Finally the fateful day of Ranbir's wedding had arrived, putting an end to all could haves and should haves. Chowbey Villa had been decorated with all the glory and glamour of a radiant new bride. Suddenly, there was a commotion among the family and friends of the bride. The groom had arrived with his entourage.

The Choubeys and their extended families walked over to the entrance to welcome the groom and his entourage into their home. Maya's, daughter of the Choubeys and the would be bride, mother welcomed the groom with all the usual paraphernalia associated with the process.

Though there was smug triumph and the joy of victory in the visages of the members of the Choubey family, there was not a single trace of rapture among the faces that accompanied the groom. The eyes of the members of the Kohli and the Mehra families mirrored their helplessness though there were perfunctory smiles on their lips.

However, it was the handsome features of the groom that mirrored the utmost dejection. Ranbir was in a morose state of mind and his restless eyes were searching for an absent figure among the throngs of known and unknown people.

His searching eyes failed to trace the object of their quest but could not manage to escape the shrewd eyes of Maya's uncle, Dushyant Choubey.

"Is anything wrong, Ranbir? Are you looking for someone?" Dushyant Choubey observed Ranbir shrewdly.

"No. Not at all. I was just looking around. The decorations are really beautiful." Ranbir managed to divert the cunning man's attention.

"I am glad that you like the decorations. Let's go inside." Dushyant urged everyone to move inside their house.

As they crossed the threshold and were walking towards the pavilion, decorated beautifully with flowers and colourful silk clothes to form the canopy, where the marriage rituals were going to take place, Ranbir clutched the sleeve of Aryan's kurta and gestured him discreetly to move closer. When Aryan followed Ranbir's silent instruction, Ranbir checked if anyone was eavesdropping in their conversation and then tilted his head slightly towards his best friend.

"Where is Prachi? When is she going to come? After the marriage is done?" Ranbir mumbled agitatedly.

"Calm down, calm down. People, especially Choubeys, can see your feelings written in bold letters over your face right now. Don't worry. Everything will be alright. Prachi always fulfils her promises." Aryan muttered under his breath, trying to calm down his agitated best friend.

"I know. But whenever I think of marrying someone other than her either under compulsion or by mistake or accidentally, my blood runs cold." Ranbir shared his disquieting thoughts.

"Don't be pessimistic, Ranbir. Nothing like that is going to happen." Aryan reassured him.

However, both the friends hadn't noticed that while talking they had slowed down and the other people including their respective families who had accompanied them had gone ahead, leaving them to bring up the rear of the group. This, however, did not escape Dushyant Choubey's sharp eyes.

"Ranbir! Aryan! What are you both discussing that is so important that you didn't even notice that everyone else had passed you? Share with us too." Dushyant Choubey raised his brows.

"We are discussing how to cut you and your family into tiny pieces and feed your flesh to the vultures. Even the poor vultures will die as this is the family of vipers." Ranbir muttered under his breath, while keeping a phoney smile intact on his lips. 

"Nothing, uncleji. We are just coming." Aryan called out hastily.

Aryan clasped Ranbir's arm and led a reluctant Ranbir towards the pavilion. Ranbir kept looking around for a glimpse of his saviour but to no avail. The anxiety again began to tighten its chokehold on Ranbir. He knew Aryan was right. If Prachi had promised to get him out of this mess, she would fulfil her promise at any cost. It was just that his patience was wearing thin. 

As Ranbir and Aryan reached the others, Vikram patted his son's shoulder and shook his head helplessly, completely at sea about how to save his son from his disastrous future. Pallavi and Daljeet smiled sadly. Ranbir nodded, understanding their plight. He mounted the steps leading to the pavilion and took his place behind the sacred fire.

"Buji, do something! Ranbir will get married to Maya!" Rhea whined.

"What can we do now, sweetheart? Your father has made sure that I can't withdraw money from my accounts without his permission. Had I had access to my accounts, I would have hired someone to kidnap Maya and you could have replaced her in the pavilion. After all the bride's face will be hidden under the veil." Aliya shrugged in annoyance.

