
The sacred fire crackled softly, its flames casting flickering shadows across the mandap. The air was thick with tension, a silence so oppressive it seemed to weigh on every soul present. Niranya's world tilted the moment she heard his voice-deep, smooth, and unmistakable.
"Congratulations, wifey."
Her eyes snapped to the groom sitting beside her, her body stiffening at the words. Her heart raced as realization clawed its way through her chest. That voice. It isn't Arhan's.
Her hands trembled as she stood abruptly, startling everyone around her. Gasps rippled through the gathering, heads turning to see what had caused the sudden commotion. Megha's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chauhan, exchanged confused glances, while Arhan parents Mr. and Mrs. Mehta's faces twisted in alarm.
Ashtram, sitting in his place of triumph, rose slowly, the weight of the moment pressing down on the crowd like a storm about to break.
Without a second thought, Niranya reached for his sehra. Her movements were frantic, her desperation palpable. Her fingers grasped the ornate fabric, and with one swift pull, the veil fell away.
Time seemed to freeze.
The man standing before her isn't Arhan Mehta. It's him.
Ashtram Raghuvanshi.
The room erupted in chaos.
Mrs. Mehta's voice rose in disbelief. "What is the meaning of this? Where is Arhan?" Her eyes darted wildly, searching for her son.
Mr. Chauhan stood, his face pale as he tried to calm his wife. "Niranya, what's going on here? Who is this man?"
But Niranya heard none of it. Her gaze remained locked on Ashtram, her chest heaving as anger, shock, and betrayal coursed through her veins.
"Ashtram..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "What have you done?"
Ashtram's lips curled into a faint smirk, though his eyes betrayed something deeper-a storm of emotions he refused to show. "I did what I had to do, Jaan," he said, his voice calm but resolute.
"You did this?" she asked, her voice trembling. Her fingers clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "You... you replaced him?"
"Yes." The single word was spoken with such finality it left no room for doubt.
The room grew louder as the guests whispered among themselves. Megha's mother clutched her husband's arm, her face a mask of horror. "What kind of madness is this? How could this happen at my daughter's best friend's wedding?"
Mrs. Mehta wasn't as composed. "This is an outrage! Where is Arhan? Where is my son?"
Ashtram didn't even spare her a glance. His entire focus remained on Niranya, who looked as if her entire world had crumbled.
Niranya's knees threatened to give way, but she steadied herself, her gaze boring into him. "Why? Why would you do this, Ashtram? Haven't you hurt me enough?"
Ashtram stepped closer, his towering figure casting a shadow over her. "I couldn't let you marry him," he said simply, as if that explanation was enough.
"You couldn't let me?" Her voice rose, anger now replacing the shock. "You don't own me, Ashtram! You can't just decide my life for me!"
His jaw tightened, his eyes darkening with a possessiveness that made her shiver. "You're mine, Angel," he said, his voice low but firm. "I've told you before, and I'll tell you again. No one else can have you. Not now. Not ever."
The guests watched in stunned silence, the tension so thick it was suffocating. Mr. Mehta finally snapped, his voice booming. "Enough! Someone tell me where my son is!"
Vedant appeared then, stepping into the chaos with his usual calm demeanor. "Arhan is fine," he said, addressing the room. "He's safe, but he won't be coming here today."
"What have you done to him?" Mrs. Mehta shrieked, her voice filled with panic.
Vedant's expression didn't falter. "Nothing he didn't deserve," he said smoothly.
"Deserve?" Mr. Chauhan's voice was laced with disbelief. "What kind of barbarism is this? Niranya, do you know this man? What is happening here?"
Niranya's head snapped toward him, tears brimming in her eyes. "I don't know what's happening," she said, her voice cracking. "I don't know anything anymore."
Ashtram reached for her hand, but she pulled away as if his touch burned her. "Don't," she hissed. "Don't you dare touch me."
Her reaction seemed to sting, but Ashtram masked it with his usual stoicism. "You can hate me all you want, Jaan," he said quietly. "But you're my wife now. Nothing can change that."
Her gaze hardened, and her voice trembled with raw emotion. "I don't accept this marriage, Ashtram," she said, her chest heaving. "I will not live with you. I can't. Not like this. Not with what you've done to me."
The words cut through the air, sharp and final. The room fell silent as Niranya stood there, her defiance clear.
Ashtram's face remained impassive, though the hurt in his eyes betrayed the weight of her rejection. He stepped back, as if her words had physically struck him.
"I saved you," he said, though his voice lacked its usual conviction. "I saved you from a life that would have destroyed you. One day, you'll understand Angel."
Her eyes burned with a mix of fury and heartbreak. "You didn't save me, Ashtram. You destroyed me. And I won't live with a man who thinks he has the right to control my life like this."
The silence in the room was suffocating, broken only by the crackling of the sacred fire and the hushed whispers of shocked guests. Ashtram's gaze never wavered from Niranya, his eyes darkened with an intensity that made her pulse quicken, but she refused to look away.
