Chapter - 12
The Rathore family arrived at Rathore Haveli, and the Rajput family welcomed them warmly.
Suresh introduced Dev and Tara to the Rathore family, as it was their first meeting.
Dev and Tara took blessings from the elders and greeted the younger members of the Rathore family.
After a brief exchange, Meenakshi excused herself, saying she needed to check on Natasha to see if she was ready.
Meenakshi went to Natasha's room, but to her shock, Natasha was not there.
She checked the bathroom and the balcony, but the room was empty.
Natasha's wedding outfit and jewelry were still in place, but there was no sign of her.
Panic began to set in. Meenakshi immediately messaged Suresh, asking him to come to Natasha's room.
In her desperation, Meenakshi also checked Siya's room, but Natasha wasn't there either. However, Siya had followed Meenakshi into Natasha's room, and upon seeing her, Meenakshi's anger boiled over. Without thinking, she slapped Siya hard across the face.
"This is all because of you!" Meenakshi yelled. "You're a bad omen! Wherever you go, bad things follow. You couldn't stand to see my daughter happy, could you? You must have sent her away out of jealousy! Tell me now!"
Siya, shaken and teary-eyed, stammered, "No, Taiji, I don't know—"
But before Siya could finish, Meenakshi slapped her again. "Shut up! I know this is your doing!"
Just then, Suresh entered the room, demanding, "What's going on here?"
Meenakshi explained the situation to him, and he, too, grew furious. His eyes scanned the room and fell upon a folded piece of paper among Natasha's jewelry. He picked it up and began reading aloud:
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm sorry, but I can't go through with this wedding.
Today, I received the opportunity of a lifetime—my design was selected for an international project, something I've worked tirelessly for.
If I marry now, I'll lose this chance forever.
Staying here would mean sacrificing my dreams to follow traditions I don't believe in.
I know this will hurt you, but I have to choose myself this time. Please try to understand.
Love, Natasha
Suresh sat heavily on the bed, burying his face in his hands. "What do we do now?" he muttered.
Meenakshi, still furious, snapped, "What are you doing sitting here? Go find her! This is all Siya's fault!"
Suresh cut her off sharply. "Enough, Meenakshi! We don't have time to blame anyone. If the Rathores find out our daughter ran away, you can't imagine the consequences. Their reputation is everything, and this insult could provoke them to destroy us."
After a tense pause, Suresh looked at Siya and said firmly, "Get her ready in Natasha's wedding outfit."
Meenakshi stared at him in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind? You want this girl to marry Rathore's grandson? Never! She doesn't deserve it!"
Suresh's voice turned icy. "Do you want the Rathores to find out about Natasha? Do you want them to erase us from existence? If we don't act fast, we'll lose everything. Now stop arguing and do as I say!"
Meenakshi, though angry and unwilling, frowned deeply, making Siya shake with fear.
"Tauji," Siya said softly, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to get married. Please don't make me do this."
Suresh slapped her hard. "Shut up! You don't have a choice in this matter.
If you don't marry, I will sell your father's house.
The place where you grew up with your parents, the place that holds all your memories—do you want that to be gone?
If you don't do this, I'll sell it without a second thought. "
Siya's heart shattered at the thought of losing the only home she had left, the place filled with memories of her parents. She fell to her knees, folding her hands in desperation. "Please, Tauji, don't do this. I beg you. Don't sell the house. It's all I have left."
But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Meenakshi turned her back, refusing to even look at her. Suresh, with no sign of mercy, simply said, "Get ready, or you'll lose everything. Thirty minutes, and I expect you at the mandap."
Siya, feeling helpless and trapped, nodded silently, her heart heavy with the weight of her decision. She couldn't let them take away the only piece of her past that remained.
With that, Suresh left the room. Meenakshi glared at Siya, her voice cold and harsh. "Get ready. You're ruining everything as usual." She slammed the door as she left to call Natasha, leaving Siya alone and sobbing.
Thirty minutes later, Siya stood before the mirror, dressed in a stunning red bridal outfit.
It was the day every girl dreams of—the day she begins a new life, full of hope and happiness.
But Siya didn't feel any of that. She had imagined this day, dreamed of a future where her life would change for the better, but now, that one hope had been snatched away from her by her own Tauji and Taiji. She felt crushed.
She silently prayed to Shivji, asking, Why does this always happen to me? Why can't you give me even one reason to be happy?
As if in answer to her silent prayers, Meenakshi entered the room.
Her face was filled with frustration and worry.
She had tried calling Natasha, but her phone was off.
Meenakshi noticed the finger marks on Siya's face and quickly covered them with makeup.
She didn't want anyone to see anything unusual today.
"Keep quiet outside," Meenakshi instructed coldly. "No one should know you're not Natasha." Siya nodded in silence, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her.
"Cover your face," Meenakshi added, and Siya did as she was told. She pulled her veil down, hiding her face from the guests.
Meenakshi led Siya out of the room and down to the mandap, where everyone was gathered.
