Happy Reading!!! 🫶🏼

The house was suffocatingly quiet, but inside the locked bedroom, Shipra's voice was cracking with raw, unfiltered agony.

She stood before her father, her fists clenched so hard her knuckles turned white. Tears streamed down her cheeks, washing away the light makeup she'd worn for the day.

"Papa, please... I don't want to get married right now!" Shipra pleaded, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "My studies, my career... everything is just picking up! Didn't you always teach us that a girl should stand on her own two feet first? Why are you forcing me then, Papa?"

She pointed toward the door, where her sister Ananya was casually lounging, checking her nails.

"Doesn't Ananya have dreams too? Why am I the one being sacrificed? You want me to marry Aryaveer in her place? But Papa... wasn't the alliance fixed between Ananya and him? Why are you gambling with my life? Kya mai aapki beti nahi hu?"

Each word felt like a physical blow to her own chest. Her heart felt heavy, crushed under the weight of a realization she had tried to ignore for years.

Deep down, she always knew she was treated differently in this house. Whenever she wanted to achieve something, Ananya's demands always came first. When her father agreed to let her pursue modeling, Shipra had felt so deeply grateful to the Shekhawats. They had brought her into their home, given her food, shelter, and an education. She had swallowed every insult, every unfair moment, thinking she owed them everything.

But today, the illusion shattered. She wasn't family. She was just a pawn-a convenient backup option to shield their real daughter.

"Why did you even bring me into this house if you never intended to care for me?" Shipra sobbed, her dignity breaking completely. "How can you give me away to a man who is... who is disfigured and aggressive? You know what everyone says about the Rathore heir!"

She hated judging people by their looks-she truly did. But the rumors about Aryaveer Rathore were terrifying. Ever since his car accident, he had turned into an arrogant, short-tempered recluse who hid from the world.

"Papa, please," she whispered, folding her hands together, begging. "Mai haath jodti hu aapke aage... call off this wedding. Bholenath ke liye mat karo mere saath aisa!"

Her father's face remained cold, unflinching. Before he could even speak, her mother stepped forward, her eyes spitting pure venom.

"Bss bahut ho gya kitna drama krogi ab !" her mother snapped coldly. "You will sit in that mandap tomorrow. If you refuse, don't expect a single rupee or an ounce of shelter from us ever again. We will throw you out on the street!"

"And keep your mouth shut," Ananya chimed in with a cruel smirk. "No one can know about this bride swap. Not your friends, not anyone. If you spill a single word, you'll regret it."

When Shipra still hesitated, her father delivered the final, fatal blow. His voice was quiet, but it cut deeper than any scream.

"Bhul gyi tumne mujhse apne janamdin pr kya kaha tha ?" he said softly. "Remember the debt you owe this family. We gave you a roof, food, status, and education when you had nothing. You promised me once that you would do anything to repay our kindness. This is the time to show ur gratitude. I m giving u a chance .

The room went completely still. They had used her own goodness against her. They knew her weakness-she was a girl of virtue, bound by a heavy sense of duty and gratitude. She had promised to repay them, but she never imagined they would demand her entire life as payment.

The fire inside her died. Her hands slid down, her head bowed in total defeat.

"Jaisi aapki marzi" she whispered, her voice lifeless.

That night, Shipra didn't sleep a wink. She lay on her bed staring at the dark ceiling, feeling the silence suffocating her.

As soon as the first light of dawn filtered through the window, she quietly slipped out of the house and walked to her only sanctuary-the local Mahadev temple.

The air inside the temple was crisp and quiet, broken only by the faint scent of incense and burning camphor.

Shipra collapsed onto her knees right in front of the Shivling. Her body was trembling, her hands resting flat on the cool stone floor. For a long time, no words came out-just heavy, choked sobs that ripped through her chest.

She pressed her forehead against the cold marble floor, her tears soaking into the stone. When she finally spoke, her voice wasn't polished or quiet; it was raw, cracked, and breathless-the sound of someone completely broken.

"Hey Bholenath..." she whispered, her chest heaving as she choked back a sob. "Mai toot chuki hu... bilkul toot chuki hu."

She sat up slightly, staring at the deity with tear-blurred eyes, her hands trembling in her lap.

"Mujhe sach mein kuch samajh nahi aa raha, Mahadev... Maine aisa kya galat kiya hai? Is ghar ke liye kya nahi kiya maine? Unhone jo bola, maine wahi kiya. Hamesha unka ehsaan maana, hamesha jhuk ke rahi... phir bhi? Phir bhi mera hi sauda kar diya unhone?"

