The cars arrived at the mandap, and Prerna and Mr. Bajaj got out. Veena helped Prerna collect her dress and walk up the stairs.

Mr. Bajaj sat down first, telling the pandit to start the chants.

"Take your time. Stress lene ki koi zaroorat nahi hai."

As Prerna stood watching the service, her mind kept going back to Anurag. How much he'd loved her, and how broken he would be without her. She was just thinking this when the pandit called her. Veena gently shook Prerna to snap back to reality, and Prerna swallowed her tears as she went to sit with Mr. Bajaj.

Veena helped do the rasams and tied the knot, after which they got up to do their phere. At every circle, a tear dropped from Prerna's eyes. She looked to the door every time, hoping he would come rescue her.

The phere were completed, and the couple sat down for the sindoor. Prerna closed her eyes as Mr. Bajaj lifted her tika, but before he could properly place the powder...

"Prerna!"

Everyone turned to see Anurag storm the mandap. They stood up as he strayed inside, mad and soaking wet. Before he could get too far, guards got him, but he screamed for them to let him go.

"Yeh, yeh sabh kya hai?"

"Enough, Mr. Basu," Mr. Bajaj warned him as he got closer.

Veena stood in his way this time. She reached for his arm, trying to calm him. "Anurag, aap-

"Aap beech mein mat boliye!" Anurag shook her off and Veena stumbled. Prerna gasped. No one could treat her mother like this. Mr. Bajaj was the closest to catch her.

"I said that's enough, Mr. Basu."

Anurag ignored him and went and grabbed a canteen of water, putting out the fire. Prerna had to step back as the water splashed her

"Kisi ne mujhe video dikhaya aur mene believe nahi kiya lekin... yeh sabh. Yeh? Huh? What is this?!" He accused her.

"Prerna apne life ki decisions le sakti hai," Mr. Bajaj spoke for her.

"Nahi le sakti!" Anurag screamed so matter of factly.

His tone of voice didn't sit well with Prerna. She was taking this decision, to save Anurag. Love or not, Prerna was her own person and could take her own decisions.

"...Yeh roq raha hai na tumhe?" Prerna heard him talking to her. "Prerna tumhe darne ki zaroorat nahi hai iss admi se. Main hoon na tumhare saath. Tum meri ho bus. Sirf meri," he grabbed her hand and searched around for the pot of sindoor. He grabbed a pinch and tossed up her tika, stopping mid way.

Confused, Prerna slowly brought her hand to her face, tepidly touching her maang to find it full already. Anurag reached out to wipe it off but Prerna grabbed his hand. As Anurag stood there watching his hand, Prerna slapped him.

"Darr mujhe abhi sirf tumse lag raha hai, Anurag. Tumhe mujh pe itna bhi trust nahi hai, ki main jo decision le rahi hoon woh hamare liye hai?

"Main apni decisions khud lene kha haq rakhti hoon. Maine Mr. Bajaj se shaadi ki hai, aur abh tumhara yahaan hona koi meaning nahi rakhta. Chale jao, Anurag. Chale jao!" She pushed him in the direction of the entrance.

Anurag stumbled backwards, watching everyone's faces. He even looked towards Veena, who was standing behind Bajaj, to plead his case. But no one helped him.

Mr. and Mrs. Bajaj finished their rituals, and Prerna got ashirwaat from her mom. Veena gave her her blessing and smiled at her, holding her face.

"Abh aage ka safar tujhe akelai karna hai. Lekin hamesha yaad rakhna, zaroorat parde to main tumhare saath hoon."

Prerna hugged her mom, and went with her new husband. Mr. Bajaj made Mehta drop Veena home.

When Veena got home, more trouble was waiting for her. She opened the door to an angry Mohini inside. Veena smiled and awkwardly laughed as she went inside to welcome Mohini, but her future samdhan slapped her.

Everyone gasped.

"Yeh sanskaar diye hain tumne apni beti ko!? Kitne ghatiya log ho tum!"

"Kaaki maa!" Shivani ran forward to her mother. "Aap kiya keh rahi hain?! Kiya ho raha hai? Aap ko koi ghalat fehmi hui hai."

"Mujhe koi ghalat fehmi nahi hui! Pucho apni maa se, Prerna kahan hai."

Shivani looked to her mother. "Prerna kahan hai maa?" She repeatedly asked when Veena didn't reply. 