Aarav and Raghav, were talking, whenAarav's eyes fell on the bride.
For a brief moment, he forgot to breathe.
It wasn't her face he could see, but something about her presence—so graceful, so composed—took him by surprise.
Anaya, noticing Aarav's silent admiration, teased, "Bhabhi looks so pretty," pulling him back to reality.
Once the bride sat in the mandap, the rituals began. Panditji started performing the ceremony, and Dev turned to his mother. "Mom, where is Siya? I haven't seen her. Isn't she with Natasha?"
Meenakshi quickly covered, saying, "She wasn't feeling well, so she's resting in her room." Dev, not questioning her, agreed. "Okay, mom. I'll just go and see her."
Before he could move, Meenakshi stopped him. "Dev, she took medicine and is now sleeping. You'll disturb her. And here, your sister needs you. Panditji will call for the bride's brother soon for the next ritual."
Dev nodded, sitting back down.
The ceremony continued. Aarav and Siya completed the seven pheras, with each step binding them together in the sacred vows. Aarav put sindoor in Siya's hairline, symbolizing their marriage, and tied the mangalsutra around her neck. The final step had been taken.
Panditji announced, "You are now husband and wife. Take blessings from the elders."
As the words echoed in the air, Siya's heart felt empty. She had become the bride, but everything she had hoped for seemed lost.
Siya and Aarav stood together, receiving blessings from the elders of both families. When they approached Dev, Siya's brother immediately recognized her, even though she was covered in her bridal veil. "Siya?" Dev's voice rang out, and everyone turned to see who he was referring to.
Dev reached forward and gently lifted Siya's veil. The moment her face was revealed, a wave of shock swept through the room. Everyone stood frozen, staring at her in disbelief.
Aarav, who hadn't seen Siya's face until now, felt a rush of anger when he heard Dev say her name.
His emotions flared up, but he chose not to confront the situation in front of the guests.
The Rajputs, sensing the tension, quietly ushered everyone to the back of the haveli.
Raghav took charge of managing the guests.
Once everyone reached the private courtyard, Aarav's patience snapped. His voice boomed, laced with anger. "What is this, Mr. Rajput? What kind of joke is this?" His tone sent shivers down Suresh's spine. "I hate being betrayed, and your family has dared to do just that. You will pay for this."
Suresh trembled visibly, his voice shaking as he tried to explain. "N-Natasha... she... ran away, so we... we—"
Aarav cut him off sharply. "So you decided to marry me off to anyone? Without informing me? Without even asking us?" His voice rose, filled with disgust.
Suresh stammered again, his words spilling out in fear. "We didn't have time. Guests were outside, and Siya... she's my younger brother's daughter..."
Aarav's anger only grew. He couldn't believe that for the sake of appearances, Suresh had replaced the bride. His fists clenched at the thought, but before he could lash out further, Sumitra Ji, the Rajmata, stepped in.
"It's too late, Aarav," her calm but firm voice echoed. "What's done is done. We can't change it now. Prepare for the vidai."
Aarav didn't respond, his frustration simmering under the surface as the Rathore family left the courtyard to return to the guests.
Meanwhile, Dev turned to Siya, his eyes filled with hurt and guilt. He rushed toward her, cupping her face gently. "Baccha, why didn't you tell me? You could have called me! I'm so sorry. It's my fault—I should have never believed Mom's words."
Siya couldn't hold back her tears anymore.
She looked at her brother, her lips trembling, but she couldn't find the words to explain.
If she told him about the blackmail, Suresh might sell their house.
But lying to Dev? That felt impossible too.
Instead, she threw her arms around him, sobbing quietly into his chest.
Dev kissed her forehead softly, his voice heavy with regret. "I'm sorry, Siya. I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most. But I promise, from now on, I'll always be there for you. If the Rathore family ever mistreats you, you tell me. I'll stand by you, no matter what."
Siya nodded through her tears, still unable to speak.
Tara, Dev's wife, approached her gently, offering a warm smile and comforting words, but Siya's focus was on her brother.
Suresh and Meenakshi, on the other hand, kept their distance.
They showed no care or concern, acting as if Siya's presence didn't matter to them.
Before leaving, Dev approached Aarav, his hands folded in a plea. "Please take care of my sister," he said softly, his voice carrying both hope and pain. Aarav nodded stiffly but said nothing, his expression unreadable.
Dev returned to Siya, placing his hand gently on her head. "Take care of yourself, baccha," he said with a bittersweet smile before stepping away. Siya cried silently, watching her brother leave.
As Siya sat in the car beside Aarav, the weight of everything crushed her.
Tears streamed down her face, but she wiped them quickly, afraid that Aarav might notice.
The fear of his anger, of him raising his hand, stopped her from showing her true emotions.
She bit her lip to stifle her sobs, her pain bottled up inside as the car began to move.
The Rathore haveli faded into the distance, but the ache in Siya's heart only grew stronger. Her life had changed completely, and she wasn't sure if she could bear what was to come.