The many dramatic moments, the long flight, and the initial mental stress of facing their families were finally over. Anik and Ira had decided that their new life and the resolution of all their family problems would begin not in Dhaka or any other city, but from the very house in Cox's Bazar that had witnessed many silent moments of their love.
Then, the scene shifts three months ahead.
Ira and Anik have returned to the house in Cox's Bazar. They might have met their mothers once, but the real truth (the engagement and the news of the pregnancy) has not yet been directly disclosed—a situation that keeps a suppressed tension hanging over their relationship.
Evening descends. Ira stands silently on the balcony in comfortable attire, a cool breeze blowing in from the Bay of Bengal.
The wind from the sea is whipping her hair, casting shadows on her face. But her gaze is steady. Ira isn't looking at the wind or the ocean. Her fixed gaze is directed at her stomach.
In these three months, her body has undergone a new change. The existence of her new life is now more apparent in the soft curve of her abdomen. Ira seems to be having a silent conversation with the tiny life within her. She is looking at this ultimate proof of their love, which has the power to shatter all social conflicts.
Gently placing her hand on her stomach, she took a deep breath. The fear she had in the hotel in Japan is gone; in its place is a deep sense of responsibility.
Just then, Anik slowly walked up behind her. He saw Ira looking at the reflection of their new future.
Anik (Gently placing a hand on Ira's shoulder): "Are you alright? Mom is still angry. She didn't even look at you once this morning."
Anik's words suddenly broke Ira's calm demeanor. She spun around as if electrified, her eyes devoid of any fear, instead blazing with a fierce, steel-hard resolve. The wind-blown, dishevelled hair seemed to express the storm raging within her.
Ira (In a firm and clear voice): "We're getting married, Anik. No more secrecy, no more fear. Get ready. We can't afford to waste any more time."
Anik was stunned by this sudden declaration. He was still talking about his mother's anger, and Ira had decided on the ultimate resolution.
Ira wasted no time and picked up her phone. First, she called one of her close friends.
Ira (On the phone, with suppressed excitement): "Listen, I'm telling you everything. Keep your head cool. Yes, I'm going to be a mother... and the engagement happened in Japan. But the real game is about to begin. Listen, I need you all. I'm getting married now. And it's going to be huge, in a way no one will ever forget!"
Hanging up, she quickly found a wedding planner's number and called. Her voice was now commanding and confident.
Ira (To the wedding planner): "I want a grand event. Not a private ceremony. I will wear a white gown. Yes, absolutely white. And it will be by the sea, vast, in an open space. Everything must be ready within three months. I will not have a hidden marriage. This will be our announcement of love to both our religions and both our families."
As Ira made one phone call after another, instantly bringing her long-held dreams and this difficult truth into reality, Anik just stared.
He didn't say a word.
There was surprise in Anik's eyes—Ira had transformed all her fear into such immense strength in a single moment, a force that would eclipse his own mother's rage or Ira's mother's hurt. He understood that because of this child, Ira was no longer weak; she was now the mother, ready to break any wall to secure her child's future. His silence was one of consent, and deep fascination.
As Ira mixed all her passion and resolve into giving instructions to the wedding planner, Anik snapped out of his trance and slowly walked closer.
Anik (Gently lowering Ira's phone): "Ira..."
Ira (In an excited voice): "Yes, Anik! Tell me! No more 'buts,' okay? Now it's only 'yes' and 'let's go'!"
Anik (Frowning, with a mix of playful teasing and surprise): "Ira, a white dress? Didn't you say you'd wear a red dress? Your dream was a red Benarasi saree..."
Ira paused for a moment. She momentarily forgot their long-cherished dream of the red Benarasi. Now, more important than the Benarasi was declaring her life standing before society.
Ira (Shaking her head quickly): "Oh, I forgot! No problem, I'll fix it. The white one is essential now. It's the color of our new life."
Anik did not press the matter. He saw that the fire burning inside Ira now could not be stopped by a small memory.
The Week of Preparation
The entire following week was filled with intense preparations. Ira went out shopping, utilizing all her savings and emotion.