"Kitne paise mile tumhe, Veena?"

Everyone stared in shock at Mohini's accusation.

"Main puuch rahi hoon kitne paise mile tumhein?! Paison ka itna bhook hai tumhein ke apni beti ka joda bechti phirti ho."

Veena couldn't believe what she was hearing. Wahaan Prerna inke baite ko bachaane ke liye apni zindagi de ayi, aur yahaan Mohini ji aise fizool ilzaam lagaa rahi thi. Veena couldn't believe her daughter was going to marry into this family.

"Aap abhi bhi yahi sochti hain ke Priyu Anurag se paison ke liye shaadi kar rahi thi?"

Shivani got in. "Are sabh kuch to theek ho gaya tha. Kiya ho gaya? Achanak kaise..."

"Tum mujhse puuch rahi ho kiya hua hai!?" Mohini screamed. "Tumhari behen ne Bajaj se shaadi karli, aur tum mujhse puuch rahi ho kiya hua hai?!"

"Mohini ji! Hum aapka sammaan karte hai kiyunki aap Anurag ki maa hain. Isska matlab yeh nahi ke aapke mann mein jo bhi aaya aap bolti rahein gi."

"Are, Priyu ko thodi si der ho gayi, aur app.."

"Der?! Mere Anu ke mandap pe pahunchne mein usse der ho gayi, lekin Bajaj ke mandap pe bilkul time par pahunchi! Usne usse shaadi bhi kar li!"

"Prerna mera abhimaan hai. Aap hamari bacchi ka naam aise nahi kharaab kar sakti. Aap ko hamesha se Prerna pasand nahi thi. Aap kiya tordein gi yeh rishta. Hum tordtein hain yeh rishta. Anurag aur Prerna ki shaadi nahi hogi.

"Idhar se aaj, aakhri baar, hum aapko apne ghar ke darwaaze tak chordh ke aate hain."

—

Prerna arrived at the door of her new home. Mr. Bajaj's people were waiting to do the rasam with her. Prerna stepped in, knocking over the pot of rice. Suddenly she felt dizzy, but Mr. Bajaj stabilized her. To her surprise, Mr. Bajaj picked her up, and carried her all the way to her new room. He sat her on the couch and, before Prerna could say anything, he left.

Prerna didn't get much time to be alone as her phone suddenly rang. It was Shivani.

"Hello, Shivani? Sabh theek hai na?"

"Don't," Shivani answered harshly. "Don't do this drama that you care for everyone."

"Shivy, meri baat..."

"Kiyun kiya aapne yeh! Mujhe sabh pata hai. Anurag just loved you, woh mandap pe baitha tha! Aur hum sabh taiyaar ho rahe thay aap ko mandap lejane ke liye..."

Mr. Bajaj was outside the door, listening to Prerna talking with her sister. Shivani was speaking so loud, he could hear some of her words out here. She was accusing Prerna of cheating them.

Mr. Bajaj smiled. He had never seen anyone so selfless before. No one saw how she traded her happiness for the life of her beloved. Rishabh had admiration for Prerna. Some small part of him hated that they were enemies, but he knew why he had taken Prerna. And just as much as Prerna loved Anurag, Rishabh loved...

He heard the phone break. Rishabh took a breath and went inside.

"Maine aapse koi baat nahi karni," she said, not even facing him.

"Baat karne nahi aaya mein. Yeh doodh..."

Prerna spun around, incredulous. "Bas kardein yeh naatak. Koi hamein nahi dekh raha. Yeh shaadi sirf ek paper marriage hai. Agar kissi ka haq hai mere saath rasam karne ka-..."

"I don't care. Mujhe rasam mein koi interest nahi hai. I know ke aap Anurag se pyaar karti hain aur usske bacche ki maan banne wali hai."

Prerna went quiet.

"Aaj ke din ka stress aap ko weak kar raha hai. Yeh doodh aap ke liye hai. Aapki... halat ke liye beneficial ho ga."

Rishabh placed the glass of milk on the side table.

"Pi leingi to accha ho ga. Nahi pina to it's not my problem."

He walked past her and went to the bed, grabbing his pillow.

"Ghar pe aur koi nahi hai. Aap aaraam se so jayein. Good night."

Prerna watched Mr. Bajaj leave the room. She couldn't believe the day she'd had.