Shaadi ke din mere haathon ki mehendi abhi sookhi bhi nahi thi, par dil me ajeeb sa darr tha Maa ki godh chhod kar ek naye ghar ki dehleez par kadam rakhna asaan nahi tha. Log kehte hai shaadi ladki ki nayi zindagi hoti hai… par koi nahi batata ki us nayi zindagi me kitne sawal aur kitni khamoshiyan hoti hain."Shaadi ke din sab log muskura rahe the, par meri muskaan ke peeche kitne sawal chhupe the, ye koi nahi jaanta tha. Mehendi se saje haath aur laal jode me lipti main bahar se ek dulhan thi, par andar se ek dari hui ladki.
Vidai ka waqt aaya to maa ka haath chhoot raha tha, aur lag raha tha jaise bachpan bhi saath hi chhoot raha ho. Aankhon me aansu the, par dil me ek chhoti si umeed bhi thi — shayad meri nayi zindagi sundar hogi.
Sasural ki dehleez par kadam rakhte waqt maine mann hi mann ek vaada kiya — 'Chahe kitni bhi mushkil aaye, main tootungi nahi.'
Pehle din sab kuch naya tha — naye chehre, naye niyam, naye rishton ki zimmedari. Har kisi ki umeedein thi, aur main khud ko un umeedon ke hisaab se dhalne ki koshish kar rahi thi. Kabhi-kabhi raat ko chupke se aansu bhi aa jaate, par subah phir se muskaan pehen leti.
Mujhe tab samajh aaya, shaadi sirf ek rishta nahi, ek pari bar bhi hoti hai. Par maine tay kar liya tha — main sirf is ghar ki bahu nahi, apni pehchan bhi banoongi."