Page 84 of Sumanika

Daadisa's eyes shifted from frustration to shock, then quickly to awe.

Her eyes filled with tears as she cupped my cheeks and kissed my forehead.

"You look breathtaking. Forget this soldier; let me find you a Prince,"

A wave of laughter swept through the attendees watching us, tightening my heart with her words. The laughter faded from my mind, but I forced a smile onto my face.

"Come with me,"

She said, leading me out and asking me to sit on the couch.

I watched her retrieve minimal jewelry for me, a beautiful smile gracing her lips. She sat beside me on the couch, extending her hand to hold mine. Starting with the bangles, she said,

"I know it didn't go as planned last time, but nothing is more beautiful than having hope,"

I silently gulped and bit my lip.

I understood that hope could be beautiful yet also bring immense pain, often more than reality itself.

"Hope is beautiful, Daadisa, but when it shatters, the world feels too big to escape. It feels like being trapped in a box, suffocated. Trusting again becomes incredibly difficult,"

I attempted to explain slowly, and she lifted her gaze to meet mine.

"I know how it feels when hope dies. I was married to him, spending my life managing the Kingdom and politics while he was busy with the same until his last breath. When everything started to settle—the children married, grandchildren blessed our lives—I thought we would enjoy our old age in peace, but he left me alone,"

I lowered my gaze, listening to her. Her fingers trembled with the frailty of old age, yet hope shone brightly in her eyes.

"And when I was finally recovering from his loss, making peace with life again, Raj left us,"

She continued, tears welling in her eyes, and I felt a lump forming in my throat. I gently held her hands, caressing them slowly.

"But sometimes, we are so consumed by the wildfire that we fail to realize it brings new seeds to grow, new lives to begin, and new greenery to flourish in our lives,"

She smiled weakly, and I tried to smile back.

"You are too young to give up on life, Suman. You did your best. While he was alive, you stayed by his side, even when he chose someone else over you. You never cheated, disrespected, or hurt him. Now that he is gone, there is no burden on you, and you are young enough to believe in love again,"

She said, and I inhaled deeply at the mention of the word 'love.'

Painful memories clouded my mind, dark clouds filled with pain, horror, and sacrifice made me clench my fists.

"What if it’s not love again?"

I asked timidly, meeting her eyes. Her brows furrowed.

"What could it be then?"

She asked, her voice slow.

"A need, attachment, attraction—anything that feels short-lived. What if it's just a thread tying us together from each end, making it impossible to escape each other yet also impossible to leave together?"

My throat felt tight as I spoke slowly, and she swallowed quietly, gazing at me.

"That's exactly what I meant when I talked about giving life another chance. You will never know until it happens. Trusting once is easy, but giving another chance is the real battle—not against others, but within yourself. You will constantly judge that journey, whether it’s a person or life itself, watching every step so closely that you’ll miss the essence because you’re too busy critiquing it to feel the happiness it can bring, "

She said, leaving me too stunned to respond. The image of his face and green eyes blurred through my thoughts. Maybe Daadisa was right; I had been too rigid in my thinking and closing myself off over time.

Perhaps I should place my trust not in individuals but in life itself, waiting until it leads me to him.

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