CHAPTER -3
ARRANGED TO LOVE
AFTER MARRIAGE
YUBRAJ POV
I wait in the mandap, indifferent to the rituals. This is an arranged marriage-something my family wants. I have no feelings for SARIKA.
Her father places her hand in mine. The touch surprises me it feels perfect, like it belongs there. A strange sensation runs through me.
The ceremony continues but her face is hidden beneath a veil. I am about to lift it to apply sindoor when her mother stops me.
"The bride's face is covered until all the rituals are completed" she says, covering her face even more. I apply the sindoor, completing the rituals.
"Marriage is complete. From today, you both are husband and wife" the priest announces and the crowd erupts in applause.
My mother steps forward to lift my bride's veil but her mother stops maa again.
"I need to talk to you all, please" her mother says. We move to a private room with just close family.
"Sarika runs away from home before the wedding" her mother confesses hesitantly.
"WHAT?" my parents yell in unison.
"Then who takes Sarika's place and marries Yuvraj?" Chachi asks, lifting the bride's veil.
"Prachi? YOU?" my mother exclaims in shock.
Her parents explain how Sarika runs away to be with someone else. Prachi stands silently, tears streaming down her face.
"You should have told us. We would have stopped the wedding!" my father says angrily.
"If the wedding was stopped, both our families would have been very dishonored. That's why we did what we thought was right. Please forgive us"
I stand there, trying to contain the storm brewing inside me. My gaze flickers to Prachi -her head bowed, her body trembling.
Her tears are steady but she doesn't say a word. She doesn't need to. Her silence speaks volumes about the fear and helplessness she feels. But fear isn't going to save her or her family from me.
"You think you can play with the Rajput name and get away with it?" I say, my voice sharp and cutting like a blade. I step closer to her father, who visibly flinches.
"This isn't just a betrayal , It's an insult to my family. Do you have any idea what you've done?" My tone grows harsher, filled with controlled rage. "Yuvraj Singh Rajput doesn't forgive betrayal especially one that stains his family's honor"
I turn to Prachi. She looks so small and fragile, her hands clutching the edge of her dupatta as if it could shield her.
"And you..." I pause, my voice cold. "You step into this marriage knowing it wasn't meant for you. You might think you had no choice but don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're the scapegoat"
Her shoulders shake as more tears spill but she doesn't argue. She simply stands there, taking every word as if she's already accepted her fate. I address her parents again, my voice rising.
"From now on, Prachi is my wife and she belongs to the Rajput family. But don't think for a second that this ends here. Your betrayal won't go unpunished. I will make sure you regret the day
I turn on my heel, my fists clenched so tight my knuckles turn white. The weight of what has happened hits me with every step I take. I'm not just angry... I'm livid. They've disrespected me, my family and everything I stand for.
As we leave their home, Prachi walks beside me, her head still down, her sobs barely audible. I don't say a word to her but I can't shake the strange pull I feel when I glance at her. She doesn't deserve my sympathy but there is something about her brokenness that unsettles me.
No matter what emotions stir in me, I won't let them cloud my judgment. Prachi's family has made the biggest mistake of their lives and now they will face the consequences.
"This isn't over" I mutter under my breath, loud enough for Prachi to hear. My words aren't just a promise... they are a warning.
After sometime
PRACHI POV
Yuvraj's family already left an hour ago and only we are left to leave. I flinched after someone slammed the Car door, and I turned my gaze towards the driver's seat. It was Yuvraj. "Take care beta" Maa said.
It would take 1.5 hours to reach Raipur from my Village, the area was covered in forest. We didn't say anything and all the time, I was looking outside the window, towards the dark forest. I have to stay with him-for one year. How will I even look at him after what I did?
You should have thought of this before taking this step
Absolutely but I wasn't in my senses when Papa made that deal with me.
It's been 35 minutes since he has been driving and it's quiet, none of us is speaking about anything so
I decided to break the silence. "Uh-"
"Do not speak," he warned.
"Well, I am sorry on behalf of my family and me" he applied the brake suddenly. I would have hit the dashboard of the car but the seatbelt helped me.
"On behalf of your family and you?" He chuckled and continued. "Sorry? You ruined my life, betrayed my family, your sister cheated and still wanna say this?" My throat gets dried, and my eyes get narrowed on the word 'cheated'
"Cheated?" I said moreover I asked him.
"I consider that stunt your sister pulled as cheating" I let out a forced Laugh.
"I don't trust you nor your sister"
"I am going to do everything to make sure your sister regrets her decision of cheating on me and you regret your decision of being a replacement"
Yuvraj Singh Rajput is famous for a few reasons.
1. For being a good looking prince and a successful businessman.
2. 2. For ruining the career of people who cheat/betray him.
"And now-shut your mouth" His words were more in a commanding tone and I don't like this.
"Why should I? And yes, I understand you are upset so am I but that's now how you talk to someone" He closed his Eyes in frustration.
"Forget it-Sorry for everything, you simp-"
"Get out!" What? He must be kidding me. Right. "Exc-" He opened his eyes and looked at me.
