Chapter 3 - Dream, Society, and the weigt of Truth

Merry was in class 12 at that time.. it was a phase of life where most children begin to chase their dreams, and merry was no different. She had already filled her heart with countless dreams. There was aunique sparkle in her eyes - as if she wasn't just an ordinary village girl, but someone destined for something greater. But life was not moving according to her wishes. While she was focused on her studies, her elder sister's marriage was arranged. Once again, the house was filled with wedding celebrations - songs, rituals, relatives, and happiness all around... But deep inside, merry felt quiet sadness. Het elder sister, who was also her closest companion, was now leaving for her in-laws' house. On the wedding day, as she watched her sister leave, her eyes filled with tears... " Everything will change now..."she thought softly. And it truly did. After her sister left, the house felt emptier. But merry gathered herself and focused on her studies. After some time, she completed her class 12 education. Now, a new world stood in front of her - a world of dreams... merry had very big dreams... she wanted to become a wealthy person. She wanted to earn money on her own. She wanted to travel the world - new cities, new countries, new people... Her dreams extended far beyond the boundaries of her village. But... The thinking of village was smaller than her dreams. As soon as she completed her studies, discussions about her marriage began in the village. People started telling her father, philips. "Now you should get merry married..." "There are two more girls younger than her..." "If her marriage is delayed, their age will also increase..." Slowly, the pressure of society started affecting philip. Merry had no idea that her life was about to change once again... Onc day, a relative brought a marriage proposal for merry. Philips listened carefully. The boy worked in the city... He belonged to a big family... And most importantly - they had a good income. A thought immediately came to philip's mind- "my daughter will be happy there..." Without thinking much, he agreed to the proposal. But... The villagers were not happy with this decision. They knew the boy. And they didn't think he was right for merry. "That boy is not good..." "There is something wrong with him..." "We don't want merry's life to be full of struggle again..." people discussed among themselves. Because merry was not an ordinary girl... she was very kind. She helped everyone. She stood beside others in their difficult times. That is why everyone liked her... And no one wanted anything wrong to happen to her. But philip did not listen to anyone. He only thought one thing - "my daughter will live in a big house... her life will improve..." And then... merry's marriage was fixed. Preparations for the wedding began. The house was once again filled with lights, happiness, and guests... But deep inside, merry felt a strange fear. She had once felt so close to her dreams... And now it felt like they were slipping away from her Still...she said nothing against her father's decision. The wedding day arrived. Merry was married with great celebration. She looked extremely beautiful as a bride. She got married to a man named- mr. Luan. Everything happened so quickly that merry didn't even get time to understand that she was standing at the most important turning point of her life. After the wedding... Merry came to her in- law' house. She left her dreams behind... And started trying to accept her new life . She began handling household responsbilities, Understanding new reletionships, And fulfilling her duties. For the first few days, everything was fine. Her in-law treated her well. The house was big, there were many people, and everything felt new. Merry thought; maybe my life is finally getting better... But... After a few days, something happened that shook her entire world. One day, while she was in a corner of the house, she overheard a conversation... What she heard made her feel as if the ground beneath her feet had slipped away. She came to know that- Her husband, Mr. Luan, was not happy with this marriage. He never wanted to get married. A few days before the wedding, his family had forcefully brought him back from city... And without his consent, they got him married to merry. Hearing this, merry's heart started racing. As if her entire world had shattered in a moment. " Does that mean... I am not his choice?" "Was this marriage just a compulsion?" "Will he ever truly accept me?" Thousands of questions began to rise in her mind. Tears filled her eyes...But she did not let them fall. She quietly walked away. That night... she sat alone. She didn't talk to anyone... She didn't share her pain... She was lost in her thoughts. On one side were her broken dreams... And on the other side was a harsh truth she could neither change nor ignore. She slowly looked up at the sky... And whispered in her heart; "Are happiness in my life only meant to stay for a moment..?" Het story had to fight not just for her life, but for her identity...