The evening air felt heavy.
Meher stood quietly near the kitchen door while voices came from the living room.
Her relatives had come after hearing about her city job.
And instead of happiness…
Most of them brought fear.
“Sending a young girl alone to the city?” her bua said loudly. “Have you lost your mind, Gurmail?”
Meher’s hands tightened around the steel glass she was holding.
Her father stayed silent.
Another relative shook his head.
“These city people are dangerous. Girls change there.”
“Yes,” another woman added. “Today job… tomorrow who knows? Village girls should stay close to family.”
Meher looked down.
Every word felt heavier on her chest.
Her mother tried speaking softly.
“But it is a good opportunity…”
“Opportunity?” bua interrupted. “Or trouble?”
The room became quiet.
Meher’s heart started beating faster.
She knew her father wanted to send her.
But she also knew he worried too much.
And if he changed his decision tonight…
Everything would end.
Her dreams.
Her job.
Her first chance to become something more.
Lucky suddenly spoke while eating peanuts.
“People also said phones were bad. Now everyone uses them.”
“Stay out of elders’ talk,” bua scolded.
Lucky rolled his eyes.
Meher almost smiled.
Almost.
Her uncle leaned forward.
“Brother, listen to me carefully. She is innocent. What if someone tricks her? These companies are not safe.”
That sentence broke something inside Gurmail.
Because that was exactly his fear.
He looked toward Meher.
His daughter was standing silently near the wall like a scared child.
She had never even traveled alone before.
“What if she gets hurt there?” he said quietly.
The room became emotional.
Meher felt tears burning her eyes.
“No, Papa…” she finally spoke softly. “I will be careful.”
“You don’t know the world,” bua replied immediately.
Meher went quiet again.
Her father rubbed his forehead tiredly.
“I trust my daughter,” he said.
“Trust is not enough,” uncle answered. “The world is bad.”
Later that night, the relatives finally left.
The house became silent.
Too silent.
Meher sat beside her father outside the house under the dim yellow bulb.
For a few minutes, nobody spoke.
Only crickets could be heard from the fields.
Then Gurmail looked at her.
“Do you really want to go?”
Meher’s throat tightened.
She wanted to say yes loudly.
She wanted to say she dreamed of this every night.
But fear stopped her.
“What if Papa says no?” she thought.
So instead she whispered,
“Only if you want.”
Her father sighed deeply.
“That is not the answer I asked.”
Meher looked down at her hands.
“I’m scared,” she admitted quietly.
“Of the city?”
She nodded.
“Then why go?”
A small tear rolled down her cheek.
“Because if I don’t go now… I never will.”
That sentence hit him hard.
For the first time, Gurmail realized his daughter was growing up.
Not just in age.
In dreams too.
“What if people are bad to you there?” he asked softly.
“I will handle it.”
“What if someone hurts you?”
“I’ll call you.”
“What if you feel alone?”
Meher tried smiling weakly.
“Then I’ll come home and trouble Lucky again.”
Her father laughed softly for the first time that evening.
Then suddenly his eyes became emotional.
“You are too innocent, Meher.”
She held his hand gently.
“You taught me how to be strong too.”
Inside the house, her mother watched them quietly from the window.
Lucky came beside her.
“Papa will agree,” he whispered confidently.
“How do you know?”
“Because he loves Didi more than his fear.”
A few minutes later, Gurmail stood up slowly.
“Pack your bags,” he said.
Meher looked up quickly.
“You’re… letting me go?”
Her father nodded.
“But promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“No matter how big the city becomes…”
“Don’t lose yourself.”
Tears filled Meher’s eyes.
She hugged him tightly.
And for the first time in many days…
Hope felt stronger than fear
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