The morning sun spilled softly over the endless fields of Amritsar. Golden wheat swayed gently in the breeze, whispering against each other like an ocean of grain.

The Gill estate stretched far and wide, acres of land kissed by sunlight, tractors rumbling faintly in the distance, and farmers beginning their day under the open sky.

Inside the grand haveli, the smell of fresh parathas and white butter filled the air.

The family gathered around the long wooden dining table. Harjit Gill, sitting reading the newspaper, and his wife Amrita, pouring tea into porcelain cups.

At the head of the table sat the matriarch of the house, Kaushalya Gill. Her silver hair was tied neatly, her sharp eyes missing nothing.

She was a woman who had run land, home, and people her entire life. Along with the land, she also ran a quiet money lending business. People in the village came to her not just for money, but for advice, respect, and fear.

The clink of a chair being pulled back broke the morning stillness.

Kabir walked in.

Tall. Polished. London was written all over him, yet there was something of Punjab still lingering in his eyes.

Harjit and Amrita’s son and the heir to this whole empire who doesn't want any of this because he loves his job and making his own life away from here as this place reminds him of someone he wants to forget. 

He greeted the elders while touching their feet for blessings and sat down.

Harjit folded the newspaper. "So, Kabir," he asked casually, "when are you going back to London?"

Kabir opened his mouth to answer, but Kaushalya spoke before him. "Whenever he goes back, he will not go without a wife."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Kabir closed his eyes briefly. "Dadi, please. Leave this stubbornness now. I am happy with my work and my life there."

Kaushalya looked at him with calm authority. "A man is never complete without a family. You came for your sister Mehek's wedding. Good. Now we will do yours as well. I will sleep peacefully only then."

Kabir forced a light smile. "Dadi, I will miss my flight if you keep planning my marriage like this." But inside, he was already searching for an excuse.

He finished breakfast quickly and stood up. "Papa, shall we go to the fields? I want to see the new irrigation setup."

Harjit nodded with pride and got up to join him. The two men walked out into the sunlit expanse, the land stretching endlessly before them.

Behind them, Kaushalya also rose and went to her sitting room. Not long after, a man entered, folding his hands respectfully at the door’s threshold.

"Namaste, Maaji," he greeted softly.

Kaushalya gestured for him to sit. "Namaste, Jagir Singh. Tell me, why have you come?"

He hesitated. His clothes were clean but worn, his face lined with worry. He was a small farmer, known to the family very well. More importantly, he was the father of Mehak’s best friend Meher’s father.

“Sit, Jagir.” She insisted politely and he finally sat down.

"Maaji," he began nervously, "I... I need some money on interest."

Kaushalya frowned slightly. "You already have too much debt on your head. Your land is mortgaged. You’ve taken money from the bank and from I don’t know how many moneylenders. The interest from last time is still pending. Why do you want to drown yourself further?"

He swallowed hard. "My daughter... Meher... She wants to go abroad. She wants to work there and fix everything. I tried to convince her to stay, but these children... when they start dreaming, what can a father do but try to make them real?" His voice cracked with helpless love.

Kaushalya sighed worriedly. "You have two younger children then Meher as well. Have you thought about them? You are already paying interest on lakhs. The principal amount still stands untouched. And now you want more?"

He nodded slowly. "Meher has completed her nursing course. She says she will get a good job abroad. Maybe... maybe our fate will change. Maybe one day we will be free of debt."

Kaushalya listened silently as the man finished speaking. His voice trembled with both love and helplessness. A father trying to turn his daughter’s dream into reality. She had seen this look before. Many times. Whenever she lends money to someone.

Kaushalya looked at him for a long moment, her mind weighing risks and heart weighing emotions.

Because she knows this man very well, and she is also well aware of the difficult condition of his household. He has three children. He somehow managed, through loans, to complete the education of the eldest, Meher. The son, Fateh, is ready to go to college next year, and the youngest daughter, Seerat, is still only in the 8th standard. His wife, Baljit, also does tailoring work, but what difference does that really make in today’s world? And on top of that, the eldest daughter now has this new stubborn wish. So she is worried for this helpless man.

Still, she kept her face calm. “So the real issue,” she said slowly, “is only that Meher wants to go abroad. For that, you are ready to drown yourself in lakhs more of debt?”

He swallowed hard and nodded.

“But tell me something,” Kaushalya continued, her tone steady, “without money, without support, how will she even go? How will she even survive in a different country?”

But that helpless father who himself is trying to find answers to these questions has nothing to say to Kaushalya right now.

“Will you really send your daughter so far away all alone?” Kaushalya asked with a deep sigh. “Here, you don’t even let her go anywhere without your protection. Even when she used to come here to visit Mehek, you would personally come to drop her and pick her up. So how will you live peacefully after sending her alone to another country?”

“My heart doesn’t agree to it at all, Ma ji, but what do I do? She has become so stubborn,” Jagir said helplessly. “I don’t know how I will send a piece of my heart so far away. My heart trembles thinking that if something happens to her in a foreign land, there won’t even be anyone of her own there to take care of her.”

“So there is a solution for this, one that will also mean Meher won’t have to go abroad alone, and you won’t have to take any loans,” she said calmly.

“I don’t understand,” Jagir asked in confusion.

“Get her married before she goes. If her husband is with her, she won’t be alone. And your worry that your daughter is all by herself in a foreign land will also end,” Kaushalya suggested.

“That’s not easy. These NRI marriage proposals demand so much dowry. I am a poor man, how can I afford such a big give-and-take? And we can’t even trust them. We hear so many stories,” Jagir said anxiously.