Soon, another commotion went through the people present at the venue, announcing the arrival of the bride. The bride was clad in a beautiful pink lehenga. She was accompanied by Mrs. Choubey and some other girls. Ranbir looked at her, his agitation was increasing with every step she took towards the pavilion, towards him.

Where are you, Prachi? Come soon. Or else I will take matters in my own hand. I won't marry anyone other than you.

Ranbir promised to himself and to Prachi soundlessly.

Soon the bride arrived the pavilion and mounting the steps, settled down beside him with the help of the women who had accompanied her.

Ranbir was growing increasingly restive and turned to Aryan who gestured him to keep calm. However, an overwrought Ranbir was in no mood to pay heed to his friend's sensible warning. He was not feeling sensible enough.

Probably, Dushyant Choubey realized Ranbir's state of mind and also the fact that he could object at any time. He, therefore, fished out his gun and casually dangled it, attracting Ranbir's attention and discreetly began pointing it randomly towards the members of mehra and kohli families. 

Ranbir sighed in defeat. He was feeling so helpless. He couldn't put the lives of his family and friends in danger and he would if he tried to object. Now his only ray of hope was Prachi who could save him from this disaster. But even that ray of hope was hiding somewhere amidst dark clouds of despair.

Ranbir could only visualize a ceaseless stretch of darkness in his future. They say when the night was too dark, it usually meant that the dawn was approaching. However, at the moment, he could only see darkness without any silver lining.

While Ranbir was lost in his thoughts, Abhishek walked into the hall and looked around. Locating Vikram, he walked over to him. Seeing Abhishek, Vikram sighed in relief.

"Abhi, you said that you are gonna contact the minister who is your friend. What happened about that?" Vikram stared at Abhishek with eyes filled with hope.

"That idiot is in London at the moment. and even if he catches the flight, as he let me know so considerately, it will take better part of the night. What will be the use of him coming if he arrives after this marriage is done? We don't really need him to welcome the bride in our home. So, I told him not to bother. I would love to deal with him when he comes to me for any kind of assistance next time." Abhishek muttered, giving vent to the helpless fury raging within him at his inability to save Ranbir from the disaster.

"Now, bride will place her hand on the groom's." The priest instructed.

The bride extended her hand but the groom did not, as he was lost in his own musings. 

"Ranbir! Pandit asked you to extend your hand." Dashrath Choubey, Maya's father, growled.

Ranbir turned to glare at the red gold flames of the sacred fire as he extended his hand. His eyes were reflecting the scorching flames and similar flames were scorching his heart too. He knew that if Prachi didn't arrive in time and put an end to this charade, then the flames of the sacred fire would burn down his whole life to ashes.

So engrossed was he in his disturbing thoughts that he didn't pay any attention at all to the ritual in which he participated grudgingly. 

"Now, its time to give the bride away. May I ask the father of the bride to perform the ritual." The priest requested.

Dashrath Choubey was about to go but Dushyant Choubey stopped him. When the younger brother looked quizzically at the older brother, the older Choubey smirked, there was a sinister glint in his eyes. 

"Not you, Chote. Why don't you perform the ritual, Mr. Mehra?" Dushyant's suggestion was infact a command in disguise.

"Why? Is your daughter adopted? You are unaware of her true parentage and hence don't want to give her away by yourself?" Abhishek retaliated sarcastically.

"How dare you!" Dashrath Choubey took a step towards Abhishek furiously.

However, Dushyant stopped his younger brother, concealing his own outrage beneath a facade of affable demeanor.

"Calm down, Chote. All of us are aware of Mr. Mehra's sense of humour. In fact, I love his sense of humour. He is just kidding, aren't you, Mr. Mehra? And anyways, I want you to give the bride away which is the right of a father so that in future you will treat her as your own daughter when she will enter the Kohli household as the daughter in law." Dushyant's eyes were very cold though the amiable smile on his lips didn't falter for a second.

"Yeah, I was kidding." Abhishek confirmed reluctantly as he was well aware of the fact that the formidable look in that cunning man's eyes spelt danger for his loved ones.