A bitter laugh escaped her lips through her tears, mixed with pure agony.

"Apni beti ko bachane ke liye mera hi balidan kar diya, Papa ne? Meri koi keemat nahi hai na unke aage? Mai toh bas ek bojh thi... ek sadak se uthai hui ladki, jise jab chahe use kar ke fenk do."

She wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her trembling hand, her voice dropping into a desperate plead.

"Agar mujhse koi galti hui ho na Bholenath... toh mujhe maaf kar dena. Par mai ab aur nahi lad sakti. Mai thak gayi hu... andar se mar chuki hu mai. Kya sach mein meri kismat mein sirf yahi dard likha tha?"

She closed her eyes, resting her head against the base of the Shivling once more. All the anger, the feeling of betrayal, and the terrifying fear of tomorrow seemed to bleed out of her into the stone.

"Ab mai koi zid nahi karungi," she whispered softly, her voice finally settling into a quiet, numb surrender. "Jo aapki marzi hai, wahi hone do. Ab sab kuch aapke haath mein hai, Bholenath. Mai apne aap ko aapke hawale karti hu."

She stayed like that for a few minutes in complete silence. And slowly, like a gentle hand resting on her heavy shoulders, a strange, unexplainable warmth filled the quiet temple air. The suffocating tightness in her chest softened. The panic was gone-replaced by a deep, hollow peace.

She stood up, wiped her face, and walked out of the temple, ready to face whatever fate was waiting for her.

She stopped fighting. She completely surrendered her fate to His will.

When she returned home, she was like a living ghost. Quiet, emotionless. As she was packing her clothes, Ananya walked into her room, spatting bitter insults and taunts. Shipra didn't even look up. She let the venom wash over her without reacting.

By evening, the wedding venue was set up. It was kept strictly low-key-just immediate family and a few acquaintances, wrapped under the excuse of an "intimate affair," though it was really just a cover to execute the bride swap smoothly. The Rathores also didn't said anything as they also don't want to disclose the identity of their heir . They had no intention of debunking the rumours about their own heir.

Shipra didn't tell her best friends. 'Pehle ye sab nipatne do,' she thought numbly as the beautician adjusted her bridal veil. 'Agar unhe pata chala, toh wo mere ghar walo ko maar hi daalenge.' She decided she'd face their anger later, once everything cooled down.

When she was brought to the mandap, her heart hammered against her ribs.

Sitting across from her was Aryaveer Rathore. Tall, broad-shouldered, and imposing, his face was completely hidden behind a thick, elaborate pearl sehra.

The Shekhawats secretly sneered, assuming he was covering himself out of deep shame for his scarred, ruined face. What they didn't know was that behind those pearl strings sat a man with a sharp, flawless jawline, intense dark eyes, and an untouched, strikingly handsome face. He had worn the veil simply out of spite, refusing to give the world a show.

Sitting among the guests was Dadi, the sharp-eyed matriarch of the Rathores. She was the only one who knew about the bride swap. Dadi had been keeping an eye on the Shekhawats for weeks and knew how vile and spoiled Ananya was. It was during this time she came across the truth of another daughter being adopted by the Shekhawats.  However when she caught wind of the swap, Dadi stayed quiet-thrilled that she didn't have to break the alliance herself (evil dadi 😈), and even happier that her grandson was marrying a good-hearted girl like Shipra instead of Ananya , that rich spoiled woman. She was happy to do something good and make an orphan a part of her family and thus she didn't tell anyone from the Rathores as the truth hold no importance to her.

(  BACKSTORY:- Shipra was adopted by the Shekhawats at a young age thus she grew up along with Ananya and Harsh in the Shekhawat family. Not many people knew that she is adopted by Shekhawats except the close kin. The alliance between the families was set when the children were young and thus with time everyone just knew that the rathore heir will be marrying one of the daughters . Not one actually knew which one was to marry.)

The pandit's voice echoed softly, calling for the Kanyadaan.

Shipra's father took her hand to place it in Aryaveer's. Shipra felt a cold shiver run down her spine-not from nervousness, but from the complete lack of warmth in her father's touch. There was no hesitation, no fatherly tears. Just the rushed, relieved motion of a man shedding a heavy burden.

