The wedding rituals were in full swing, each one more traditional than the last, steeped in history and family customs. As Sia sat beside Arjun, her heart thudded against her chest, her mind reeling from the whirlwind of emotions. The priests chanted ancient mantras, and the aroma of incense filled the air. She followed the instructions, her movements automatic, as she held onto the delicate thread of tradition that had been forced upon her.
As the "Sindoor Daan" ceremony began, Arjun gently took the vermilion powder from the priest's hand. He hesitated for a brief second, before leaning toward Sia, his eyes briefly meeting hers with a mixture of guilt and confusion. The small red powder fell gently on her forehead, but as the grains touched her skin, some of it seemed to slip, falling on the tip of her nose. The moment, insignificant to anyone else, felt like an eternity to Sia. It was as though the world had paused for a second, allowing her to feel the weight of the situation fully. The weight of the ceremony, of the vows she was taking, of the life she had just entered into.
The sight of the sindoor on her nose made her feel like an outsider in her own life. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Her gaze flickered to Arjun, but he seemed lost in the moment, his emotions hidden behind a mask.
Aarav, always the one to break the tension, leaned in from behind with a grin plastered on his face. "Look, bhai, you've already marked her for life," he teased, nudging his friend. "You better be careful, or she might just start calling all the shots around here!"
Later, when the rituals concluded, Riya was now a distant memory for everyone, replaced by Sia, whose unexpected decision had saved the face of both families. The Rathor family couldn't be more grateful for her sacrifice, and Arjun's relatives were quick to shower her with appreciation.
Ishika, Arjun and Aarav's younger sister, was visibly excited. She ran up to Sia, her eyes shining with joy. "I'm so happy, Di! I'm so glad it's you! I always thought you'd be the one Arjun bhaiya would marry. You've known him since you were little, and now I get to call you my bhabhi (sister-in-law)!"
Her innocent excitement warmed Sia's heart, even though the weight of the circumstances still lay heavy on her. She smiled, touched by Ishika's words, but also a little shaken by the thought of the life she was about to start, not with the man she dreamed of, but with the man her sister was supposed to marry.
Arjun's family, including his father Vijay, his mother Devika, and his grandfather, expressed their gratitude toward Sia. Vijay shook her hand warmly, his eyes reflecting a mixture of respect and admiration. "You've done something that no one else could. I am grateful to you for stepping in and saving our family's reputation, Sia."
Devika, with tears in her eyes, embraced Sia. "I know this must be difficult for you, but I want you to know that you're part of our family now. We're so thankful for everything you've done."
Arjun's grandfather, the elderly patriarch of the Rathor family, offered his blessings as well. "May your marriage be filled with happiness and peace," he said, his voice kind, but with an underlying gravity.
But not everyone was pleased with the situation.
Arjun's grandmother, the matriarch of the family, stood apart from the others, her eyes narrowed with disapproval. She wasn't able to mask the sting of betrayal she felt. Riya's sudden disappearance, followed by Sia stepping in, felt like a betrayal of the family's trust. She gave Sia a cold, distant smile, but there was no warmth in her eyes. "It's a shame things turned out this way," she muttered, almost under her breath. "But I suppose we'll have to make the best of it."
she bid her goodbyes, her bidai was performed at Mehta's mansion. where she was in emotional shock. Her father was now again distant from her. Tensed for Riya, Who is the reason for all this drama. And her mother crying her heart out.
Sia sat silently beside Arjun in the car as it made its way to the Rathor mansion, the weight of the day pressing down on her like a heavy blanket. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotionsâfear, confusion, guiltâand as they neared their destination, the dam she had been holding back finally broke. Tears streamed down her face, her body shaking with sobs that she couldn't suppress. This was not how she had envisioned this day, this marriage. Arjun, still silent, glanced at her for a moment before reaching into his pocket and offering her a handkerchief. His gesture was cold, distant, and lacked the warmth she had hoped for. But it was the only gesture he offered, and she took it, wiping her tears in silence.