"See, I was right as always. So, please do the honours, Mr. Mehra. The auspicious time is running out."

Sighing resignedly, Abhishek walked up the steps and settled down beside the priest and began to perform the rituals. Ranbir, however, was just working on automation by then. A queer numbness had descended over him. He had just stopped thinking altogether and was doing what he was asked to.

The ritual of giving the bride away was fulfilled. Abhishek got to his feet and strode down the pavilion as soon as was possible.

"Now, the bride's sister should tie the knot (Gatbandhan) of the bride and the groom." The priest announced.

"Since it was Mr. Abhishek Mehra who gave the bride away, it's only fair that his daughter, Rhea Mehra, should tie the knot of the bride and the groom." Dushyant declared.

Everyone was taken aback and looked at Rhea warily, who was staring at the man incredulously.

"Fair? You don't even know the meaning of the word. And I am not gonna do anything that you say. Let alone tying knot of that girl with Ranbir." Rhea retaliated in mounting fury.

"Na, na, na. Dear child. Never take that tone with your elders. The people in your family might, but we don't tolerate children's audacity. And you will do as you are told. Please make your spoilt brat understand, Mr. Mehra." Dushyant turned towards Abhishek, no longer smiling.

Abhishek knew trouble when he saw one. He turned to his daughter.

"Just do as he says." Abhishek instructed.

"But dad..." Rhea started protesting.

"Just shut up and do what are asked to." Abhishek glared at Rhea, irritated.

Gnashing her teeth in fury, Rhea stomped towards the pavilion. After taking the two pieces of cloth belonging to the bride and the groom respectively to tie the knot, Rhea looked at Ranbir with teary eyes.

However, Ranbir was still staring at the fire with bleak eyes. Huffing angrily, Rhea tied the knot and moved away as soon as she could from the suffocating area. In her haste to get away, she didn't notice that she had, albeit unwittingly, tied the knot tightly as she poured her anger on it.

"Now, bride and groom should stand up for circumambulating the holy fire for seven times. For the first four times, the groom will lead the bride while for the next three, the bride will lead the groom." The priest instructed.

Mrs. Choubey walked up the steps and urged the bride to get to her feet. As the bride tried to do so she was yanked back down midway as the groom hadn't moved from his position on the seat at all. Mrs. Choubey grabbed her arms otherwise she would have toppled over.

"Ranbir! What are you doing? Pay attention to the rituals." Dashrath Choubey blustered.

Ranbir was jerked back to the harsh reality as the loud words penetrated his preoccupation. Listlessly, he got to his feet and led the way. Mrs. Choubey moved back down.

After the first four rounds were done, the bride came to the front and led the way. The remaining three rounds were completed too with Ranbir going through the motions listlessly.

After the ritual was performed, the priest asked them to take their respective seats. Soon, the priest ask Ranbir to tie the 'Mangalsutra' around the bride's neck and he followed the instruction with all the enthusiasm of a person going to the gallows. And finally, the priest announced that it was time for the groom to fill the the parting of hair of the bride with vermilion.

Mrs. Chowbey walked up the steps leading to the pavilion and knelt down behind the bride.

"Beta, move you head towards damdji (Son in Law)." Mrs. Chowbey instructed.

As the bride followed the instruction, Mrs.Chowbey lifted the veil so that only Ranbir could see the bride's face. However, Ranbir, who was again staring unseeingly at the holy fire, didn't even bother to turn but uninterestedly took a pinch of the vermilion powder and filled the bride's hair parting. 

Rhea squeezed her eyes shut and tears cascaded down her cheeks while Aaliya put an arm around her beloved niece to console her. 

It was at such a moment something very strange happened which was actually the precursor of several subsequent incidents which were yet to be revealed. 

A voice lashed out across the hall with the effect of a whiplash.

"Stop this marriage. This marriage cannot happen." 

Everyone turned towards the source of the voice. Startled out of his misery, Ranbir looked up from the fire.

Let's end it here today. 😁😁
Who was the person who wanted to stop the marriage? Any guesses? 😁😁

Hope you all like this part dear friends. :)