Chapter 4 – A Promise Before Marriage (Part 1)

The first rays of sunlight slipped through the cracks in the wooden window, painting soft golden lines across the small room.

Anaya slowly opened her eyes.

For a brief moment, she expected to hear the familiar sounds of honking cars and the buzz of her alarm clock. Instead, she heard birds singing outside, the distant crow of a rooster, and the gentle crackling of firewood.

She stared at the ceiling.

"So... it wasn't a dream."

A quiet sigh escaped her lips.

She had truly left her old world behind.

There was no apartment waiting for her.

No office.

No deadlines.

No phone that would constantly ring with messages demanding more work.

Only this tiny house... and an elderly grandmother who believed she had survived death.

After washing her face with cold well water, Anaya stepped into the courtyard.

Grandmother Mei was already sweeping the ground with a straw broom.

"You finally woke up," the old woman said with a warm smile. "I made millet porridge. Eat while it's still hot."

Anaya smiled faintly.

"I'll help first."

Grandmother Mei laughed.

"You nearly drowned yesterday. Today you're helping me?"

"I'm fine."

The old woman shook her head but couldn't hide her happiness.

As they worked together, Anaya noticed how difficult even simple chores were. Water had to be carried from the village well, vegetables had to be washed by hand, and firewood had to be chopped before cooking.

Nothing came easily.

Yet no one complained.

After breakfast, a knock sounded at the wooden gate.

Three village women entered carrying baskets.

"We came to see the bride!"

Their cheerful voices made Anaya freeze.

Bride...

The word still felt strange.

One of the women placed a bundle of folded cloth on the table.

"This is for your wedding."

Grandmother Mei's eyes widened.

"You've made new clothes for her?"

The oldest woman nodded.

"Everyone in the village contributed a little cloth. It isn't luxurious, but a bride should have something new."

Anaya looked at the simple red dress inside the bundle.

The stitching wasn't perfect.

The fabric wasn't expensive.

But every thread had been sewn by someone who cared.

She gently ran her fingers across the cloth.

"Thank you."

The women smiled.

"No need to thank us. Hunter Arjun is an honest man. You'll have a peaceful life."

Another woman laughed softly.

"I've never seen him speak so gently to anyone except you."

Anaya blinked.

"Really?"

"He hardly talks at all."

The women exchanged knowing smiles before leaving.

Their words stayed with her long after the gate closed.

Was Arjun really that quiet?

Or had she simply met him on a day unlike any other?

...

Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Arjun adjusted the bow slung across his shoulder.

Fresh footprints marked the damp earth.

A deer.

He followed the trail silently, moving with practiced ease between towering trees.

Within minutes, he caught sight of his prey grazing in a clearing.

He drew an arrow.

Then lowered it.

A tiny fawn stepped out beside the doe.

Arjun smiled faintly.

"Another day."

He turned away.

Instead, he gathered mushrooms, edible herbs, and dry branches for firewood.

As he walked home, he stopped at the village carpenter's workshop.

"I need a new table."

The carpenter looked surprised.

"For yourself?"

Arjun nodded.

"And another chair."

The carpenter chuckled.

"So the lonely hunter is finally preparing for married life."

Arjun simply smiled without answering.

...

Back at the little house, Anaya sat beneath a tree, absentmindedly weaving a basket from reeds.

She was still thinking about everything that had happened.

Three days ago she had been worrying about paying bills.

Now she was learning how to weave baskets in a mountain village.

Life truly changed in the blink of an eye.

Just then, footsteps approached the gate.

She looked up.

Arjun stood there, carrying a basket filled with fresh mushrooms, wild berries, and a neatly wrapped bundle.

"I brought these," he said.

"They're for Grandmother."

Anaya accepted the basket.

"You didn't have to."

"I wanted to."

He hesitated for a moment before adding quietly,

"I know this marriage wasn't your choice."

She looked at him in surprise.

"I can't promise wealth," he continued. "I can't promise a large house. But I can promise that you will never go hungry if I have food, and you'll never face hardship alone."

The forest breeze stirred the leaves overhead.

For the first time since arriving in this unfamiliar world, Anaya felt her fear begin to fade.

Perhaps fate had been cruel in bringing her here.

But perhaps...

It had also given her someone kind enough to build a new life beside.

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