His voice was calm, yet held a chilling undercurrent. "For you, Jaan," he said, his tone low, almost dangerous, "I could paint this whole world with blood."
Niranya's breath hitched in her throat, the weight of his words sinking deep into her chest. But she wasn't going to back down. Not this time.
"You think I'll bow to your threats, Ashtram?" Her voice trembled with a mixture of anger and heartbreak. "You think I'll be scared of you?"
But Ashtram didn't flinch. His stare hardened as he stepped closer, his presence overpowering. "I'm not threatening you, Angel. I'm offering you the truth. If it's what it takes, I'll burn this world to the ground just to keep you with me."
Before she could respond, the room erupted in chaos once again, this time from Arhan's parents, who were unable to hide their tears. Mrs. Mehta's face crumpled as she sobbed uncontrollably. "What's happening?" she cried. "Where is my son? Please, someone tell me where Arhan is!"
Mr. Mehta stood by her side, equally distraught. "What is this madness?" His voice cracked, filled with disbelief and pain. "Arhan..."
Niranya's heart clenched at the sight of their anguish. She couldn't bear to see them like this, their pain a mirror of her own. She knew that no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, their suffering would weigh on her for the rest of her life.
Ashtram's gaze softened ever so slightly as he saw Niranya falter, her expression torn between her loyalty to Arhan and her own heartache.
"You think I want this, Jaan?" he asked quietly, his voice suddenly strained. "You think I want to make you choose? But you don't leave me any choice."
Niranya felt a pang of guilt as she looked at Arhan's parents, who were still crying, helpless in the face of this twisted turn of events. She couldn't just stand there, unmoved, while they suffered. She couldn't let someone else bear the weight of her defiance.
"Please..." Her voice broke, and she felt the weight of the world crash down on her. She turned to Ashtram, her heart heavy with the impossible choice she was about to make. "Please, just stop this. I can't see anyone suffer because of me."
Ashtram's gaze remained unwavering, but the tension in his jaw loosened slightly as he took a step forward, closer to Niranya. He didn't speak; he simply stood there, waiting for her to come to him.
Niranya closed her eyes, fighting the tears threatening to spill. She wanted to fight him. She wanted to scream and run, but she knew, deep down, that if she didn't stop this now, it would be too late.
Ashtram's voice broke the silence, sharp and final. "If you don't come with me, Angel, I'll have to kill Arhan."
The words hit Niranya like a physical blow. She recoiled, her hands shaking, eyes wide with disbelief. "You would... you would kill him?" she whispered, her breath catching in her throat.
"I would do anything for you Jaan," Ashtram replied, his tone devoid of warmth. "Anything. I've made my choice."
The room fell dead silent. The weight of his words hung in the air, suffocating. Niranya's mind raced, her thoughts a blur. She couldn't bear to see Arhan's parents suffer any further. She couldn't let that happen-she couldn't let blood be spilled because of her.
"I'll go with you," she whispered, her voice barely audible, her chest aching with the weight of her decision.
Ashtram's gaze softened just slightly, though there was no joy in his eyes, only a deep, unrelenting possession. "Good girl, Jaan," he said, his voice quiet but filled with something that almost resembled relief. He reached out, his fingers brushing hers, and for a moment, she almost felt the weight of his desperation in that touch.
"Let's go then," he murmured. "It's not over yet."
As he turned to leave, Niranya followed silently, her heart heavy with the decision she had made. The room was still silent, the guests too stunned to speak. But as she passed by Arhan's parents, she couldn't help but glance at their tear-streaked faces one last time. She knew she would never forget the anguish in their eyes.
As they neared the door, ready to leave, Niranya stopped and turned back toward Megha's parents, who stood frozen in shock. She couldn't leave without their blessing.
Megha's mother, her face a mix of sorrow and resignation, walked up to Niranya, placing her hands gently on her shoulders. "Take care of yourself, Niranya," she said, her voice soft but filled with a quiet strength. "You will always have a place in our hearts. May you find peace in your choices."
Megha's father, standing by his wife, nodded gravely, his voice thick with emotion. "We don't understand, but we will always wish you the best. May the future bring you what you need."
Niranya's chest tightened as she looked at them, feeling an overwhelming sense of loss. Megha stepped forward then, her arms open, ready to embrace her best friend one last time.
"Don't go," Megha whispered, her voice broken. "Please, don't leave me like this."
Niranya stepped into the hug, her tears mixing with Megha's. "I don't want to, Megha. But... I have no choice."
After a long moment, Megha pulled away, her eyes red but filled with understanding. "I know, Niru. I know."
With one final glance at Megha's parents, Niranya turned back to Ashtram. He had been waiting patiently, his presence a silent command, but something in his gaze softened as she moved to stand beside him.
The last barrier had been broken. Niranya, her heart heavy with sorrow and resolve, turned and left the mandap, ready to face whatever future awaited her with Ashtram.
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