Devika was dressed in a yellow saree, her long hair dancing along the wind and a smile full of happiness on her face. It was her best friend Mandira's wedding. And Devika was running around the Haveli and helping with the last minute preparations.

Her father worked as the personal bodyguard of Mandira's father, who was a powerful landlord in the countryside. So since childhood Devika and Mandira were together.

Devika was about to enter the kitchen when her stepmother held her arm roughly and took her upstairs. Her stepmother did not behave well with her, so Devika was not at all surprised with this rudeness. Devika thought of her stepmother as a neurotic. Her father had married her to get an heir, but she gave him two more daughters. The tragedy of their married life. And Devika was the scapegoat.

But at that moment, when Sindura took her to Mandira's bedroom, something definitely seemed off. Mandira's parents were present there too. They looked distressed and angry.

“Thakur Sahab, don't worry. Suraj Baba will definitely find Mandira Baby. For the time being, Devika will dress as the bride. Both of them look almost the same. No one will be able to find out if it's Mandira under the veil or Devika.”

Devika was scandalized by her stepmother's words.

“Where is Mandira?” Devika asked in a meek voice.

“She ran away,” Mandira's father replied in low angry voice.

Mandira's mother came forward and held Devika's arms as she began pleading to her in a crying voice, “Devika, Mandira betrayed our trust. She ran away. Suraj has gone to catch her. But Baraat will be here anytime soon. Please replace Mandira for the time being. No one will know about this, except us. And if anyone tried to malign your name,” She looked at Sindura, “I'll bury them alive.”

Sindura downcast her gaze in fear.

Devika was staring at Gayatri Thakur's face. She was trapped in a moral dilemma. But at last, she nodded. She had to agree. Saying no was never an option to her.

✿ ✿ ✿

Devika wore the bridal lehenga meant for Mandira. Her yellow nail lacquer was replaced with a deep red shade. The heavy jewelry was put on her, though the jewelry felt like heavy metal chains pulling her down into the deep ocean and suffocating her to death.

Mandira's mother was eagerly waiting for Suraj to bring back Mandira. But no news came about them. In this helpless situation, she took Devika to the Mandap.

“Auntie, I can't sit on the Mandap. What if I really got married to him?” Devika protested from under the red veil.

“Right now, to the world, you are Mandira. It is Mandira getting married to Vidyut Mathur. Please do it.”

Those words suffocated Devika even more. She felt so weak that it seemed she could fall on the ground lifeless any moment. But they won't even let that happen to her.

In that moment, Devika realized that honor was above morality for the people around her. And she had only option, which was to compromise with her own moral values.

She sat down beside the groom, in front of the holy fire. And the rituals began.

✿ ✿ ✿

Mandira was sitting in a hotel room about twenty kilometres away from her home. She was eloping with her lover, Rajveer. Within an hour or so they'll travel to Delhi and from there, they'll fly to Thailand.

While lying on the mattress, she was wondering what might be happening at her house. They would have figured out by then that she has eloped. She could care less about her parents and elder brother. But she was already missing Devika.

“I hope that Sindura Chudail stops bullying Devika,” She mumbled while staring at the ceiling.

The only regret she had was leaving behind Devika all alone to deal with those demons.

Her trail of thoughts broke when the door opened with a loud thud. Mandira jolted up and saw her elder brother entering the room. His eyes turned red with the amount of anger that surged through his veins. Suraj spoke no word. He directly grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the hotel.

“Bhai, please leave me! I don't want to marry Vidyut. I like someone else,” Mandira protested.

Suraj glared at her as they reached his car. He threw her in the backseat and himself sat down behind the steering wheel.

Mandira glared at her brother accusingly. He saw her expression through the mirror and uttered bitterly, “Devika is sitting in the Mandap right now, getting married to Vidyut Mathur. If you don't return, her life will be ruined. She will have to pay the price for your mistake.”

Mandira gasped in disbelief, “How could you let that happen to her? Don't you claim to love her?”