She bought the most expensive things for the Gaye Holud (Turmeric Ceremony), the wedding dress, and so much more. There were discussions with the designer for a gorgeous gold-embroidered outfit for the Holud evening, and the white wedding gown. She wanted to complete all the arrangements, not just for the attire, but for setting up their new life.
And amidst all these preparations, Ira did not forget Anik. She knew how much he had sacrificed for her. So, after shopping, she separately gifted Anik a very expensive watch. It was a silent promise to make their time eternal.
When Anik saw the gift, he didn't speak. He simply planted a deep kiss on Ira's forehead. This watch would not just tell time; it would be the new, valuable beginning of their relationship.
All preparations were complete. The wedding day was fixed. Now, only the final announcement to the mothers remained.
The Confrontation: The Ultimate Truth
The next morning.
The drawing-room of the Cox's Bazar house had turned into a battlefield. On one side, giant design blueprints and fabric samples were strewn about, and on the other, suppressed family tension.
The wedding planner arrives and sits down to work with Ira.
Ira was no longer the frightened girl. With her child in her womb, she instructed the planner like a fearless empress.
Ira (Giving directions to the planner): "It has to be like this. Look, the entire event will be on a huge canvas by the sea. There will be no walls. White will be the main color, symbolizing peace and a new beginning. I want the guests, when they arrive, to understand—this is not just a wedding, but a new lifestyle that has not accepted any old conflict."
The planner was nodding and taking notes. Just then, a set of footsteps, not soft, but quite loud, was heard at the door.
Anik quickly looked towards the door. His expression was serious, but a flicker of determination was in his eyes. He knew this moment was coming.
As Anik opened the door, the scene transformed.
Anik stood in front, and Ira and Anik's families entered.
On one side, Ira's parents and some of her relatives—their faces mixed with strictness, disappointment, and an unknown fear. And on the other side, Anik's mother and her people—who were intensely angry and offended by Anik's change of religion. Everyone had come to find out why there was so much shopping and why the wedding was happening so quickly.
In the middle of the drawing-room, amidst the planning documents and samples of the white fabric of love, Ira stood calmly with her hand on her stomach. Anik was beside her.
Anik (Addressing the family, in a calm but firm voice): "Please, come and sit. I'm glad you all came. All our wedding preparations are complete. There was just one thing left to tell you."
Ira held Anik's hand. They no longer needed words. Their eyes, the tiny existence in Ira's stomach—that was their ultimate answer.
As Anik finished speaking, there was pin-drop silence in the room. The planner, quickly assessing the situation, had moved to one side. Members of both families were staring intently at Anik and Ira, as if awaiting a terrifying announcement.
Anik looked gently at Ira, as if giving her courage. Ira held Anik's hand tighter and stepped forward to speak herself.
Ira (Calm, but with deep emotion): "I know you are all angry. You think we have insulted you, broken society's rules. But we only wanted to save our truth. And that truth has arrived today in a form that is not small to any religion or any society."
Ira released Anik's hand and placed both her hands on her stomach, which was clearly visible through the folds of her saree.
Ira: "We didn't fail to inform you of anything. We were just waiting for the right time. We just wanted to say this—whatever you may think, you are gaining a new member even before this marriage. I am going to be a mother."
This word struck the drawing-room like lightning.
Ira's mother, who had been standing with a severe face, suddenly turned pale. Her bag fell to the floor from her hand. She looked at her daughter with astonishment, fear, and deep maternal affection.
On the other side, Anik's mother, who was seething with rage, looked at Anik for a moment. Anik looked at his mother and bowed his head, his eyes full of pleading and love. In the anguish of her son's eyes, his mother saw fear for her son's future, and then she looked at Ira's stomach.
Ira's Mother (In a trembling voice, stepping forward): "Ira... What are you saying? What have you two done?"
Ira (Head bowed, but with conviction in her voice): "Mom, I am your child. I am carrying your grandson or granddaughter in my womb. You cannot turn away this one. This child carries your and my father's blood, just as Anik proved his love for me by changing his religion."
All of Ira's mother's anger melted away instantly. She quickly rushed to Ira, hugged her, and burst into tears. The mother embraced her child, not her fear.
