about the second time? In the forest? He married me completely conscious of what he was doing. So tell me, who's the one with feelings here?"
Sameer stayed quiet for a moment, then asked,
"Well, you married him too. If I ask you the same thing - do you like him - what will you say?"
Meera fell silent. That question struck a nerve. Her thoughts flashed back to the moment Swapnil had kissed her without warning. Should she tell Sameer? No… that was too personal. She couldn't share that - at least not until Swapnil said it himself. She exhaled deeply.
"You're right," she finally said. "I married him - because I had no choice. I had no other option. On one side, the tribals were blackmailing me, and on the other, your friend - who showed everyone proof of our marriage. And since they needed more couples for their ritual, they made us get married in front of everyone and made us sit for the worship together. All the rituals were completed. So, in that sense, we're husband and wife now."
She paused, then added, "And you tell me - he could've refused. At the very least, he could've pretended to object. But he didn't. He said yes immediately."
Sameer listened quietly, his expression unreadable.
"You do have a point," he finally said. "But he's my best friend. If he had feelings for you, he would've told me. All I know is - he's more angry at you than anything else."
"Exactly!" Meera slammed her palm on the table with confidence. "See? You said it yourself - he's just angry at me. That means I was right. So now, I'm definitely not giving him a divorce. Let him stay bound in this relationship with me."
Sameer now looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"If you're telling the truth, then now you tell me truthfully - why were those tribals blackmailing you? What happened before Swapnil showed up with the certificate?"
Meera looked into his eyes. She couldn't twist her words anymore. So she decided to tell him everything - just the way it had happened.
After she finished, Sameer lightly tapped her forehead and muttered,
"Idiot. He married you to save your life, and here you were telling me he's fallen in love with you. Not everything is a joke, Meera."
"But he could've refused! He had already shown the certificate. Now he's made me even more confused. Imagine how I'll feel if he denies this marriage tomorrow. It'll hurt, won't it?" Meera replied sincerely.
Sameer remained quiet for a moment, then finally said,
"Fine. I'll talk to him. I'll convince him to stay in the marriage with you. And since you two are already married through old customs, why not complete it with new rituals too? Then you can bind him to yourself for seven life's. I won't say a word - and I won't let him say anything either."
Meera didn't laugh at the joke. Instead, her eyes drifted away, lost in thought.
("It's these very seven-lifetime vows I've been running from. I only took this step to escape one marriage, and now I'm bound to another. How do I tell you, sir, why I truly accepted this unwanted relationship?") - Meera thought silently.
Seeing her lost in thought, Sameer too was caught in his own maze of reflection.
("Both of them keep denying this relationship... but both are taking small steps forward. Or maybe fate itself is pushing them ahead, one step at a time. Should I just leave this up to destiny? Or should I step in to help my friend? Yes, more than fate, Swapnil needs help now.") - he decided at last.
And right there, in the quiet corner of that café, truths were unfolding, one after another. And perhaps, unknowingly, three lives were inching closer - bound not just by papers or rituals, but by choices, consequences, and the unpredictable threads of fate.