"Kanyadaan sampann hua," the priest announced.

Next came the Pheras. Joined together by the sacred fabric, they began walking around the fire. Step by step, Shipra kept her eyes glued to the floor, whispering her silent prayer: 'Ab jo bhi hai, aapke hawale Bholenath.'

Standing nearby, Aryaveer's younger brother couldn't keep quiet any longer. He nudged Aryaveer's best friend, leaning closer to the groom.

"Arey Ooo, Bhai Sahab!" his brother teased in a low whisper. "Thoda toh relaxed ho jao! Shaadi kar rahe ho ya kisi border pe jung ladne jaa rahe ho?"

"Sahi mein yaar," his friend snickered quietly beside him. "Thodi toh smile de do, Bhabhi ji ko lagega kisi patthar se shaadi ho gayi!"

A sharp, dangerous tilt of Aryaveer's head behind the veil was all it took to shut both of them up instantly.

The pandit then handed a pinch of bright red sindoor to Aryaveer.

Aryaveer had been cold, silent, and deeply irritated all evening-furious about being forced into this marriage by his grandmother. But as he stepped closer and raised his hand to fill her hairline, his long, warm fingers accidentally brushed against the soft skin of her forehead.

An electric jolt seemed to pass between them.

Shipra flinched slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering open. Through the thin red fabric of her veil, her tear-filled eyes locked onto his dark, piercing gaze beneath the pearls.

His hand wavered for a split second, and a tiny bit of the red powder slipped, spilling right onto the tip of Shipra's nose.

Ananya, sitting close by, immediately let out a salty, sarcastic smirk. "Arey waah, Shipra! Naak pe sindoor gira hai... Jiju toh tujhse bada pyaar karenge! Lagta hai lottery lag gayi teri!"

The mocking words made Aryaveer's jaw clench tightly behind his sehra. He looked down at Shipra-at her pale, delicate face, her trembling lips, and the bright red mark on her nose. She doesn't fit in the typical beauty standards of society . She has golden brown skin,a round face and long thick lashes . Out of nowhere, a fierce, suffocating wave of possessiveness hit his chest.

His icy demeanor cracked for a fraction of a second. His dark eyes softened as he looked at the quiet, vulnerable girl standing before him.

She is mine now, the thought slammed into him, fierce and unavoidable. Catching himself, he quickly pulled back, putting his wall of cold indifference back up.

Off to the side, Ananya's mother leaned into her husband, smirking under her breath. "Dekho toh... kya kismat hai iski. Varna aaj ye sab Ananya ke saath hota. Agar vo accident nahi hua hota, toh he must have been so handsome today. Accha hi hua humari Ananya bach gayi, pata nahi kaisa dikhta hoga "

They genuinely believed they had pushed Shipra into a dark abyss.

With the Mangalsutra tied around her neck, the wedding came to an end. There were no dramatic tears or heartfelt goodbyes from her parents-just quick, fake blessings, eager to get the Rathores out before their secret blew up.

Shipra didn't cry during the Vidaai either. Her tears were completely gone. She simply bowed her head, accepted their hollow blessings, and walked quietly toward the waiting dark luxury car.

As Aryaveer held the car door open for her, his tall, broad frame shielding her from the cold night wind, Dadi gently placed her hand on Shipra's head.

"Chalo bahurani" Dadi said softly, her voice filled with genuine warmth. "Ab apne ghar chalo."Dadi , her mother in law and father in law all of them seem so excited to welcome her to their family. For a moment shipra felt as if everything is happening for a good. But she quickly pushed this thought away .

Shipra ducked her head and stepped into the car, leaving behind the family that had used her as a pawn, completely unaware of the life waiting for her on the other side.

Glimpses Of Their Wedding Moments

DISCLAIMER

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, businesses, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or used fictitious context. Any resemblance to real individuals, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. The author claims no ownership over historical or factual accuracy for dramatized events.

All rights reserved.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or digital methods-without the explicit prior written permission of the author, except for brief excerpts used in critical reviews or non-commercial features as permitted by copyright law.

Note: Any visual media or images utilized throughout this work belong to their respective original creators and owners.

If you liked this update:

LIKE ❤️ | COMMENT 💬 | SHARE 🔁

Don't forget to Add to Your Library so you never miss an update!

Follow me for more updates on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/samairawrtss?igsi=bzR1a213aGp2bnNz

And do check out my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@samairawrtss