“They are not all the same,” Kaushalya replied very calmly. “Just look at our Kabir.”

Kaushalya’s intention was clear. She is seeing a good girl in front of her, and she did not want to let this chance slip away. Because after Kabir’s heart was broken the first time, he had only just managed to stand again and become ready to move forward in life and when his engagement broke this time, it once again dragged him backwards, away from marriage and settling down.

Kaushalya could not bear to see her grandson alone like this. She wanted to see him settle down, to see his home and life filled with love and happiness.

That is why, before she leaves this world, she wants at any cost to get him married and see him move ahead in life forgetting about that girl.

And now that such a good opportunity has walked right up to her door, she will not let it slip away under any circumstances.

Before the worried father could answer, she spoke again. Clear. Decisive.

“She will go… as my Kabir’s wife.”

Silence filled the room.

The man stared at her, shocked. Words refused to leave his mouth. His hands trembled slightly. He had come expecting another loan. Not this.

“Maaji… I… I do not understand,” he whispered.

Kaushalya’s eyes softened, but her voice remained firm. “I have seen Meher grow up in front of my eyes. She is my Mehek’s best friend and she is like our own child to us. She is simple, educated, well mannered, and rooted. I want a grounded, respectful girl for my Kabir. And I know Meher is exactly that.”

He still looked stunned.

Kaushalya leaned back slightly. “Look Jagir…... I do not want a single rupee from you. There is no need. With God’s grace, my family has everything. And if Meher comes here as my daughter in law, then you will also be free from the burden of arranging her future alone.”

His eyes filled. He lowered his gaze, overwhelmed.

“After marriage,” Kaushalya added gently, “Meher wants to work, she can. Kabir will never stop her. I know my son as I have given him values. Children should not study all their lives just to sit at home. Work gives strength. Work gives identity.”

She paused, her voice turning softer.

“Look at me. I was not even highly educated. After Harjit’s father passed away, if I had not stood up and handled everything, this family would have been on the streets. So who understands the value of work better than I do?”

Emotion flickered in the man’s eyes listening to her words.

“And if Meher wishes to use her earnings for her parents, I will never object. Not even Kabir. Never.” Kaushalya continued. “Fathers raise their children all their lives. When children grow up, it is their duty to stand beside their parents and to become their strength. That is not a burden. That is love.”

She let the words sink in.

“Think with a calm mind. There is no pressure. You know Kabir well. Even after living abroad, there is no vice in him. And you also know his one weakness. He will always step back if it means someone else will be happier.”

Pain touched her face for a moment remembering all of her boy's sacrifices.

“You know about his broken engagement with Mehek’s sister in law. I cannot explain everything openly, because she is also a daughter to me and this family. But the engagement broke for a reason and Kabir stepped away for her sake.”

Kaushalya continued, “And you also know very well about Kabir’s past, the reason he left from here. But he has moved on now. He has forgotten Simran. We all know this. That girl is married and happy, and I too want to see my Kabir’s home filled with happiness. When he has already forgotten everything and moved ahead in life, Jagir, I promise you that he will keep Meher like a queen.”

The man nodded slowly. Everyone knew about his love for Simran Sharma, and how tragically it ended when she did not take a stand for him in front of her family after they found out about their relationship. Her family would never agree to an inter-religion marriage, so she backed out of all her promises. And Kabir, for the sake of her family’s reputation, let her go while he himself went on silently bearing the pain of losing her. This was no secret to anyone.

Kaushalya folded her hands loosely in her lap. “Take your time, Jagir. Think. Do what your heart feels is right.”

His voice broke as he spoke. “Maaji… this is a blessing I never dreamed of.”

He lowered his head, eyes wet.

For Kaushalya, it was simple but for a father, it was everything.

For a grandmother, it was the future she had silently chosen but for a father it would be the hardest decision he will take.

And somewhere far away, without knowing it yet… Kabir and Meher’s destinies began to move toward each other.

The sun had begun its slow descent by the time Kabir returned from the fields. Dust clung lightly to his shoes, and the faint scent of soil still lingered on him. He stepped out of the jeep, rolling his sleeves as his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen. Mrs. R….His boss in London.

He answered while walking toward the haveli. "Yes, ma’am. I went through the proposal. I think the Singapore branch deal can move forward if…" he continued smoothly, his tone collected and professional.

He had just reached the main hall when he heard voices drifting out from the sitting room. His steps slowed. His attention shifted from the call to the words echoing in the air.

Amrita’s voice came first. Soft. Hopeful. "So, Maa ji… you really asked for Meher’s hand today?"

Then Kaushalya’s voice. Calm. Certain. "Yes. I have spoken to Jagir. Meher will be perfect for Kabir. A good girl. Rooted. And once she goes with him, she will not be alone abroad. Nor will Jagir have to worry about her being alone. I have thought about it Amrita. It would be the best for both of them."

Kabir stopped walking. Every word hit like a stone. His hand froze around the phone. His heartbeat faltered, then began to pound harder and harder inside his chest.

His boss was still talking, her voice distant now. "…and also we need your confirmation on…"

But he was no longer listening as his mind was somewhere else.

Meher.

They had said Meher.

The same Meher Kaur Sandhu….. because of whom his Simran had gone away from him.

His jaw tightened. His chest felt heavy. A storm began to rise behind his eyes.

How could Dadi do this?

How could she choose her?

His voice sounded distant, hollow, when he finally spoke. "Mrs. Rathore… I will talk to you later."

He did not wait for her reply. He disconnected the call and let his phone drop loosely to his side and stood there, frozen in the corridor, staring blankly ahead while the words repeated in his skull.

Meher.

His future wife.