Marriage had always seemed like a distant reality for Sara, something she would think about when the time was right. But life, as she had learned, rarely follows personal timelines.

Once, she believed in love marriages - the kind where two people fall in love, chase dreams together, and build a future with passion and choice. But time had reshaped her beliefs. Love, to her, had always felt like a distant star - beautiful, but unreachable. And so, when her parents found Vinay, a successful doctor with a warm smile and a steady life, she said yes. Not out of excitement, but out of acceptance.

Now, as she prepared to meet him for the first time in a quiet restaurant, nerves twisted in her stomach. Would he like her? Would she like him? Would this be the beginning of something beautiful or just another forced connection?

With doubts clouding her mind and her heart uncertain, Sara took a deep breath and stepped forward - toward a man she had never met, toward a future she had never imagined, and perhaps, toward a love she never expected.

Sara stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the pleats of her saree for the hundredth time. Her hands felt clammy, and her heartbeat raced like a drumroll before an announcement.

"I can't do this," she muttered under her breath.

Sindhu, lounging on the bed, rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Sara. It's just a meeting, not an exam."

Sara shot her a look. "Easy for you to say! You're marrying the love of your life. No nervous breakdowns for you."

Sindhu smirked. "True. But still, you're overthinking. Just meet him, say hi, and talk about your conditions."

Sara sighed. "Sindhu, you make it sound so simple. You'd understand if you were in my shoes."

"Oh, that's never happening," Sindhu said, flipping her hair dramatically. "I'm all about love, not this arranged marriage thing."

Before Sara could reply, their mother's voice echoed from the kitchen.

"Sindhu! Come here, ma! Help me move these kitchen items."

"Yes, Mom! Coming!" Sindhu called back, giving Sara a playful wink before leaving the room.

Sara exhaled and sat on the bed, staring at her reflection.

"Once upon a time, I thought arranged marriage wasn't for me either. But love marriage?" she thought bitterly. "It's always been a distant star - beautiful but never within my reach. So, here I am, accepting life as it comes."

She picked up Vinay's photo from the table. A doctor at a prestigious hospital, with his own clinic - he was everything a family could ask for in a son-in-law. He seemed nice in the picture, confident, respectable.

But what if he didn't think the same about her?

"I'm fat. I get nervous around strangers. My words get stuck, and I end up talking less. I'm only a chatterbox when I'm comfortable. Will he understand that? Will this marriage even work?"

Her phone buzzed. A message from Sindhu.

"Taxi's here. Come down. Don't panic. Just be yourself. ??"

Sara took a deep breath. Alright, time to face this. She grabbed her purse, smoothed her saree one last time, and walked out the door.

The first step toward an unknown future.