I stood on the balcony, staring at the moon as tears silently slipped down my cheeks. “Mom… I miss you so much,” I whispered. For a few moments, I allowed myself to cry. Today had taken everything from me—the wedding I had dreamed of, the man I thought I loved, and the life I had imagined for myself. “Devika.” I quickly wiped my tears and turned around. Neel stood at the balcony door, looking at me with an unreadable expression. “Come inside and close the door. If you fall sick, I’m not approving any more leave for you. You’ve already taken enough time off for your wedding.” He said it so casually that I almost laughed. My wedding. The words sounded strangely funny now. “Yes, sir,” I murmured. He walked back to the bed and lay down as if nothing unusual had happened. I quietly closed the balcony door and lay down on the couch. The room fell silent. But my mind refused to. Why, Shaurya? Why did you do this to me? All those years. All those promises. Every conversation, every memory, every moment I had believed was love… How could all of it become meaningless because of money? Because of dowry. I turned toward the darkness, trying to hold back another wave of tears. That night, I realized something painful— I hadn't lost Shaurya because I wasn't enough. I had lost him because he had put a price on my worth.