Vedant stood motionless outside the closed door, his fingers curled into tense fists at his sides. Just beyond this barrier, his daughter—his precious Nandini—was preparing for the most important day of her life, a day she had no choice in.

He longed to see her, to take in the sight of her dressed as a bride, to step inside and hold her close before she was taken away into a life she did not yet understand. But he didn’t. He couldn’t.