The marriage was a haste affair. Hritika refused to conduct the pre-marital rituals but the wedding night rituals had to be done, what seemed to Hritika, all for the paparazzi.

There were lights everywhere and it was dazzling. The lights were so strong it made her feel light headed. She missed her parents, she missed being supported. She missed the feeling of having someone to at least stand up for everything that was happening.

The varmala, pheras, everything felt so quick and meaningless to Hritika. She didn't know the face of her husband, hell, she didn't even know the name of her husband. The sindoor was conducted to her forehead and she felt helpless. For a moment she wanted to get up and run away but the constant retrieval of her aunt's words made her feel absolutely defenseless.

A stubborn rage, a burning fire of betrayal panged in her heart. It was as if the sindoor ritual has instilled a stone to her heart. She pledged to the fire she would help herself out of the situation. She pledged to free herself from this marriage as soon as possible.

As soon as the pandit declared the completion of the marriage she further pulled down her veil to cover her distressed emotions and her hands curled up into a fist. Anxiety peaked inside her. She thought to herself, whatever has she let happen to her!? Why didn't she protest harder? Why didn't she runaway?

As the anxiety built in, she felt dizzy and lost her balance for a while until she steadied herself holding one of the mandap's pillar.

She was soon greeted by large number of people. She couldn't even see their faces due to her veil.

As rituals of vidaai started, she was held in an embrace by her aunt.

"Oh my lovely, congratulations on your marriage" she cooed.

"Enjoy all you want on the grave of my happiness. Enjoy all you want with every pennies you've tricked out of people. That is, while you can. 'Cause do not take me for women who tolerate, I will come back for what belongs to me"

"Oh let's see let's see whatever you can do. Please take care of your husband, darling" She said before pulling out of the embrace.

As Hritika sat in the car with her 'husband', a complete stranger, she felt extremely uncomfortable. She asked the driver "Excuse me, could you share the car's registered number?"

The driver gave a strange confused look as he told her the number. She noted it down and posted it to some Derek and wrote "If I die, this is the car I am in. Hunt it down"

She hid her phone under the veil before she received and texted back more to the person until she fall asleep.

When she woke up, she was still enroute to what is normally addressed as in-law's.

She heard her phone ringing, she received it "Hello, this is taiji"

"Um...who?"

"Taiji!"

"I'm sorry, I can't remem-"

"Is Aarav there?"

"Who?"

"Aarav!!"

"I am sorry, I don't know someone as such"

"You are??" She asked again.

"But who do you want?"

"I am taiji" she repeated.

"Wrong number" she ended the call as she sighed "what a crazy world"

But it kept ringing again and again but she ignored.

When they reached their destination, the groom's house, might it be added it was based on a huge land and definitely  screamed of money. Aunt did not just deal with them for nothing.

Hritika was exhausted with the post marital rituals and finally she was guided into a room by the groom's cousins, and oh boy, were they loud?

"Oh my God, you look sooooo beautiful." A girl said.

"I wish I were as tall as you!" Another said.

"Where is this lehenga from?" Someone said.

"I am sorry, I don't know." Hritika politely answered.

"The jewelleries?"

"Sorry, I don't have any idea."

"Should we help you with the pins and everything?" The girls asked.

"That would be really helpful, can you please help me out with them?"

"Sure, bhabi!!" She cringed at being addressed as such.

They helped her with the pins on her hair and veil and left as she sat before the mirror as someone completely stranger to her ownself.

What was this sindoor on her head? What were these kohl-smeared eyes? Why was she even wearing these bangles! What reason for these necklaces!?

She pulled the necklace hard enough to leave a deep red scratch mark on her neck. She then hurriedly tried to take off the sindoor, but it wouldn't come off. She was crying. She was crying unknown to herself.

Someone knocked and before she could respond it flung open.

"Beta, where are you?" A woman called.

"Hritika?" She called again.

"H-here. The- the dressing room." She panicked to let her guards down and let someone meet her when she was having a panic attack.

But the cheerful woman came to her with bright smile and holding a plate of food.

She started talking by herself "I realised you haven't eaten anything for the rituals, and you didn't even come downstairs. Your husband didn't eat either. Just went away. I thought at least I could feed yo- uh- are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I was just trying to get these off and uh- kinda there's a lot of them."

"Yeah, and they looked absolutely gorgeous on you." She said as she sat beside her with the food plate as she forwarded a glass of water.

Hritika took it "Thank you, aunty."

The woman looked perplexed "You do know who I am right?"

"I- yea- um.. no. I apologize"

The woman's face fell "It's okay. Just for your information, I am your mother in law. And I understand that everything happened so fast. But I really wanted to meet you before the wedding. I wanted to have you when I shop your gifts, to get them as to your liking but your aunt conveyed you were busy."

Hritika was silently listening.

"The wedding was in haste. Because everything that went on. My son just wanted to get this "Get married by 30" checklist ticked off. What a robot! And your aunt insisted that you didn't want to marry for love either. I must give credits to Mrs. Kapoor, she insisted on this marriage. She told me about you and your accomplishments, everything and I could not stop being in awe. I thought you were most than eligible and exceptionally beautifully so." She offered a warm smile.

Hritika felt awkward as she smiled back at the woman.

"Let me feed you, your palms are not yet clean I see" the woman said.

"Um- no than-"

"I insist."

"Um okay."

The woman forwarded a spoonful rice towards Hritika as she continued talking "I hope we get along well for I always dreamt of a daughter in law and all the things I'd do with her. I understand the situation we're in, and I would have loved if he could not behave as distant and actually marry for love, but, but I really hope you both find love in this journey. Arranged marriages are so common."

Hritika thought to herself that even though arranged marriages were common, it still would require the bride's consent, it still required the bride to actually want to marry. This forced marriage was nothing but a way of snatching all her father's properties from her. This was nothing but a way of taking her home from her.

"I wish we could keep a reception party, but my son is always so busy, and I heard you had to join the Indian branch of your hospital too— would you like to try rice with the paneer?"

Hritika nodded yes.

"Here you go. It breaks my heart I'll have to see you off soon. But I will be welcome to stay at your place, right?"

"My place?"

"Yeah, your and my son's. I thought you knew. How strange. He lives like 20 minutes away from here. He moved out when he was 21."

Hritika just listened, and thought to herself how will she bear a whole damn house alone with a stranger. Would she be okay there? What about her safety?

As soon as she was done eating, she thanked her mother in law.

"Oh, you're such a darling. You're most welcome. If you need anything, just give me a call. Our room is the first to the right downstairs."

"Okay, thank you." Hritika smiled.

As the woman left, she felt a little better. The woman was exceptionally nice. She feared trusting anyone, but she just seemed naturally nice and jolly.

She showered and got changed into something comfortable. She looked into the bed, it was embellished with flowers and lights and satin covers– what a waste she thought. The idea of sleeping on some stanger's bed made her feel uncomfortable so se decided on the nearby sofa where she slept without stressing more, with the prayer tomorrow comes with new hopes.