"I said. Get. Out" I looked at him with a weird expression.
"YUVRAJ you are out of your mind. How can you think about dropping me here in this Forest?" I looked outside.
"I will count till 5 and if you won't get out..I will do that for you" I nodded and got down from his car. This guy is Insane
He didn't even look at me and left me alone. "Let me call Maa" I pulled out my phone only to see that there wasn't any network.
"Wow! Now this is good" I heard the hooting sound of Owl.
"Oh god. Help me" Being left with no option I had to walk straight because there's no way I am going back to my home. Not when my father made me marry a guy who left me in the middle of the forest at night.
I was walking for 5 minutes straight thinking about the 360° turn in my life. I turned on the flashlight as it was already dark. I feel scared whenever a weird noise comes from behind the tree or bushes. I felt as if every tree around me was looking at me, like any moment I will be served as their Dinner.
I hope one day Papa will realise his mistake but it will be too late. I am not going to say anything to Papa because I was the only one who agreed to marry Yuvraj. That's another thing Papa blackmailed me.
Call me egoistic but I don't care. Tears filled my eyes as everything that happened with me flashed in front of my eyes. I wish I could wake up and find it to be a nightmare.
A horn sound came into my ear and I turned around.
The car stopped in front of me, making me gulp. Oh god! I am scared as hell. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as my hands began to sweat. I gulped the lump formed in my throat.
This might be the end of everything. This Might Be the end of everything.
End of everything- Tears were rolling down my cheek as I turned my feet just in case I had to run.
My heart was right in my mouth and the way I was trembling. I didn't even ask for a lift then why did this car stop? A guy got down from the car, dressed in sherwani. "Bhabhi?" (Sister in law)
"W-who is this?" I flashed the light on his face, and he covered his face with his hand. "I am Sushant" Sushant, Yuvraj's younger brother. Right.
After I sat in the car, Sushant began to drive. I nearly had a death experience, and I was silent again.
"You know I shouldn't say this since Bhai did it...l am sorry for what he did" His words didn't sound cold like Yuvraj but it wasn't warm as well. The only thing I learnt today was these two brothers are completely different.
My eyes were pinned to the dark tree passing by, while the boy sitting beside me was speaking.
"He has serious anger issues," Sushant said. He thinks I care? I don't give a shit about Yuvraj and his anger issues.
I didn't reply to Sushant but I looked at him. "My Bhai indeed gets angry but the anger he is holding today is valid. After all you and your family are the one who gifted him pain"
I feel guilty for what I did. I am selfish to marry Yuvraj. I shouldn't have married him, and Sushant isn't wrong about it.. After all, my family is the cause of Yuvraj's Anger.
I agree Yuvraj did wrong by dropping me in nowhere but I didn't do good as well, I didn't do good by taking the place of my sister.
Tears filled my eyes as everything got blurry. I turned my face towards the window.. as I didn't want to cry in front of a stranger, I didn't- so I blinked my eyes to let the tears disappear.
It was silent again until Sushant decided to break this silence. "I don't know if I should say this but Bhai is angry so you better ask your sister to be underground or something and if she loves someone, then ask her to hide him..."
I looked at him again "Take it as a suggestion because Bhai will definitely not stay quiet. The only thing he hates is betrayal". I was looking at him shocking and confused eyes.
"I don't care about it, the only person I care about is my Bhai. I warned you due to humanity..rest it's up to you" This isn't what we thought, we didn't think that Yuvraj might try to ruin my sister's Life and of course mine too.
"How do I convince Yuvraj to forgive my sister?" He chuckled, turning the steering wheel to the left. "Deal with it Bhabhi, likewise you took your Sister's place. Deal with this problem too"
Honestly I am scared and after talking to this Little angry bird, I am even more scared. Hence, Sushant loves his brother unconditionally, that's the reason he is sad and angry.
I don't blame Yuvraj for this behaviour because somewhere my family and I did wrong to him. Very wrong and his anger towards us and me is valid. We deserve his anger.
"You ruined my life" his voice ecoed in my ears. Right. I ruined it. Maybe he likes my sister, no he might love her and thought about a future with her and now that she is gone, he feels like she cheated on him with another guy hence he is upset no no no-Angry. Disappointed. Disheartened.
Everything seems like a mess to me right now.
I don't want to go inside. Says the voice inside me. "Come outside," Sushant is standing outside, holding the car door for me while I am still sitting inside the car.
"My family is not bad, I trust they will treat you well" He said, probably he must have read the stress on my face and ended up with these words.
And about trust.. Haha, I have trust issues. I know they are angry and I have to deal with them for a year due to that Plot. I need to go back to Jaipur as soon as possible.
I nodded and stepped out of the car. Sushant shut the door of the car, while I looked at the palace. Beautiful. Many things weren't visible since it was Midnight.
My eyes met with the guy I least want to see because of the guilt I have in my heart. He was standing on the balcony, leaning on the railing. Those 5 seconds of eye contact is enough to make me panic and make me realise that I messed up- Wrong and now there's no turning back.
"Let's go" I moved my gaze from Yuvraj and followed Sushant.
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