When they arrived at the Rathor mansion, the atmosphere was noticeably different. Arjun's familyâhis parents, grandfather, uncle, and auntyâwelcomed her with open arms, their smiles somewhat forced but kind. His grandmother observing everything from a distance. Arjun's cousins, Aarav and Ishika, rushed over, their faces lighting up with genuine excitement. Ishika, with her youthful energy, couldn't contain her happiness. "I'm so glad it's you, Sia," she beamed. "You're the one Arjun deserves." Her words, though well-meaning, seemed to ring hollow to Sia, who was already struggling with the weight of her new reality. The warmth of the welcome did little to ease her pain as she tried to find her place in this new, uncertain world she had been thrust into.
Despite the outward show of support, the cracks beneath the surface were becoming more apparent, and Sia could feel them. She was now in a position where every action, every decision, would be scrutinized. She could see the way some members of the family looked at her, not with admiration, but with suspicion. And one person in particular, Riya, wasn't making things any easier.
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Arjun's mind was in chaos. He had been angry with Riya for not showing up at the wedding, for running away instead of confronting the situation head-on. It was the last thing he had expected from herâespecially after everything they had shared, all the years of closeness. But as he stood there, his fists clenched, his heart pounded with rage, not just at her abandonment, but at how cleverly she had manipulated him from a distance.
Riya, in her usual cunning manner, managed to make him believe that Sia had orchestrated the entire thing, that it was her master plan all along. His phone buzzed with another message from Riya, her words dripping with both innocence and calculated deceit.
"I know you're upset, Arjun. I get it. But you don't understand the full picture," she typed, her voice coming through the screen in the same sweet tone she had used for years to manipulate him. "Sia promised me she would stop the marriage, that she would let me have my moment in the spotlight with my modeling career. She told me that she knew how much this show meant to me, that she would find another way to make things work with you."
Arjun's heart twisted with confusion as her words took hold. The doubts Riya had planted were festering inside him, growing roots deep in his mind. He could see it all nowâSia, the one who had seemingly played the role of the perfect bride, had tricked him into thinking she cared, but in reality, she had only wanted to take his place.
But that wasn't the whole truth. Arjun didn't know everything, and Sia couldn't tell him. She knew too much to be silent about it. What could she say? That her own sister was living a double life in London, with a lover no one knew about, someone whom she herself had seen in secret? How could she expose Riya for what she was doing when it would destroy everything, especially Arjun's trust in both of them?
Riya was using the situation to get the best of both worldsâan unshakable grip on Arjun and a thriving career. Arjun was her safety net, her fallback when the career went sour, but at the same time, she had no intention of losing her place in his life, not without a fight. Riya made it clear, from miles away, that Sia had manipulated the entire situation, promising things that never existed, creating a version of events that suited her own narrative.
Arjun had tried to fight the doubts, but they were suffocating him. The trust he had once had for Sia was quickly eroding, replaced by a torrent of hurt and betrayal. In a flash, he knew what he had to do.
With fury boiling inside him, Arjun marched to Sia, his mind clouded with anger. He didn't think, didn't process; the words just came spilling out, harsh and unforgiving.
Arjun's POV..
"You've been playing me, haven't you?" Arjun spat, standing in front of her. "This whole thing was just a game to you. You promised Riya you'd stop the wedding. But you didn't. You had other plans all along, didn't you? You just wanted to get close to me."
The words hit Sia like a physical blow. She had never seen him like this beforeâso cold, so angry. But Arjun's anger wasn't just directed at her. It was lashing out at the entire situation, at his confusion, his betrayal.
"You don't care about anyone else. You never did!" Arjun continued, his voice rising. "Do you know why your father never loved you? Why he never supported you? Because you're always doing things behind people's backs. You can never be honest. You make things harder for everyone around you."
"I never meant that," Arjun muttered, barely audible, his words losing their strength. But it was too late. The damage had been done.
The words, especially about her father, rang in her ears as she stood motionless, her heart breaking at the thought that Arjunâsomeone she had imagined a future withâcould say such things, even in the heat of the moment. Her love for him had never been a game, but in his eyes, she was no better than the manipulative woman he had once trusted.
Sia didn't respond. What could she say? How could she explain the mess that had unfolded, when it felt like everything was falling apart and no one understood her side? How could she make him see that it wasn't her who had pulled the strings, but Riya, the one who had so expertly weaved her web of deceit, all the while ensuring she stayed in control?
And all the while, as Arjun's anger pushed him further away from her, Riya watched from a distance, basking in the comfort of her lover's arms in London, satisfied with the damage she had caused.