Seeing this, Anik's mother could no longer hold back. She saw how alone her son had fought this battle, and now the news of her grandchild's arrival was before her eyes. Without another word, she silently pulled Anik into a hug.
The two families accepted the harsh truth amidst silent tears and deep love. All anger, resentment, and social divisions succumbed to the new life that had built an eternal bridge between their two religions, two societies.
The Wedding: A Bridge of Love
That very day, Ira and Anik's wedding took place with great fanfare on the white, open stage by the sea in Cox's Bazar. The blue sea sparkled in the light of their wedding, and their child, the biggest and most beautiful proof of their love, offered its blessings from the heavens.
After all the anger, resentment, and social divisions of the two families were laid aside, the house in Cox's Bazar instantly filled with a festive atmosphere.
First, their Gaye Holud ceremony was held.
Both Ira and Anik dressed in the gorgeous outfits bought for the Holud evening. The Holud stage was decorated with fresh marigold flowers and seashells. Members of both families, who had turned away just days before, were now smiling as they applied turmeric paste to Ira and Anik. This turmeric was not just a color; it was a symbol of welcoming the new life of love.
Immediately after the Holud, came the much-anticipated moment.
The white stage, the vastness of the sea, and the crowd—just as Ira had wished.
The wedding was grand, with the crowd confirming that this was one of the big, elaborate weddings. Relatives, friends, and even local acquaintances gathered to witness this new bond between two cultures and two religions.
Ira, dressed in her preferred white dress or gown. Her three-month-old little guest in her stomach was still gently visible. Anik stood beside her, wearing a splendid suit.
When the planner asked them to recite their wedding vows, Anik could no longer hold himself back. All the pressure, fear, and the ultimate joy of such a great victory of love, which had been stored within him for so long, made Anik cry. Ira—his future, his courage—wiped away the tears that streamed from his eyes.
The New Dawn: Eternal Commitment
The day after the wedding.
Morning had not fully broken yet. Soft, golden sunlight fell on the seashore.
Ira stood facing the sea, wearing her wedding lehenga. The glittering, worked orna (veil) of the lehenga was fluttering in the wind. Behind her lay the boundless waters of the Bay of Bengal. This was no ordinary lehenga; it was the attire that bore witness to the biggest truth of her life.
Just as Ira was gazing at the sea, dreaming of the future, Anik lifted her into his arms.
Ira looked at Anik in surprise. Anik's eyes no longer held the joyous tears of the previous day, but a sacred oath.
Anik, holding Ira in his arms, began to walk towards the ocean waves. In the light of the new sun, the faces of both of them held an unearthly glow.
At this moment, where their journey began—with love, against conflict—they looked at each other. In those eyes were the fear from the hotel in Japan, the promise of the engagement ring, and the ultimate truth of the child's arrival.
They both cried.
But these were not tears of despair or fear. These were tears of relief, liberation, and the victory of a true love. Overcoming all obstacles, they were about to start their new life—where not religion, not society, but only their child and their pure love would be the final word.
Anik, holding Ira, looked towards the sunrise. The sea waves broke beneath their feet, as if breaking all old rules and norms, announcing the arrival of a new dawn.
Anik walked towards the sea carrying Ira. The sound of the waves blended with their heartbeats. Ira was still looking into Anik's eyes, all the uncertainties of her life gone, replaced only by trust.
A deep, peaceful smile was on Anik's face. After a long struggle, his voice was now free.
Anik (In a voice full of love, whispering in Ira's ear):
"Everything you have seen, everything that has happened so far—it was all just the introduction to our story. Now, leaving all the obstacles and the fear of society behind, our real story begins, Ira."
Anik's words were like an oath for their new life. Just at that moment, their wedding photography team quickly moved towards them to capture their private, sacred moment forever.
The photographer arrives and requests Anik to look at Ira in that golden light.
Anik and Ira looked at each other. Ira was in Anik's arms, their child existing in her womb, and behind them, the golden light of the new sun. This scene was the ultimate victory of a love that had triumphed over all conflict.
The photographer quickly snapped the camera shutter. Ira captured that scene in the camera frame (or their ultimate moment was photographed).
The most precious picture of their lives was taken—a picture of a new life, a picture of a new beginning.