When Avni woke up, she was alone in the room. A sob escaped her lips as she reminisced about her past. Her present was a far cry from what she had aspired—to become a painter. But even before her dream could take flight, she got married. Coming from a strict and conservative joint family, Avni had no choice but to live the life her parents had chosen for her.
It had barely been a month since her marriage, and Avni had begun to feel trapped and suffocated. So lost was she in her own misery, that she never noticed the sweet gestures and attempts at conciliation made by her husband. All she longed for was to get back to her old, independent life, and pursue her dream.
That morning when she woke up, her husband was nowhere to be found. The previous night, they had fought for the first time. It had all started with a petty argument, but what followed was a volley of angry words, accusations, and complaints hurled by Avni at her husband. In a fit of frustration, she had ended up blaming him for ruining her life.
It was only now, many hours too late when Avni realised her mistake. How could she ever apologise to the man who had done nothing wrong?
Avni got shaken out of her stupor by a knock on the door. Standing at the threshold was her husband, with a bouquet of her favourite flowers, and a canvas board.
“Just because you’re married, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams. And from now on, it would be my responsibility to make sure that you don’t,” smiled her husband.
That’s when Avni realised that marriage was not just about vows, but also the promise to support each other at every step of the way.