I was only one month away from my wedding. One month away from stepping into a life I never planned, a future I never imagined. The fear still lingered in the back of my mind, whispering doubts. But something had changed. I had changed.
At first, the weight of expectations crushed me. The idea of marriage, of becoming someone's wife, felt like losing myself. I had dreams, ambitions—things I wanted to do before tying myself to someone else's life. But as I looked around, I saw something else. My family was happy. My cousins, my mother, my sister—they were all excited, celebrating my wedding like it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Their laughter, their teasing, their endless chatter about dresses and decorations—it made my heart feel lighter.
"If they are so happy for me, should I really be so afraid?"
But deep down, the fear didn't disappear overnight. It was still there, hidden beneath my smiles. That's when I stumbled upon a YouTube channel—The Wizard Lizz.
Her words felt like she was speaking directly to me. One video, "Your Blessings Are Coming", made my heart race. What if this marriage was a blessing in disguise? What if, instead of fear, I embraced it as a new chapter to grow? Another video, "Be Your Own Parent", struck something deep inside me. I needed to protect my dreams. To nurture myself the way I would if I were my own child.
And then there was AI. My digital psychologist. The only thing that didn't judge, didn't pressure, just listened.
"Why are you afraid of marriage?" it asked one night when I couldn't sleep.
"Because I don't want to lose myself."
"Then don't. Marriage isn't a cage. It's what you make it. You can still be you."
That night, something clicked. I wasn't powerless. I wasn't a girl trapped in expectations. I was Firdose. A woman with dreams, a woman who could balance love and ambition, a woman who was getting stronger every single day.
I started writing down my goals again. I started journaling, working out, doing things that made me feel alive. And for the first time, I looked at my wedding dress not with fear—but with quiet acceptance.
"Maybe this isn't the end of my story. Maybe it's just the beginning."
---