Suraj let out a frustrated sigh, “They did that after I left to find you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let them do that.”

Mandira went quiet after that. She had never imagined that her parents would make Devika the scapegoat in this crisis. The Mathurs will kill Devika when they will find out she is the daughter of a mere bodyguard. Mandira had no choice but to return home. She was a selfish person but she could never let Devika suffer for her mistakes.

✿ ✿ ✿

Devika could feel her heart fall out of her ribcage when it was the turn to put Sindoor on her forehead. But Mandira's mother handled the situation by telling the groom to put the Sindoor without lifting her veil as it's considered a bad omen if the groom gets even a glimpse of the bride during the wedding rituals. He bought the lie and did as told.

At that moment, Devika was sitting in Mandira's bedroom all alone. They were trying to buy some time. Suraj will enter the Haveli with Mandira from a secret passage built a few centuries back by their ancestors. No one will notice them entering the Haveli.

Devika was staring at her partition filled with Sindoor. It also fell on her forehead and nose, making her look like a ghost bride from horror movies.

The door opened and Suraj entered the room with Mandira who had her face covered with Suraj's shawl.

“Get ready quickly,” Suraj instructed Mandira and left them alone. Mandira closed the door and removed the shawl. As soon as their eyes met through the mirror, Devika broke up into tears. Mandira ran to hug her.

“I'm sorry, Devika. I'm so sorry,” Mandira cried.

“Why they always treat me as a puppet?” Devika cried out.

Mandira wiped her tears and bent down to look at Devika, “Devika, forget that you married Vidyut Mathur,” And she wiped the Sindoor from Devika's face with the shawl.

“He will kill me if he found out the truth,” Devika cried even more.

“He won't! I'll never let him know. I promise,” She wiped Devika's tears and continued, “Help me wear the lehenga. I can't escape this marriage now. I'll have to embrace it.”

Devika nodded and began removing the jewelry and the bridal lehenga. After changing into a Salwar Kameez from Mandira's cupboard, she helped Mandira wear the lehenga and jewelry. Soon Mandira was dressed as the bride. She wore the Mangalsutra and put Sindoor on her forehead. Devika called Mandira's mother. Gayatri was furious but she refrained from slapping her daughter. Destiny already punished her by making her Vidyut's wife without taking seven rounds of fire. She took her outside for the Bidaai while Devika stayed in the room.

Mandira Thakur became Mandira Vidyut Mathur without a legal marriage. The tragic beginning of her married life.

✿ ✿ ✿

Mandira was sitting with Vaidehi, Vidyut's younger sister, as the driver drove them to the Mathur Haveli. Vidyut had some urgent work so he left in a separate car. Vaidehi kept quiet for the most of the journey, only speaking when required.

As they reached the Haveli, Mandira lightly pushed the Kalash filled with rice kept at the entrance. The ladies beamed with happiness. Mandira noticed a certain woman. Haryali Devi. The mother of Vidyut. She always dressed in dark shades and wore a large silver nose pin. She looked like a dangerous woman and she definitely was what she looked.

“Bhabhi, I'll take you to Bhai's bedroom. Rituals will be performed tomorrow. Be careful on the stairs,” Vaidehi informed her and helped her ascend the stairs.

When Mandira entered Vidyut's bedroom, she was surprised to see that the dimmed room was decorated with lilies instead of roses. And scented candles.

“Why it's lilies, and not roses?” Mandira asked Vaidehi.

“Bhai is allergic to roses,” Vaidehi replied to her and made her sit on the bed.

Vaidehi left after a while. And now Mandira was sitting alone. The sadness from earlier was now replaced by curiosity about the Mathur family. They were a bunch of mysterious people.

The door opened. Mandira's face was still hidden under the veil. She could see a blurred masculine silhouette approaching the bed. He sat down in front of her on the bed. Vidyut stayed quiet for some moments. Mandira was both, curious and nervous. He held her both hands, touching the fake nails she had from a parlour a week ago.

“You aren't the girl I married.”

And his words shook her to the core.

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