“What about you?” She pointed toward Nadya.
Nayra then pointed at herself.
“I only graduated from middle school. I never went to college. I had to drop out because of our circumstances.”
Nadya looked at her sister.
“Big Sis... you’ve already done so much for us.”
“I know that,” Nadya replied.
“I’ve always been the one to give in... But I want a better life too, Nad.”
Nayra took her little sister’s hand.
“If you take my place tonight, Mahendra will pay for your college expenses.”
Nadya immediately pulled her hand away.
“I don’t want to be paid to do something like this.”
“This isn’t just about money.”
Nayra moved closer.
“You’ll live in a huge house. You can go to college. You won’t have to worry about tuition, living expenses, or what you’ll eat tomorrow anymore.”
Tears began to well up in Nadya’s eyes.
“What about you?”
“I’m leaving.”
Nadya’s eyes widened.
“Big Sis...”
“I’ve made my decision.”
Nayra hugged her little sister.
“I don’t want you to have the bleak years I had, Nad. You need to have a future.” She continued trying to persuade her sister.
“Consider this repayment for everything you’ve done for our family.” Nadya closed her eyes.
She knew Nayra had worked hard for their family. But even so...
This request was too much. Nadya took a deep breath.
“If I do this...”
Nadya’s voice was barely audible.
“Will Mr. Mahendra really pay for my college expenses?”
Nayra nodded.
“And you’ll have a better life than I did.”
That sentence left Nadya silent for a long time.
In the end, she took the wedding dress.
Not because she wasn’t afraid.
But because, for the first time, she felt there might still be a way to pursue her dreams. And repaying her sister for everything she had done included making their mother happy. Nadya didn’t want her mother to keep living in misery.
That was her weakness.
For years, all she could do was watch her friends continue their education while she had to help their mother at home.
And now...
That opportunity was right in front of her.
Nadya closed her eyes.
She knew this was crazy. Completely crazy.
But her family needed money.
And she needed a chance to change her future.
“Why are you spacing out?” Mahendra’s deep voice snapped Nadya out of her thoughts.
Nadya looked at the man in front of her through blurred eyes.
Her head felt heavier and heavier.
She didn’t know why her body felt so weak.
“I’m a little dizzy,” Nadya replied softly.
“Relax. You’re just overly nervous.”
“What if I turn off the light now?” Mahendra pressed the light switch, and the room was instantly swallowed by darkness.
The bedroom light went out.
Darkness.
Nadya swallowed.
In the darkness, she could only reassure herself.
This was for college.
For her future.
For her family.
She didn’t know that the decision she made tonight was a mistake.
And when the man moved close to her again...
Nadya could only close her eyes.
The atmosphere slowly sank into silence.
She could hear Mahendra breathing beside her. He was so close that Nadya’s body grew even more rigid.
Her hand clenched the edge of the blanket.
“Mr. Mahendra...”
There was no answer.
Nadya opened her eyes slightly, but the darkness in the room made it impossible for her to see anything.
“Mr. Mahendra?”
Still, there was no answer.
Only the sound of footsteps growing closer.
Nadya swallowed.
For some reason, her heart was beating much faster than before. The dizziness that had been bothering her made it even harder to concentrate.
She wanted to turn on the light.
But her hand trembled when she tried to move.
Maybe I’m just too scared.
Nadya tried to convince herself.
Either way, the man in that room was Mahendra.
The man she had to consider her husband.
At least, that was what she believed.
“Mr. Mahendra... I’m still really nervous.”
This time, she heard a sigh from the man’s direction.
Nadya pressed herself farther against the headboard.
She didn’t know what else to say.
All the courage she had gathered earlier was slowly disappearing.
Her thoughts returned to Nayra.
To their conversation a few hours earlier.
Mahendra will pay for your college expenses.
Nadya closed her eyes again.
She remembered her mother’s face.
Their small house.
The days when they had to count out every dollar just to buy rice.
She remembered all the work her mother had done alone.
Those were the reasons she had ended up here.
Not because she wanted any of this.
Not because she wanted to serve the man beside her.
But because she wanted the chance to change her life.
Yet now, when that opportunity was truly within reach, Nadya felt afraid instead.
Terrified.
The sound of footsteps came again.
This time, they were even closer.