Short story- The Silent Sacrifice
SHORT STORY- THE SILENT SACRIFICE
“Yes…” she whispered meekly. Her soft reply was barely audible, but it was enough. It was all they needed to hear. A wave of celebration swept through the room, and within moments, she was enveloped in hugs, her hands shaking as they reached to return the embrace. Laughter echoed around her, and the joy in everyone’s eyes was unmistakable.
But for her, that one word—yes—felt like a death sentence. It carved into her heart, leaving a hollow space that no amount of forced smiles could fill. She plastered one on her face, trying desperately to bury the storm raging inside her. But her eyes, those traitorous eyes, betrayed her. A single tear broke free, rolling down her cheek before she could catch it.
Without a word, she turned, covering her face with trembling hands as more tears slipped through her fingers. She darted from the room.
“Awww… sweet girl, she’s just shy!” The voices behind her laughed, oblivious to the agony suffocating her. She didn’t turn back, didn’t slow down. She kept running, her heart thudding in her chest as she fled to her room—the only place where she could let herself fall apart.
Inside, the door clicked shut, and she collapsed against it, sliding to the floor. Her sobs filled the quiet space, the storm she had held back now crashing through her with full force. She wanted solace, but there was none. She wanted relief, but the pain gnawed at her insides. Her dreams—beautiful, soaring dreams—now lay shattered, reduced to nothing but debris scattered at her feet.
“I love you, Ma… I love you, Pa,” she whispered through her tears, rocking herself as if trying to hold the pieces together. “You gave me life, and I owe you everything. I would die before I hurt you. I’ll marry him… I will. I’ll marry this man I barely know, this man I saw for just a few moments.”
Her voice wavered, trembling with a pain she couldn’t express. “It’s fine. It’s natural, I guess. He seemed nice, and that should be enough, right?”
But even as she spoke, the ache in her chest grew sharper. Her hands pressed against her heart as if that could silence its cries. She wanted to believe it would get easier, that her feelings would settle like dust after a storm. But deep down, she knew. She knew this was not what she wanted, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise.
Short Story- The Silent Sacrifice
Also read- INDIAN SHORT STORIES- THANK GOD! IT DIDN’T HAPPEN.
Also read-SHORT STORY OF AN INTRUDER- WHEN AN INTRUDER ENTERED IN MY HOUSE
“If it makes you happy, Ma, I’ll say yes. I’ll do it. I’ll embrace him, even if my heart refuses. Even if it’s tearing me apart. I know you love me. I trust you. You’ve always had my best interests at heart… But…”
Her voice faltered, and the words stuck in her throat. She couldn’t finish. She couldn’t admit aloud what she knew was true—that this wasn’t about her happiness. This was about duty. Sacrifice. She had dreams once, of flying, of seeing the world through her own eyes, of proving to herself that she was capable of much more.
“I wanted to be something… Someone. I wanted to walk my path, see the world beyond these walls… But maybe I’m just naïve. Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be. Maybe I was foolish to think I could be more than this.”
She wiped her eyes, her hands trembling as she pulled herself off the floor. “You must know better, Ma. You must have seen something in him that I don’t see yet. I trust you. I trust that you love me…”
Her voice cracked, and she choked back another sob. She wanted to believe in her mother’s choices, in the future that had been decided for her, but her heart wouldn’t quiet. The storm inside still raged, the thunder rumbling just beneath the surface.
She stood there, staring at herself in the mirror, seeing a version of herself she no longer recognized. The girl who had once dreamed of more was gone, replaced by a woman who had no choice but to accept the path laid before her.
“I will be calm,” she whispered, her voice hollow now. “I will make peace with this. But tonight… tonight, I mourn the pieces of myself I will never get back.”
Her words hung in the air, a quiet farewell to the dreams she would have to bury. And as the silence closed in around her, she knew—deep inside—that no one would ever hear the echoes of what she had lost.
Check out my book ‘THE TREE AND THE WIND’ on Kindle
